Whether you have a good time or not, it'll make a great story.
Photograph by Tom Suddard
Even though this 1973 Ford ramp truck is not as reliable as a new one, I love driving it every chance I get. From its ground-pounding, carbureted big-block Ford V8 engine spewing intoxicating lumpy bass tones at idle to the four-speed manual transmission and bed adorned with blinky lights, it’s the whole package of wacky and amazing.
Almost everyone on staff seems to have a love/hate relationship with the ramp truck, and I, too, have been a victim of its fickle nature. I know it lost a wheel on the trip home after its purchase. It once left me stranded on the side of I-95 in the rain, although that one might be on me for trusting the fuel gauge. The ramp truck always leaves you with a story from your journey.
As you turn the key, the lumping V8 grunts to life. If the charm of the ramp truck didn’t hook you on appearance already, the sounds it makes will win you over.
The cherry on top? The 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback vintage race car on the bed to top off the period-correct package.
From the driver’s seat, the gears of the floor-mounted shifter feel like they’re miles apart when rowing through them to get up to speed. First gear puts the shifter almost into the dash, and second has it in your lap.
Then it’s back up to the dash for third, and back down to the bench seat for fourth. A final push of the clutch and click of the overdrive switch gets you settled into cruising speeds.
The radio works, but who needs music when you have the notes of that V8 roaring down the road with the windows down on the back roads of Florida?
Sure, the ramp truck is not a perfect vehicle, but it exudes personality. The steering is more of a suggestion on a straight road, with you gently reminding it that you’re the one in charge and always attentive.
The brakes are present, but you are not stopping on a dime. To slow down for stoplights, you might be rewarded for downshifting. Another beautiful note joins the symphony of sounds with some burbles from the exhaust on deceleration.
That is the beauty of a classic car–or truck in this case: getting to step back in time to when cars didn’t have giant screens and lane-centering cruise control. You get to enjoy the simplicity and think about how lax safety standards once were, before crumple zones and mandatory three-point seat belts.
[What does "driving pleasure" mean to you?]
My hour-and-a-half-long drive home from the track seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, I was back at the shop. After parking the rig and getting into my daily driver for my final leg of the journey to my house, I found myself missing the personality of the ramp truck. My car simply felt like an appliance.
So the next time someone asks, “Who wants to drive the ramp truck home?” my hand will be raised–right after I make sure my AAA membership is up to date.
Whether you have a good time or not, it'll make a great story.
How low car friendly is it? I wonder if any of my cars would be able to get onto the thing.
Is an AAA membership a benefit provided by the employer when you work for GRM/CM?
That is definitely not a daily driver. But a once in awhile driver? Hell yeah!
In reply to Austin Cannon :
We had an AMG GT3 race car on it a few years ago so as long as your cars are not lower than one of those they should fit.
In reply to Masher_Mfg :
I am okay not having that type of ramp truck excitement in my life.
How heavy are ramp trucks compared to a standard truck and rear trailer setup? I've always kind of thought about getting a ramp instead of the other option, just cause it's there 
Chris Tropea said:In reply to Austin Cannon :
We had an AMG GT3 race car on it a few years ago so as long as your cars are not lower than one of those they should fit.
(In case anyone needed photographic evidence)
How many years is the age difference there?
DrMikeCSI said:How many years is the age difference there?
Based on some very limited internet searching, the AMG looks to be from 2017-ish, and the ramp truck is from 1973.
So that's an age difference of around 44 years.
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