Grandpa’s Ford

The Porter family has always loved their Ford Trucks. My Grandpa, Sam Porter Sr, has owned several Bronco’s and F-Series trucks. My father, Sam Porter Jr, has owned a few Ford’s trucks himself. In 1977, my grandpa custom ordered his 1978 F150 Ranger. He had always loved the look and the overall performance of the Dentside Ford’s. It came from the factory with a 351m motor, and with a black and white two tone paint scheme. The black/white trucks were unique because they only made about 200 in the paint scheme he ordered. In 82, he decided to put a big ‘ol 460 motor, cammed, out of a 1979 F250, along with a Dana 40 axle in the front and a Dana 60 axle in the rear. My grandpa used this truck on the ranch for many years, around Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. He went hunting, fishing, and camping in this truck since the day he got it from the factory. He also loved to go mudding on the weekends and win bet after bet, competing with lighter “more capable” trucks. This truck has seen it all.
My father learned to drive in this truck, and to this day, there is still a Smokey the Bear sticker on the glove box which my 8 year old dad put on 3 days after my grandpa bought the truck. I decided to leave it on for the memories. This truck has hauled at least 20 deer and elk in the bed, and towed too many horse trailers to count.
My grandpa eventually bought a 1998 F350 7.3 Powerstroke, and kept the F150 in the barn for 20 years, until 13 year old me decided I wanted to learn how to drive in his field. So, every time my family would come over for dinner, I’d beg my grandpa to fire up the 460 and let me drive around the field, up until a few months before I turned 16.
Without me knowing, my grandpa and dad were fixing up the truck, making it run right, so that my grandpa could give it to me for my 16th birthday. On the day before I turned 16, my parents told me my grandparents were coming over for dinner. I didn’t think much of it at the time. But man oh man, when I saw that truck in the driveway, my whole world changed. My grandpa had done a little engine work enough to make it run good, and repainted the truck, using the original paint formula used back in 1977. The truck looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. I was in shock.
Since April of 2018, I’ve been restoring the engine bay, interior, and putting money towards it every paycheck. It sure has come a long way. It’s very cool to know that my dad and I have both learned to drive on the same truck. I hope to one day hand this truck down to my kids and grandchildren one day.