1997 Ford F-150 - Road Test - American Cars

Have you ever seen a pickup truck dance? We have-and it ain't pretty. Under a pitiless desert sun and surrounded by mountain horizons resembling huge, jagged pieces of broken pottery, we watched as the top-selling full-size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge skipped, hopped, and shuddered across man-made craters in Arizona's Mojave Desert. One truck shook its bed so hard it dented the back of the cab. This was serious rock and roll.

Ford Motor Co. invited us to its Arizona proving ground to demonstrate that the all-new F-150 is an iron fist in a silk glove. Although its new truck has gone through engineering's equivalent of charm school, Ford claims the F-150 is still built for a market that works brutally hard all week, but wants a soft ride and car-style comfort features for weekend play.

Pegged as a '97 model, production of the new pickup started in late 1995. On line for showrooms this month are new engines, an all-new front suspension, a friendlier interior with dual airbags, and a major face-lift, which includes an aluminum hood and a third door on the extended-cab version.

Ford wanted to ensure that the pipeline remained full of Blue Oval pickups during the transition to the new model. Due to such high volume requirements, Ford builds the F-Series pickup in five different assembly plants, so rather than shut down completely and then bring all the plants back online at once, the Norfolk, Virginia, and Kansas City, Missouri, plants are leading the changeover. The production transition is staggered at the other plants. In late 1995, Norfolk and Kansas were working on the '97 models, while at other plants the current F-150 regular cab, F-250, F-350, and Super-Duty models will continue to be produced well into this year. That means if you like the traditional body style, you still have time to find a new truck. Eventually, however, all Ford F-Series pickups will adopt the new look.

Two engine choices are available for the new F-150's launch: a standard 4.2-liter/205-horsepower V-6 based on a stroked version of the pushrod 3.8-liter V-6 used in the Thunderbird, and a truck-tuned 4.6-liter/210-horsepower Modular SOHC V-8 similar to that used in the Crown Victoria. Next fall, Ford will offer a larger Modular 5.4-liter V-8 for buyers requiring more grunt, but this version wasn't available for test drives.

The base 4.2 features a split-port intake tract with dual runners to each intake port. Also used on the Windstar's 3.8-liter V-6, the split-port intake ensures good charge velocity at low speeds for low emissions and a smooth idle. At higher engine speeds, the second runner's throttle blade pops open for deeper breathing and more ponies.

Ford's goal was for the 4.2-liter engine to make more power than the 4.3-liter/200-horsepower base V-6 in Chevrolet's full-size C-1500 pickup. In fact, the 4.2, at 205 horses, is just five horses shy of the optional 4.6-liter Ford V-8. The 4.2 is a terrific base powerplant. With its chain-driven balance shaft, it's surprisingly quiet and vibration free, and it has more than enough low-end torque for most light-hauling and towing needs without a V-8's fuel consumption.