1967 Bronco 289 Survivor Wants a New Life After 56 Years With the Original Buyer's Family

The original Ford all-purpose four-wheel drive vehicle was exactly what it promised – a small utilitarian with little in terms of skin-deep beauty of luring creature comforts. The flat-surfaced, easy-to-build, easy-to-maintain, cheap-to-repair go-anywhere vehicle challenged the CJ-5 Jeep and International Harvester Scout regarding ruggedness, simplicity, and usability.

The initial Bronco came with two engine options, a 170-cube Six and the fabled Ford 289-V8 as the extra-cost alternative. Either way, the only transmission offered was a three-speed manual, with the lever on the column, and a constant-mesh two-range Dana 20 thru-drive transfer case. Interestingly, in the age when horsepower was the critical factor that everyone in Detroit was fighting to multiply, Ford decided to put their cards on the table.

The sales brochures from the period show a dual rating table, both in gross hp (as customary for every carmaker) and net output (ultimately, the critical detail a Bronco prospect needed to know). The standard 170-cubic-inch inline-six motor was good for 105/89 hp and 158/146 lb-ft (gross/net; in metric, that equates to 106/90 PS and 214/198 Nm).

On the other hand, the 289-cube V8 (4.7-liter) was a much more tempting offer, with its 200/150 hp and 282/242 lb-ft (203/152 PS and 382/328 Nm). The V8 registered a remarkable gap between the crank-measured horses and the actual remaining performance of the engine with all its ancillaries installed.

The final drive was a 4.11 rear gearing, with optional ratios of 3.50 or 4.57, depending on the load-bearing capacity of the axle. A Limited-Slip version was available for both the rear and front diffs (when so equipped, the latter also mandated free-running front hubs).

The first-gen Bronco offered three body styles: a wagon, a pickup, and a roadster with no doors or roof and the possibility to fold the windshield flat on the hood. A ‘Sport’ trim level was available for the wagon and pickup. Still, it was a visual improvement add-on consisting of chrome and bright metal finishes and decorations. The brochure for 1967 is attached at the bottom of this article; feel free to scroll through it and see what the precursor of today’s SUVs was like 56 years ago.

Alternatively, check out this example offered for sale after a life-long loyalty to the same family. That’s right, this beautiful old Ford Bronco from 1967 was bought new by the seller’s father and has been with him until the buyer passed it down to his son (and current owner). As a note of personal touch, this car is the one that the seller first learned to drive in. The vehicle is not speckless, as we can imagine, after a lifelong service. The odometer reads around 80k miles (129k kilometers), but it’s best to check with the owner.

Several documents accompany this Bronco to its next caretaker; one is a handwritten paper detailing servicing intervals and maintenance work performed. While of interest, the notes bring a question to the table – namely, the accuracy of the odometer. Some notes show a five-digit reading, while others record six figures. However, the dates are inconsistent and differ considerably, so don’t take that as a deal breaker.

The seller doesn’t try to put lipstick on the Bronco and tells it for what it is, with all its imperfections and past surgery interventions. The V8 was overhauled in 1989, and in 2016, the two-barrel carb was rebuilt, and the valvetrain was refreshed with lapped valves and new pushrods and lifters. A new fuel pump was added in 2020. The venerable 289 V8 misfires occasionally, and the sending unit could use a new seal.

In 1995, nearing three decades of service, the Bronco got new rear axle bearings, a master cylinder, wheel cylinders, shock absorbers, and a windshield. Sometime at the beginning of the tenth decade of the last century of the past millennium, the livery was refreshed in the factory shade of Frost Turquoise. Six years ago, the upholstery was redone.

The winch – one of the many add-ons a Bronco could latch on to its power take-off unit at the front – is no longer functional, and the doors have lost some of their ability to close properly. Some rust spots chip the right rocker panel, the tailgate, and two corners of the engine bay. Besides the AM radio and the heater, Bronco's only commodity is the roof-mounted spotlight.

With five days left of bidding, the highest offer currently sits at $17,500. If the video below is not proof enough, a close-up inspection can be arranged – a drive-test is also possible – by contacting the seller. Originally a Wyoming car, this 1967 Bronco is now located in Hayden Lake, Idaho.