Daily Slideshow: 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Is One Rare Roadster

Rare Means Rare

In the early days of the Bronco, Ford offered a number of different body styles. There were the U15 wagon and the U14 half-cab pickup. But there was also a U13 roadster, something truly unique. And quite rare, in fact. Ford built a whopping 225,585 Broncos between 1966 and 1977, but only 5,000 of them were U13 roadsters.

Today, the actual number of those that survived over the years is much, much lower. Some believe that number is as low as 250 units. And of those very few, you certainly won't find any U13s nicer than this '66, which we spotted over at Harwood Motors. 

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Cost No Object

Restorations come in all different levels of quality. Some consist of new paint or just a rebuilt drivetrain. But this particular Bronco, an early production model, was obviously redone with a "cost no object" mentality. It's quite simply a masterpiece worthy of a museum.

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Quite the Find

According to the seller, this Bronco lived most of its life on a Texas cattle ranch. And like most farm trucks, it doesn't have many miles on the odometer - a mere 54,912, in fact. The original Springtime Yellow paint was there, along with all the original goodies. Which, if you know early Broncos, is not common!

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Starting from Scratch

The sheet metal did need a little bit of work, including filling the hole left by a CB antenna installed on the rear quarter. But otherwise, the body was mostly straight and in remarkable shape. Still, the restorer stripped the Bronco down to a bare shell and started from scratch to make it absolutely perfect.

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Mostly Original

The original fiberglass door inserts are still there, as is the tailgate, the original "eyebrows" over the headlights, and the round, fender-mounted mirror. The only non-original body parts are the hood and Bronco script emblems on the front fenders. The originals were simply too damaged to repair. 

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Keeping It Real

The same goes for the immaculate silver interior. From the Mustang-like bucket seats to the optional windshield-waster system, it's all there. Some little bits, like the original seat hinge covers, had to be replaced. But it's clear that the rebuilder went to great lengths to keep everything as original as possible.

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Devil's in the Details

The gauges, control layout, and dash are all unique to these early production Broncos. This particular U13 doesn't have a radio, but who really needs one in something this gorgeous? There are plenty of other cool details to check out inside, including the 1966-only rubber shift boot on the transfer case lever, at least!

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Covering all Bases

Even the correct spare tire assembly and jack are in place. Pretty much the only thing missing is the jack decal, normally located on the right inner wheel housing. But the seller has one on order, so that base has already been covered!

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Get 'er Done

Given this Bronco's originality, you won't exactly find a Coyote under the hood. Or even an old carbed 5.0. Nope, just a 170-inch inline-six. In all fairness, the little six banger gets the job done on the trails, where speed isn't really required.

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Worth the Asking Price

Of course, the little engine has been rebuilt to original factory specs. It also looks absolutely gorgeous in Ford Blue with the original heavy-duty oil bath air cleaner up top. All the good stuff is there, from the hard-to-find master cylinder cap to the metal fresh air box. It's pretty clear that you won't find many nicer (or more original) U13 Broncos than this one. All of which makes it well worth the sky-high asking price!

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