The 1986 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat is an awesome truck to consider owning. All Ford pickups are cool, from the old F100 to the modern Raptor. However, the 86 is old enough to be considered a classic car yet modern enough to have normal features and be practical. The XLT Lariat trim also makes it rare, and just wait until you see the interior.
Right off the bat, we want to mention that this thing is for sale with Vanguard Motors. They’ve got some of the best, glossiest photos known to man. But as usual, they ask a lot of money for it: $49,900.
It’s not like you’re never going to financially recover from buying this, and it is in excellent condition. But this exact truck (VIN 1FTCF15N5GLA91314) sold for under $32,000 last year, and most models of this vintage go for around $20,000.
The XLT Lariat spec
One of the things which really sell this 1986 Ford F-150 is the XLT Lariat trim level. It makes this a pseudo-luxury truck for that ear and adds a lot of features. One of the trademarks is a chrome package with lots of decorative trim pieces, all of which are in great condition.
Check out the cab and you’ll see that the interior is all original and in perfect condition. The 2-door body is filled with plush burgundy upholstery, which is the perfect complement to the exterior paint, Canyon Red.
The carpet is really nice with no stains, also a deep red, the headliner is tight, and the door panels are in very good condition. The dash shows no blemishes, taking you back to the 1980s with its woodgrain trim and AM/FM/Cassette Audio system. Accessories include tilt, cruise, A/C, stereo, and power windows and locks.
For this kind of money, you’d expect a modern Coyote under the hood. Even so, a completely stock 1986 Ford F-150 is also great from a collectible point of view. Power comes from a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 small block.
EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) first came about on the 5.0L in 1985 and offered much better reliability versus a carburetor. The rest of this powertrain consists of a numbers-matching Ford 4-speed automatic and Ford 8.8-inch rear with 3.55:1 gears and limited-slip. Yeah, it’s a 2×4 truck, and that sucks, but that was normal back in the day.
1986 Ford F-150: specs, what’s new, model lineup
The seventh-generation Ford F-150 was made from 1980 until 1986. It’s identified by its square body lines, which were actually more efficient and aerodynamic than its predecessor.
The engines were continuously updated and changed. The smallest was the 3.8-liter V6 on the base F-100, a nameplate that was dropped in 1983. The largest was the 7.5-liter, and there was also a 6.9-liter V8 diesel on the F-250 and F-350 at the time.
1986 didn’t see many changes, as Ford was getting ready to introduce the eight-gen the next year. A few new colors were added: Colonial White, Medium Silver Metallic, Dark Spruce Metallic, Dark Shadow Blue Metallic, and Dark Grey Metallic. And all gauges became standard (engine temp, oil pressure, fuel level, and ammeter).
The F-150 was offered in Standard, XL and XLT Lariat trims. The body was either Standard or Super Cab, while the bed was Styleside or Flareside. This is a standard cab with a Styleside bed and the 5.0-liter should have made 185 horsepower plus 270 lb-ft of torque.
