With the 6th generation Ford Bronco on the streets after a quarter century hiatus, there’s been a big time renewed interest in the classic models. This unmodified first gen Bronco available from Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania has 113,301 miles and has clearly been well-loved and cared for throughout its 52 years. But now it’s ready for its new owner. Is it you?
The Model.
The Bronco is one of the great American nameplates of all time, and certainly one of the most popular classic fourbies. The story of the Bronco all started in the Fall of 1965, when Ford launched the 1966 Bronco to an American public that was looking for an alternative to the International Scout, the Jeep CJ-5, the Toyota FJ40 and Land Rover Series II. Compared to these competitors, the Bronco offered a more civilized experience, but could still kick a little ass on the terrain. The first-gen ran until 19977, but by this time a number of larger pickup-based competitors emerged, including the Chevy K5 Blazer, Plymouth Trailduster, Dodge Ramcharger, and GMC Jimmy.
The second generation of the Bronco bulked up significantly over its predecessor. It had an entire extra foot of wheelbase, approximately 2’ 4” of length, nearly a foot more width, and 4 inches of height and between 1,100 and 1,600 pounds of weight.
So. Much. Beef.
The subsequent 3 generations really just expanded on what was already working. And, well, it was really working. Between 1966 and 1996 when the Bronco brand went on hiatus, the Blue Oval churned out 1,133,969 Broncos from its plant in Wayne, Michigan. And now, that same plant in Wayne is building the awesome 6th generation Bronco, which despite some issues with the hardtop, is so damn cool we can’t even stand it.
Before we get into the details of this gorgeous survivor example for sale, let our hilarious and talented friends at Donut Media tell you everything you need to know about this cult classic:
The Specs.
Ok, so here’s what you need to know about this particular boxy blue beaut. It’s original and unrestored, so it’s not perfect, nor does it pretend to be. It’s got some warts, but nothing major and certainly nothing that requires a great deal of work (unless you want to). At the same time, it would be a perfect base for a stellar restomod if you’re so inclined.
MECHANICAL:
Under the hood is the original 210 horsepower 302 cubic inch (4.9L) small block V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor featuring special floats to battle fuel flooding or starvation during off-roading in steep terrain. A number of other systems were upgraded so that it can handle its business off-road, including a larger oil pan and a more capable fuel pump. It sports the original 3-speed column shifted manual transmission and a 3.50 rear axle out back. It’ll go. This horse features coil springs with radius arms and leaf springs in the rear. Drum brakes are on all 4 corners and the transfer cases are reported to be nice and leak free.
INTERIOR:
The interior is white tuck and roll with wood applique panel accents, set aside a backdrop of color matched blue metal framing. The front seats are low-back buckets, and the rear seat is a bench seat in excellent condition. The floors are clad in black carpet and sport black Ford-badged floor mats, which, we think might be the only actual blue ovals in the entire car. The headliner is white painted steel with extra reinforcing struts and showing just a bit of paint chip off. The original dash is in white (black vinyl on top) and houses a few simple gauges, the radio and some pulls. As mentioned above, it’s a 3-on-the-tree model, but with a floor shifter for the 4x4 mode.
EXTERIOR:
The 1st generation Bronco was designed for simplicity. It’s unabashedly boxy from all angles, including completely flat glass all around. This one has a blackened grill with a centrally located F-O-R-D badge set between rectangular turn signal lights. The steel body is straight and maintains uniform gaps all around. The exterior of this fourbie is bathed in Harbor Blue paint with a white painted pinstripe at the belt line and includes original Bronco badging on the front quarter panels. It has a white metal top with a shiny roof rack on top. At all four corners are standard, clean hubcaps hugged by blackwall off-road tires. The floors and frame are all painted in undercoating which is heavy in some areas. Body hangers and rockers are all good and rust free. As you’ll see in the pictures, there are some aesthetic issues throughout this example if you look hard enough. We just call it patina.
