The sounds of a 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger.
— Alex Forbes (@alexforbes__) April 17, 2025
What happened over the last 47 years?
My truck just sounds like plastic now. pic.twitter.com/XPdvh2Rsw7
The sounds of a 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger.
— Alex Forbes (@alexforbes__) April 17, 2025
What happened over the last 47 years?
My truck just sounds like plastic now. pic.twitter.com/XPdvh2Rsw7
Mine's not as pretty, it's a straight 6 instead of a V8, and it has a couple of sticks on the floor instead of that stick on the steering column - but it sounds like a pickup should sound.
ReplyDeleteand what the hell happened to wing windows??? wide open windows at 70+ and you didn't need A/C or a vacuum cleaner. everything under and behind the seat went around your head about three times and then out the side window.
ReplyDeletegood old days.
Windshields got laid back in hopes of better mileage and the geometry went bad.
DeleteThe Ball Chiller Vent in GMC vehicles was nice but didn't quite make up for the wings.
Aerodynamics - the wind wings produced too much drag, thereby decreasing performance/mileage.
DeleteI used to LOVE cranking open the wind wing to scoop air into the cabin. Sigh.
Doesn't sound like a factory cam to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened? Government regulations.
ReplyDeletenice truck, it be better with a manual transmission tho....
ReplyDeleteA buddy told me at lunch today he was thinking it about time to replace the old truck so he went down and looked at the new Chevy's. Got in one for a test drive and discovered you are now required to buckle your seat belt before the shifter will move out of Park. So, he left it in Park and drove the old truck home. BFYTW.
ReplyDeleteI have this nasty habit of bypassing all that CRAP...
DeleteGood on him. If there’s one thing that pisses me off it’s that nanny state bullshit. Did he mention foot on the brake to start. Dammit, WWW I was sitting here drinking my coffee looking over Gods creation watching a dozen hummingbirds at my buddies feeders and now I’m pissed. Oh well I’m over it now rant off. Nothing better than buddies like that have a blessed day.
Deleteps Grampa owned a few trucks like that.
Sorry to have harshed your mellow, Chris, but it had to be done.
DeleteHad a 1978 F250 in high school. That is when they made real trucks.
ReplyDeleteThat's a '79.
ReplyDeleteSquare headlights, '78's had round ones.
Bingo, had the '78 with orange & cream paint and a 302. Finally sent her to the crusher a couple years ago. (Heavy sigh)
DeleteToo bad parts don't swap out on Fords like the '79 K-20 front clip I put on an '89 GMC Jimmy.
DeleteIt don't get no better than that.
ReplyDeleteAnd the gas mileage on those old trucks?
ReplyDeleteHow does 8 MPG sound about now?
No thanks.
I’ll happily drive my 5.7 hemi ‘17 Tundra with many bells and whistles and 17 MPG. And I don’t have to lock in hubs, my dash switch does that.
Poo flinger.
DeleteNah, just ignant
Delete17 mpg!!!!! Typical Tooot-ah!! 'Bought a '78 SR-5 with the 4-Banger thinking it woul would be good on gas.... "WRONG!!" First tank was 20mpg.. #2 and all the others "18mpg and this was back in the "55 or DIE" daze!! The Thermostat took a shit at 112K!! overheated!! (this was before "they" engineered the thermo to fail in the open mode inted of closed!!!!!!!) and warped the (aluminum) head!! traded itfor a '83 FORF Econoline 150 van with the "Cast Iron Block" 300 cube 6 with a 4 on the floor Borg Warner (#4 overdrive) .. dig it !!! "27 MPG" at 70 mph!!!!! put over 300K on it then wanted a new ride!!! just my rant about toooo-Ta's!!!
Deleteskybill
Like most everything else, today's anything is a homogenized, dulled, synthesized, unsalted, and uninteresting replacement of yesterday's tools.
ReplyDeleteThe women are like that, too but worse.
R.I.P. Joe Diffie...
ReplyDeleteAmen
DeleteThe 70s were generally considered the worst era for automobiles. I remember someone commenting that all the Fords looked like shoes.
ReplyDeleteDad had a '74 that was on it's third motor, second transfer case and hubs. I'll always remember that burbling sound riding on the tailgate. I was recently re-watching Roadworth Rescues and that sound at the end of the motor and bed squeaking takes me back.
ReplyDeleteThose were the days when "Built Ford Tough" actually meant something. Anon, the very first post .. I've been reading lately about the Ford 300 straight six .. not fancy and didn't make huge power, but with standard care would run practically forever. Very true .. they don't build 'em like they used to.
ReplyDeleteGovernment is what happened. The nany state deciding what we would be allowed to drive.
ReplyDeleteIconic trucks. I had a '74 back in the day. Have a great pic of my son at three years old, sticking his head out the back vent window. Had a newish F-150 pass me the other day, with a sad putter and whine of a 4 banger turbo. Sad and disturbing. Far as gas mileage on them? Meh. I have a 2000 excursion with a v10. It gets 10 mpg, about the same, maybe more than that truck.
ReplyDeleteBut it's paid off. I can calculate it six ways from Sunday, but a new truck, or a smaller car for MPG only is way more expensive than what I pay for fuel. The way people drive around here? I'd rather be surrounded by 3T+ of steel.
61 GMC 4x4 with a built 350 and turbo 400, my favorite was my 58 Dodge power wagon civilian, with a big block 402 , turbo 400, wrap around windshield, could do 80 with the windows rolled down, no wind in the cab.
ReplyDeleteI kick myself in the ass for not having them now.
It's not just the materials (plastic) that they use these days. To many damn gadgets. There's e new EV truck manufacturer that builds a bone simple truck. No radio, no air conditioning. As basic as you can get and their advertising buy line is spot on. It's a truck, not a mother ship. I drive a 2006 GMC Sierra Duramax. Original owner, it's a great truck. I'm not sure the new ones would even make it off road. And they all have big time quality problems.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall, govt EPA crap started in cars in the 73 model year and 78 for pickups. If you want an original, they-built-them-like-that back when, you need to get something older than those years. You can thank Ralph Nader, Rachel Carson, and Paul Ehrlich for much of this. Don't forget "Earth Day" and all the related govt "saving us" since.
ReplyDeleteRant, rant, grumble, grumble ...
What EV manufacturer is that? I'm not one to jump on the next new thing but that seems interesting.
ReplyDelete