Why spend $50000 on a new truck when awesome haulers like this 1979 Ford F-100 Ranger are still around? Not quite a full-fledged collectable it nonetheless remains a stylish handsome truck in great colors that can still earn its keep around the homestead. While the other guys drive around in cookie-cutter pickups you could have something interesting for a fraction of the price.Everything looks better in black including working-class hardware like this Ranger. It's obviously had a good life and as a lifelong southern truck it shows no signs of rust or abuse underneath. The black paint is newer than the truck of course and looks pretty good with a great gloss and no signs of botched bodywork underneath. Yes it's got some age on it which is impossible to hide with black paint but the overall look is pretty impressive. And yes black is the truck's original color so you don't have to worry about mis-matched door jambs and underhood areas because it's all equally nice. It's also not afraid to wear a lot of bright chrome trim including the beefy bumpers egg crate grille and side trim that fits neatly into the groove running the length of the body. The bed has a brand new drop-in bed liner so it's not afraid to work on weekends and a soft tonneau cover seals it up and gives the truck a clean overall look. If you do take to driving this Ford every day the interior is a great place to do it. Freshly upholstered with a matching black seat cover that looks right in the vintage F-100 plus black carpets to help control noise and heat it is ready to go immediately. There's some ersatz wood trim that actually helps with the ambience and Ford's familiar square gauges show crisp bright markings although they're only watching the basics. There's a modern AM/FM/CD radio in the dash and door panels that have a very upscale look to them with faux quilted surfaces. A sliding rear window provides just the right ventilation even on warm days and Ford trucks still used vent windows in the door which also help keep it cool inside.The torquey 302 cubic inch V8 topped by a 4-barrel carburetor is the right combination of power and efficiency that you'd look for today. It is a transplant but looks right offering fresh ignition components and new hoses and other signs of having been properly maintained over the years. A bit of chrome in the usual places dresses things up a bit and with power steering it's easy to drive no matter the load. Ford's rugged "twin I-beam" suspension isn't the most precise setup ever devised but it rides nicely and you'll never break it. Out back there's a 9-inch which is equally rugged and according to the door tag it carries 3.73 gears which are a nice compromise between towing power and relative efficiency. Long-tube headers feed a dual exhaust system with high-performance mufflers so it's got a great rumble out on the road and while it's not detailed for show the chassis really is quite clean. Flashy 17-inch wheels look awesome on a black truck and use 245/70/17 performance radials to keep them off the ground.Clean old pickups like this still represent great value and one that can double as a hobby vehicle on weekends while still working for a living is a bargain in anyone's book. Call today!