How many bumps are left?

[mcheath]

So I got to wondering how many 67'-72' Ford pickups are left, still registered and being driven. Could not find any actual registration data for the USA, and I'm sure that it's out there in some computer someplace. But I did find some other stats.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin, in their report dated Jan 2006 about "Vehicle Survivability and Travel Mileage Schedules", which you can download here:

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/cats/listp ... By=DocType

for light trucks over 36 years old only 2.9% remain registered and driven on the roads. Go to page 25 for one graph on survivability rates, there are others as well.

No breakdown of brands of trucks is given, nor do they have data over 36 years old. Seeing as how all of the bumps are at least 40 years old now I would assume that survivor rates are lower that 2.9%, but I'll use that number to work with.

According to this website Ford made 2,958,575 pickups of all types between 1967 and 1972.

If only 2.9% survive as registered and driven then about 85,799 are left in drivable condition.

Probably less.

If we divide that up between the 50 states then each state has 1,715 bumpsides.

Guessing that most of them are in dryer climate states, but maybe not.

So not many of the old timers are still out there. How few does it have to get before they become priceless collector objects?

[averagef250]

I bet the odds are better than 2.9% for bumpsides. They seem to be the old work trucks that just don't die in areas where salt isn't used on the roads.

I'd swear I've driven through towns where 25% of the vehicles you can see are bumpsides. Nearly every driveway has one.

67-72 GM's don't hold up well at all in the wet NW climate that Fords don't seem to mind at all. I can only imagine it's 10X worse in the rustbelt.

[TNIceWolf]

Personally I dont think they will ever become priceless collector objects. Work vehicles just dont ever achieve that elevated status in their original form. Are they priceless to the owner? ..... In many cases yes....but will they ever be priceless to the public?.....probably not.

[tsherry]

There are a metric buttload in the Eastern Washington/North Idaho area. You can buy a running, FE sporting, complete F250 for under a grand on craigslist virtually every single day for under 2K, and sometimes a bunch of them under a grand.

[kf7mjf]

Same here in Western WA. Tons of Bumps and Dents, and enough slicksides popping up too. Granted it's harder to find anything older than about 64-65, but they turn up

[Chickenhawk368]

It would of course depend on where you live, in places they salt the roads I'm sure they are like hens teeth.
I saw my evil twin just yesterday, and saw 4 while working Friday.

[sargentrs]

Hmmmm....Let's see.... Let's start with mcheath's total of 85,799 "survivors". 190 web pages on the member list with about 45+ member names on each = 8500+ members throughout history or about 10% of the survivors. Assuming each member had only 1 truck, and we know some had several, that makes over 8500 "survivors" accounted for, at one point in time, right here on Fordification Maybe we should start a "National Registry" like the Cobra Registry. After all, bumps are just a valuable as Cobra's, right?

[kf7mjf]

Well the 67's maybe :p

[MaxKlinger]

If we divide that up between the 50 states then each state has 1,715 bumpsides. Guessing that most of them are in dryer climate states, but maybe not.

I think you'd find that the numbers are radically skewed. Survivors are plentiful in arid states, fairly common in states where there is rain but no road salt, and almost completely gone in the rust belt. Seeing a 67-72 ANYTHING in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, or New England is a big deal.

[1972hiboy]

There are a metric buttload in the Eastern Washington/North Idaho area. You can buy a running, FE sporting, complete F250 for under a grand on craigslist virtually every single day for under 2K, and sometimes a bunch of them under a grand.

THis made me laugh out loud for a minute. can I please ask.....what constitutes a metric buttload?? quantities? demensions?

[Chickenhawk368]

If we divide that up between the 50 states then each state has 1,715 bumpsides. Guessing that most of them are in dryer climate states, but maybe not.

I think you'd find that the numbers are radically skewed. Survivors are plentiful in arid states, fairly common in states where there is rain but no road salt, and almost completely gone in the rust belt. Seeing a 67-72 ANYTHING in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, or New England is a big deal.

A few years ago I met two gentlemen on vacation from the Ne, thier plan was to buy two bumps or dents each and drive/tow them back home. They originally has come out to go elk hunting , but when they saw so many 30-40 year old trucks they decided to skip it. I guess they figured the old trucks where better trophies.

[Wilma-Colorado]

"This made me laugh out loud for a minute. can I please ask.....what constitutes a metric buttload?? quantities? demensions?"

Oh boy - here it goes. I can't wait to read the suggestions on this !

Wilma : )