Looking for the coolest, quirkiest, and stunning Blue Oval pickup trucks in America? Well, the Ford Era “What The Truck?” series on YouTube certainly obliges. And it sometimes expands the search to North America, not just the U.S.
Count on Solomon Lunger, the mild-mannered host of the Ford Era channel on YouTube to uncover all sorts of Blue Oval gems. He generally focuses on the F-Series pickup trucks (after all, he owns a 1970 F-250 Crew Cab nicknamed Gold Dust), but we have seen all many wonders in the past, from Luxury Pre-Runners to fabulous restomod Broncos.
Interestingly, even Solomon doesn’t know everything about the F-Series world. But he’s a quick learner and one to share knowledge. So, in the latest episode of the series, he met Rafael Garrido from the Dynasty Truck Club Inland Empire in California to discuss his rare and pride-bringing possession.
It’s a 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT, but the odd thing about this sixth-generation F-Series is that it wasn’t made in America. Instead, it was produced in Mexico and according to local specifications. As it turns out, Mexican and American F-100/F-150 models from the era are not the same. This is because the Mexico-born examples were even shorter (about 3.5 in./8.9 cm) than an American Short Bed as they borrowed the chassis from the U.S.-specification 1967-1972 fifth-generation short beds.
Additionally, the entire tailgate, along with the taillights and the trim, was different, making it a bit akin to the Bumpside models. This particular ‘78, nicknamed “La Barbie” according to the owner, was discovered on Craigslist about a decade ago and immediately snatched away as a rare find. Although it still wears the original selling dealer’s plates to this very day, it’s obvious this truck went through a raft of modifications.
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