1966 U 13

[vindog]

I own a 66 U13 Roadster. It has 81,000 miles. Im not certain if it has turned over and could possibly have 181,000 miles, but due to the condition, I doubt it.
I am getting started working with a restoration shop.
Questions for experienced Roadster owners.
How do I interpret the vin tag to find out when and where it was built, what dealer originally sold it, etc?
After media blasting, is it wrong to have the frame powdered coated? If so, is black the proper color?
After cleaning and testing of the original fuel tank (believe it is a 12 gallon tank), should the tank be powdered coated?
Should I have the underside metal after the metal restoration undercoated? I do not plan on driving it on gravel roads.
Should I texture the top of the floor prior to painting, or just purchase a floor mat set?
What tires are available that are sympathetic to the OEM tires put on at the factory?
Is there a battery supplier that makes replica FoMoCo batteries.
Where or how can I determine the original color of the seat belts (front buckets) and did the bench seat in the back have seat belts when it was built?
I have so many questions. This is the start in the pursuit of knowledge from people much more experienced in first gen broncos.

 

[green61bug]

Congrats on the Roadster! Any pictures you could share? Also, plenty of guys on here can decode you vin tag if you post it. If you don't want to there is a website created by a member here called www.roadsteru13.com that has a lot of information as well as a vin decoder.

I'm curious with the low miles if your bronco wears its original paint and body panels or if it has been modified. Original paint vehicles are hard to come by and would save a pretty penny if the paint was worth keeping.

I think a lot of your questions about whether or not to powdercoat/undercoat is based on what kind of restoration you would like to have. If you want it to be like it left the factory then those things wouldn't be acceptable but maybe that isn't the route you want to go. I personally am not a major fan of undercoat however I've seen a few builds with color matched undercoat that I found outstanding. I am also not a fan of textured floors. I like them to be smooth like they were from the factory and I think it makes them easier to wipe down. I also tend to lean more towards stock styled vehicles and so I may be somewhat biased on those opinions.

Im not sure about batteries but I know www.martiauto.com offers some of the necessary components for a restoration.

I think for tires on a stock height roadster that you can't go wrong with Power King Super Traction. There is also a STA Super Traxion which is a great tire but pricey.

Seat belts should be black and the seats were a silver grey. I think the back seat came with them but someone else will have to verify that.

Look forward to hearing more and hoping to see some pictures.

 

[ared77]

Welcome !

 

[okie4570]

Post up a pic of the warranty plate and that will help us tell you what you've got. I document still existing 66' u13 as well, have been keeping a running list for over 3y now.

Won't be able to determine the dealer on a 66' unless you've got an owner's manual, owner's warranty card or window sticker. Front and rear seat belts were black fabric with black latch style buckles.

I put this 66' thread together years ago. Lot's of good bathroom reading in there lol.

The Great Original 1966 Bronco Thread........

If it's a thread that deals with a 1966 Bronco, as far as details, quirks, oil baths, oddities, deletes, threads with original pics, 66' restorations that we can use for references, etc............ I've tried to find some major ones and list them here. If you see a thread I've missed, post it up...

classicbroncos.com

 

[scoutingranch]

I'm a '66 addict. And like most addicts, I make mistakes like selling my last one 5 years ago. Bone stock she was. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
We need pictures to do an eval. That is the only way to your success

 

[vindog]

I appreciate the feedback rec'd so far. As soon as I can figure out how to post pic's I will put them on the site. The metal is original to the best of my knowledge. I bought the U13 in the early 80's and drove it a bit. It does not have the original Caribbean Turquoise on the metal, but the engine compartment is mostly the original color. Whoever painted it did a lousy job with a fair amount of overspray. The body will be removed and soda/media blasted so as to assess the condition of the metal. It looks like I have tons of reading to do from okie4570's response and the link into days of research. Glad that I am retired!

 

[okie4570]

I appreciate the feedback rec'd so far. As soon as I can figure out how to post pic's I will put them on the site. The metal is original to the best of my knowledge. I bought the U13 in the early 80's and drove it a bit. It does not have the original Caribbean Turquoise on the metal, but the engine compartment is mostly the original color. Whoever painted it did a lousy job with a fair amount of overspray. The body will be removed and soda/media blasted so as to assess the condition of the metal. It looks like I have tons of reading to do from okie4570's response and the link into days of research. Glad that I am retired!

You can just post the info on the warranty plate if you're not able to post pics.

 

[vindog]

66 U13 Roadster question. The original paint was single stage. Is it wrong to go to dual stage paint job, adding clear coat?