Amcclurejr Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Hello guys, I recently had a truck find me and doing research on it I discovered this web site. I’m out of South Carolina. I’ve never owned a ford until now. Everyone seems knowledgeable on this site and if answers need to be found you guys seem to have the resources. So with that being said, the research I have done on my little truck concludes that I may have a rare truck??? Was hoping for in put on it and possibly a round about value of the truck. This is something that is not sentimental as would possibly get rid of. It is a 1981 f-100 custom explorer LWB. Everything seems to be original. It has 300 CID and 3 speed transmission. No rust. Clean little truck for the year and all. It was sold to me with 80,000 original miles, but who knows if that’s true. I will attach pictures and you guys let me know what you think. It has been converted from 3 on tree to floor shifter. And door panels and dash cover along with head liner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Welcome to the forum! I am partial to the six cylinder engine. From the photos [links] you included, the truck appears to be a good starting point or perhaps can be driven as is. What has led you to wonder if it is rare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Welcome to the forum! I am partial to the six cylinder engine. From the photos [links] you included, the truck appears to be a good starting point or perhaps can be driven as is. What has led you to wonder if it is rare? Allen - Welcome! I've edited your pics to load properly on here, and you can read about that on the page at Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's. What part of SC? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map) and I'd be happy to add you if I had a city or zip code. Nice, clean truck. Love the headliner, which is a Highliner. We've been talking about those and I'm thinking of adding one to Big Blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amcclurejr Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 Allen - Welcome! I've edited your pics to load properly on here, and you can read about that on the page at Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's. What part of SC? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map) and I'd be happy to add you if I had a city or zip code. Nice, clean truck. Love the headliner, which is a Highliner. We've been talking about those and I'm thinking of adding one to Big Blue. Yes the high liner is pretty nice looking. The truck runs and drives great. I drive it 30 miles to work every day. The reason I ask about it being rare is bc I can’t find any just like this for sale anywhere. I googled this truck and none of the photos at just like it. The he only pic o saw that was just like it was in the brochure on this sight. If they were common wouldn’t they be photos of them. Another thing was that most 80s models had 4 speeds right?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Yes the high liner is pretty nice looking. The truck runs and drives great. I drive it 30 miles to work every day. The reason I ask about it being rare is bc I can’t find any just like this for sale anywhere. I googled this truck and none of the photos at just like it. The he only pic o saw that was just like it was in the brochure on this sight. If they were common wouldn’t they be photos of them. Another thing was that most 80s models had 4 speeds right?? Yours is a “stripper”, meaning that it has no options. And, since many of the trucks back then had options, yours is unusual as opposed to rare. The term “rare” is usually reserved for options, like the extremely rare power mirrors or the somewhat rare underhood toolbox. And a truly rare truck would be one with the XLS package. My theory is that the base or stripper trucks were frequently bought by a company to be used in a fleet, or by a farmer to be used on the farm. As such, they were USED and sometimes abused. So while many of them were bought back then, fewer of them have survived than those which were purchased by a family, which added some options, and took care of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amcclurejr Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 Yours is a “stripper”, meaning that it has no options. And, since many of the trucks back then had options, yours is unusual as opposed to rare. The term “rare” is usually reserved for options, like the extremely rare power mirrors or the somewhat rare underhood toolbox. And a truly rare truck would be one with the XLS package. My theory is that the base or stripper trucks were frequently bought by a company to be used in a fleet, or by a farmer to be used on the farm. As such, they were USED and sometimes abused. So while many of them were bought back then, fewer of them have survived than those which were purchased by a family, which added some options, and took care of them. Call me crazy but I’m not to sure. It doesn’t have Underhood tool box or anything. It doesn’t have AC or anything. So what classifies it as a stripper? I honestly want to know all I can about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Yours is a “stripper”, meaning that it has no options. And, since many of the trucks back then had options, yours is unusual as opposed to rare. The term “rare” is usually reserved for options, like the extremely rare power mirrors or the somewhat rare underhood toolbox. And a truly rare truck would be one with the XLS package. My theory is that the base or stripper trucks were frequently bought by a company to be used in a fleet, or by a farmer to be used on the farm. As such, they were USED and sometimes abused. So while many of them were bought back then, fewer of them have survived than those which were purchased by a family, which added some options, and took care of them. I forgot yours is an Explorer. That was a once-a-year package and they are only show in the Explorer brochures, which might explain why you don’t see them. But they aren’t really strippers, so I was wrong there. Go look at the Explorer brochures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amcclurejr Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 I forgot yours is an Explorer. That was a once-a-year package and they are only show in the Explorer brochures, which might explain why you don’t see them. But they aren’t really strippers, so I was wrong there. Go look at the Explorer brochures. Yea I checked out the brochure it was exact match! Paint, stripes, and bench seat colors! According to my research on the vin this truck is all factory ( excluding the floor shifter, head liner and dash door kit. Just looking to put a price on truck. NADA saids 4-13k Median was 7600 or so. With you saying mine being an explorer custom being the reason I can’t find one would that make it more desirable?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Yea I checked out the brochure it was exact match! Paint, stripes, and bench seat colors! According to my research on the vin this truck is all factory ( excluding the floor shifter, head liner and dash door kit. Just looking to put a price on truck. NADA saids 4-13k Median was 7600 or so. With you saying mine being an explorer custom being the reason I can’t find one would that make it more desirable?? Some of the other guys need to chime in here, but I'm afraid your expectations are way too high. I sold Rusty, an '81 F150 regular cab, for $2500 a few years ago. Granted he had engine problems I wasn't aware of, but he had a strong 351M w/an Edelbrock intake and 4bbl carb, C6 automatic transmission, and operable 4wd. The tires were 32" mud & snows in good shape, and it was a strong performer. So, I personally think the $4k is optimistic. But let's see what the other say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Some of the other guys need to chime in here, but I'm afraid your expectations are way too high. I sold Rusty, an '81 F150 regular cab, for $2500 a few years ago. Granted he had engine problems I wasn't aware of, but he had a strong 351M w/an Edelbrock intake and 4bbl carb, C6 automatic transmission, and operable 4wd. The tires were 32" mud & snows in good shape, and it was a strong performer. So, I personally think the $4k is optimistic. But let's see what the other say. Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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