Collectors pay extra for dozens of oddities that contribute nothing to performance. Early P1800 Volvos, with their “horned” bumpers. Big Bad colors on an AMX. Twenty-three windows in a VW bus. And here, apparently, is another wallet-cracking feature I never knew about: the eyebrow grille Ford Bronco. This rarity is advertised on craigslist as a 1966 Ford Bronco U14 (half cab, or utility pickup) with an eyebrow grille. The truck is listed at $28,000 and the seller sends us a warning that he won’t take lowball offers because he’s contacted plenty of Bronco restorers who already want to buy this hulk. It has been sitting in his Jefferson City, Missouri shop for four years and is mostly disassembled. The seller is letting it go because he discovered how rare it is and doesn’t want to tackle the restoration with his skillset, and he needs the cash for a real estate investment. T.J. – thanks for this tip!
Unfortunately, the seller moved the camera when he photographed the VIN so I can’t read it. But let’s take him at his word – say it’s an early ’66. Before Ford had tooled up to make the Bronco, it subcontracted manufacturing to Budd Company, a metal fabricator founded in 1912. Budd made aviation parts, railcars, and auto bodies. While Budd was making the Bronco, the metal around the headlights was raised. Estimates of the number of “Budd bodies” and when they were built vary. Some forums indicate that when Ford was ready to make the Bronco in its own factories, it received several unfinished Budd bodies, which were completed later in the 1966 VIN sequence. The seller didn’t provide a photo that might help us see the stamping around the headlamps – or what’s left of it. A Marti report might be helpful in this case. Anyway, back to the VIN: I do see an “F” – that means this truck came with the least amount of engine power available – the 170 cu. in. six-cylinder with 105 bhp. That said, even with this equipment, the Bronco was torquey and useful. The transmission is a three-speed manual and of course, it’s a 4×4.
The seller helpfully describes the rust in this truck as “not like Missouri salt rust” since the vehicle actually came from Oklahoma. I don’t know about you, but I was mighty relieved when I read that – Oklahoma rust is just so much better than any other kind of rust. Kidding aside, we are warned that there IS rust, and this Bronco is going to need a full restoration. Got it.
I am not sure what we are seeing here, but the seller deemed it important enough to be one of the four primary photos in his listing, so here it is. Meanwhile, it’s time to talk about value. Early Broncos do draw a big premium; Hagerty indicates over $50k for a first series in “fair” condition. If this one is truly an early Bronco – and it almost pains me to say this – it might be worth the asking price. What do you think?
Crusty Bronco to the corpse of a rusted Mopar heap- “hold my beer”
Chevy heap
F these morons who sell junk for this. It’s happening everyday.
If he actually had people who wanted to buy this mess he would have already sold it.
I was thinking the same as I was reading the article.Yup.
I’d give him $28.00 for it. What are people smoking?
Panama red, Panama red, it’ll steal your woman, then will rob your head,,,weed here goes for about $40 bucks for 1/8 ounce, so might be a better deal.
Gary….
He would have to pay me to take it…
Nice picture of the rat’s nest. Probably the cleanest part of what’s left of this pile.
2800 obo I could see.28k ..cmon man.
In a sane world? No one would buy this heap for more than $500. I dislike smarmy sellers who brag about what they could do, that they could have sold it already, etc.
Yeah, that’s about a $2800 truck, although builders will pay more than that if he’s got a good title and it matches the VIN on the frame. And someone will want the tailgate and the grille for their restoration project.
Let’s see. A full bathroom is 1. A Half bath no shower or tub is 1/2. This is only a terlet, so it is 1/4.
This guy needs to share what he’s drinking!
You’ve emailed shops around the country and they wanted to buy it so your solution is to pay $5 bucks to post it on Craigslist? What other wise financial advice can you give us.
Maybe if you ask the seller real nice they will let you in on their secret to making money in the real estate market.
Tell the seller to “LAY OFF THE CRACK PIPE!”
Would a could a should a. Junk!
we all know by the tires that thing has sat outside along time… people dragging old junk out of fields now trying to rob people of their money… ‘ i know what i got’…
Yeah, he said its been sitting in his shop for four years , but there’s piles of dirt underneath the truck – what, he hasn’t swept up his shop in four years ? The sellers should try to make their stories believable
I do not care about eyebrows , still junk.
Wood-look instrument cluster shown. Steering column appears original, but is a little loose…
both are eyebrow-raise options.
I looked at some pictures online and it seems a very subtle difference. You would probably need a photo of one eyebrowed and one plain together to really understand it. Anyone got a value on them other than the ad? If he is accurate, the most valuable items on this truck are the grill and VIN plate, and it seems you can buy a repro or NOS grill.
I deal with stuff in the early Bronco world every day – realistically this truck (assuming it has a title that matches the VIN on the frame) is probably worth $5-6K. One of the Bronco shops was recently advertising that they’d pay $5K for good frames with titles. So factor that into its value.
The eyebrow grilles are not reproduced which is one reason they’re more valuable than the other ones.
There’s one every week and this one is it. Insane to the seller! And if someone pays the asking price, Insane to the buyer! Sheesh and a BIG Uff-Da!
This one gets the first “you’ve got to be kidding” award of 2023.
So you’re telling me there won’t be another one featured
this week? Don’t get my hopes up.
$28,000? Get real. I don’t care if it has eyebrows.
If this Bronco was a horse, I’d shoot it.
They were like this back in the early-mid 70’s usually at a gas station with plow attached. Rusted out typical Ford…
Looks like it took an acidic mud bath. If he could have, he should have.
HOLY CATS!! Bronco fever has developed from a minor cold to a full blown wallet threatening fever. Is the seller delirious? How on this green earth can anybody ask for more than $500 for that pile of abuse and iron oxide? Seems everybody wants to purchase and restore a rattle trap Bronco, that suffers from a high center of gravity, about as much off road capability as a Cadillac Eldorado and the structural integrity of a Renault Dauphine. If someone buys that rattle trap, rollover prone pile of iron oxide, they better get their head examined along with a tetanus shot.
Actually. The Bronco was a fairly adept 4 wheel drive, for it’s time. The uninitiated could roll them over. Just like Jeeps. I’ll bet your a Chevy Blazer fan,
I am shocked that you would slander a Renault Dauphine like this. SHOCKED.
But wait a minute! “I know what I got”
Come on gentlemen you have to realize that the asking price is the equivalent of the money needed for the real estate venture, not what the vehicle is worth.
So you mean to tell me if I pussy 500,000 over list price someday or might be worth that 🤔 I got it
$28K… what a load of @@@@ You can drive some of the backroads around Hot Springs Ar on any given day, and see stuff like this, maybe better, and some of those folks might pay you $100 for hauling it off….
Should buff out no problem…
I have already had my overseas heir send the money over to purchase it.
He has graciously let me take it home with signed bos for his bs. 😉
Those overseas relatives come in handy ..,
A Nigerian Prince by any chance?
Bronco, must be a distant relative 🤣🤣🤣
Should buff out no problem…
Looks like a bad dream to me
Looks like a bad dream to me
You’re paying for experience ! This Ole bronco bucked off a lot of old Cowboys now. It’s a legend !
That “WTH am I looking at?” picture- I think it’s a wasp nest. Back in the day my grandfather bought one of those first gen Broncos. As soon as he was above water he traded it in on a Jeep Commando.
You know, posts like these brings out the comedian, but there’s a much more serious issue here. The fact someone dragged this out of the swamp is one thing, but to think this has any connection to the one they just saw on TV for $50 grand,, there’s an illness here and it’s not drugs. To see the extent of this foolishness almost makes me wish it was “just drugs”, but these are straight people that have clearly been corrupted by Capitalism, and should be no surprise really. We still have the option to turn off the computer,,,,for now.
$28000? Realy?
No way!! He would of sold it long ago!!
If he pays me ,$ 500
I’d consider hauling it off for him,
maybe.
When I saw this in my email and read the first couple of lines….Must be Michelle. Good job.
Ha ha, thanks! Just goes to show ya, I’ll write about anything.
Trade a dozen eggs for it. And don’t low ball me i know what I have. I know the weed in misery isn’t that good, so it has to be in the water!
Let’s all agree that the seller already has that $28K spent…in his mind, at least. Given our observation of business & market acumen, guessing that it’s not “real estate development” unless he’s including “mowing the lawn” in that.
Let’s also speculate as to what it’s spent on…(everybody votes, best one gets the trophy – a custom-labeled Chevy 283 exhaust manifold from a ’64 C30 panel – you pay shipping)
Don Keefhart’s vote: A NEW pontoon boat, with TWO Coleman coolers
You’re too silly…but I vote a downpayment on a new Bronco.
This is my Bronco! I was googling more about the start date of U14 production and found this?!! These comments from people are hilarious. I just posted the bronco online last week, and at same time emailed 3 custom bronco restoration shops. All 3 emailed immediately back wanting to know asking price. So yeah I’ll sell it considering most of these broncos on their websites sell for $80k-$250k restored. That range is market price for common old broncos. So the first year, early production (1965 Fall) Eyebrow Grille is no run of the milll easy find Bronco. I’d keep it and restore it to be a resto mod like my 1968 Mustang but it would b so WRONG to do a resto mod 66’ early production U14 Eyebrow Grille bronco. Would be kinda like making a resto mod with an. early production Corvette, or Mustangs ever made. Highly collectible vehicles in its early phases of production still intact (mainly), with a clean title is worth a lot to car collectors?
Tyson, 80-250k is for really nice broncos or completely rebuilt ! What you have there isn’t even close to that ! Does the engine turn ? Still doesn’t mean it’s rebuildable. How much do you honestly have into HD ? Not counting storage , please. How much of this is salvageable ? I know where a Wyoming one has been sitting 4-sale for 4 users at 35k its in way better shape ! There’s also a difference between a full custom and just a rebuild. You should probably just rebuild this one and then sell it for 150k
Nail meet Head!
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/96/06/53D485ED-721C-421B-A531-DBCBB88F4ED8/1966%20Classic%20Ford%20Bronco%20for%20Sale%20-%20Velocity%20Restorations.png
There’s about 50 online for sale and 50 more that have sold fully restored at $80k-$250k. Broncos are not selling for $2,500 bucks a piece anymore folks. It’s just like buying an old house and flipping it. Spend $20k on junker house, put $70k-$? in it. Make 15k – 20k profit. Same business model for this old bronco.
Still blown away I found this article randomly. That’s nuts?!