What year is this dusty Bronco?

[destatez]

I'm trying to refresh my mind (what's left of it) on the year of this Bronco. I picked it up used in '74-'75 in the LA basin and sold it in '77 to help buy our first house. It's a 289 with a 4-barrel, headers, and it does have the swing-away tire carrier. With that fact and it not being a 302, it is probably a 1968. That is from looking at one of the year comparison charts out on the web, and inked to by another member. I've uploaded 3 pics of the beast: 2 in the San Bernardino mountains and the third in the Santa Lucia Range. I want to get as much detail on this as I can. I am in the process of creating a wooden version of the Bronco. This is a 1963 Ford Bronco + Trailer & Mud Truck Wood Toy Plans and Patterns (3 PDF Downloads) From: toymakingplans.com sold through: https://www.etsy.com/listing/645744...-mud-truck-wood?ref=shop_home_active_32&pro=1 . I will customized what you see in the 4th picture to reflect the coloration and design of the Bronco in question. A couple specific questions are what do the front and back emblems on the front fender say? Was there a particular year that they added the front bumper uprights? Can anybody guess at the size of the tires? There were no lifts and no fender mods, except the rear white skirt.

 

[56f100bbw]

Side marker lights are different probably a 68 or nine or 70

 

[thegreatjustino]

Side marker lights are different probably a 68 or nine or 70

Those are reflectors, not side marker lights. With the 289 and 68-77 doors, the Bronco would have to be a '68.

 

[BRONCITIS74]

What kind of plant is that on the curtain in the rear window?

 

[destatez]

What kind of plant is that on the curtain in the rear window?

I'm sorry I can't help out on that. The curtains were on the vehicle when we bought it and I never paid much attention to them.

 

[destatez]

Those are reflectors, not side marker lights. With the 289 and 68-77 doors, the Bronco would have to be a '68.

With the swing-away tire carrier, would that add to the evidence of a 1968?

 

[thegreatjustino]

With the swing-away tire carrier, would that add to the evidence of a 1968?

1968 was the first year it was available. The 68-77 doors with a 289 would be the '68 dead giveaway vs. anything else.

 

[destatez]

I have another question. What year did Ford offer a 5-speed for the Bronco. I do not remember using a column shifter. Maybe it was a 4-speed on the floor. I may be getting this confused with the 5-speed on my later K-1500.

 

[destatez]

I've got to write to those toymakingplans.com folk. A 1963 Bronco?? I don't quite think so. There were a few out in 1965, but they were in some early off-road races.

 

[stout22]

Ford never offered a floor shift auto or manual transmission in a Bronco

 

[okie4570]

In the first pic, it looks like a 69' and later grill with amber lenses, and a 302 shaped emblem, not a 289V emblem. Maybe just the angle?

 

[myclsic69]

Looks like a 68 or 69 according to the side fender and Quarter reflectors

 

[House]

That is surely a 302 badge on the front fender which would make it a 69.
Are you sure it had a 289? Those front bumper uprights are not stock.
The tires look to be 32x10.50’s to me…
Hard to tell, but it looks like it may have had electric wipers, not vacuum. another 69 trait…

 

[DirtDonk]

Agree with the electric wipers. Notice that there is no latch and hoop for holding the windshield down. Or at least i don't see one. Another change during the electric wiper changeover.

I maintained for years that some very early '69's still had reflectors, and that some very early models still had the 289 but neither seemed to hold up to scrutiny over time.
Maybe it could still have been that way after all. Also very possible the ones I think I saw back in the day were either not the years I thought they were, or the DMV made a mistake, or whatever.

Did you copy those pics with your camera destatez? Any chance you can tell from your originals what the engine emblems say exactly?

Paul

 

[thegreatjustino]

I maintained for years that some very early '69's still had reflectors

Side marker lights were added in 1970. All '69 Broncos had reflectors. Here's an early one with vacuum wipers and reflectors that I sold a couple of years ago.

 

[DirtDonk]

Well in that case, I maintained for years that some very early ones still had vacuum wipers, and very late '69's came with side markers!
Thanks Justin.

paul

 

[sprdv1]

Old, old old BUT a classic

 

[sprdv1]

Well in that case, I maintained for years that some very early ones still had vacuum wipers, and very late '69's came with side markers!
Thanks Justin.

keep maintaining hoss.

 

[sprdv1]

Side marker lights were added in 1970. All '69 Broncos had reflectors. Here's an early one with vacuum wipers and reflectors that I sold a couple of years ago.

I want another one of them rust free ones like that.... thanks for sharing hoss

 

[destatez]

Agree with the electric wipers. Notice that there is no latch and hoop for holding the windshield down. Or at least i don't see one. Another change during the electric wiper changeover.

I maintained for years that some very early '69's still had reflectors, and that some very early models still had the 289 but neither seemed to hold up to scrutiny over time.
Maybe it could still have been that way after all. Also very possible the ones I think I saw back in the day were either not the years I thought they were, or the DMV made a mistake, or whatever.

Did you copy those pics with your camera destatez? Any chance you can tell from your originals what the engine emblems say exactly?

Paul

Paul

I created the image below for comparison of different emblems for the 289 and 302. When I get a magnifying glass on the original photo I can't make out the number on that front emblem. There is no doubt that it is my Type 2, as I have defined them. With the yellow body, the color of the band behind the numbers appears to be blue and not red, which would indicate a 289.. For the back emblem, there is nothing but the words Bronco, no other aspects.

With it being a 289 it could be a 67 0r 68, since 69 brought in the 302 V8 replacement. With the swing-away tire carrier and the side fender reflectors, wouldn't that indicate that it's a 68?

Dave