1976 Ford F150 Explorer review from North America

Shift column broke after time, total cost to repair with junkyard model: 470.00. Starter dissolved after 4 months of ownership, probably due to old age. Carburetor throttle broke and required a new spring. Head gasket finally said goodbye at 24000 miles on a "rebuilt" 390 V8, radiator and heater core replaced near end of ownership.

Beside the fact that this truck was old and somewhat neglected, it was a workhorse and made modern cars look like tinfoil. The factory 4WD was unstoppable, and the power was enough to get me out of the most precarious situations (eg. 2 feet of mud). The interior was in good shape, but sun baked from sitting in the hot New Mexico sun. By today's standards, it is a worker's no frills vehicle, designed for hard work as opposed for comfort. The spacious bench seat could accomodate 3 people without squeezing inside, and the all-metal dash is indicative of quality craftsmanship. After a few pumps of the pedal, fuel rushed to the mammoth 4bbl carb. (It even had a manual choke, unusual for 1976!) For the most part, it was a reliable tank and I miss it very much. The 390V8 was a fun engine to play with prior to the loss of the head gasket. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a solid truck, but also has a decent aptitude for repair of older vehicles. Also, I recommend a 2bbl carb, as the fuel economy on this dual-tank truck was around 11MPG highway and 8MPG city. Bottom line: This truck may give you some headaches, but it grows on you. Despite the problems I had with it, I'd take it over anything modern.