1973 Ford F-100

The 1973-1979 Ford F-100 was the sixth generation of Ford's F-Series, nicknamed the "Dentside" for the horizontal crease pressed into its body sides. This Ford F-100 used the 240-cubic-inch and 300-cubic-inch inline-sixes as base engines, the 302-cubic-inch Windsor small-block V8, and larger V8s including the 360, 390, and the 460-cubic-inch big-block. All horsepower in this generation was reported in SAE net figures, the standard since the 1972 model year, so the numbers read lower than the earlier gross ratings. The defining event of the period was the 1975 arrival of the F-150 above the F-100. Ford introduced the F-150 as a heavier half-ton with a gross vehicle weight rating set just above 6,000 pounds, which placed it in the heavy-duty emissions class and exempted it from the 1975 catalytic converter and unleaded-fuel rule that applied to the lighter F-100. From 1975 the F-100 and F-150 were sold side by side, with the F-150 gradually taking over half-ton sales. The 1973-1979 Ford F-100 used Twin-I-Beam front suspension on two-wheel-drive trucks and a solid front axle on four-wheel drive.