Way back in 1934 those Ford of Australia designers and engineers had the right idea - to create a coupe utility or unibody pickup truck that could haul farm stuff during the week and be driven in comfort and class with the spouse to church on Sunday. The practical vehicle came to be known down under as simply a ute.
1968 Ford Ranchero - A Less Commonly Seen Pickup Truck - Even in Resale Red
For Surf City U.S.A. resident Michael Shreve's retirement, he sought a 1960s-era Ford short bed truck with a trusty Ford V8 engine as his daily driver. A 1960's vintage Ford truck would be ideal for acquiring parts and hauling stuff in general for the 1966 Ford Mustang restoration project that's underway in his garage.
By October of 2022, Michael had searched for nearly a year, when he found the best of both worlds for his needs, a car-based Ford pickup truck called a Ford Ranchero. Powered by Ford's reliable 302 small block V8, hauling parts or cruising in class in a rare classic late 1960s Ford, would be a breeze. Attesting to its seldom-seen status, strangers often tell Michael that he has a "nice El Camino."
Above: The owner regularly participates in local car gatherings, like Donut Derelicts on early Saturday mornings in Huntington Beach. During one Surf City Classics cruise nights (held Wednesday evenings), a fellow Ranchero enthusiast gave Mr. Shreve a box of Ranchero restoration parts that included a new dash pad, a new black carpet kit, and a set of rear quarter panel safety reflectors. Michael installed all of these items and passed along the remaining components to another Ranchero owner that he met at a Ford-only car show.
Ford Ranchero - The Perfect Vehicle for Comedian Rodney Dangerfield
The originator of the marque, the first of its kind in automotive history, and humans mistake the Ford Ranchero for a Chevy El Camino? Like Rodney Dangerfield, these American made Ford Rancheros "get no respect." But, Down Under the Ford ute is a highly prized vehicle that was manufactured from 1934 all the way up until 2016.
This particular 1968 Ford Ranchero gets plenty of respect and attention from its current owner, thankfully. Mr. Shreve accomplished a front drum to disc brake conversion. He has lowered the front suspension one inch and also rebuilt the entire front end's suspension using Moog polyurethane bushings. He has added a TransGo performance shift kit to the Ford C4 automatic transmission. He has also replaced the wheels with 1960s era Keystone Torque Thrust style five-spoke mag wheels.
Mike has also enhanced the engine and the engine bay with an Edelbrock aluminum Performer intake manifold and a Holley 600 CFM four-barrel carburetor. A Champion three-row aluminum radiator now keeps the engine cool. While a Pertronix electronic ignition and a Flamethrower coil spark things up for the ute's electrical system. The installation of a brake booster makes the car even safer.
Near Future Plans for the Ford Ranchero
Installing an HVAC system, a Holley Sniper electronic fuel-injection system, and long tube headers will be coming next. Michael intends to keep his Ford Ranchero for the years ahead along the road of American Ford muscle. It's the perfect companion to his 1966 Ford Mustang, a sort of pony ute and pony car pair, if you will.
Need Ford Ranchero Parts? Visit Classic Industries
All seven generations of the Ford Ranchero were stylish, multi-purpose, well-built vehicles that could work hard five days a week and could whisk you and your significant other away for a weekend for an all-too brief vacation, and then do it all over again the next seven days. Should you have a Ranchero that's in need of restoration or maintenance, you can Shop Ford Ranchero 1957-1979 Parts at Classic Industries.
