1976 Ford F-250 Ranger 4x4 western highboy project 40 years owned 428 engine NR

Exterior: Fairly straight old truck with dents in hood and rear of box on passenger side. Looks good from 20 feet and will draw compliments at the Home Depot. Back in the 80s, the previous owner slid off a mountain road elk hunting, and put the truck on it's side. Insurance paid to have the truck fixed at body shop including respray in original colors. Cab and box were both replaced correctly and legally. You can see the original paint colors of replacement cab and box where paint is peeling. As mentioned, this truck is all correct F26 VINs match- frame, door, buck tags. See Photobucket link below for detail pics. Truck has some rust, but not the sitting-at-the-bottom-of-the-lake rot so often seen on these. There are a few surface rust spots on the exterior, and some rust-through at bottom of doors and at lower rear box. I have rust free doors off another 76 F250 in the same colors that will be included if desired. I treated the floors with Eastwood converter and sealed any small holes with POR-15 products, when the truck is restored you'll probably want to replace floorpans. There is a small patch in one sill where it meets the floor, and passenger side cab mount had some rust I treated. Hood hinge areas, cab supports and cab drop offs look great, and of course we don't see frame rot here out west. SEE DETAIL PICS in Photobucket album for close ups of all areas.

Interior: Presentable and clean original, no cracks in dash. Seat has tears in original fabric under the blanket cover, but surprisingly it's very firm and not broken down. Carpet is new, windshield is cracked and needs replacing. Gauges work except fuel, heater blows, temp control cable stuck. Defrost cable is free. Radio is non-op, windshield wipers work, parking brake works if you push in the handle. Original keys are well worn but still work in ignition and doors.

Mechanical: Starts, runs, drives and stops. 68 Mercury 428 runs well and pulls very strong, no noticeable smoke, leaks, or knocks. Great oil pressure. Previous owner had a machinist friend rebuild it, C8AE head and intake casting numbers and 1U crank. Original 68 block wouldn't clean up at .030, so a later "mirror image 105" heavy duty truck block was bored to standard 4.13 inches. I'm a skeptic, and I've heard 428 stories before, so I personally measured the stroke at the top of the piston thru the spark plug hole, and verified external balanced flywheel (not neutral balance like 360/390). I currently own two other 428 powered trucks and a 428 Galaxie, and I'm a big fan of the FE series. This truck was factory equipped wth the gigantic super cooling radiator, rare on a 4wd. NP435 four speed transmission and NP205 t-case both working, there is a leak at the back of the trans that will leave a spot on the floor. It is driveable as is, but NEEDS WORK on the steering. These trucks were factory equipped as manual steering with power assist. The P/S control valve started leaking, so previous owner removed the belt and drove it as manual steer. It's going to need the pump replaced and the control valve/steering box rebuilt (or an integral kit like Benchworks installed). Both Blue Top and Red Head sell rebuilt original components. 10 ply 235/85/16 tires have excellent tread and no cracking that I can see. Battery is new. Rear lights are not working, haven't looked into it. Will need further sorting, but it's a running driving truck right now.

Pricing/Misc: This truck is NO RESERVE and will sell. Reasonable transport is available, I will drive truck to meet your transporter and help load it. Title is clear and in my name, buyer will need to get insurance upon purchase as I will cancel mine. I will store the truck outside at no charge indefinitely if there are transport delays due to the Covid situation.

PHOTOBUCKET ALBUM WITH DETAIL PICS INCLUDING UNDERSIDE (COPY AND PASTE TO BROWSER URL) https://s261.photobucket.com/user/burgundyamx/library/76_Highboy?sort=3&page=1

Legalities:IF YOU ARE A ZERO FEEDBACK OR LOW FEEDBACK (under 10) DO NOT BID WITHOUT CONTACTING ME FIRST. YOUR BID WILL BE CANCELLED. Title is clear and in my name. As with all vehicles of this age it is SOLD AS-IS. Please ask questions or inspect to your satisfaction before bidding or purchasing. All sales are final and legally binding. Bid what you are willing to pay - even if the stock market drops.

Location/Shipping: Pickup will be in Helena, MT 59602, which is near the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 90. Transportation is at the expense and arrangement of the BUYER, but I will work with your transporter for loading, meet up, etc. Please research transportation options before purchasing. I will store the truck indefinitely free of charge if transport issues arise from the Covid situation. Once sold, I will cancel my insurance, so all liability for damages are the responsibility of the purchaser.

Payment:Winning bidder must contactme within 24 hours of auction end and make arrangements for payment at that time. A $500 non-refundable deposit is due immediately at auction end. The remainder is due within 3 days of auction end. If no contact is made within 24 hoursI reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, sell it to the next high bidder, or sell it otherwise. Payment by verifiable funds such as a WIRE TRANSFER or CASH in person before pick up, whichever is first.

Pricing/Misc:

Good luck and thanks for looking!

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