Daily Slideshow: A one-owner vehicle most of its life, this beautiful 1973 Ford Bronco looks like it hasn't worked a day in its life.
True Survivor
These days, it almost feels like clean, original Broncos are popping up everywhere. That is pretty amazing given the fact that these simplistic off-roaders were typically used hard and beat on by their original owners. That certainly wasn't the case with this well-preserved '73 Bronco, however, which recently caught our eye at Bring a Trailer.
Dry Living
The original owner of this beautiful Bronco purchased it brand new in dry Nevada back in 1973, then held onto it until 2014. The new owner did do some refurbishing on the old 'ute, starting with a repaint in its original green and white livery.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Desirable Rig
The new owner also performed some work to the interior, suspension, and drivetrain to get this old Bronco running and looking like new again. The Ranger-trim truck sports some pretty nice and desirable options.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Sporty Looks
The Ranger package offered some nice features back in '73, including that rear spare tire carrier, lower body stripes, and a u-shaped hood decal. The original steel wheels with hubcaps remain, though they're wrapped in modern BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Luxurious Trim
Inside, the Ranger trimmed Broncos also offered houndstooth cloth inserts on the seats and door panels, color matched carpet, extra sound insulation, and vinyl trim in the rear on the quarter panels. All-in-all, this is about as luxurious as it gets for a first-gen Bronco interior.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Like New
The original carpet and seats were replaced/recovered during this Bronco's refurbishment, which means they look as good as new. Other options include an AM radio and power steering.
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Rarely Driven
Under the hood, this Bronco packs a 302 V8 with 95k miles showing on the odometer. Just 2k of those miles have been added since the restoration was completed. All-in-all, that's still pretty impressive mileage for a vehicle that's now a whopping 46 years old.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Routine Maintenance
The V8 is backed up by a column-shifted 3-speed manual transmission, which sends power to a 2-speed transfer case. Quite a bit of maintenance has been performed recently, including the installation of new water and fuel pumps, belts, hoses, and fluid refresh.
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Up to Speed
The rest of the work performed by the previous owner includes installing new shocks, springs, master cylinder, and brakes. And that's pretty much all this well-maintained Bronco needed to get back up to speed.
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
Bucking the Trends
All-in-all, this '73 Bronco is a fine example of an original first-gen. That is something you rarely see in this day and age of restomods and cut fenders. And for that reason alone, we love every single inch of this old off-roader!
>>Join the conversation about this first-gen Bronco right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
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