I honestly have no idea how long it’s been since I found a giant truck that is worthy of showcasing for the express purpose of causing Brian to make a noise that is a cross between an excited “squee!” and something far more vulgar upon first sight, but as soon as I laid eyes on this 1978 Ford F-250, I knew my work was done. Seriously…I love it, and I’m not that into trucks…at least, not to the level of Lohnes. And I’ll bet money that the first thing Chad would do is find the biggest damn travel trailer RV he could find, hook it to the back, and disappear before either one of us could utter, “What just happened?” It ticks all of the right boxes: clean, classic pickup from the 1970s, modernized drivetrain, the ability to drag just about anything behind it. And it’s even a SuperCab model, so bringing friends or kids along is a go!
The basis of the truck is a 2.5 ton Freightliner frame and it’s 5.9L Cummins diesel/Eaton FS5205A five-speed manual transmission setup. All of that fits under the Ford’s body, with the only addition being the dually flares on the bed and the front bumper setup. The front windshield is new, the seals around all of the glass are fresh, and the interior is beautiful. Leather seats, rubber floors, and an excellent integration of the Freightliner gauges and switches into the Ford dash make us smile…as much as the dual tool boxes and chrome side-exit exhausts do.
Is it worth $24,500? Far as I’m concerned, it is. Show me any other medium-duty truck this capable with this much going for it by comparison. It beats the crap out of a used TopKick any day of the week, and you can’t deny that the 1970s Ford body didn’t look good…it just does. We’d swap out the 4.11 gears for something more highway friendly and roam this beast wherever we freaking felt like it. I’m not saying that Lohnes should buy it, I’m just saying that he might need a few minutes alone…
eBay Link: 1978 Ford F-250/Freightliner Custom
This truck looks like a could be a TV show project from a while back, nice truck.
Not a Highboy!!! Please, Please do not perpetuate this gross misuse of the term. A Highboy is a fenderless, unchanneled, ’34 and earlier car.
Hey Volkswagen boy… Before you spout off with your vast knowledge of everything… The 3/4 ton 4×4 Ford p/u trucks from the 70’s were called highboys also. I’m not sure why you think an article in an automotive website would compare a big p/u to a roadster or street rod.
You my friend are a bit of a tool.
Ford made a 4×4 with a factory lift in the 60s and 70s. Which was nicknamed the high boy. God forbid 2 things had the same name. Saying ford didn’t make a high boy (which by the way the headline is just a play on words stating its a big truck) is like saying Pontiac didn’t make a GTO. I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about so a little hint for your research. Look up Ferrari GTO.
Ok, ok, we’ll just call it the HighMan then.
Meh, these things do nothing for me. I mean, I don’t hate it but..it just seems useless other than a marketing device for your business. I’d much rather see that body on a factory frame with a modest lift and slotted wheels and mud tires….
This is located about half an hour away from me. I’m really tempted to drive over there and see it in person.