1985 Ford F250

-6.9L Diesel V8
-Automatic Transmission
-74k Miles
-4 Wheel Drive
-Metallic Brown Over Tan Interior

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1985 Ford F250 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 135 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to its accident and damage-free Carfax history report, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“The best-built American trucks are built Ford-Tough” – 1985 Ford Pickup television commercial

That TV commercial was a remake of the prior year's ad which featured an '84 Ford pickup carrying a Chevy pickup in its cargo bed up a hill of boulders. The ad was so successful, Ford repeated it for their '85 pickups, only this time, in addition to hauling the competing Chevy truck, the Ford also towed a Dodge pickup!

Ford's period magazine ads hailed some of the truck's features “… a 6.9-liter diesel with 29 more horsepower than Chevy… choice of roomy regular cab, crew cab, or big exclusive SuperCab, too” and went on to trumpet: “Quality is Job #1: Ford's commitment to quality results in the best-built American trucks based on a survey of owner-reported problems during the first three months of ownership… And the commitment continues….”

Offered here is a well-maintained and nicely refreshed 1985 Ford F250 4-wheel-drive pickup in Medium Sand Beige with a complementary, slightly lighter shade body-side panel. Currently showing 74,579 miles on its odometer, fewer than 2,100 miles per-year on average since new, the truck's excellent overall condition and damage-free Carfax clearly indicate prior owners were fastidious about the truck's care and maintenance.

The exterior metallic Sand Beige finish has been refreshed to a very high standard, and the addition of a slightly lighter shade on the side body panels makes for a very attractive, understated two-tone combination. A tri-color tape stripe adds a bit of flair. The body paint is uniformly glossy and free of flaws. Even the cargo bed shows well with some signs of normal use. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The sheet metal shows no dings or dents; mild fender flares have been added allowing for larger tires and the mild lift kit. Condition of the truck's chrome is excellent overall: high shine, no damage, and minimal patina from normal use on the bumpers, custom front grille, window trim, door handles, and West Coast-style side mirrors. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear and undamaged. Emblems include the cargo-box “Explorer” badging and front-fender “F250 Diesel” identification. Raceline® polished 8-spoke alloy wheels are mounted with Toyo® Open Country all-terrain tires.

The truck's interior has been nicely kept. Plush, textured brown fabric upholstery covers the seats and armrest, with velour trim in a copper-brown shade. Tan carpeting covers the cabin floors and the dashboard is matching padded vinyl. Door trim is free of damage. The woodgrain dash trim is undamaged but sun-faded and discolored. The woodgrain-trimmed, 2-spoke, multi-function steering wheel (with fabric-covered rim) frames the stock, square-design instrument cluster. No audio unit is mounted. Factory slide-lever controls operate the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The 4-wheel-drive transfer-case selector is floor-mounted; the shifter for the automatic transmission is mounted on the steering column.

Under the hood, the 6.9-liter, fuel-injected diesel is at the center of a clean and properly organized engine bay. All components—including air conditioning and power steering—are in place, and all surfaces are very clean and original. Viewed from below, the truck's chassis is clean, straight, and free of damage. Rust-inhibiting spray has been applied and only light surface rust is present on some untreated metal.

The truck's original identification and data tags are mounted.

While the more than 135 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '85 Ford F250 in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

This '85 F250 is living proof of the veracity of the “Ford Builds Tough Trucks” claim. And with a continuation of the sort of owner care it's seen over the past four decades, there's really no limit to how far the next owner will take it. In the words of Neil Young: “Long may she run.”