She Parked This 1979 Ford F-150 in a Barn in 2007. Now She Wants To Drive It Again (2024)

12 photos

Photo: Detail Dane | YouTube

Leslie is the owner of the 45-year-old Ford F-150 truck, the grand-grandfather of today's F-150. But the front registration plate reads "Larry." That is probably who she inherited the Ford from.

She recalls that, back in 2007, the vehicle had to be pushed back into the barn because the clutch was dead. The Ford, which was already 28 years old at the time, wasn't capable of moving on its own. Now, Leslie hopes to get it back to life and to the road again.

The barn find detailer came all the way from Traverse City, Michigan, to get a Ford Torino. But the car was stuck in dirt, so he eventually went back to Michigan with this F-150.

He had to tow it out of the garage and onto the trailer because there was no way it could move on its own. He would be back in a week to show Leslie that her truck still had life left in that boxy body and the scrap yard was the last place where it should have been headed.

The truck he got his hands on is a Free Wheeling Edition. It is a rare version that rolled off the production line with several special visuals. For instance, the radiator grille is not spray-painted. It just came black from the factory.

Rainbow pinstriping on the body and superb interior with black and silver vinyl

But the first in-your-face kind of hint that indicates it is a special run is the "rainbow" pinstriping. Ford offered the optional Free Wheeling package between 1977 and 1981 on the F-100, F-150, Bronco, Econoline van, and Courier.

There wasn't any extra equipment on board as Ford did not offer any tangible benefits with the special edition models. But they looked good with the pin striping stretching along the body. These days, the Free Wheeling examples are a rare find.

The wheels are not original. Sometime along the way, the owner replaced the aluminum "trick wheels" with new ones. It's got its Eldorado ZR4 all-season tires sitting flat on the ground, but luckily, the wheel did not cut into them.

Popping the two doors of the truck wide open reveals an interior, which sports a black and silver combination with red-orange piping, without being too flashy.

Despite the fact that the vehicle spent all those years inside, sheltered from the elements and whatever they might have brought, the cabin is still a mess. There is mold on the steering wheel, while a thick layer of dust covers the seats.

The odometer reads only 45,000 miles and they might just be real, because the brake pedal and clutch don't show more wear than they should for this mileage.

There is a straight-six that should operate under the hood. But the last time it started was in 2007. The engine compartment shows no signs of rust, but a mouse might have turned it into its own private mansion and left provisions behind when it moved to some other home under some other hood.

No rust in there, but the body of the truck does not look good at all. That is where the original paint peeled off. The detailing starts with the non-original wheels, with a lot of foam, scrubbing, and power washing.

Sweeping away the dirt in the load bed is like sweeping a yard. Vegetation somehow made its way in there even though the F-150 was parked indoors. A broom, a brush, and a power wash will get the job done.

No rust, but the paint started to peel off ages ago

It works for the engine compartment as well, with vacuuming replacing sweeping. The chrome details on the truck clean up nicely, but there is really nothing Dane can do about the paint that has peeled off over the years. However, they show patina, so it might be cool to drive it like that.

Dane pulls the seats out to get everything cleaned up inch by inch. The front seat bench won't come out because a seatbelt bolt refuses to give in. So it is only halfway out, and Dane has to make his way around it to clean the cabin.

He starts vacuuming the vegetation and nuts, and even finds what looks like a shoe insole under the seats. The floor of the vehicle displays spots of rust, while the leather on the seats is cracked and so is the carpeting.

Once the mold comes off the steering wheel and dashboard, everything looks as good as new in there.

Hours later, the Ford F-150 Ranger Free Wheeling Edition is ready to go back to its owner. Leslie is going to need some time to get used to the idea that the pile of dust and mold sitting in her barn for ages is now shiny and clean.

Now, Leslie surely won't take it to the scrap yard but to a service shop to blow some life into it. The experts will fix the clutch and everything else that needs to be fixed before she gets the truck back on the road. And she is going to look so cool in it while she waits at the red light next to a 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning.