Original 1966 Ford Bronco, frame up restoration & turnkey engine

Condition:	Used
Make:	Ford
Model:	Bronco
Type:	SUV
Year:	1966
Mileage:	1,500
VIN:	U14FL766589
Color:	Original ‘Poppy Red’ (Orange) body, cream roof
Engine:	Ford 302 custom engine - new out of box Inc 2017
Cylinders:	8
Fuel:	Gasoline
Transmission:	Manual
Drive type:	4WD
Interior color:	Black awlgrip, white seats & upholstery, cream dash
Drive side:	Left-hand drive
Vehicle Title:	Clear
Item location:	Chicago, Illinois, United States

Extras

4-Wheel Drive, Convertible, Leather Seats

Listed by

Private seller

Enquire

Description of 1966 Ford Bronco

Original 1966 Bronco, one of the first ones manufacture. Owned for 7 years and restored with love for past 5 years, nearly complete. Moved from Chicago to New York and car became more trouble and expense than I can continue to carry.
Started out as the best city car imaginable, beat up and bulletproof, great in snow and convertible all summer. When the original engine gave out, embarked on a mission to professionally restore her, which took a lot of money and a lot of time. Have tried to stay true to the original in all but a few small ways (wheels and lift, sound system, roll bar) and made a point of keeping specific items like the original wiper engines and dash / dials.
Wheels are the originals with locking hubs, aided by the 4WD stick in the cab next to the new shifter.
Rear seat bench is original and bolts into floor, currently working on quick release option to accommodate cargo. Regularly rolled my Harley fatboy into the rear bed and there was plenty of room with the tailgate open to strap down the bike for transport.
Restoration steps:
1. Started out with a high end marine sound system, both waterproof in case of rain and loud enough for nice audio on the highway sans roof. Aux cable to hook up your phone and 2 usb plugs camouflaged so as to not be too noticeable in orginal dash.
2. Then new (larger) tires / shocks / struts and a 2-inch lift. Off road suspension.
3. Roll bar - kept original steel color but clear-coated for rustic look matching the overall feel of the car.
4. New shoulder seat belts, bolted into the roll bar.
5. New seat covers, white. Stripped and repainted dash.
<<at this point I drove around for a couple of years, until the engine gave out>>
Then:
6. Bodywork: it took nearly two years... frame off and stripped/repainted chassis... then replacing dented or rusted panels with OEM pieces, aligning everything, re-hanging doors, lift gate, hood, followed by a spotless paint job. I elected to paint her the original color, so this car (from body upwards - not so much wheels) looks exactly the same from the outside as it did on the lot 52 years ago.
(There isn’t a speck of rust on it anyway; if there was, the part was replaced.)
7. New weatherstripping all around.
8. New OEM door and tailgate hardware and keys.
9. Orange exterior, off-white or cream removable roof, black awlgrip coated interior bed and undercarriage.
10. New engine installed: this is a custom 302 with 350 horsepower and 350 ft/lbs of torque, with roughly 1000 miles on it after the break-in. It was manufactured by Phoenix Engines, a premier builder of true to form but more powerful Ford and Chevy motors for classics like Mustangs, Shelby Cobras, Camaros, Corvettes, and of course Broncos. (http://phoenixengine.com/Ford-04.html)
After completion, I elected to pay for and Phoenix performed a professional break-in procedure on the new motor before shipping. Also: the drive shaft angle has been changed slightly in order to accommodate a greater ability to pull a big trailer (original plan was to travel the country dragging an old Airstream and a Harley) so that’s potentially an added bonus.
This engine sounds beefy, and with a new two pipe performance exhaust to boot it’s not exactly quiet. But it sounds about right for a car like this.
11. Trans is also new, a 3-speed like the original (3-on-the-tree) but, while I elected to leave that original shifter in place on the steering column, I took my mechanic’s advice and relocated the working shifter to the floor. Because of the ratio this car has tremendous pick-up (easy to peel out from stop, wonderful acceleration up through 60mph) but I don’t like pushing it past 75-80 on the highway due to the RPMs.
12. Final piece was the wiring. Purchased brand new OEM wiring harness, which is currently being installed in NYC area (the shop is in the Hamptons, near Montauk - Long Island).
In terms of what remains to be done:
- Interior: it’s probably time to get new seat covers, although seat hardware in pretty decent shape. You might want to add seat belts to the rear bench, although not required by law since original bronco did not have seat belts. Also mats or a fuzzy comfy interior floor. I have preferred the awlgrip since I was often out in the rain.
- Dials: have kept the original dials in an otherwise restored dashboard - they look a bit shabby... could be replaced by OEM or cleaned up and tweaked.
- I’ve been told I should install modern brakes. Currently there are restored original single drum brakes with new lines (copper I think?) but if the drum or lines were to bust this would qualify as a dangerous situation.
- And any other bells and whistles for comfort. This should probably have power steering if comfort is a priority. In tight spots it takes some brawn to turn the wheels.
...........
All in all, I was planning on finishing the restoration and having a not quite show-ready but damn near perfect original Bronco.
I would imagine having to spend anywhere from $1,500-6,000 to complete it, depending on what you want from the above.
I have the documentation for all of the above work, and my costs have totalled nearly $43,000, including the original 7k price tag on the car. This was never a money-making enterprise, it was me building my dream car, but I was expecting to finish and sell it for closer to $50k. That said, I don’t have the patience or time anymore, especially for a car I don’t drive regularly.
I think this is a hell of a bargain fort baby. My motivation is to get it sold quickly, which is the reason