All Original 1972 F100 Ranger

Back in the mid ’80s several years after my Grandfather passed, away my Grandmother met a real nice guy from Colorado, Robert “Bob” E. and they eventually married. A few years after I got out of high school, I went to Colorado to attend their small wedding.

While there, Bob and I were in his garage and I commented how cool I thought his truck was.

Bob was a WWII Army Air Corp Pilot (pre Air Force) and flew several missions and returned to service again during the Korean War.  After his service, he worked for the Colorado Railroad as a mechanical engineer and in 1972 he traded in his 1963 Chevrolet truck and purchased a brand new Ford F100 with many different options and even forked over $69 for an AM radio!

Along with the truck, Bob kept every document, invoice, options selected, build sheet, and receipt, down to the first oil change.  In the late ’90s, and getting up there in age my grandmother and Bob moved to South Carolina to get closer to my parents.  Dad flew out to Colorado, they loaded a U-Haul trailer and hooked to the Ford, and also filled the back of the truck with belongings and Dad drove it from Colorado to South Carolina where the truck stayed in the garage until Bob’s passing a few months ago.  Grandmom passed away a few years prior and now they are together once again.  The truck went to me and I had it shipped to its new home in NJ.  The truck is all original and super clean with 73k miles.  I’ve only had it since the summer and took it to 2 car shows so far.  Many comments on how nice the truck is and people can’t believe it’s in the original state.  Since trucks are mainly used for work, I’m surprised it’s a survivor too.  While cruising around in the truck, I think of Bob and my Grandmother and how one day the truck will go to my now 2 year old Grandson who’s father happened to be in the USAF before passing away 7 weeks after our grandson was born. I think Bob would like that…