thinking about a 66

[rodsteal]

Hey guys. I know that their are people on here who know more than I do. That being said, I want to enlist some help in my next possible purchase.

I already have a 70 and I was looking at a 66 today that I found for 4500. First meeting with the guy about it today I got him down to 3700.

I looked at it today. it is not in sad shape, not a ton of rust, a little, few dent, 80% original, uncut. I was thinking about a stock restoration.

I am not planning to sell it and retire, but I would like to get something for my trouble. After doing mine, I figured I could be into this for anywhere from 12-15k if I did 90% of the work, which is fine.

I know collectors are picky, and that is where I need some feedback. Is there anything special about the 66 I need to know before I jump into this? I know about straight bumper ends, long transfer case shifter, gauge cluster, single tank

 

[Broncobill78]

The only thing that jumps to mind right off since you mention collectors is that I know a lot of guys sure do hate those Dana 30's that came in the early trucks (66-70 I believe). Everyone wants that 44 up front. Dunno how that whole thing goes, I'd think most guys would prefer practicality over originality but I'd plan on making sure it had a 44 before I tried to flip it.

Maybe you could build it as a Baja Bronco, those half-top trucks sure do bring the bux.

 

[S_bolt19]

First thing to know about that 66, is it a U-13, a U-14 or a U-15 in the VIN? If it is an original U-13 (roadster) and you restore it to factory specs, you can get a good dollar amount for them, in original condition. They will definatly lose their value if you go and change out original parts (i.e. engine, trans, axles, dash, etc.) for newer parts if you are looking to sell it on the collector's behalf.

If it is the U-14 then it was originally a half cab. Here again, if you are going for the collector value, don't change anything. And the U-15, a wagon, was the most common.

The U-13s had door inserts, soft doors & top. Not a lot of them were made and therefore they are, in Bronco terms, one of the more valuable stock EBs. The other two, U-14 & 15 both would have removable door window frames. Why they did that, I am not real sure. The dash speaker cover also was more centered and the slats were longer. They were more the size of a 6" circular speaker than what your '70 speaker cover is.

To give you an idea of what they are worth, the architect that works for my construction company has a completely stock 66 wagon. 170 cu I-6 in it and I offered him $8k for it and he turned me down flat. He told me "why would you offer me an absurd price like that". He thought that I was pulling his leg, but his 66 is, on a scale of 1-10, is an 8 or 9. Zero rust, original owner, less than 100k miles on the entire thing, original paint and garage kept for the last 35 years. It only comes out on nice days. But he thought I was off my rocker for offering that. Anyway, what I am getting at is that in original condition, they can be worth more to the collector than the would be to someone who is going to just cut it up and build a beater out of it. Read Jesse James from Monster Garage here and what he did to that stock 68. If you are just buying it to turn it into a daily driver/stock but not show quality, I wouldn't change a thing on it either. It probably has that I-170 in it which is extremely reliable and when tuned right, more fuel efficient than a 289/302. As for the rest of the drive train, I woudn't worry about changing anything else out either unless you decide to cut the fenders and install a set of 33 or bigger tires on it. The D30 isn't going to break and not to mention, you don't have to go out and buy another axle and hope that it has the same gear ratio that you have in the 9".

Post some pix of it if you can get them or if you buy it. Hope that helps you out a little.

 

[rodsteal]

Thanks for the info. I plan on picking it up tomorrow, if the guy still has it. I am not trying to make a fortune, if fact, its more for the challenge and to gain experience. I think it would be a fun project and I got hooked on mine right out of the gate. I will take my time and get this one as OG as possible.

I know that it is the wagon, and the paint is original as well as the 170, three speed on the tree and transfer case. I will post some pics if I get up the nerve to buy it tomorrow.