1968 Ford Bronco

Description

One of the coolest things about the first-generation Ford Bronco is how modular it is. Take this 1968 Bronco "half cab" for example. With a set of wrenches and about 15 minutes, it goes from cool mini pickup to a fully open 4x4 beach comber. Add a fabric or lift-off hard top and you've got a standard Bronco, and none of it takes more than a few bolts. Cool, right?

This one was originally born a full-cab converted into a half-cab, which was popular back in the day and easy to do today. In truth, the Bronco's modular nature means there's no real difference in value, but the cool thing with this one is that it was all restored at the same time, so it fits together extremely well. The bright red paint with white accents is a traditional Bronco look, and on a Mustang they might call it Candyapple Red. This one doesn't appear to have lived its life on the trails, with straight sheetmetal, excellent rockers, and fenders that are smooth and ripple-free and haven't been modified with oversized fender flares. The bed area now wears a spray-in bed liner material, and offers modest utility and the ability to go just about anywhere with your cargo. Slim chrome bumpers are about the only shiny bits on the body, but the white grille, stainless trim surrounding the body, and tall FORD letters on the tailgate give it a dressed-up look. We see a lot of early Broncos here at Streetside, and this one can be proudly added to the fleet.

The interior is pretty stock, with bucket seats that look remarkably like they belong in a Mustang (they're close, but not quite exactly the same). Liberal use of sound-deadening materials makes the cabin nice and quiet on the road and there are black carpets on the floor that give it a more luxurious feel than the original rubber mat. The bright white instrument panel remains simple and utilitarian, with only basic instruments and controls, which also means there's less to go wrong when you're miles from home. The steering wheel is an aftermarket 3-spoke unit that could probably be replaced without anyone shedding a tear, although it's just the right diameter to work perfectly with the column-mounted shifter. The other lever on the floor is for the 2-speed transfer case underneath, an integral part of any Bronco's spec sheet. An AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit was built into the dash years ago but needs speakers to be complete once again. the heater and defroster are downright powerful.

A torquey 289 cubic inch V8 lives under the hood, and we strongly suspect that it's the original engine for this truck. Nicely finished in Ford Blue with a correct air cleaner and "Powered by Ford" valve covers, it is obvious where the big money was spent on this restoration. It does show signs of use but no evidence that it's been banging around off road, and pretty stock specifications means that it's reliable and easy to service. A custom dual exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers gives it a muscular feel and sounds amazing, so you can forget about sneaking around in the woods with this one. The three-speed manual transmission is a little balky but you'll get the hang of it and it still powers the stock transfer case and axles. Relatively recent shocks and steering stabilizer give it a nice ride when you're on the pavement and shiny aluminum wheels carry 31x10.50-15 white-letter tires on all four corners.

Early Broncos are still the most fun you can have playing in the dirt, and while this one isn't perfect, it always pays to buy good base stock. Call today!