1973 Ford Courier - McBride's Ride - Four Wheeler Magazine
When we first saw this ’73 Ford Courier in the California desert we had a rush of emotions, including awe and a strange case of envy. We’re used to seeing old iron rigs on the trail, but who in their right mind wheels a vintage Ford Courier. For those of you not old enough to remember, the Courier was a Mazda-built pickup truck that was available in the US from 1972 to 1982. It had design cues meant to mimic the Ford F-Series of the time and it came standard with a four-cylinder engine. Interestingly, our research indicates that the Courier wasn’t available in a four-wheel-drive version during its lifetime, though there were some aftermarket companies doing a limited number of conversions. McBride’s Courier is not one of those aftermarket conversions. It’s mostly an amalgamation of Ford Courier and Toyota pickup. What we have here is a Courier body grafted onto a Toyota chassis with a significant number of modifications thrown in the mix. After many hours spent wrenching, McBride got the truck running and since then it has been over the Rubicon Trail, as well as to Johnson Valley and the Prairie City ORV Park. So, how does this unique Courier handle the trail. McBride’s Courier is a one-of-a-kind, unusual rig, but make no mistake, it’s more than a conversation piece. Source: www.fourwheeler.com
