7 classic trucks we’ll be watching this January
Mecum’s sale in Kissimmee, Florida, has become one of the premier muscle car venues in the nation, and the 2021 event (January 7–16) is shaping up to have a tremendous lineup. However, there are also plenty of pickups that will be available and some of them may scratch that same muscle-car itch. We browsed Mecum’s listings for some interesting pickups and found a few that we would like to bring home ourselves—if there were room in our budgets and garages. If you’re in the market for a vintage truck, however, let these seven whet your appetite.
1941 Ford Fire Truck
Mecum, Lot S115
Estimate: $60,000–$80,000
This truck was originally built to be a fire truck for the City of Clarkesville, Georgia, and was upfitted by the Howe Fire Apparatus Company. Thanks to what appears to be a recent restoration, the interior and exterior look great and the flathead V-8 is as good as new. It no longer carries a water tank on the back, but this fire truck does have room to haul around a motorcycle, as evidenced by the vintage Indian model in the bed, which comes with the truck. So, while this purchase may take up a lot of room in the garage, it is a twofer.
1949 Ford F1
Mecum, Lot F109.3
Estimate: $40,000–$50,000
If you’re in the market for a flathead V-8 but want a little more maneuverability and pep, this later F1 may be more your speed. From the outside, it looks like a nice restoration or even a well-kept survivor—but popping the hood reveals a mildly hot-rodded V-8 with Edelbrock heads and twin two-barrel carbs. This build also benefits from more modern five-speed manual that helps keep the V-8 happy while highway cruising. This one may be our pick for a hot-rod shop truck.
1966 Ford F100
Mecum, Lot F108.5
Estimate: $100,000–$125,000
This muscle truck from Morgan-McClure Motorsports looks like something that Ford would have built if the company had decided to launch the Lightning about 26 years early. It uses a Thunderbird-spec 427 V-8 topped with dual quads and backed by a T10 four-speed. The engine’s as beautifully detailed as the interior, which features brown leather upholstery and an engine-turned dash.
1968 Chevrolet C10
Mecum, Lot S223.1
Estimate $45,000–$50,000
This C10 recently received a cosmetic restoration that left it with an interior that looks factory-fresh, and its big-block V-8 power is complemented by factory air conditioning. Aside from a sprayed-on bedliner, this truck looks totally stock. It seems that the factory three-speed automatic is still in use, so this truck may not be as quiet on long hauls as some of the resto-mods we’ve listed above, but it seems perfectly cut out to be a hot-rod parts hauler.
1968 El Camino SS
Mecum, Lot F49
Estimate: N/A
Muscle car prices have been settling down for a while now, but El Caminos have been among the more affordable ways to own a big-block street bruiser for quite a while. This mildly updated A-body features the 325-hp L35 396 backed by an upgraded 2004R overdrive automatic for improved highway cruising. It’s also got Vintage Air A/C, which has to be helpful in that glass-filled greenhouse. We think the ’68 and ’69 front end fits the fastback C-pillar of this generation particularly well. This restomod hits a nice blend of classic muscle with modern comfort.
1983 Toyota Pickup
Mecum, Lot K56
Estimate: N/A
Vintage Toyota pickups have been gaining ground on their domestic rivals when it comes to auction action, with plenty of ’80s models bringing premium prices. Could this one be the next star? It’s got 101,000 miles on its 22R four-cylinder engine, but the body and paint look surprisingly nice. The bed rack, complete with Hi-Lift jack, compact shovel, and jerrycan mounts, fit the lifted 4×4 nicely. And who can deny those oh-so-’80s graphics?
1987 Chevrolet Silverado
Mecum, Lot T224
Estimate: $70,000–$85,000
The last year of the square-body, 1/2-ton pickups, 1987 was also the first year that full-size Chevy trucks saw throttle-body injection. This fully loaded pickup has power windows and door locks, air-conditioning, cruise control, and just over 37,000 miles on the odometer. Plenty of these trucks saw lots of work use and were beat up and abused, so this pristine model is a rare sight.
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