Just 199 V8-powered 1966 Bronco U13 Roadsters were ever built, and we didn't have to go far to find this one.
Rare Find, Close to Home
It isn't exactly every day that you see a Ford Bronco U13 Roadster. Let alone a V8-powered one. For sale or anywhere else. So we were quite pleased to find one right here in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums, and it's undergoing a full restoration thanks to its owner and member eclectix (Steve H).
Photos: Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Rare as Hen's Teeth
Ford trucks in general just don't get any rarer than this, after all. Just 199 V8-powered U13 Roadsters were built in total, and there's no telling how many have been lost to Father Time.
Join the conversation about this Bronco roadster right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Slice of the Pie
In terms of total production, only 4,090 U13s were built in the 1966 model year. That may sound like a lot, but that's merely a small portion of the tens of thousands of SUV models built that same year.
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Making Progress
The owner of this rare ride has completed quite a bit of work since he first obtained it. That includes a fresh set of restored bumpers, a new spare tire, and a full engine redo.
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Rebuild, Recover
The original seats were in pretty terrible condition when Steve picked up his Bronco nearly 20 years ago. Since then, they've undergone a complete teardown, rebuild, and recover.
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Rot Free
Surprisingly, this Bronco Roadster doesn't appear to have much rot outside of a little surface rust. That's rare, obviously, for vehicles that tend to rust out pretty easily, especially those with no real top or doors.
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"Patina" Restoration
At this point, Steve reveals his plans for the rare Bronco - he wants to complete a "patina" restoration at this time, not a full frame-off job. And truthfully, as nice as this one is, we don't blame him.
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Piece by Piece
With the seats looking fantastic, he also installs a new dashpad and hood. He then picks up some fresh moldings for the seats, as well as a new radiator surge tank.
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Freshen Up
After batting around the idea of selling his Bronco, Steve gets back to work. First order of business? Painting the new hood to make it look just a bit better.
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Coming Along
While he's at it, he also installs some new rockers and prepares them for paint. Next up, he plans on performing an alignment and mounting the stock wheels and tires. So be sure and head over here to follow along as this rare old Bronco comes back to life!
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For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit the how-to section of the forum.
