Marketing guys did not like antennas

Really not important subject.  But funny one.

Going through my original 1984 paper sales brochure, I suddenly noticed that there were just TWO pictures showing a Bullnose with an antenna.
And only their base...




All others and shown without.

So, I went to the Forum's library and verified other years brochures.
Guess what?  1980 to 1986 are the same... no antennas!

I first supposed that, in those far-off times , antennas were considered as very unsightly items.  So they were wiped-off the sales pictures.

In fact, looking closer at my sales brochure, I read that all radios models (and therefore their antennas) were listed as options.
Does this explain the "missing antenna" mystery?

But why is there a credit for the "standard AM radio" cancellation?  Seems that the AM radio was standard equipment.



Here are picts from the '84 brochure.

It is funny and interesting.

How someone thinks that shouldn’t be in the picture and the “rest of us” expect it to be there.

All Radios were optional until 1983.  1980/82 did not come with a radio as standard equipment.

The standard radio from 1983/86 was the AM mono radio.

This is confirmed in the relevant year brochures.

Some of the pictures from the brochures are of test vehicles from the proving grounds. This would explain to me why some trucks in the brochures did not have radios.

81-F150-Explorer wrote

This would explain to me why some trucks in the brochures did not have radios.

Well, I would say 99% of the brochures trucks don't have radio.

That's a huge proportion, certainly not the same as the real sold trucks.

And when few of them are antenna equipped, the marketing guys took out the whip, that's curious.

Any info on the rare aero antenna on my Flareside? Definitely adds character.

Shorty wrote

Any info on the rare aero antenna on my Flareside? Definitely adds character.

Dennis, is it rare, or you are meaning unique?

a workin man aint got time to listen to no radio.

mat in tn wrote

a workin man aint got time to listen to no radio.

Right Matt!
Obviously, people on the sale picts aren't working, contractors are perfectly clean, no stain, no dirt, no dust.
They're just paid to smile.  So, no need for a radio, I suppose.

Maybe unique is more appropriate. It came that way when I bought the truck and I haven’t had the heart to change it. Many other places to spend my ever-shrinking dollars.

Another thing you'll notice in the brochures is that the fender emblems are almost never in the same spot on the different trucks. It's REALLY noticeable in the 1980-1981 catalogs.

My 1984 F150 was a factory radio delete truck. They look shockingly blank in the interior with the radio delete bezels. This was my 2nd 1984 Ford that had no radio. I had a 1984 Ranger many years ago that was also a radio delete truck.




Radio delete's are one of those things that are much more common on the earlier Bullnoses. They were fairly uncommon by 1985-1986.
A common misconception is that if a truck was delivered with no radio, that all of the wiring and everything was there and all you had to do install a radio. Not true. A radio delete truck also had no speakers, no antenna, and no wiring for the radio or speakers. In fact, the cab and doors were not even drilled for the rubber boot to run the wires to the doors. Oh...and the ground strap that goes from the firewall to the hood, that also was not present on radio delete trucks.

Later on in the 80's, 1987-up, if you bought a truck with no radio they had a little blank cover that fit over the antenna hole. In the Bullnose years, the cowl panels were specific to antenna or non antenna trucks. I'm sure they figured out later on that it was easier to just have one cowl panel for all models and just cap the holes in the radio delete trucks.

Not long after that, radios became standard equipment anyway, even if it was just a basic am unit.

Not only does the radio spot look shockingly blank, but so do the spots where A/C vents would have been.  

Gary Lewis wrote

Not only does the radio spot look shockingly blank, but so do the spots where A/C vents would have been.  

Yes sir! Being a 3-on-the-tree truck it was definitely a bare bones stripper. It was optioned up to the 302, and it had oil and alt gauges, but was otherwise option-less! Not sure if the base bones instrument cluster was still available in 1984 or not.

1986 was the first year where the idiot lights weren't offered.  Or maybe I should say where full gauges weren't an option.

Love that truck. Reminds me of the 1973 F-100 my Grandfather had.

It's options were:

Alt/oil gauges
T-18 4-speed
302 V8
411 limited slip rear end.

Nothing else. :)

What looks weirder is a high trim level truck without a radio. The Rosewood bezels without radio option for example.

Rembrant wrote

My 1984 F150 was a factory radio delete truck.

According to the Marti Report, Big Brother was also born "radio deleted".
Somehow, somebody installed one in his past.
When my father in law acquired BigBro (mid 90's, I think), is was already radio equipped.

salans7 wrote

Another thing you'll notice in the brochures is that the fender emblems are almost never in the same spot on the different trucks. It's REALLY noticeable in the 1980-1981 catalogs.

Interesting, Shaun!  I didn't notice it.

What's the deal?  They didn't work with a standard template to instal the emblems?
I was sure the fenders came pre-drilled to align the emblems...