Ford fans, never fear, we have excellent vintage 4x4 pickups for you as well. Perhaps they worked harder than their Chevy counterparts did back in the day, or perhaps fewer were built, but it seems that there are not nearly as many early-70s Ford 4x4s out on the market today. Fortunately, we recently found this blacked-out beauty, which is a recently restored 1974 Ford F-100 Ranger XLT 4x4 that\'s ready to attack any project in style...

In the early \'70s, if you needed stuff hauled, no matter how big, a tough Ford like this was how you did it. As a result, finding a truck that hasn\'t been bashed and worked to within an inch of its life is no easy task. Fortunately, this one led a fairly easy life of leisure in Alabama since it was new, and if that sheetmetal could talk we bet it would have some cool stories. Before it was restored, this F-100 Ranger spent its life as a US Army brat in the service of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. Maybe it spent all day hauling cool NASA stuff and Commie-killing rockets, or maybe it just ushered around a general or two. Nevertheless, before the restorers got their hands on it just over a year ago, it was still decked out in RSA badging and the good \'ol Red-White-and-Blue. That past life provided for a solid foundation on which to build, and the restorers elected to bring back this Ford\'s former glory albeit with a lovely new suit. You can\'t go wrong Raven Black paint, and on the flanks of this tough 4x4 long-bed, we couldn\'t have picked a better color ourselves. The goal was to get this hauler back on the road and looking good, not competing in national car shows, so the restoration isn\'t some open-checkbook stunner but that of a very solid driver anyone would be proud to show off. The strong driver quality paint is fresh, the bumpers are new, and there\'s a new drop-in bedliner in the bed out back, but pieces like the grille shell and body trim (the latter of which is a nightmare to find on the aftermarket) were refurbished and correctly reinstalled. The result is a gorgeous, tough-looking truck with a lot of curb appeal that still has the credentials to whip any jobsite into shape. And sure, this baby can haul just about anything, but it looks so nice cruising down Main Street that you may think twice before you fill it up with dirt.

Black is the predominant theme inside, where pretty much everything is brand new and super comfortable. A fresh vinyl seat cover for the factory bench offers cushy accommodations for three, matching black door panels were added at the flanks, while the headliner and even the dash pad were all replaced with new components during the restoration. The cab was insulated with all new rubber gaskets and the floors were then covered with plush tan carpets that keep the outside elements at bay, matching the top-market Ranger XLT woodgrain trim on the glovebox door, transfer case shift knob, and aftermarket three-spoke steering wheel that all work to warm things up a bit inside. The original instruments ahead of the steering wheel are in great shape and offer a pretty good idea of what\'s going on under the hood. Gears are managed by the chrome shifter on the column, making this a true \"put your arm around the \'ol lady while you cruise\" type of truck, and the lever atop the transmission hump controls the 2-speed transfer case so you can go just about anywhere you darn well please in this 4x4. Everything is fresh and clean inside, and the results speak for themselves.

For a job as important as working on an Army/NASA base, the powers that be wanted one of the toughest, strongest trucks on the market. So, when they filled out their government orders back in 1974, they made sure their new fleet truck came with a big block V8, a C6 automatic transmission, and heavy-duty Dana 60 8-lug axles front and back. Although originally born with a 360 V8 according to the VIN, it appears a 390 V8 lives under the hood now, adding a few extra cubes to this hauler\'s impressive prowess. Rebuilt and freshly tuned-up (with new components everywhere you look), it was also neatly dressed in bright Ford Blue paint on the block, a bright chrome air cleaner, along with chrome valve covers and fresh detailed components throughout. Underneath there\'s a recently rebuilt Holley 4-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock performance intake manifold, plus a fresh HEI ignition and wiring set-up, so this big V8 is more than just pretty. With all that recent work, it starts easily and runs wonderfully, a big aluminum radiator keeps the temperatures at bay, and the rumble from the dual exhaust system sounds more like a vintage muscle car than a big pickup thanks to turn-downs before the rear axle. The C6 transmission was rebuilt with a new torque convertor and flex plate to better handle all that power, and the 4x4 system is ready and able to take you over the highest mountains. Power steering and power front disc b

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