1976 Ford Bronco Rust Bucket Saved After Sitting for Decades, 302 V8 Still Runs

Ford built around 207,000 first-generation Broncos in 11 years. That's a low figure compared to other nameplates from the era, but big enough to prevent it from getting an "extremely scarce" status. However, because the old Broncos had rust issues and tough lives, many of them are no longer around. While some are simply too rusty to be saved.

And this 1976 Bronco also came really close to spending the rest of its life as a rust bucket. Abandoned back in 2000, the SUV spent no fewer than 21 years off the road. And while it's pretty obvious that it had a rough life with very little maintenance as far as body panels go, things got worse after two decades in a junkyard.

Is it worth saving? Well, many classic car enthusiasts wouldn't be caught dead in such a rusty vehicle, but YouTube's "Jennings Motor sports" thought that the Bronco deserves a second chance. Despite how bad it looks inside and out and not knowing whether the old mill under the hood will ever run again.

But amazingly enough, the 302-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) V8 came back to life with just a little bit of work. Sure, it has a faulty carburetor and there's no fuel tank to provide dinosaur juice, but it runs like a champ as long as it gets starting fluid into the carburetor. Needless to say, the "Built Ford Tough" slogan certainly applies here.

Originally introduced with an inline-six engine, the Bronco got its optional V8 in the form of a 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) mill in 1966. The engine was enlarged to 302 cubic inches in 1969 and remained in production through 1977, the first-gen Bronco's final year on the market. In 1976, the V8 was good for 138 horsepower and 245 pound-feet (332 Nm) of torque.

With the 302 still running after two decades, the Bronco definitely deserves a few more years on the road, but it needs a few repairs to become a driveable classic. Hopefully, we'll see it back on the road soon. Meanwhile, check it out fighting for life in the video below.