God’s honest truth, I didn’t look at this 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger Lariat as a potential BangShift feature when I first started looking at it. I didn’t see it that way. I saw this truck instead as the compromise my family made with me when I was a very young kid: if I stayed out of the street-driven cars that came in and out of my grandfather’s house (something I notoriously didn’t do), then I would be allowed to play in the twin to the truck you see here as long as someone knew I was out there. At the time, the engine in Grandpa’s green truck was a dead player and it was parked on gravel with large river stones acting as chock blocks…if five-year-old me got that truck to move, it was because I had hit it with a car I shouldn’t have been in. Again, nothing out of the realm of possibility.
But looking over the listing turns up more than just a nostalgia kick. Underneath that bed cap is a travel setup that looks pretty well sorted: two full-size beds, a cook stove, a carpeted floor setup and two dressers. To hell with a hotel, just bring enough blankets to stay warm and find a great place to camp! The 351 Cleveland will take you where you need to go with forty gallons of fuel available via the two tanks and if you figure out why the radio and CB radio aren’t working, you’ll have your entertainment at the ready. The cab interior is fresh, having been replaced five years ago in the factory colors. And the truck has had solid use over the last couple of years, including hauling a fifth-wheel to Alaska and Florida from the Kansas City area. And other than the living accommodations in the back, it looks like a pretty-much stock 1978 Ford truck. That’s awesome.
The price is quite agreeable, the truck looks great, and it’s potential is there on display. It would be very hard to say no to this rig, even if you aren’t a Ford fan.
that engine is a 351 (M) not a Cleveland… loks good though
I’m familiar with the Cleveland and the Windsor, but what the hell’s an “M” motor?
The M was made in MIchigan. Its similar but definetly not the same. Its definetly not a performance engine as the C.
The 351m and 400m use the 429/460 belhousing bolt pattern . The 351m is a destroked 400m created to replace the newly gone 351c . It also have the same deck height as the 400m wich is higher than the 351c . Not a performance engine btw .
Grow up with these vintages and miss them… not alot left here on the east coast.