Sometime around the middle of last summer, the original 1966-77 Ford Bronco was declared the fastest-appreciating collector car in the known universe. Quite an honor for the boxy-but-intrepid little four-by-four, although the prize really demonstrated how undervalued Broncos had been previously.
The trouble with those early Broncos is that so many of the survivors have been altered for off-roading or else customized to all get out, similar to the fate of many Jeep Cherokees. That’s fun stuff and all, but it takes away from their value as collector cars.
The Pick of the Day is a four-wheel-drive 1966 Ford Bronco in rarely seen original condition with ultra-low mileage, an apparent time-warp beauty that was rescued from long-term storage and put back on the road.
“This 1966 Ford Bronco is an uncut gem with low original miles and all-original sheet metal,” the Holland, Michigan, seller says in the ClassicCars.com advertisement. “This was a phenomenal find out of South Carolina as none of the sheet metal has been replaced, and the frame and all metal underneath is clean and solid as well.
“It was treated to new paint, new interior, and new weather stripping; but other than that, it is one of the cleanest original Bronco’s we have found.”
The odometer shows less than 20,000 miles, which is believed to be accurate.
After coming out of the barn, the Bronco was repainted in its original Rangoon Red with white trim “and treated to a tune-up, new hoses, new alternator, rebuilt carb, new shocks and new exhaust,” says the seller, a dealer who specializes in vintage four-wheelers.
The Bronco, with its original six-cylinder drivetrain, drives very well, according to the dealer, and all the lights and gauges are working. The only fault noted is that of the notoriously faulty vacuum-operated windshield wipers, which have failed; the buyer would need to convert to an electric motor from a later model.
Not that you’d want to subject such a nice original to stormy weather, much less risk its lovely condition by taking it on an off-roading trek. Of course, that does go against the grain for such a utilitarian vehicle, and the next owner will have to decide what to do with it: use as intended or preserve as a showpiece.
The asking price is $29,900 for this unusually original Bronco in seemingly immaculate condition.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
Very nicely done, but there many, many items that are not done to original 66′ specs as stated in the article.
-tail gate handle shouldn’t be painted
.-hood latch shouldn’t be painted
-gas cap should be painted body color
-locking hubs 66′ style, but were alloy, and not black
-door panels and dash should be painted bronco gray poly
-there should be a straight dash pad
-wrong dash knobs except for head light knob, all the knobs should look like the top one, long with a white insert
-no 66′ came with carpet
-glove box obviously not original
-missing windshield dash knobs
-where the steering column goes into the dash was a u-shaped rubber grommet, not plastic like the later models
-wrong door mirror, 66′ were round
-wrong style rear view mirror, there were some glass mounted 66′ but that style
-head light rings were not chrome, but painted Wimbledon white like the grill should be
-FORD on the grill was black
-FORD on the tail gate should be white
-Should have clear turn signals, as all 66′-68′ models
-Since it has no chrome horn button ring and just a horn button, not chrome bumpers or hub caps, no cigar lighter and no arm rests, it wouldn’t have had chrome tail light trim either.
-Not 66′ seat belts in rear
-Not 66′ seat belts in front
-Not 66′ style rear seat, missing arm rests as well
-Body/Interior code is 798. 7 indicated it only came with driver and passenger buckets, and no rear seat
-sun visors should be gray/silver like seat uphostery
-missing Jack and jack instruction sticker, tire tool and jack tool
-missing passenger fender to fire wall brace
-master cylinder had low profile metal cap, not raised plastic
-not 66′ 1100 carb that came on the bronco
-not 10 screw top fuel pump
-valve cover should be blue not chrome
There’s a few other trivial wear and tear items that are not replaced to original like shock style valve stems painted white, etc. Like I stated, nicely done, just not restored to stock original.
How much
This car’s been sold.
If it had been the Bronco you describe for sale, it would have been offered for at least $10,000 more.
$29K seems awfully cheap. I am with the other guy but another year later it would be $20K more so at least $49K as described. The prices have blown up on these things big time.
Does anyone know the correct color of silver that the wheels should be painted?