1966 Ford Bronco SUV 170 Inline 6 Manual Classic Vintage Collector

Description

One of the coolest things about the first-generation Ford Bronco is how modular it is. Take this 1966 Ford Bronco "half cab" pickup for example. With a set of wrenches and about 15 minutes, it goes from cool mini pickup to a fully open 4x4 beach comber. Add a fabric or lift-off hard top and you've got a standard Bronco, and none of it takes more than a few bolts. Cool, right? The VIN starts with a... U14, which means this Bronco has been a half-cab pickup all its life and not a conversion, which was popular back in the day and easy to do today. In truth, the Bronco's modular nature means there's no real difference in value, but the cool thing with this one is that it remains quite honest. In today's world where any old Bronco is desirable, original trucks like this are getting harder to find every day. Code H Sahara Beige with off-white accents is a traditional Bronco look, and it's possible that most of the paint on this truck is original, although there are a few areas that have obviously been touched up. This one doesn't appear to have lived its life on the trails, with straight sheetmetal, excellent rockers, and fenders that are smooth and ripple-free and haven't been modified with oversized fender flares. The bed area now wears a spray-in bed liner and offers modest utility and the ability to go just about anywhere with your cargo. Slim chrome bumpers are about the only shiny bits on the body, but the white grille and tall FORD letters on the tailgate ensure nobody will mistake it for anything else. The interior is pretty stock, with a wide bench seat that's wearing a brand new seat cover. It's basic, make no mistake, but that's part of the appeal of an early Bronco. Rubber floors, metal door panels, and that all-business dashboard are all about function, not style. Simple gauges and rudimentary controls are that way on purpose to ensure nothing goes wrong when you're far from home, and the big steering wheel gives you plenty of leverage on the trails. It has a 3-speed manual transmission with a shifter on the steering column, while the lever on the floor controls the 2-speed transfer case, an integral part of any Bronco's spec sheet. An AM/FM/CD stereo head unit seems to be the lone component that isn't stock, but I bout anyone will complain about that little detail. A smooth and reliable 170 cubic inch inline-6 lives under the hood, and we strongly suspect that it's the original engine for this truck. Nicely finished in Ford Blue with a correct air cleaner a few signs of recent service, it runs quite well. It does show signs of use but no evidence that it's been banging around off road, and pretty stock specifications means that it's reliable and easy to service. Recent service work includes a new clutch, new seals in the transmission and transfer case, a full tune-up, and a complete fuel system service, all of which makes it reliable. A single system with a stock muffler gives it a pleasing 6-cylinder grumble and with a front disc brake conversion, it feels confident on any surface. Standard steel wheels with hubcaps (those hubcaps are EXTREMELY rare and are probably worth quite a bit by themselves) look great and carry fresh 15-inch whitewall radials that are exactly the right choice. Early Broncos are still the most fun you can have playing in the dirt, and while this one isn't perfect, it always pays to buy good base stock and upgrade as you go. Call today!