The timeline and plans reflect the owner’s original account.
David’s grandfather bought this Burnt Orange 1973 Explorer A new. It passed to his dad and then to him. At one time, the family also had a Rangoon Red 1968 Custom and a Wimbledon White 1976 Highboy. The ’73 was the survivor.
Early hunting, fishing and camping trips filled its single cab with David, his brother, their dad and sometimes their uncle. They kept their legs out of the gear lever’s path. Spotting deer or antelope meant a crowded scramble out of the cab, memories David had never lost.
The work and the years behind it
During Covid, he and a buddy brought it back piece by piece, repairing rust and restoring the interior, steering, brakes, ignition and details. He wanted weekends behind the wheel to remember his dad and granddad. He also hoped to see this particular truck on a BBHB shirt. That was a request, not a claim that a matching design already exists.
Read the owner’s original account and build details
Truck year:
1973
Ownership when this account was shared:
It’s been in the family since new. My grandad bought it, then passed it down to my dad, and now it’s mine.
How the truck came home
Not purchased — it’s an heirloom. Handed down from my grandad to my dad, and then to me.
The memories behind the truck
At one point, our family had three Highboys: a Rangoon Red ’68 Custom, this Burnt Orange ’73 Explorer A, and a Wimbledon White ’76. This is the only survivor.
Some of my best memories are stuffed into the cab of this truck. All of my first hunting, fishing, and camping trips were in a single cab Highboy with me, my brother, my dad, and sometimes my uncle all jammed across the bench seat. We had to keep our legs clear of the gear shifter or risk being crushed.
When we spotted a deer or antelope, it was pure comedy — all of us rolling out of the cab with our rifles, trying to get a shot off. Those moments are etched into my memory forever.
Build details, in the owner’s words
Too many to count, but some of the big ones include:
Rust repair
Hand-repainting the vinyl stripes
Electric power steering
Brake booster
Accel electronic ignition
Full interior restoration back to original
Fixed most of the leaks
All mechanically correct
Most of the work was done during COVID with a buddy — piece by piece, bringing it back to life.
Plans at the time of the story
To hold onto it, drive it on weekends, and remember my dad and grandad every time I’m behind the wheel.
More from the owner
This Burnt Orange Explorer A is more than just a truck — it’s the last of three family Highboys, and it’s part of who I am. And yes, I’d love to see this exact truck replicated on one of your shirts.
Keep the old Ford story going
Find your kind of truck in our Dentside merchandise, or choose a year’s front end from the Grille Series.
Visit Highboy University for truck guides. Read Bumpside vs. Dentside: Ford Truck Generations Explained, then meet the people behind Zach’s 1975 Highboy: Built with Dad, Kept for Good.
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