Buying a Bronco, Am I paying too much?

[DarrinGT]

I am going to look at and purchase a Bronco tomorrow evening, Here is the rundown.

1969 Uncut SUV 302, 3sp on the tree, No power steering or brakes. It runs and drives perfect.

This is a One family Owner truck that has 9,960 original miles. It has been in a climate controlled storage on blocks for most of its life, never driven in rain or Snow. This was Grandpas Hobby Truck. Uncut, All original, unmolested, even down to the tires.

At this point I am not going to say the asking price, but should this be worth $28 to $32K? if it is what it is,..?

Any input is appreciated,

I will try to attach a couple of pics, and possibly a walk around video that I received from the seller. It still has dust on it from being in storage.






Thanks for your input Guys!

Darrin.

 

[PGreenlawMD]

That depends on your goals for the bronco. If your goals to own an original "survivor" that will most likely increase in vaue with minimal restoration keeping with the correct period restoration then that price is very reasonable. If you want a daiy or near daiy drive I would be a little concerned at that price point, because with wear tear and repair the bronco will lose what makes it so special with all original parts. If you want to heavily customize it and say to hell with keeping it original and period correct you would be crazy to spend that kind of money only to carve it up and modify it. Lots of Broncos in very good shape for half that number that you could then customize.

Assuming your interest is as a serious collector to have for yourself or move on after period correct restoration s needed, that price is very reasonable.

If it is too high for you let me know the seller contact info and I will be glad to solve the dilemma for you

I hope it is what it is advertised as to you and you get a great bronco

 

[Nightstick]

Every bronco these days is overpriced in my opinion, but for what that one looks like in the pictures you'd be getting a rare rig. I would encourage you to leave it as-is, do not modify it one bit. If this will be your first bronco and you don't already have an infatuation with them, you will, and down the road you'll regret cutting it up if you were to do that. If you want a modified rig, the amount you're willing to spend will get you a nice one.

 

[okie4570]

That's a great find! White window handle knobs too. Hopefully you plan to leave it as original I don't know the answer, but is that original bend and exit direction of the tail pipe, as it left the line in Michigan?

If the budget allowed, there's no way I'd walk away without that one. ;D

 

[half cab]

Flipper would ask $32,000 for it.

 

[Rustytruck]

I would check it very close. Seems strange to have side moldings and hub caps and then white bumpers. I'm not saying impossible but this is a flag to me. Your spending allot of hard earned cash I would go over it with a fine tooth comb. Top to bottom.

 

[okie4570]

A Marti Report would be good in this situation IMO. It would help verify some things such as options on the bronco and where Grandpa purchased, etc. Is all of Grandpa's paperwork still available?

 

[JGbronc]

I would check it very close. Seems strange to have side moldings and hub caps and then white bumpers. I'm not saying impossible but this is a flag to me. Your spending allot of hard earned cash I would go over it with a fine tooth comb. Top to bottom.

Side molding was available as an option on base models. Odd, I know.

Like stated, a flipper would have it in that price range, so if you are planning to keep the price don't seem off base if everything is legit (rust free, true miles). Looks like a very nice survivor.

 

[Unknown]

I'd pass at that price range. Regardless of mileage and storage conditions - without some history of refurbish - its likely in need of stuff like brakes... One can buy a lot of EB for $30K now a days. Just my opinion though.

 

[jckkys]

A brake job after just 10,000 mi?

 

[sykanr0ng]

There appears to be some kind of damage to the right rear of the hard top and lift gate in the first picture.

 

[broncnaz]

Dont rely on pics or video Id definetly look it over in person. Price may be a little high for what it is but then again to a collector its not. If it is what it is. It appears to be in pretty good shape but if it is all orginal it will need work as stated. Brakes would be a starting point brake fluid attracts water water causes rust I wouldnt trust the brake system unless it had just been serviced which is doubtful. Then you have belts, hoses, gaskets ect. 40+ years tends to take a tool on those parts as well along with the cooling system which probably should be flushed. Then comes tires they probably wont last long and I wouldnt try driving any long distance at hiway speed with them.
Really hard to tell anything from the pics as there may be some questionable areas and the odometer reading may or may not be correct once you hit 100,000 it goes back to zero. As was said you may want to look at the exhuast usually the stock exhuast didnt have that bend at the end but who knows its just something to look at. AS was siad its your cash Id look close for that money. maybe you can find some issues and get it for less.

 

[Whoaa]

Yes, its well "worth" the asking price range you mentioned. However worth is a funny word, to some poeple it means price paid, to others it may mean how much it can be sold for, to others it may mean what the market will bear in current conditions.
In todays market the demand for original surviors is very high, and it appears this trend will continue. This Bronco will fetch a low-to-mid $30's + price on the market today.

I have a hard time believing 10k original miles. It has 110,000 miles on it. I'm not in a postion to argue w/ someone, but no one on the planet can accurately verify the original miles -regardless if its one owner or 5 owners. I have heard this storey too may times and know the outcome, use some commmon sense and reasonable deductions. And kindly keep in mind that regardless if it has one-hundred thousand miles, or ten thousand miles the price is about the same -based on condition and originality. Here are my points that you may choose to consider:

1) In the 1960's and 1970's people didn't buy Farm & Ranch trucks "Bronco" as collector cars. At the time no one knew they would be a valuable collector car in 40 or 50 years. This is not a gen 1 Camaro.
My mom bought a new Plymouth Road Runner in 1969, with the intentions of it being a collector car someday, I can barely recall the few times this car has left the garage and it has 100,000 miles on it...and she still owns it today.

2) In the 1960's and 1970's people who bought farm & ranch trucks >Ford Bronco<, didn't have a "spare" car. People buying Bronco in this time frame were working class people, they didn't buy a new Bronco as a spare car to sit in the driveway. They bought it to use it and drive it.

3) Because this truck was bought to use and drive, do some math.

If they bought it new in 1969 and ONLY drove it 5 miles to town, 10 miles round trip, 5 days per week, the first year they would have 520 miles on it. Under this senario they would have driven it 520 miles per year for 19 years, and then it sat for another for the next 27 years? This doesn't make sense.
Lets say they drove it 1,000 miles per year (highly unlikey -not reasonable, even in the 1960's people drove more than 1,000 miles per year), this means this Bronco was driven for 10 years and then sat for for the next 36 years? Not reasonable -doesn't make sense.

Now lets assume it really does have 10,000 miles....do the math and make some reasonable assumptions. This Bronco is 46 years old, / 10k miles equals an "average" of 217 miles per year/every year -this doesn't make sense.

Assume it has one-hundred ten thousand miles. This Bronco is 46 years old, was it driven about 2,400 miles per year, every year for 46 years? Probably not. It was driven a whole lot more than 2,400 miles per year when it was new/newer.

What does make sense, it was driven about 10,000 per year for the first 10 years of its life, then sat in storage for a long time occasionally getting cleaned up, running, road worthy and driven a little bit.

___________

From the pic's it does appear to be a great find, and appears to be in wonderful condition, nice find! It will dam well fetch a price of $30k+ in todays market. I suspect that 10 years from now the old "barn finds/original suvivors" will be a thing of the past, 10 years from now barn finds will just be stories from the past....

 

[DirtDonk]

A rare find indeed, if as advertised. Somewhere in the middle too, with the later '69's getting the 302, but only the early '69's still having the reflectors. Be interested to know it's build date (at least the month) to kind of keep it as a reference.

Used parts don't like sitting. In fact, up to a point a service items will last longer the more it gets used.
Expect to either sit on it as the current owner did, or spend a lot of time replacing seals, tires, rear wheel bearings and brake cylinders and re-packing the front bearings. Grease can only sit so long and still do it's job.

I'm always very conservative in my pricing, but the results usually bare that out except for the odd one with just the right combination of parts and looks, or one at auction.
Until the most recent auctions, the nicest stock restoration I'd seen went for $35k a few months ago. Didn't see the most recent ones, but I heard one went for a pretty penny over that.
In my opinion, in the "normal" (even today's normal) market, that's a $15k Bronco. Yeah, I know... It's got all the "barn find" things about it that people swoon over, and that alone just might make it worth that range you were talking about. In today's hot market, someone might just snap it up if you don't. But remember even million dollar Cuda's are down in the toilet right now, and the beloved-child-of-auctions, the '69 Camaros are going for less than Broncos are right now. Go figure.
That's good for the sellers, but a big unknown for the buyers. So beware, but have at it if you feel comfortable with that.

As many of the others have said, it's all about what you want to end up with. Lots of already-built (but more "aged" than this one) EB's going for half of that price.

Good luck either way. And welcome to classicbroncos too!!!!
let us know what you do, and more pics please, if it ends up in your climate controlled space.

It's a personal thing of course, but you don't really have to worry about telling us publicly the exact price, other than to keep your own affairs yours. Otherwise we're all in the same place around here. Love seeing this kind of stuff, constantly amazed at what some go for, and what some don't, and love talking about and helping others with their stuff.
In your case though, you likely won't need much help other than where to meet up with other like-minded owners that want to hang out under the hood of yours at the nearest burger meet-n-greet!

Enjoy whichever one you end up with.

Paul

 

[DarrinGT]

Great input guy's thank you! Will post more later when I have the time.

 

[DarrinGT]

Btw as far as cutting it up....? I dont even want to clean the dust off of it. Lol. It needs to stay origional.

 

[DarrinGT]

Every bronco these days is overpriced in my opinion, but for what that one looks like in the pictures you'd be getting a rare rig. I would encourage you to leave it as-is, do not modify it one bit. If this will be your first bronco and you don't already have an infatuation with them, you will, and down the road you'll regret cutting it up if you were to do that. If you want a modified rig, the amount you're willing to spend will get you a nice one.

Now I have a little time,.

As I said, no way this getting touched, and this is not my first Bronco Rodeo LOL,..

Here is the 77 that I had, with a 351 Cleveland. Fun Truck, no suspension travel!







I will be taking a look at the Bronco at 3:30 today, it is a 2 hour drive from me, Will keep you posted!

 

[JT3357]

2) In the 1960's and 1970's people who bought farm & ranch trucks >Ford Bronco<, didn't have a "spare" car. People buying Bronco in this time frame were working class people, they didn't buy a new Bronco as a spare car to sit in the driveway. They bought it to use it and drive it.

While I agree this is the case in the vast majority of trucks, and 9,000 seems crazy low, there are exceptions. I bought my 1970 from the original owner's family. It was bought new in Texas and taken the families cabin in the mountains in New Mexico. The Bronco stayed at the cabin until the late 90's. It was only used during summer months when the family was there. Thankfully it was kept in a garage. In 1999 it had 36k miles on it when they brought it back to Texas. The original owner used it around town until 2010 when he passed away. By then it had 56k miles on it. Can I prove that this is the actually mileage. No, I have some dated work orders with mileage but not "proof." I believe it to be correct as does everyone who has seen my Bronco.

Back on topic.... What's it currently worth? Like others have said, what someone is willing to pay. If it's as described I would estimate $25-30k in today's market
. I agree it will need maintenance items done. Machines are built to run, not sit for years.

 

[hyghlndr]

A really nice similar red 1974 just sold for just under 25k. At 28k+, imho it is over priced. If you have to have it maybe 18-23k at most. Plus being an earlier year, it does not have the "good" options buyers prefer like auto, disc brakes, power steering, etc.

 

[sprdv1]

That's a great find! White window handle knobs too. Hopefully you plan to leave it as original I don't know the answer, but is that original bend and exit direction of the tail pipe, as it left the line in Michigan?

If the budget allowed, there's no way I'd walk away without that one. ;D

Don't give him the opportunity, lol