1968 Ford Bronco on 2040-cars

I am relisting this Bronco because the winning bidder would not pay.  Please be certain that you intend to pay for it before you bid.

My mother bought this 1968 Bronco in AUG 1968.  It still retains the dealership badge from Academy Ford in Laurel, MD.  She transferred the title to me sometime in 1972, and I have been the only owner and driver ever since.  It has been driven 169,379 original miles.  The title lists a sale of the vehicle in APR 1984, but that is an administrative error that appears on all Montana titles originated prior to 1984.  When the Motor Vehicle Division changed from paper files to microfilm, they entered that change as a “sale.”  I have a letter from the MVD explaining that entry on the title.  The title is clear and the vehicle is currently registered.  Until APR 2013, when I bought a 2001 4Runner, this 1968 Bronco was the only car I had ever owned.

This Bronco has a problem that makes it unsuitable now as everyday transportation.  The engine runs, and I can move it around on the street to get it out of the way of the periodic street-cleaning operations, but it runs very roughly.  It hasn’t had a tune-up since NOV 2001.  That was about 7,000 miles ago, but it was also over 12 years ago.  I had the carburetor rebuilt last November, and that made it easier to start and eliminated the stalling problem, but it still runs roughly.

The car also has 2 lesser problems that make it inadvisable to drive it in the rain or even park it in the rain.  The first is well known to owners of 1966-1968 Broncos:  There are no more original fuel pumps in existence.  The original fuel pumps had a vacuum booster that enabled the vacuum windshield wipers to exert enough force to wipe snow off the windshield.  Without the booster, the wipers only work with barely enough speed to keep up with a light rain.  You have to be certain that it won’t rain very hard before you can drive it anywhere.  The current after-market fuel pump was installed about 3,000 miles ago, and it pumps fuel just fine, but it gives no help to the wipers.  The windshield washer has nothing to do with the fuel pump, but I’ll mention here that the washer motor doesn’t work.

The second of the lesser problems is the deterioration of the window brushes that kept snow and most rain out of the door mechanisms.  I’ve tried to remedy that by applying duct tape to the gaps, but the door locks and latches have to be cleaned and lubed frequently now or they will jam.

The other defects are visible in the photos.  The driver’s side floor pan has a 3-inch hole where the heel of my right shoe rested beneath the accelerator pedal.  The rubber-coated dash is heat-cracked, and the driver’s arm rest has completely decomposed.  The left side of the front bumper was bent by a young man who was late for class, trying to squeeze into a parking space in front of me on a snowy day in 2008.

Maintenance and repairs have been performed as needed over the years, but the vehicle is by no means restored.  As you can see from the photos, it has the usual Bronco rust, particularly on the pickup bed, where I carried wet materials for many years.  The heater/defroster and electricals all work, except for the windshield washer motor mentioned above. Otherwise, this Bronco is all original, including the paint and uncut rear fenders, except for maintenance parts and the following:

1.       The roll bar was installed in 1997.

2.      The bench seat was re-upholstered in 1995.

3.      The passenger’s wing window was smashed during a burglary in 1979 and replaced with a chrome Ford part.

4.      All other windows except the driver’s wing window and the right rear quarter window have been shot out at least once by BB guns and replaced.  The rear lift gate window has a BB impact crater on it from the most recent incident, but the BB did not penetrate or shatter the glass.

5.      The driver’s outside rear view mirror was knocked off by vandals in JAN 2013 and replaced with an after-market duplicate.

6.      The current tires are Cooper radials purchased in 1994.  I believe they have about 24,000 miles on them.  The spare is a Sears bias ply tire purchased in the mid-1980s.

Included in the auction are the original jack and lug wrench/jack handle; an additional 4-way lug nut wrench; tire chains and stretchers for all 4 wheels; and some 40 year old jumper cables.

The only unusual item on this Bronco is the spare tire fixture on the right rear quarter panel.  It allows the original swing-out spare tire carrier to swing 270 degrees and be fixed to the right side of the car, apparently to get the spare out of the way when the tailgate had to be opened frequently.  I have never used it.  I rarely see that fixture on restored Broncos, so I guess they remove them.

The winner of this auction is required to pay a $500 deposit via PayPal within 48 hours of the close of the auction, and then pay the remainder of the sale price in cash or certified check.   I’ll transfer the title to the winning bidder when the check clears my bank.  LOCAL PICK UP ONLY.  You’ll have to pick up the Bronco at my residence in Missoula, MT.  If you have any questions, please contact me by email.