Rides from the Readers: 1975 Ford F-150
Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.
Today’s featured vehicle is a 1975 Ford F-150 XLT. The 1973–79 trucks represented the sixth generation of Ford’s F-Series, which brought the Styleside pickup box—fitted to today’s truck—in addition to the Flareside option, which dated back to 1953. Though Ford didn’t stray too far from the aesthetic set by its fifth-gen F-Series trucks, the sixth-gen sported side markers and turn signal lights that, for the first time, were mounted higher than the headlights. You can also distinguish these trucks from the previous generation by the more prominent vertical bar in the center of the grille.
This particular truck belongs to Bob Evans, who discovered it left for dead behind a local Shell repair station in his home town of Toronto, Ontario. The truck wouldn’t run—it needed a completely new engine, in fact—but Evans was determined to rescue it, so he bought it from the shop and took it to Davies Auto in Mississauga, which specialized in older vehicles. “They were tickled to be the ones bringing the pickup truck back to life, and so was I!” Evans writes.
After several dead ends, Evans unearthed a 390 FE four-barrel pickup truck motor from 1975, the same year as the truck. The shop swapped the healthy engine into the truck, which was remarkably rust-free underneath, thanks to spending 10 years in a police impound: “Rumor has it,” Evans writes, “that this truck was stolen and recovered by the Ontario Provincial Police.”
The truck, newly christened Lucille, has been successfully resurrected and is rumbling happily down the roads of Toronto.
Put ranger xlt emblams back on truck box. Put chrome edge back on top edge of tailgate with small glove box size 1975 ranger xlt emblem under chrome tailgate edge. Top right. Ad chrome rubber stainless steel front window frame with round 1975 ford cab lights. Ad 1976 ford truck bumper with outer black inserts with black chrome bumperetts. Put a lmc outer shell chrome steel 1000 dollar grill in with orange 1976 signal light lenes.put the chrome thick bouble ridge rear bumper back on with checkerplate filler piece chrome .between tailgate and top bumper edge. Put 1.5 or 1 3/4 inch wide white wall tires on double lip aluminum turbine rims i think 5×7 235/75 r15s . Interior black metal ac wood grain ac dash top black padded with burgandy carpet and door pannels and seats factory. My truck has rare factory power windows. I added power vent windows out of 67 parklane . With 1980s ford power door locks.the turbine rims are 1976 afermarket rims get the rims with mor than usual amount of ribs with chrome center caps and nuts. Put f100 emblams on front feners ad black factory ford rubber truck mat . Add wide rear semi mud flap with stailess steel chome front to it will save your new lower chrome. Ieave mud flaps at 4 inch level.do this to truck you won’t regret it . You wiĺl have the truck that every one wants.thats what people call mine. My truck is called old black.add 8 foot box rails factory trim tor topper. I have a 428 engine block with chome oil pan and chrome 1966 mercury high valve covers factory with murcury ritten in them. Dual snorkal wide 429 blue air cleaner dish . With 428 factory decal on top.chome trany pan. Posie rear end disc brake rear end.ad 1978 tilt wheel with cruise control wood grain. Nutral switch moves to tranny linkadge lenghten wire and change shift shaft in c6 tranny two piece so nutral swtch will slide on. Shaft before rod is hooked back up to steering columb.put burgandy head linner in to factory.put sqare dual fuel tank doors on easier to fill with gas does not slop all over ground better angle on filler neck.