This 1973 Ford Bronco could be a potentially sound project if the seller’s description of it being a decent runner before storage holds true. It was apparently painted before being put into storage with the wheels and tires removed, but then water ingress into the barn it was parked in cause rot to develop on the roof and possibly the windshield frame as well. The rest of the body still looks savable and the seller notes that the original wheels are still with the truck. There’s a 302 under the hood that still turns freely and the interior is better than you might expect for a truck that looks like this. You’ll find the Bronco here on eBay with bidding over $5,500 and no reserve.

While there are wrinkles in every story, it’s always surprising to me to learn a vehicle received some level of attention but still ended up being stored in a condition that didn’t reflect the work that had gone into it. Now, a repaint is a very subjective area, as it could have been done in a professional shop environment or someone’s backyard; the latter doesn’t really count for much, even if it was then stored in a leaky barn immediately afterward. There’s really no way to tell from here whether the paint job was done to a high level, but you can see that the windshield frame has extensive rot in the lower passenger side – and who knows where else that water has gone. I will say, I love the period fog / driving lamps mounted to the roof – what brand is that logo on the covers? Does anyone know?

The interior is definitely a high point of this listing, and may even provide some mild comfort that this Bronco was loved before it went into storage. Pictures in the eBay listing show a clean rear bench seat and front buckets that appear to just need a cleaning. The dash is really nice, showing no cracks and what looks like a factory radio. The long-term indoor storage has likely helped keep this Bronco’s interior surfaces from perishing in the sun. The carpets are not clean but don’t look past the point of saving; what’s harder to tell is whether they show the telltale signs of rodent infestation with the debris fields scattered here and there, or if that’s just dirt brought in by the photographer’s shows. You have to wonder if that lower footwell on the passenger side has been collecting water from the windshield rot.

The engine is a 302 that the seller claims still turns over; no word on whether it’s numbers matching. I’m curious as to what that sticker is that’s attached to the valve cover – does it indicate recent replacement parts? The engine bay is captured over a few different vertical photos, which show a fairly grimy compartment. I’ll never understand going through the effort of pulling the wheels and tires off of a vehicle for storage, and then not taking the time to make sure it’s in a weather-tight space, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment. Does this Bronco deserve a chance at rejuvenation, especially if just the windshield frame is rotten? Or is there a chance the rust is deeper than what you see here, making its rescue a pricey proposition?