Lawrence Street Sighting: Ford Econoline pickup

Growing up in Kansas, nearly every household had a pickup new or old; most of them were the usual big-three full-size truck that weren't really see as cool vehicles by the owners. More often than not, trucks actually worked and were used as ranch-hands instead of status symbols that today's pickup has become. To see a classic truck that has body damage but is still chugging along is no rare feat in the Wheat State; I can remember seeing many 1940s and 1950s trucks still working hard, even when I was in grade-school--and that tradition of keeping the truck till it dies certainly applies today.

In the 1960s, Ford had a reign on the pickup market with the F-100, but the brand also launched what would be the first real compact "pickup"; long before the Ford Ranger and its Mazda twin were born, the term compact Ford truck applied to the Econoline pickup you see here. Essentially a Ford van with an open cargo area, the pickups were relatively rare, and even in Kansas, not many have survived.  These went away for 1967, and the compact pickup would not return to Ford showrooms until the 1983 model year.

As a survivor, this little truck looks pretty good; it isn't immaculate, and it doesn't pretend to be. It wears its battle scars well, and aside from the missing tailgate, and hints of a respray, this is how a classic truck should look. I love pampered trucks, don't get me wrong, but seeing a truck that's lived up to its workhorse intention is just awesome.

The patina is strong with this one, but amazingly enough, the chrome has held on; the emblems look fantastic and despite being pitted, they aren't rusted through; the hubcaps might be the wrong year for this bodystyle, but they still look great--and to top it off, the color is pretty classy too. I'd love to see what one of these all shined up would look like. I do love this one how it is, though, and there's no need to change it.

Kansas is home of the classic workhorse, and I love finding the special ones hidden throughout Lawrence.  This is a well-spotted (by my dad) and well-shot (by me) little truck, and I hope to see more of these soon.