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Factory color of "FORD" Grill Letters

House

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Minutia Militia
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Aug 12, 2004
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2,409
The first one is a newer pic of the semi-restored Barstow Bronco owned by Rod Hall, not a vintage pic, so anything goes.
You are correct that the other one has red grille letters as I have a higher resolution copy, but I believe it is a colorized picture from the Ford Marketing Department, not an actual color photo.
 

toddz69

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The first one is a newer pic of the semi-restored Barstow Bronco owned by Rod Hall, not a vintage pic, so anything goes.
You are correct that the other one has red grille letters as I have a higher resolution copy, but I believe it is a colorized picture from the Ford Marketing Department, not an actual color photo.

Here's a shot of Rod's truck that I took in an impound yard 19 years ago. It didn't have any fancy grille letters on it.

Todd Z.
 

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chuckyb

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Thanks guys! My plain old 68 came with black grill letters but I think I will paint them red anyway - I love the look!
 

House

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So I don't want to clutter up a For Sale ad but I would like to discuss this a little...
This is cool. I have never seen either of these before, in person, in literature etc., unless it had been done post factory.

The grill is original. The argent is there because it is a Ranger package. Not all Ranger trucks came with red letters but most Sport
models did come with the red letters on the grill. I have a 100% original 76 that has red letters and is neither a sport or a ranger and the grill was white!

A) Is the Paint OK stamp still legible on the green by chance or has it been repainted? Looks like green overspray on the frame?

B) Can you show us the holes front and rear under one of the letters? Are the stamped letters painted black under the bolt on letters?

Anybody else have good original examples to share with these oddities?
 

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Beer and Fish

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Just so you know

The bronco is solid. Here are pics. Yes the frame has green paint in the front and back. It was not a re paint. It is what it is. If you want it buy it if not I will restore it. This is crazy
The grille has no damage or repairs inside! It’s the real deal guys and I don’t give a poo if it sells or not...
Just offering a solid bronco
 

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House

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This has nothing to do with your sale, I hope you sell it, it is a cool truck.
Thanks for the pics. The grille has been repainted, hence the overspray, and
was most likely changed, hence missing the bolt on letters.
I was hoping this wasn’t the case, as I was excited about seeing something new...
 

Beer and Fish

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Why do you insist that all Ranger grills have bolt on letters? Also, have you ever come across a Bronco with factory paint with overspray? I’ve seen both many times.
 

House

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Because every all original unchanged untouched Ranger I have seen has them.
They were part of the Ranger package. Stripes were as well, but I have seen
both Marti Reports and Window Stickers that show a Stripe Delete option. The
book used for the dealer to order them shows a price deduction also. I have
yet to see a Grille Letter Delete option...

Have I seen overspray? Sure. Have I seen factory overspray on the frame horns from a grille
that was painted separately from the body itself? No. Again, from research of original
trucks with original paint, Paint OK stamps, and also corresponding with people that actually
worked in the factory painting these vehicles when they were built...
 

fordfan

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Because every all original unchanged untouched Ranger I have seen has them.
They were part of the Ranger package. Stripes were as well, but I have seen
both Marti Reports and Window Stickers that show a Stripe Delete option. The
book used for the dealer to order them shows a price deduction also. I have
yet to see a Grille Letter Delete option...

Have I seen overspray? Sure. Have I seen factory overspray on the frame horns from a grille
that was painted separately from the body itself? No. Again, from research of original
trucks with original paint, Paint OK stamps, and also corresponding with people that actually
worked in the factory painting these vehicles when they were built...

Amen....
 

BajaBronco

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Why do you insist that all Ranger grills have bolt on letters? Also, have you ever come across a Bronco with factory paint with overspray? I’ve seen both many times.

I for one, have never seen factory overspray body color onto a frame. i've seen it, but it's not from the factory - it's from a spot paint repair, or a complete paint job.
 

BajaBronco

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it's hard sometimes to know for sure what kind of life our Broncos lived before we found them. Especially when maybe we buy a Bronco from the 2nd owner or 1st, or from a garage that it's been in for over 30 or 40 years. .... there's still those 8-10 years where we can't be sure of how it existed or what it's been through. And for the original owner who in his mind maybe had the motor "rebuilt" at Ford, but when you look closely at his receipts the motor was replaced...but he still says it's the original engine.

Recently I found old photos of a Baja bronco that we were sure had an all black hood originally(without the orange band), but photos showed differently. However, when that truck surfaced in 1989 or 1990, it had an all black hood..... again,....what about those 19 years.....

And lastly this Bronco I pulled out of a barn where it had been put in 1980 and never touched......note the grill letters. First 9 years, but not original.
 

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