How did you come to own your Bronco

[GSP9]

In talking with other owners, I've heard some interesting stories as to how they ended up with one in their garage. A year ago, I never would have imagined I would own one. I'm 38 and when I was 16, I bought a 66 Mustang GT. My old little league coach let me keep it at his shop while we did a lot of the sheet metal work. He was big into Bronco's and had owned 5 or 6 early bronco's while we were working on the Mustang. So there was always one in the shop and close by to tinker with.

Skip ahead about 20 years and I still have the Mustang but it's now in my little home shop awaiting a restoration. I mentioned to my wife that we should buy another classic while the Mustang is being restored. With a 5 and 7 year old running around, I don't have a lot of spare time to work on the Mustang so I figure it's probably a 3-4 year project. She agreed to another car and I started looking last summer for a Galaxie, Fairlane, Impala, or Camaro. Something to keep for a few years then get rid of when the Mustang was done. So we went to the Mecum auction in Harrisburg last summer and almost pulled the trigger on a couple Galaxie's but we missed them. While there, she was drawn to a couple of the Bronco's which really surprised me. She asked if I knew anything about them and said I was familiar with them but I couldn't get over the price of them nowadays.

I spent from Thanksgiving until May searching daily on Craigslist and Ebay only to come up a day or two late on a few that we liked. We finally found one in May that only needed a few minor things done to it to get it on the road.

As the Mecum auction in Harrisburg draws near, it's hard for me to believe what we finally ended up with a year later. We both agreed that this one will most likely stay in the garage after the Mustang gets completed.

As a side note, my old little league coach has long sold all of his early broncos and we still joke about how much money they would be worth today had he kept them. His famous line to me is always....."Nobody wanted the damn things when I collected them......now everyone and their mother just has to have one".

Any other interesting stories out there about how you ended up with one?

 

[Toddpole]

Cool story. Here's mine.
I currently have 2 EBs. 72 Sport and 71 Wagon
72 Sport - My family built a cabin in the mountains of NM around 1975 when I was 10 yrs old. My folks had been traveling to the area since 1959 in the family cruiser. Usually this was a station wagon loaded down with clothes, tools and other necessities. After years of beating oil pans and flywheel covers on rocks (you can't truly appreciate racket until you've heard that screaming sound) my dad decided to buy a Bronco. The 72 was purchased about 1975. My oldest brother was a sophomore in high school. This became his daily driver for a couple years with us making the 500 mile trek each way in it when we visited our mountain retreat. After high school we located a place to store the Bronco near our cabin to eliminate driving two vehicles every time we made the trip. Fast forward to 1985. The mountain roads are much improved and easily traveled in most cars. the Bronco has come back home and spent much time in storage with me tinkering on it as if I new what I was doing. Dad passed away in 1989 leaving everything to my mom. In 1995 I was treated to a surprise 30th birthday party in which I was given the keys and title to the little red Bronco. Even though it looks nothing like it did 40+ years ago I still think of my dad every time I climb into the seat. Oh, the memories!

71 Wagon - This story is a little more confusing so pay attention to the characters.
In 1985 I began dating a girl I met at church. I spent more time at her house than my own. Still can't believe her parents never ran me off. Her twin sister became engaged Thanksgiving 1988. Since my girl and I had been dating much longer than her sister and fiancé, I obviously couldn't let this go unchallenged. During Christmas holidays that same year I proposed. I think her folk thought they were gonna have to move into the poor house funding two weddings so close together so her dad suggested a double wedding. "Sure! That'll be fun!" we all said. Now comes the interesting and confusing part. The two girls have a brother who would be graduating high school a month before the wedding. A great aunt feared Mark, the younger brother, would feel overlooked on this milestone in his life so she gave him a yellow 1971 Bronco with one stipulation. He could never sell it. If he ever wanted to get rid of it he had to return it to her. He drove this through college and into early marriage. After moving to Dallas he soon realized the Bronco was not the vehicle he needed at the time. Great Aunt had passed away by this time. The Bronco was brought back to Mark's parents' house were my father-in-law began to drive it regularly. He loves old cars and currently has a very nice 56 T-bird and a 50 Ford sedan. After driving the Bronco for several years he began to tire of having so many vehicles around his house. I made the statement one day about how I would love to have an uncut (I wheel my 72 on the rocks). He very much prefers old cars be returned to stock. That was around 2004. August 2005 we celebrated my 40th birthday. My in-laws handed me a birthday card. The envelope felt somewhat heavy and was bulging oddly. I opened it to find a set of keys to the yellow 71. Most days I feel as if I hit the lottery but just occasionally I wonder WTH did I ask for?

You just gotta love family!!

 

[hotrodtim68]

Who knew in 1974!

Found a 1968 Wagon in 1974 for my wife's uncle..He bought it from my friend back then. . He drove it for years maintained it meticulously , drivetrain and body. Retired it in the garage in 1992, last legal N.J. inspection . In 2010 he passed, only after I fired up the truck after a little fuel system restoration ; he did get a chance to ride in his favorite vehicle at age 89 . The project hasn't stopped since.

 

[AZ73]

I handed over a wad of cash and had it towed to my house (see pix on left)

 

[CopperRanger]

I had been looking for a Bronco for about a year until I saw mine on e-bay. I waited till the last minute to throw down my bid. Well, to my surprise I won. Now I had to tell my wife we just won the auction and had to go get it. Neither one of us has ever been out west before, plus my daughter was 5 then and we weren't sure how she would do in the truck for so long. We live in Michigan north of Detroit, so a week later it was off to Great Falls Montana. I took a weeks vacation from work and we left on November 1st. and headed out west. We did some sight seeing on the way, even stayed at Mt. Rushmore our second night and went through the park the next day. Early on the forth day we arrived and met the original owner. He had bought the Bronco new and has always kept it in a heated garage. I rented a U-Haul car hauler loaded it up and started heading back. We took a different route back to stop and see different things. Day 7 we arrived home safe and sound. We got really lucky with the weather that week, never even seen a drop of rain. The next day after we were home we heard they were closing roads we were just on because of a snow storm. This was almost 11 years ago now and I still love this thing, my daughter will end up with it when I'm gone.

 

[GSP9]

Cool story. Here's mine.
I currently have 2 EBs. 72 Sport and 71 Wagon
72 Sport - My family built a cabin in the mountains of NM around 1975 when I was 10 yrs old. My folks had been traveling to the area since 1959 in the family cruiser. Usually this was a station wagon loaded down with clothes, tools and other necessities. After years of beating oil pans and flywheel covers on rocks (you can't truly appreciate racket until you've heard that screaming sound) my dad decided to buy a Bronco. The 72 was purchased about 1975. My oldest brother was a sophomore in high school. This became his daily driver for a couple years with us making the 500 mile trek each way in it when we visited our mountain retreat. After high school we located a place to store the Bronco near our cabin to eliminate driving two vehicles every time we made the trip. Fast forward to 1985. The mountain roads are much improved and easily traveled in most cars. the Bronco has come back home and spent much time in storage with me tinkering on it as if I new what I was doing. Dad passed away in 1989 leaving everything to my mom. In 1995 I was treated to a surprise 30th birthday party in which I was given the keys and title to the little red Bronco. Even though it looks nothing like it did 40+ years ago I still think of my dad every time I climb into the seat. Oh, the memories!

71 Wagon - This story is a little more confusing so pay attention to the characters.
In 1985 I began dating a girl I met at church. I spent more time at her house than my own. Still can't believe her parents never ran me off. Her twin sister became engaged Thanksgiving 1988. Since my girl and I had been dating much longer than her sister and fiancé, I obviously couldn't let this go unchallenged. During Christmas holidays that same year I proposed. I think her folk thought they were gonna have to move into the poor house funding two weddings so close together so her dad suggested a double wedding. "Sure! That'll be fun!" we all said. Now comes the interesting and confusing part. The two girls have a brother who would be graduating high school a month before the wedding. A great aunt feared Mark, the younger brother, would feel overlooked on this milestone in his life so she gave him a yellow 1971 Bronco with one stipulation. He could never sell it. If he ever wanted to get rid of it he had to return it to her. He drove this through college and into early marriage. After moving to Dallas he soon realized the Bronco was not the vehicle he needed at the time. Great Aunt had passed away by this time. The Bronco was brought back to Mark's parents' house were my father-in-law began to drive it regularly. He loves old cars and currently has a very nice 56 T-bird and a 50 Ford sedan. After driving the Bronco for several years he began to tire of having so many vehicles around his house. I made the statement one day about how I would love to have an uncut (I wheel my 72 on the rocks). He very much prefers old cars be returned to stock. That was around 2004. August 2005 we celebrated my 40th birthday. My in-laws handed me a birthday card. The envelope felt somewhat heavy and was bulging oddly. I opened it to find a set of keys to the yellow 71. Most days I feel as if I hit the lottery but just occasionally I wonder WTH did I ask for?

You just gotta love family!!

Two great stories.....what did you get for your 50th birthday?!?!

 

[AFLtCol]

My wife and I wanted an early bronco because both of our fathers had owned early broncos and we wanted something to feel a little closer to them since both had passed away. We looked off and on for a couple of yrs then around early 2013 I noticed the prices were going up, so I located one back in our home state of Arkansas and had it shipped to Texas.

 

[Golfball]

Back in 2009 I was preparing to retire from the Air Force and my wife had been commenting about wanting a Heep every time she saw one for sale. While at work one day I sent her a link to a local classifieds for a 75 Bronco and told her these are much cooler and a Ford! (I'm a Ford guy). When we got off work that day she informed me that she had called about the Bronco and we were going to look at it "right now". When we pulled up to look at it, before we got out of the car, she said we are buying it. Would anyone else argue about this?

A few years later, I spotted another 75 on CL and showed her (again). She glanced at it and said "when are we going to look at it?" Again, who can argue with this?

I feel sorry for the guys whose significant others complain about these Broncos. We have 10 cars/trucks so I definitely have a car chick!

 

[ugly74]

Back in the mid 90s, The wife and I were driving around, going to look at a couple of scout IIs, and a couple older ramchargers, for her to use as a winter driver. (We were pretty broke) Everything we looked at was in lousy shape, so we were driving home kinda disappointed.
On the way home, my wife said, "hey what's that? It's for sale", about an old 4x4 she saw in a driveway.
Turns out, it was a 74 Bronco, with intact ranger trim, mostly original paint, very minor rust, a Vic hickey winch, factory limited slips front and back, a passenger side 3rd tank added, meticulously maintained, everything worked, along with a few hundred pounds of spare parts, started and ran great with no smoke...for $1800!
Best car purchase I've ever made

 

[904Bronco]

I wanted one since I worked at a gas station in High school. Picked up a 79 for a great price in 83, drove it for a number of years. A move farther away from work, giving me a 50 mile commute, and 9 mpg doomed that one.

Then in 2000 with a pocket full of cash and EBay, I bought my Landrover green 75 from Texas. I did not know anything about EB's and paid way too much... Got it road worthy after a few more dollars, drove it and well then someone offered me good $$ so sold it. The old guy that bought it drives it everyday
Picked up a road hard-put away wet "dead" British racing green 77 10 miles from my house and same story, Put in time, sweat, elbow grease, and money only to have someone offer me $$$, the cash talked.
Now I have my 68 Lubr with patina peacock blue paint with 98 Explorer running gear and grabber green 71 I rescued that is missing a bunch of parts... Building it back slowly.
It is a sickness...
But there is no such thing as a cheap bronco now, so I need to hold on to both of these...

 

[Mtgrizzlymn]

I had always wanted one since I was 16! Life went on age 44 bought a jeep, got on this site and started wanting. So,d my jeep a year later and then looked for 9 months! Finally threw a last second bid on eBay an bought my first bronco. Had it shipped from Illinois to Montana sight unseen but turned out great but day 4 was messing with carb and started a engine fire , took over a year to refinish everything but well worth it I love my bronco and drive it every chance I get. So now at 47 I have a bronco that will turn 50 when I do.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[daddycreswell]

When I turned 16 back in 1991 I chose a 75 uncut explorer all original for my first car, it smoked like a pipe but I loved it and drove it the heck out of it. But being 17 at the time I wanted something different, so I sold for $1200.00 in 92 and was sick as it pulled out if the driveway. Fast forward 20 years, a wife and 2 kids, I bought another one. Got the bug one day while wife and I were driving done interstate and a white one passed us on the opposite side. She said she liked, I smiled and the hunt began. Looked at many came close to buying one but changed my mind. Came across the 73 I have on Craiglist, went looked at it, decent shape but needed tranny rebuilt. That was about the only way I could afford it, loaded it up on trailer brought it home, drove for it for 3 days till,the tranny went out. Had it rebuilt, been driving every since for the last 5 years.


Sent from my dumb apple products my work makes me use.

 

[jckkys]

In the summer of 1977 I heard that Ford was going to a Blazer like shortened F150 chassis in '78. My '73 was wrecked in a T-bone accident and I missed it. The Ford dealerships were out of Broncos accept one the owner drove. So I bought it out from under him. I simply had to get an EB before the new ones were gone. I got married that same summer. I still have the same wife and Bronco.

 

[Joker11]

I think I have told my story before.

I have always hated fords. I always had chevy. Now I know why. I am always working on this ford. It is a labor of love.

Cindy and Albert owned the Bronco, they were getting divorced. Albert tore apart the Bronco into a gazillion pieces so Cindy could not have it.

Years later Albert gave it to Cindy's father Chuck.

Chuck gave it to his son Ron, who was Cindy's brother. Ron was my mentor and saved my bacon a few times and we became great friends.

Ron put it back together and had a lot of fun with it. License Plate GFTHORS or Gift Horse.

Sadly, Ron got brain cancer and fought it until he died in 2007.

Chuck gifted the bronco to me to finish Ron's project. License Plate SROHTFG or Gift Horse backwards.

This Bronco has been Gifted a few times, I guess.

I will gift it to my son at some point. Not yet, someday.

 

[Specracer]

1st one, eBay, had been looking for a while, while this wasn't exactly my taste (lifted), it's uncut, but was only 30 miles from home. Easy to look at it, and buy it.

2nd, the roadster, again been looking for couple years, stumbled on it on autotrader classics. Pulled trigger immediately sight unseen, and much to my surprise, truck far exceeded my expectations.

 

[bronconut73]

Jacksonville Florida city auction, summer of '83.
It was an old electric authority vehicle .....
22,000 miles.
Drove it all through school. Lot of old eb memories in that old girl.

 

[tommyg]

I always had a thing for old Broncos. Bought our home in 2005, and our neighbors had a blue '74 sitting on the side of their house under a tarp, would come out for a ride maybe twice a year. I told them, "let me know if you ever want to sell it". 8 years later I got the knock on the door. Got it for a great price, then of course proceeded to drop way too much $$ into it to make it less of a deal...but never regretted it. It certainly gets lots of attention wherever we go!

 

[D ROCK]

All of my friends were getting into CJ's and Corvette's, so not to be on the band wagon I got my bronco.

 

[savage]

My wife got hit in her car, and when she got her settlement, she bought the 74 bronco. She new I was looking at this bronco ,she walk up and handed me cash to go buy it.;D

 

[70_Steve]

Moved to Phoenix 21 years ago with an 87 ElCamino as my DD. I loved that ElCamino!!! Drove it for 5 years till it had about 175K on the clock, At that point it really needed some love and attention. I realized I couldn't to what I needed to and have it be my only ride. Then came the decision whether to by a beater for a couple hundred $ with the possibility that I'd be working on it more than the ElCamino, or buy something else with the intention of keeping it after the restomod on the ElCamino was done. Being in the Southwest a 4WD was a natural choice. I'd always like the old Broncos so I went hunting and found one in (what I thought was) reasonable shape. Just a few minor repairs and it should be good to go!!!

To make a long story short, the ElCamino is gone (replaced by a 98 Camaro SS) and the Bronco became the project.