The Ford F-series pickup might be the ultimate expression of the American vehicle. Forget the Camaro and the Mustang…it’s the Ford truck that has gone the farthest in connecting people within the country. Over 27 million of them have been made since 1977…and the truck has been around in various forms since 1948. We are sure you can do the math and figure out just how many Ford pickups have roamed the dirt roads. While newer versions of Ford’s money maker still sell like water in the desert, it’s the legendary toughness and classically handsome older designs that tend to draw people in, and the sixth generation of the truck, built between 1973 and 1979, that holds a special place in the author’s heart: my grandfather owned an exact copy of this pickup, minus the wheels and tires. Dark Jade on Light Jade paint, four-wheel-drive, cab lights and all, this was the pickup that he used when he needed a truck, and when it wasn’t being used this was the vehicle that I got to pretend to drive as a little kid as it sat, hooked up to the camper trailer.

Thirty years later, that particular truck is long gone, but this 1979 is still present and you’d swear that it just came out of a full-tilt restoration. But with exception of minor rust repair around the rear wheelwells and the bed, fresh paint and the Bronco-sourced mags, this is a Montana-based survivor rig, one that led a pretty pampered life. Look at that interior and tell me you’ve seen better in an unrestored truck in the last twenty-five years. I’ll want proof. Just like the Dodge we featured a few days ago, this Ford sits right on the perfect edge between being a work tool and being a family car with a bed. It’s comfortable enough to be used often, but you won’t mistake it for a 1979 LTD anywhere except for the fuel mileage from the 400ci V8.

eBay Link: 1979 Ford F-150 Custom 4×4