1970 Ford Ranchero

This is a 1970 Ford Ranchero Squire which has been extensively modified over the years, with the original wood effect body trim long gone. It's correctly registered as a historic vehicle, so MOT & tax exempt.

The original engine was a 351ci (5. 7 litre) though it's been replaced with a 429ci (7. 0 litre) big block. This is fed by a 750cfm 4 barrel Holley on an Offenhauser inlet manifold, with the gasses exiting through a pair of Hooker Headers to tailpipes just behind the doors. I did have a pair of cherry bombs fitted but they were just too noisy so they've been replaced by proper silencers. It's still loud though no longer painfully so. The engine is mated to a C6 transmission operated by a Lokar shifter and coupled to a Ford 9" rear end with limited slip diff.

I've owned it going on 3 years now, spending hours trying to make it a bit more "user friendly" and reliable.

The engine has had new head gaskets, new oil pan (sump) with gasket and crank seals. When this work was carried out all internals were checked and found to be in excellent condition with no visible bore or crank wear. The transmission also has a new pan fitted, with new oil and filter.

The brakes have been completely gone through, with new callipers and pads on the front, shoes and cylinders on the rear. A new master cylinder was also fitted and all rubber hoses were replaced.

Steering wise, it's had new ball joints, inner and outer wishbone bushes and any worn seals and bushes have been replaced. A new power steering pump has been fitted, with a new ram, power steering controller and any necessary pipework. It also has new front shocks. It still has a slight steering judder but I've put this down to a general wear and tear thing as everything seems tight and in line.

The wiring has been checked over by a specialist with lots being replaced/ renewed and is now a lot safer than it was when I acquired the truck. He did suggest fitting a new fuse box with modern fuses. This has not yet been done though would be a simple fix.

All the above work was done less than 1, 500 miles ago and cost a small fortune.

The wheels are Centerline Drag rims fitted with barely worn Cooper Cobra tyres.

The bodywork is solid though the paint has blemishes and micro blisters. The worst bit is a little scab on a rear wheel arch though, as it's not perforated, it's been left alone. I've done a few repairs here and there over the years, though I'm no painter. Several new window seals have been fitted, along with new scraper felts on the door windows. The front wings are relatively new and there is no rot underneath the truck, with any bad panels being repaired or replaced.

The seats are Peugeot on home made frames, suit the cab well and are comfortable. These, combined with a new carpet and a retro looking DAB radio, make the interior a pleasant place to be. The original AM radio from 1970 was still working when I removed it and will come with the sale if required. The rev-counter in the pictures has since been removed but I'll probably have one somewhere.

In summary, it's a good looking truck given it's age and certainly attracts plenty of attention. It starts on the key and is very driveable but please don't expect it to handle like a modern car. It's a 55 year old commercial vehicle and, as such, tends to demand a bit of concentration, especially when negotiating corners. I've done a few 100+ mile trips in it to various car meets and I enjoy it. It keeps up with modern traffic and more or less stays in a straight line.

I'm only selling as the mechanic who used to do most of the work on it for me has now retired. This, combined with a bit of poor health and age catching up with me, means I'm struggling to continue with the plans I had for it.

Viewing is highly recommended and payment is to be made by bank transfer before it leaves here. I don't particularly want a part exchange or swap and silly offers will be ignored. If it doesn't sell then I'll just carry on doing little bits to it as and when.