• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Saving a 66’ Roadster

kbooth5

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
63
Loc.
Texas
D3B23213-9DEC-4E8A-8CBB-5B54F9904921.png 1662E80A-C1E1-4031-AD77-87F8F15727B7.png 557219A6-9FE6-4073-8A8E-3A56CC403EA0.jpeg 7DF75CB9-474E-4B25-8022-11BD4C94A0AB.jpeg D3A83E3E-9D18-43A8-A11A-8B68876AA95F.jpeg
Well, after 11 years of being a member of this forum, it is time for my first post!

I was fortunate enough to get my first Bronco through Steve Wisler at Big Sky Broncos back in 2010. It is a beautiful green U15 Wagon, and was the cure to a lifetime obsession with owning an early Bronco. I have taken it all over Texas, and last year it made its first trip to the San Juan mountains in SW Colorado where it cleared 13,000’ Carbureted!

As much as I love my U15, I have always had a soft spot for owning an original U13 Roadster. After recently surfing Craigslist at around 2am while trying to put my newborn back to sleep, I stumbled on this gem near Seattle. It’s an October 65’ build date U13 with all of the original equipment in place, and an unbutchered radio delete dash.

Thinking I may have lost my mind, I called my friend Steve at BSB, and we started trading pictures. Rusty, front brakes locked up, and a seized engine just weren’t enough to scare us off of it. I am not sure which of us talked the other one into the idea more, but our combined positivity led me to strike a deal with Fred, the seller. Special thanks to Fred for making the transaction a breeze, and even loading the Bronco and trailering it to Montana just a couple days after we struck the deal!

Fred was able to provide the original title, showing the truck was purchased in the Denver area. A 6 digit DSO code indicates it was a custom order. Standard early production 6 cylinder, with an eyebrow grille, and still sporting Rangoon Red paint on what is left of the original sheet metal.

This project is going to be a long one! But it is safely in Steve’s hands. I plan to post as we continue the project together, and start sourcing parts for the restoration. I am incredibly excited to get to work with Steve on this one, as the build quality on his restorations are second to none.

Stay Tuned! Should be an interesting journey!

Ken
 
Last edited:

LUBr LuvR

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,956
Congrats on your find - and for rescuing that roadster before it was fully consumed by the moss! Bonus points for saving Steve from the grip of retirement, lol. Hopefully he didn’t sell off all his stash of parts. Can’t wait to watch this one’s journey to get return to the road.😁
 

66broncofan

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 20, 2003
Messages
629
Simply awesome! What an incredible find. Mine was born in October too but not a U13. So cool! Congrats. You would never guess that it would look like that after all that moss and moisture.
 

mrdrnac

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
524
WOW! What a find. And I agree with LUBr LuvR great to hear Steve is going to work on it for you, the heck with retirement when it comes to Early Broncos. And I'm sure he still has plenty of parts tucked away. Good Luck.

Just noticed it doesn't look like it ever had the fender mount rear view mirror, any signs it had the one screwed into the top center of the windshield frame?
 

okie4570

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,227
Loc.
NW OK
WOW! What a find. And I agree with LUBr LuvR great to hear Steve is going to work on it for you, the heck with retirement when it comes to Early Broncos. And I'm sure he still has plenty of parts tucked away. Good Luck.

Just noticed it doesn't look like it ever had the fender mount rear view mirror, any signs it had the one screwed into the top center of the windshield frame?
Might have been a glued on the windshield mount.
 
OP
OP
kbooth5

kbooth5

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
63
Loc.
Texas
WOW! What a find. And I agree with LUBr LuvR great to hear Steve is going to work on it for you, the heck with retirement when it comes to Early Broncos. And I'm sure he still has plenty of parts tucked away. Good Luck.

Just noticed it doesn't look like it ever had the fender mount rear view mirror, any signs it had the one screwed into the top center of the windshield frame?
Thanks for the reply! Really happy to have gotten Steve in on this one.

So the rear view was something Steve and I discussed. The windshield is not OEM, and no holes are drilled in the windshield frame. Likely it was glued to the glass.

It does have the original side view fender mounted roadster mirror, visible in one of the moss covered photos. Fred took it off before loading it on the trailer for transportation
 

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Man that thing is awesome! I love how it looks currently!

Even has all the original Whitco parts!
 

green61bug

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Messages
923
Loc.
Greensboro
Absolutely awesome.... I too dream of owning an original u13 one day! Great find, can't wait to see the progress!
 

Lewko66u13

Contributor
Newbie
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Messages
127
Loc.
Canada
Congrats on the find!!!! This is our October 65 roadster!!! Ours is 760081 what’s yours?
 

Attachments

  • C373F0DF-039E-41C6-8BFE-DDE737280113.jpeg
    C373F0DF-039E-41C6-8BFE-DDE737280113.jpeg
    143.7 KB · Views: 73
  • 72782CED-A389-4DA4-A038-ECB214B262FA.jpeg
    72782CED-A389-4DA4-A038-ECB214B262FA.jpeg
    174 KB · Views: 71
OP
OP
kbooth5

kbooth5

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
63
Loc.
Texas
Congrats on the find!!!! This is our October 65 roadster!!! Ours is 760081 what’s yours?
Man that’s pretty. Did you lift that one? Love the look of the bias plys.

I’m witholding the full vin for the moment while we resolve a misprint on the title, but it leads with 769
 

Lewko66u13

Contributor
Newbie
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Messages
127
Loc.
Canada
Man that’s pretty. Did you lift that one? Love the look of the bias plys.

I’m witholding the full vin for the moment while we resolve a misprint on the title, but it leads with 769
Yea we lifted it, it has a 2 inch lift
 

Eoth

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
1,677
Wow.... Seeing where it was parked and all the moss, its in great shape. Do you know how long it sat there? Around here it would have been swiss cheese in two years sitting outside like that.
 
OP
OP
kbooth5

kbooth5

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
63
Loc.
Texas
Wow.... Seeing where it was parked and all the moss, its in great shape. Do you know how long it sat there? Around here it would have been swiss cheese in two years sitting outside like that.
The story goes that it was parked there around 76’ after being driven up from Colorado. Various tarps were thrown on it over the years which helped, but there is a LOT of rot. Floors are non-existent, hood is likely shot, overlap where the front right fender bolts in is badly rusted, rear bed floor is toast up at the bulkhead. Rims are all rotten from sinking into the dirt. But basically all the outward facing sheet metal is straight. Steve is planning to start the teardown in the next couple weeks, and then we’ll know more about how big a mess we stepped off in. Attached a few more photos.

Good news is everything is at least there, even under the hood!

Will keep everyone posted on progress.
3A123A1D-32FC-46AB-B149-C08F1706416B.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • D5C0CB3B-5CE9-4DC1-A659-7A80B6B89CE9.jpeg
    D5C0CB3B-5CE9-4DC1-A659-7A80B6B89CE9.jpeg
    161.5 KB · Views: 130
  • 4486706F-9B79-4B11-9E7D-E51B425733D3.jpeg
    4486706F-9B79-4B11-9E7D-E51B425733D3.jpeg
    187.5 KB · Views: 124
  • 9B3F36D9-3578-41C3-9516-4F5D402377B9.jpeg
    9B3F36D9-3578-41C3-9516-4F5D402377B9.jpeg
    176.8 KB · Views: 118
  • 8308D25A-84F3-47C6-8101-8DD92ED4690E.jpeg
    8308D25A-84F3-47C6-8101-8DD92ED4690E.jpeg
    157.7 KB · Views: 106
  • 6F4F973D-8C63-4B7F-AB02-B19D0F0C908B.jpeg
    6F4F973D-8C63-4B7F-AB02-B19D0F0C908B.jpeg
    184.1 KB · Views: 110
  • 8B130B52-4AD8-476E-AE94-825053407BC3.jpeg
    8B130B52-4AD8-476E-AE94-825053407BC3.jpeg
    136.5 KB · Views: 122

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
Looks like there might even still be some good paint under the dirt in the engine compartment!
 

Dne007

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2021
Messages
539
Do you plan on keeping a 6 cyl? I'm getting to where I like the simplicity and openess of the engine compartment. with the 6 cyl;)
 
OP
OP
kbooth5

kbooth5

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
63
Loc.
Texas
Do you plan on keeping a 6 cyl? I'm getting to where I like the simplicity and openess of the engine compartment. with the 6 cyl;)
Definitely planning to keep the 6 cylinder. We are going to evaluate the condition for rebuild once it’s torn down. May need to source a replacement block
 
Top