The Ford F-Series line stretches all the way back to 1948, but the beloved Ford F-150 is altogether more modern. It was born in 1975 as a variant of the F-100, but from those humble origins, it quickly became the darling of the range. It’s been the headliner for America’s favorite truck lineup since 1977, but how does today’s model compare to the original from almost 50 years ago?
Welcome to Then And Now, the recurring feature where we look at popular, influential, or otherwise important long-running models. We examine how they’ve changed in line with market trends and consumer preferences, and how they’ve survived the ever-changing automotive landscape. The Honda Accord was last under the microscope. Today, we’re putting Ford’s hero truck under the same scrutiny.
We’re gonna run the numbers and pore over the differences between the 1975 model and the latest rig [Ed Note: I just drove the 2024 F-150; expect a review next week! -DT], and find out what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. Let’s get started!
PRICE: 2024 F-150 vs. 1975 F-150
The F-150 was initially built as a heavy-payload version of the F-100 to dodge emissions standards. With a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,050 pounds, it was designed to cross the line in the sand drawn by the EPA at the time. Anything over 6,000 pounds wouldn’t fit into the “light truck” category. This meant the F-150 didn’t require catalytic converters and it could still burn leaded gas. Between the lack of smog gear choking the engine and the greater payload, the F-150 quickly outshined the F-100 it was based on.
The first F-150 dropped in 1975, hitting the US market at a price of $4,002. That’s just $23,233 in 2024 dollars, which would make the F-150 cheaper than the Ford Maverick in today’s market. As a guide, the median family income in the US was $13,720 back then, equal to $79,650 today.
The F-150 wasn’t supposed to steal the limelight from the F-100, but it did anyway. The shift into a higher category with fewer regulations was enough to dominate the former mainstay of the range. Other automakers were making similar moves, and trucks like the F-150 were nicknamed “heavy halfs,” as they were heavier-duty versions of the conventional half-ton trucks of the era.
By 1977, the F-Series was America’s best-selling truck with the F-150 at the forefront. It’s been that way ever since. Fast forward to 1983, and the F-150 had proven so popular it that the F-100 was dropped entirely. The F-150 would go forward as the lead model of the F-Series range.
The 2024 Ford F-150 starts at $38,765 by comparison. That’s a massive $15,000 more expensive than the 1975 model, accounting for inflation. In the US, the median family income was $74,580 in 2022, the closest year that we have data for. Adjusted to 2024 prices, it’s equal to $79,594 today.
It’s worth noting that you can spend to the moon on a modern F-150, now that luxury trucks are a thing. The Plantium and King Ranch trims start at $73,735, while the high-performance F-150 Raptor begins at $78,330. Throw in a bunch of options and it’s possible to walk away paying six figures by the time you’re done.
More than most models, the Ford F-150 has significantly risen in price over the years. Where a 1975 model cost just 29% of the median income, a 2024 F-150 costs a full 49% of the modern median income. That shift hasn’t come quickly; instead, the F-150, like the Civic, has slowly moved a little upmarket over the years.
POWER & WEIGHT: 2024 F-150 v. 1975 F-150
Engine-wise, the 1975 model featured the famous Ford 300 cubic-inch straight six. It made 120 horsepower from its 4.9-liter displacement. Alternatively, you could option up a V8 in 360, 390, or 460 cubic inch displacements. They offered 143 hp, 161 hp, or 245 hp respectively. The Malaise Era would soon cut those power figures down some, but you really could get a 245 hp V8 in your Ford F-150 in 1975. Curb weight depended on body and engine choice but started at around 3,800 pounds for a long bed with the 300 inline six.
Today, the F-150 is an altogether different beast. Ignoring the all-electric F-150 Lightning, the 2024 model is available with V6 and V8 engines, including diesel and hybrid options. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost Nano V6 is the smallest option in the range, offering 325 horsepower. The larger 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 ups this to 400 hp, as does the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, however, the turbocharged V6 has 500 pound-feet of torque to the latter’s 400 pound-feet. The sole diesel option is the Power Stroke V6 with 250 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque, while the hybrid PowerBoost V6 offers 430 hp and 570 pound-feet of torque.
The Raptor takes the same 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and boosts it up to 450 hp. But at the top of the tree stands the Carnivore V8 from the Raptor R model, good for 720 hp and 640 pound-feet of torque. Those were once supercar numbers, but now you can get them in a truck from Ford.
Curb weight for the newest models starts at around 4,600 pounds and goes up from there. Adding four-wheel-drive, a crew cab, or longer bed pushes that figure over 5,000 pounds in many cases.
It goes without saying—the 2024 models make far more power than the original F-150. Even the so-called Nano V6 makes 80 more horsepower than the gigantic 460 cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 of the first F-150. Meanwhile, the Raptor R makes almost three times as much. The original F-150 might have been a bit lighter, even if it lacked a modern aluminum body, but it would never keep up with such a disadvantage in power.
You won’t find many performance statistics for the sixth-generation F-series lineup. These were workhorses, not racehorses. Still, you can rest assured that the modern lineup is far quicker. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost model can hit 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. The Raptor R will do it in 3.6 seconds. You could line it up against a McLaren F1 and you’d have a serious chance of coming out the victor.
Beds, Payload & Towing: 2024 F-150 v. 1975 F-150
When it comes to work duties, two numbers matter more than all others. Payload figures and towing figures. Indeed, it was the greater payload capacity that separated the F-150 from the F-100, birthing the legend that we know today.
Back in 1975, the F-150 had a payload of 2,085 pounds in the short wheelbase configuration, or up to 2,325 pounds in long wheelbase form. It was available with a 6-and-3/4 foot bed with the SuperCab, or 8-foot beds with the SuperCab or Regular Cab, including Styleside and Flareside configurations. It had a a maximum tow rating of 6,000 pounds.
As far as bed choices, the new F-150 offers three options to the original’s two. It can now be had with a 5.5-foot short bed, a 6.5-foot standard bed, or an 8-foot long bed for larger loads. Availability is tied to cab choice. The Regular Cab can be had with the 6.5-foot or 8-foot box, while the SuperCab only gets the 6.5-foot option. SuperCrew buyers can choose the 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot box.
Today’s F-150 is a touch more capable when it comes to payload. A 2024 model is rated up to 2,445 pounds, with the optimum payload configuration featuring the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Towing is where the new model really has an advantage, however. An F-150 with that same engine and the Tow/Haul package will pull up to 14,000 pounds. If you’re regularly towing big loads for work, or you like tugging a big camper down the highway, a modern F-150 will do a lot more for you than a classic 1975 model.
Options: 2024 F-150 v. 1975 F-150
Trucks were just trucks in 1975. The options list reflected that. You could get an AM/FM radio or air conditioning if you were so inclined, or an automatic transmission if shifting your own didn’t appeal. A sliding rear cab window was also available. Four-wheel-drive wasn’t available at first but would become an option some years later.
Beyond that, though, most of the options list was focused on whatever job the truck would be entrusted with. The brochure lists towing packages, box covers, wider mirrors, and an increased capacity radiator for heavy-duty users. You could also get “Speed control”—a basic cruise control unit.
However, it was also the Golden Era of Two-Tone, and Ford didn’t disappoint in this regard. You had your choice of five different two-tone configurations, and 16 paint colors. Ford didn’t list out all the color combinations in the brochure, but it appears that Chrome Yellow was singled out, and could not be specified in a two-tone combination.
Fast forward to today, though, and the F-150 is an altogether different beast. Power windows weren’t even a thing back in the day, but now they’re standard on the modern model. As is air conditioning, satellite navigation, and the infotainment display itself. Where the stereo once came with two speakers, it now comes with eighteen if you specify the Bang and Olufsen sound system.
It’s entirely possible to load the 2024 model down with all kinds of luxury paraphernalia. Power tailgates, power-folding mirrors, and power seats are all available. You can heat those seats, too, front and rear, if you’re sick of cold buns—whether you’re out on the job or driving to the mall. Cruise control is standard these days, but you can upgrade top models with BlueCruise if you want to use the hands-free driver-assist on the highway.
It’s not all about comfort, though. Some of the modern features do have value for work duties. Ford’s on-board generator options have also become a major hit, providing up to 7.2 kW of AC power on demand. Meanwhile, the trailer backup assist is something that’s useful on the job site and the boat ramp, to boot.
Safety: 2024 F-150 v. 1975 F-150
Hi, it’s David Tracy popping in here. I want to add this section about safety, because that’s important. A 1975 Ford F-150 didn’t even have shoulder belts. The new F-150 has those everywhere, plus front dual-stage airbags, side seat airbags, side cushion airbags, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring, blind spot monitoring with cross-traffic detection, backup camera, and of course all the high-strength steel that helps the car crash insanely rigorous crash tests like IIHS’s small-overlap test.
I could go on and on, but, from a safety standpoint, the 2024 truck is just a way, way more advanced machine.
Times Have Changed
The Ford F-150 can still be a work truck. You can have one with basic wheels and an ugly plastic grille if that’s what you really want [Ed note: I actually love the basic work truck plastic grille! – MH]. Even still, the base model comes with a ton of equipment compared to the original 1975 model. If you want a bargain-basement truck with wind-up windows and no air conditioning, that’s not even a thing anymore as far as Ford is concerned. The market has shifted, and the F-150’s price point has done the same.
A lot of buyers see the F-150 in a completely different light these days. Trucks are no longer simple workaday vehicles for tradespeople and industry. They’re beacons of status and luxury, with interior appointments and price tags to match. Plenty of these trucks never see mud, and serve more as status symbols than anything else. The F-150 might not yet come with massage seats from the factory, but take my word for it—it’s just a matter of time.
The idea of a luxurious pickup truck simply didn’t exist when the F-150 hit the market back in 1975. You could have made an entire comedy film about the concept back then. You’d cast Slim Pickens as a Texan oil baron who drove around in a SuperCab with a fur-lined interior and a champagne fridge hidden in the bench seat.
These days, the concept is so familiar it’s entirely unexceptional. Fine leathery models are just a regular part of the Ford range. Once upon a time, trucks weren’t supposed to pay any mind to comfort over utility. Today, it’s expected of them.
Buy an F-150 today, and the doors won’t shut with a hollow, metallic clank. They’ll close with a thick and pleasant thud. The F-150 has moved up in the world, and if you want to make payments on a nice one, hopefully, you have too.
Postscript: Watch This!
Pete here. As I was enjoying this Now & Then, I flashed back to another Ford pickup history story I know you’ll dig. Back in December, when the seemingly irrepressible Jason Torchinsky found himself fully repressed by a major heart malfunction, our pal The Bishop filled in on Cold Start with a look at Ford’s delightfully bananas F-150 commercials of the 70s and 80s, including the ones below. Great fun, read the story here!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpXnpZBLDzO/
Ours was once a land of cinderblock and log mountains pic.twitter.com/LX6iXVzs0G
— The Autopian (@the_autopian) November 6, 2022
Image credits: Ford
Somebody’s gotta go back and get a shitload of dimes.
There are only two reasons our family has ever gotten rid of a truck: rust and major accident damage. I can think of at least a half dozen 40 year old trucks owned by relatives.
The new Fords aren’t going to rust away in a dozen years or so.
The new ones are going to protect you in an accident far better than the old ones.
Everything other than extensive rust and frame damage is fixable, so to me, if I had to buy new, the new trucks are worth more than the old ones.
Although in the new ones, I’d really like a chunky, indestructible five speed manual on the floor with a heavy clutch and shifted with a plain black steel rod capped with a hard plastic knob. That would make the new ones unquestionably better.
I want to like 6th gen F-series, but it’s never looked quite right to me.
The generation before it and after it both look way better, and I think most of the issue is with the front grille. Also, I only have memories of seeing 6th gen F-series beaten within an inch of their life and mostly rusted, so maybe they were just all treated that way.
The 6th gen F-series came out in 1972, and GM square bodies came out 1 year later and look much cleaner, probably why the squarebody design stayed around for over a decade longer.
Then they added the square headlights to the 6th gen F-series and it looks even worse, kind like they are trying to make them look like Jeep Gladiators/J series.
Just my dumb opinion, and I’m probably in the minority here.
The occasionally deranged captions are a delight.
On topic, my Uhaul-spec (still has the odometer tampering warning sticker in the footwell!) 2014 F-150 has a feature sheet that reads a lot closer to 1975 than 2024. I am extremely impressed that it actually has auto windows on both windows! Yet, it doesn’t have cruise control and I definitely had to replace the AM/FM radio with a new head unit.
It’s got 30k miles over the last 5 years. At this rate it’s possible I might never have to buy another truck, which would be pretty sweet.
Modern pick-up’s are all bro dozers now, more concerned with soothing emotions than anything else.
Was a passenger-side mirror and option?
Back in the day, yes.
The way I sum up modern quarter ton pickup trucks to people who come to me asking for advice is in a single sentence.
They’re better cars and worse trucks than they were thirty years ago.
When I say that I mean they have enveloped themselves in comfort and style to the detriment of functionality and modularity. You didn’t expect anything but people and groceries in your car, but you did expect to throw a bicycle or a stack of chairs and an awning in the back of your truck. Now you don’t expect anything but people and groceries in your truck. There’s a multitude of reasons why, ranging from the truck can’t perform basic duties the form factor used to all the way to the truck is far too nice to ever put under load. Most people buying a truck to use as a truck will go with either a higher weight class or purchase fleet spec vehicles. This too is part of the truck becoming a better car, as there is an insecurity that without the heavier duty specifications that the truck you use to haul goats in a trailer will be seen as no different than the truck that sits shiny and unmarred in the local optometrist’s parking lot every single day.
I really struggle to find any upsides in the continual evolution of the role of the modern truck into a bulkier and far more questionable station wagon, because every time someone says it has nicer features my thoughts immediately being churning over how all of those would have been far better suited to another bodystyle. Even past utopian visions of the future had a clear separation between the luxury everyone was afforded and the utilitarian nature of the machines and services that sustained that luxury. This was because those envisioning such a future realized that combining the prize with the tool meant it would never be used as a tool, and thus the work that kept the utopia running would come to a halt as more tools became prizes. Not that a quarter ton pickup is vital to the functioning of society, but they’re still signifiers of a wider societal trend towards the boundary erasure.
I have a 1976 F-150 and a 2022 Bronco. I’ve been daily driving the nearly 50 year old truck because the new Ford has been in the dealership shop for over five weeks on a known TSB transmission problem. They are telling me it will be several more weeks to get more parts in stock and get back to fixing the problems.
My old Ford has proven to be far superior to my new Ford.
Also, I bought the reliable old truck for $1,000, vs nearly $60,000 for the immobile Bronco.
Stories like this are one of the things that may convince me never to buy new. Ford has had a tough go of it recently with recalls, but they aren’t the only one. It’s kind of embarrassing that a vehicle 10-50 years older can be more useful then a new vehicle.
The only new car I ever had was a leased Fiesta ST, and that showed up with the wrong brake calipers installed. Luckily it had the proper transmission installed, so I didn’t deal with what most fiesta and focus owners dealt with.
Interesting how the F-series trucks have moved from honorable blue-color tools to articles of conspicuous consumption for just plain tools. They really should be even more expensive now to reflect the toll they take on the environment and other road users.
The most interesting bit is not so much how cost of goods have changed relative to incomes, but how we view these vehicles in context of life.
A 2024 F-150 should demolish a 1975 Ford F-150 in all aspects given 50 years and hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in automotive engineering over that span. To say nothing of advancement in materials science, electronics, and focus on efficiency and quality that occurred during that time. To not achieve something of the like despite trillions of dollars in investment over decades would be more notable. If Ford was putting out 1975-era vehicles in 2024 – no matter how cheap – they’d be laughed out of the market.
The more interesting bit is how the pickup has moved in societal context from a very utilitarian to a ‘lifestyle’ vehicle.
Which is fine. People get to choose how they spend their money. If they get utility or enjoyment out of a vehicle, all the power to them. I do not own a truck, but I have a few frivolous things I spend my money on that others probably view as wasteful.
If there’s a point that galls, it’s the idea of waste for waste’s sake. Indeed, the early-to-mid 1970s wretched excess in engine displacement and single-digit mileage was such an era encapsulated. As the pickup market continues to bloom, I start to wonder if we’re just in such an era. Excess for the sake of, as pickup trucks are used as commuter-mobiles, treated with the view that they are just very inefficient family vehicles.
Maybe people do get enjoyment or utility out of them. Some have to, certainly. I am less certain that the huge market shift in personal vehicle choice since the 1970s is as much about utility as it is about conspicuous consumption.
The large pickup/SUV was not exactly chosen by the people. The 1964 Chicken Tax has limited people’s choices and remains in order to give US domestic automakers an advantage over imported competitors. Combined with CAFE rules (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) of the ’70s small trucks were effectively wiped from the US market.
Why would a US automaker produce a small truck when they could produce a larger truck with more profit?
Then why does Ford make the Maverick?
To compete with the Tacoma and Ridgeline which are (apparently) not affected by the chicken tax.
I would guess the Ranger would compete better against the Tacoma.
The Ridgeline is a weird mixture of both sizes and buyers so I get that argument. :: Thumbs up::
Nothing to do with this article but…
Could you all use some other way to identify yourselves in “Ed Notes”? I have to stop and think about who DT is vs JT.
I though David used to be DJT. He could also be referred to as Hollywood.
And JT is Torch in my head.
Counterpoint: Does it really matter who left the ed note? I’d say, no, it does not. It signifies that the person writing the article is not the person writing the note. That’s it. Which editor it is shouldn’t matter, so maybe we should leave off all initials.
Torch sometimes puts editor notes in his own articles, because torch
Who is editing is who ultimately defines the website.
Why remove personality from a website we come to for… …personalities?
While I can often identify the who is adding editor’s notes just by reading them, I don’t want their identities removed. It’s part of the fun here, feeling like you know these people as individuals.
Dad bought a brand-new 1973 F100 Custom.
I don’t know what engine it had – Probably the 6 or maybe the smallest V8.
It was underpowered and got terrible mileage – so probably the V8.
It came with Automatic, A/C, Black woven vinyl seats and a black rubber floor.
Back then, “Map Pockets” were two different things.
He had the dealer add on some those larger mirrors on the folding triangular brackets, an AM radio and a back step bumper.
It was the most horrendous “Combination” Brown and Yellow.
Always made me think of the inside of a toilet after it’s been used, but before it’s flushed.
I always wished he’d bought the red F100 that was sitting in the Ford lot next to it – but Mother didn’t like red cars.
Our family that thing till 1978 when he downsized to the White longbed Courier XLT 5 speed with the red interior and dealer-installed AC.
Now THAT was a good little truck – handsome and ultra-dependable.
1975 F-150: 6,000lb max towing/2,415lb payload
2024 F-150: 13,500 lb/2,445lb payload
Trucks are tools, like lawnmowers or hammers, so those are really the only numbers that matter, everything else is just fluff designed to pad profit margins. Pickup trucks exist to carry stuff and pull stuff, that’s what they’re for and what they should be judged on.
So, the 2024 F-150 is 1.2% better than the 1975 on payload, and 125% better on towing, whether its worth the extra $15,000 or not depends on what you use the truck for – hauling or towing. If you mostly use your truck to carry loads in the bed and rarely or never pull a trailer, than, no, the 2024 model is not worth the extra $15k, because it hasn’t meaningfully improved over the 1975 model in that regard. If you tow, but your trailer is 6,000lbs or less, then, again, the new model isn’t a meaningful improvement, because the extra capacity is irrelevant for your own needs.
However, if you do pull a trailer heavier than 6,000lbs, then the extra $15k is probably money well spent in your case.
Worth noting that most f150s optioned by real humans, either in 1975 or in 2024, dont come even close to that 2400lb payload capacity.
Ehhh, your comparison ignores a lot. Load up a ’75 F150 with 2,415lbs in the bead and max out an ’24 F150 as well. Now go for a drive. The ’24 will feel much more competent at max load than the ’75, by a long shot. Stopping distances would be significantly shorter, chance of roll-over would be lower….
There’s more to it than just max rated loads. Heck, how they rate them has changed too.
It’s doesn’t matter if you can haul a bit more or less to the work site if you’re already tired and sweaty when you get there.
The new models are much better for safety and comfort.
Uh, I have no way of knowing which of the zillions of IG posts align with the ones shown on this site. Useless link. I know it could be done better.
I had a 1975 F150. It was a hand me down farm truck that we got because it didn’t have catalytic converters, which meant that when we parked in a hayfield, it wouldn’t catch fire, and we could use agricultural gasoline in it.
The new trucks look like total pieces of shit. They are sort of “go anywhere”, except for all the places that they won’t fit. Ugly as humanly possible too.
Better if you’re planning on hitting something, and I’ll grant that you see a lot of people driving them like that.
We borrowed a friend’s 2015 F150 extended cab in Dallas for the weekend, and I was struck by its rattly plastic pieces and evident cost-cutting across the interior. It made me appreciate our primitive contractor-spec 2005 Sierra with the 4.8 that much more.
New trucks are only defensible for people who can’t tolerate the idea of not having a warranty. The rest of us are free to save tens of thousands and own trucks with character.
I’m surprised nobody’s talking about bed size. Maybe it’s just the perspective, but the bed in that Raptor photo looks just barely big enough to hold my kids’ lunchboxes.
The only thing I’ll concede that the current Gen F-150 does better than up until the late 90s F-150s is corrosion protection (via an aluminum body and bed).
The Truck Six is much more of a workhorse engine than any of the current F-150 engine offerings.
Older F-150s had much better paint color and paint scheme options.
Twin I Beam and Twin Traction Beam suspension are better for Trucks than the current IFS setup for the F-150
You could still get manual transmissions and manually engaged transfer cases with older F-150s.
While the new F-150 may be safer in a crash, the worse visibility and greater width doesn’t help with avoiding crashes in the first place.
Bench seats are better than individual seats. The only seat adjustment that matters is the driver’s seat, everyone else can either learn to live with it or get their own damn cars.
Quarter windows, manual options for everything, etc.
Pretty much agree with everything. I drove a 1975 f150 that I pulled out of the junkyard on our farm, fixed it up, drove from California to NYC, and drove (and street parked) it in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the 1980s. It was great.
The new f150s look pretty much useless. How are you even supposed to get things in and out of the back without lowering the tailgate and climbing in to the bed and walking around to pick things up?
So, way more expensive, way less useful, Crappy as a truck, crappy as a car.
That’s one thing I forgot to mention: DECK HEIGHT!
The 2024 Ford F-150 Is Way More Expensive Than The 1975 F-150, How Much Better Is It?
At mowing down pedestrians cyclists and children?
Waaay better!
At doing actual truck stuff? Hard to say since so few buyers actually do that anymore.
OMG – “Click to enlarge.” !!! <3
That diesel in the F-150 is only available in the Philippines these days, as far as I know. They killed it off in North America for 2022
I guess some things stay the same – vinyl is considered an option/upgrade and it seems like we’re seeing that trend return. No matter what fancy name companies come up for modern day vinyl I still consider it a downgrade compared to cloth.
Leather, on the other hand, is an upgrade in my eyes.
Ya, just watch out for vegan leather. Talk about slick marketing
Sometimes I wish I could work in marketing so I could sit around all day coming up with fancy names for things.
Right! Get paid to find a way to sell people crappier versions of stuff. “NEW AND IMPROVED!!!” To be honest, I couldn’t live with myself for doing that to people. And I am a lizard man trying to take over your world. Sad how humans are
My boss’s old 2017 King Ranch F150 has Massage seats. His new one does too. And alot of other bells and whistles(ans a backup beeper) that would drive me nuts. I used to have an 89 F150 XLT and I thought it was an extremely nice truck. It had cruise control, a/c, carpet, and a cassette player. 300 I6, 5 spd manual, long bed, 2wd, so it was still a truck though. I wish my sister hadn’t ran it over with the tractor. I miss that truck
I think it was the 7th Gen 400 V8 that was the most choked, but I still sit here baffled by engines that only made about 24-25HP/L.
Granted, so much nowadays is forced induction, but consider how much power even normally aspirated engines make, and how huge engines would’ve had to been if they were built to the same standard yet made the same power. If Ford wanted to match the power output of something like a top-end W204 C63, Ford would have to sell you something with a 20.3L engine.
24HP/L when I’m looking at normally aspirated stuff with 124-129HP/L, and even Miata and Toyobarus are 90-100/L. It’s crazy how far things have come.
What people don’t know is that horsepower is extremely dependent on RPM.
A sportbike revs to 13k rpm. A sportbike makes 140hp/liter.
A Miata revs to maybe 6500rpm. A Miata makes like 80-90hp/liter.
In my f150, I really don’t want to have to rev it up high just to be able to move my trailer, and so it revs to like 3000rpm before making peak power. With that very low powerband, it makes like 30hp/liter.
Desired RPM range is the biggest reason that different engines produce different specific outputs.
I’m aware.
However, look at modern engines. Even a 3.3L Cyclone in a 13th gen F-150, which is normally aspirated, still produces 265lb-ft of torque at 4000rpm, and its peak output of 290HP is nearly 88HP/L. Meanwhile, the 400 made about 13% more peak torque despite double the displacement and 33% more cylinders.
That’s the point. We get so much more specific output nowadays both for bottom and top end. The malaise era was called what it was for a reason.
EDIT: I also want to emphasize that the Cyclone was a base offering for a 13th gen whereas in a 7th gen, a 400 was only in F-250 and F-350s, and getting close to the top of what Ford offered. That’s how far the needle has moved!
1975?
Yank off most of the Emission stuff, put a new aluminum intake, new ‘RV’ cam and 750cfm Holly, and watch that 460 turn from a slug to a beast.
And it would get slightly better MPG, and be far more reliable.
As that what many guys, like me, did back in the Day.
Have a ’21 F-150 XLT FX4. So far it has been reliable, comfortable, and capable. Just enough tech and features to make it feel modern. If I keep it long term I might do a wrap to make it look like the “Bodyside Accent Panel” in the two tone illustration above, all white with accent in red or navy. Retro 80’s in a new truck.
That said, I got mine for $50K ($3K under MSRP) in 2021. Dealers started adding $5K “Market Adjustments” the next week. Optioned out the same truck for 2024 and would MSRP at over $62K. Thank goodness prices are starting to come back down.
Retro Ford F-150
wtf, I like new trucks now.
Strip both of these vehicles down to their work roots essence and the new dog is not particularly superior to the old dog. Equip the ‘24 with engines from its lineup that best equate to what was available in the ‘75 and put them to work. Pile both of them full of whatever and they’ll get it done. Hook a heavy trailer up and they’ll both get it done. The new F150 will be faster, but not enough to matter to the task at hand. It will be more comfortable, it will ride better, may be better on fuel use, it offers better passenger protection and luxuries. Most would probably say it’s prettier, too and it will be welcomed at country clubs and valet parking everywhere. All of this proves the ‘24 is a much better “car,” which is the role of most F150s on the road today. But when it comes to basic truckness, the ‘75 will hold its own against younger generations.
You missed one important detail: the old one is going to be a lot easier to fix/maintain, though the new one likely requires less overall engine maintenance. Fuel injection is an advantage that the new one has, but that can probable be solved on the old one through one of those fuel injection kits.
The newer one has way better rust prevention, better braking, and tow ratings as well. Those shouldn’t be tossed out of hand.
I’m not entirely sure about allegedly modern superior rust protection. I live in the Rust Belt — Always have — And I still see relatively modern trucks still gettting eaten by the tinworm in the same places — fender wells, rocker panels, and step bumpers.
I grew up in Detroit back in the 70’s. Back then cars and trucks had rust hole through the body in as few as three years. Even Zeibart didn’t help muchif the cars stayed outside. It wasn’t until the mid-Eighties that rust preventions started to get better.
I don’t know… I nicely restored or preserved F-150 from the 70s or 80s would probably get a lot of positive attention at the country club or swanky valet parking in today’s nostalgia realm.