Fair price for this 72

[Jsol]

Seeing this rig tomorrow. I'm a noob so your wisdom would be invaluable here. Is
it fair market at about $59k or a total money pit?


This is what I know know so far from
Seller :

"1972 ford bronco, 302 5.0 V8 Runs mint truck only driven on weekends and to car shows, Boxwood green color code, Rhino lined original upholstery parchment white. 4 wheels drive works great, 3 speed hurst shifter on the floor. 2 1/2 in lift kit from toms bronco parts springs shocks and coils. The top is in great shape. The truck is sitting on 33 inch Mickey Thompson wheels. Heats works in the truck, whipper blades all lights work. The truck has a new upgraded painless wiring harness."

Thank you all in advance!


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[DirtDonk]

Where to start... It actually looks nice, and like some things were well thought out. At the same time it has all the earmarks of a quick flip and the paint job is indicating more need for scrutiny.
On the one hand, it looks like a good paint job. And Boxwood is definitely high up on my list of favorite Bronco colors. But while some parts look well thought out, why did they literally paint every fastener, clip, and bracket in sight? Likely because it was done in place and quickly. Maybe they are talented painters, but didn't want to spend any more time than necessary.
The floors look partially replaced, which is good, but the fact that the entire floorpan is bedliner coated, is what we've said for years is a red flag flare sent up as a warning. So ask for pictures of the floor pan replacements and of the entire area BEFORE the liner was applied.
I still see rust underneath, but less than most Broncos that have been bought by members in recent years.

A lot of small details are missing. Tiny bits here and there that don't amount to much importance, but add up to a lot of loot if you want them in place to make the Bronco complete.
I see little details that indicate it's indeed a '72, while other things indicate a lot of small parts from other years were thrown on to it to get it road worthy.
Driven only on weekends? By who? The current seller? With other Broncos in the area it could just be a local Bronco fanatic (like us) or someone who's flipping them whenever one comes up for them to grab and throw a few parts at.

Absolutely drive it and see what it feels and sounds like. Does not look like anything deep has been done to the engine, so you might not be satisfied with the power level or the way it runs. In which case you'll be wanting a new motor anyway, so keep that cost in mind.
Does not look like much was done (if anything) to the underside. Looks rough under there, but not all that bad in the scheme of things.
Tires look new, but check the date codes on them anyway.
Body was painted all the way around up top where it can be seen, but looks to have been completely ignored underneath. Not even some quick undercoating to cover the rust areas.
Of course, looking at it the other way, that's a good thing because un-coated is honest. You can see the blemishes if any.

If the seller does not have more pics, you should take a bunch more and show us. Looks like manual steering? Original 3speed trans? Original engine?
The Explorer logo on the glovebox may or may not be honest. No other obvious indicators of being an Explorer, especially since it's not mentioned in their text and the mention of the seat upholstery being original means it was not an Explorer. And original? How many miles? My original parchment seats were worn through by 60k miles and less than five years of use. Those look awfully nice for being 50 years old. Maybe they really were referring to them as the "original color" rather than actually being original?

Just some convoluted thoughts I had here and there.
Is it worth $59k? No, but in this market that might still be seen by many as a "great deal" and it very likely could get snapped up quickly for that price or even more.
That said, I bet you could find one for the same price that is much more well turned out. But as most of us know, these days paint sells. And this one has a paint job that you might not have to re-do anytime soon.
Back to that though, there is no way to tell from here whether the paint will last your lifetime, or start peeling up next year. It looks nice from here, but looks slapped on.

Hopefully it's not a member's here that is honest about everything and has done a nice job. But from here at least, it could go either way. Honest and high quality on everything touched, or cheap and quickie flip stuff.

Good luck! Hope it's everything it's supposed to look like. For me, even it today's market, I'd say $40k or less.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it's not a Painless harness for a Bronco. Might be a universal Painless, but it looks more like a Centech from here.
Check the fuse panel and maybe take a pic if you're not sure. That will be the giveaway in most cases. Look inside the glovebox for that.
If it's not Painless, then the current seller likely did not install it and it was done before they got it.

Also, post up the warranty plate on the glovebox door if it is still there. Someone here will be able to tell what some of the options were that the truck was originally delivered with.
The little silver medallion on the driver's side door A-pillar is an indicator that it's either a '72 or a '73 Bronco. It's part of the "ambient sensor and switch system" that should also include a sensor/switch on the transmission.
The Explorer emblem is a '72 thing as well, but might have been added. I bought one to put on mine because I always liked the look. But if the glovebox door is not original it won't reflect the rest of the truck. And unlike modern vehicles, you can only tell the bare minimum from the VIN.

Like any Bronco though, it's a good idea to match the VIN on the glovebox door, the driver's B-pillar and the frame.
Look for the certification label on the driver's door B-pillar and hope it wasn't painted over, or removed for paint.

Back to the paint, what's making me talk all about it being good and/or bad are things like it looks like they took the time to remove the grille and carefully paint the core support and area behind the grille and under the hood. At the same time they painted right over fender bolts, hood bumpers and clips, and other things. Struck me as kind of strange.

Judging by the harness under the wheel well, the wiring job was done awhile ago. Under the hood the little we can see looks almost new. Again, odd...

Find out if it's got the stock gas tanks and charcoal canister. Maybe you don't have smog checks, but you might not want to park it in the garage.
And if you ever sell it you'll get more money when all that stuff is present.
Dash knobs are missing. And where is the stock fuel gauge selector switch? If it's a factory 2-tank model, there would have been a switch with bezel to match the others right there where the little switch is at the lower left of the dash, under the "throttle" knob.
Wonder what that button is in the upper left corner?

Looks like the 3rd member has been changed. I can't guarantee that they never had pinion snubbers on Broncos (though there was no need for one) but that "hood" over the rear pinion looks to me like the 3rd member is from a passenger car.
And the pinion angle looks wrong too, like the springs were installed without the tapered shims to correct pinion angle. If you drive it tomorrow/today, keep your butt-dyno tuned to vibrations under deceleration.

No weather stripping?

Ok, that's my input for now. I'm sure others will see stuff I'm too tired to notice at the moment.

Paul

 

[Jsol]

Paul what a master class. So appreciative of the pointers. It's said to be 42k Miles, 2 owners and automatic trans. Here is the B pillar tag. I'll keep investigating all your sharp questions.

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[Jsol]

A pillar

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[okie4570]

It's advertised as an auto transmission? 73' was the first year the auto was available. That bronco has a manual column with the shift handle removed, and a new one placed on the floor. The speedometer is correct for the year, no way to know if it's 42k or 142k though. It's rougher than $59k imo.

 

[bronkenn]

I can't add a lot to what the others have said but being that there are bolts missing from the door hinges and fender to a- pillar, I would assume the builder wasn't too particular about this project.

 

[Jsol]

Ya it's actual a manual just confirmed. I'm seeing there are too many small questions here and there. They add up to that funny feeling that there will be more surprises. My spidey sense, guided by all you experts point to a pass on this.


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[migs]

Paul summed things up pretty well, here's a couple other quick things that stuck out...

The what is most likely broken off fasteners as noted on the lower door hinge and the fender screw. And notice the dash tab, this is an indicator that the dash was taped off and painted in place.


Also, notice the wad of masking tape left behind on the front upper shock mounting hardware.


And at least one of the large washers appears to be missing here on this side of the radius arm bushing. There is typically one on either side of the frame bracket to sandwich both bushings.



And nicely painted valve covers atop a rusty engine should draw more scrutiny and questions to ensure things are as stated.
The Bronco looks fairly solid and driveable(?), but it will need probably need some work to fix some issues here and there.

 

[.94 OR]

Why do you suppose the hardtop was shot with a large curd bedliner?

 

[904Bronco]

Why do you suppose the hardtop was shot with a large curd bedliner?

Something is being hidden...

I agree with Paul on many of his points. There are too many questions raised in looking closely looking at things.
Not a $59K Bronco, at that price it should have PS. Does it even have Frt disc brakes with the booster?
Appearance is that it has a Centech harness at the battery, but what is that wad of wires half taped on the pass side of the engine compartment.
Factory tired body mounts... As Paul said not much effort done on the undercarriage.

 

[bronkenn]

Looking at the third picture I would be expecting a blue "mint" one coming up for sale fairly soon. Definitely looks like a puppy (Bronco) mill.

 

[DirtDonk]

I would say that it’s still absolutely worth going to look at and drive.
It’s just that now you have more ammunition and more focus for your vision to find those little bits and pieces that are out of place.

 

[JeepGuy]

@Jsol

Money is funny....

It all really comes down to how significant 59K is to you in your life. You've already had some very good responses so I'll keep this short. As soon as I saw the engine compartment pic and the underside of the floor pans the writing was on the wall. I hope they are not trying to advertise this as a full restoration or anything close.

Not gonna lie, It does look great from a distance. And you might have the time of your life driving it around enjoying the experience. That is really what it comes down to dealing with these old classics.

 

[DirtDonk]

^That x2

That amount of money might be just right for you. But don’t forget the other 20 to 30 grand that you’re gonna have to put into it to make it just the way you want.
Or just to make it more reliable, safe and still more fun to drive.

 

[StnePny]

I agree with Paul (DirtDonk) and others.....but... what catches my eye is....says "whipper blades work......?????

I don't see any Wiper Arms, Wiper Blades or a Wiper Motor.......in the pictures posted

 

[daddycreswell]

It looks sharp, but even my untrained eye seen some things in the paint and welds that for 60k I wouldn't expect to see.

 

[daddycreswell]

Paul summed things up pretty well, here's a couple other quick things that stuck out...

The what is most likely broken off fasteners as noted on the lower door hinge and the fender screw. And notice the dash tab, this is an indicator that the dash was taped off and painted in place.
View attachment 898165

Also, notice the wad of masking tape left behind on the front upper shock mounting hardware.
View attachment 898166

And at least one of the large washers appears to be missing here on this side of the radius arm bushing. There is typically one on either side of the frame bracket to sandwich both bushings.
View attachment 898168


And nicely painted valve covers atop a rusty engine should draw more scrutiny and questions to ensure things are as stated.
The Bronco looks fairly solid and driveable(?), but it will need probably need some work to fix some issues here and there.

The cluster glass is broken as well.

 

[Bajabrewer]

I agree with Paul (DirtDonk) and others.....but... what catches my eye is....says "whipper blades work......?????

I don't see any Wiper Arms, Wiper Blades or a Wiper Motor.......in the pictures posted

wipers on in this pic - Looks like they are still putting it back together - I get the feeling they are quick flipping this & if you dig deeper you will find lots of things that need attention.

 

[Jsol]

@Jsol

Money is funny....

It all really comes down to how significant 59K is to you in your life. You've already had some very good responses so I'll keep this short. As soon as I saw the engine compartment pic and the underside of the floor pans the writing was on the wall. I hope they are not trying to advertise this as a full restoration or anything close.

Not gonna lie, It does look great from a distance. And you might have the time of your life driving it around enjoying the experience. That is really what it comes down to dealing with these old classics.

Such good points yet, I feel the seller isn't that knowledgeable and has detailed several incorrect statements. I do love Boxwood and its a local seller so I could save on shipping it over to CT. Im hoping for $60k, I could find a rig from a community member that's well sorted out instead. Is that realistic ?


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