1979 Ford Ranger XLT Bronco, Southern Truck, 460 Engine, Automatic, Solid, Nice

1979 Ford Bronco Description

This is a very solid 1979 Ford Bronco from the dry state of Alabama. It came from the northern part of the state away from the ocean. I would have to say this Bronco is 98-99% rust free. There is no rust in the floor pans, rocker panels, rear quarters, hood, front fenders, and doors. There is some light surface rust on the inside of the bottom section of the tailgate, it is not through to the outside, but it is there. The factory chalk on the lower inside bottom of the doors has some light surface rust there, nothing through to the outside. There has not been any rust repairs made as well to this Bronco, it is all original metal. Even though this vehicle is in Michigan now, it has never seen a Michigan winter or road salt. It is stored inside year round. The odometer shows 53,289 miles to date, believed to be original as I was told, nothing tells me or shows me to believe it’s not true.

This is my personal keeper Bronco that I have owned for the last 16 years. I have owned a number of Ford Broncos over the years, this one is one of the most solid ones I have ever had. I had to look a long time and search with a few road trips under the belt before I found one that hasn’t been messed up or that wasn’t a rust bucket. The only reason I am listing it up for sale is, I have been working on a ground-up restoration of a 1971 Ford half cab Bronco for the last five years. I have other toys/vehicles as well and just don’t need them all anymore. I am not desperate to sell this, if it sells it sells.

The Bronco runs and drives very nice. It has had many upgrades done to it which I will explain. This Bronco has not been all jacked up and lifted, it is a pretty stock unmolested truck, other than the upgrades. This Bronco is ready to drive and enjoy.

ENGINE:

Ford 460 V-8 big block that has been bored and stroked to 490 cu.in. Professionally built by a reputable engine builder, it is balanced and blueprinted. The engine has the following components in it: Eagle H-beam rods, Speed Pro forged pistons, Harland Sharp roller rockers w/screw in studs & guide plates, hardened 3/8” pushrods, ARP head and main studs, Competition Cams hydraulic cam (have cam card w/ specs), Melling high volume oil pump, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum intake, MSD 6AL ignition box w/ billet aluminum distributor, MSD coil, New Holley 750 cfm carb, double pumper with kickdown lever for trans, K&N air and fuel filters, double roller timing chain, and Ford Motorsport tall aluminum valve covers. There is some porting work done on the cylinder heads. The motor carries very good oil and stays cool in the summer heat as well. The L&L Products motor mounts, plugs, wires, thermostat, belts, and hoses are all new when the motor was installed.

TRANSMISSION / TRANSFERCASE:

Rebuilt C-6 automatic transmission done by a professional transmission shop. Thoroughly rebuilt with upgrades done to the thrust washers, additional clutches added, and valve body. Has a shift kit installed, and a new (NOT rebuilt) quality torque convertor. There is a mechanical transmission temperature gauge inside the truck the goes into the side of the pan. Also installed up front is a heavy duty B&M racing trans cooler with stainless steel braided lines running from the cooler to the trans. New Process 205 gear drive transfercase was totally disassembled, cleaned, thoroughly inspected, and reassembled with all new seals and gaskets.

AXLES / SUSPENSION:

Dana 44 front axle, disc brakes, 3.50 gears, open diff. Ford 9” rear axle, 3.50 gears, Trac-loc posi unit, big bearing housing. Both axles are pretty much stock, other than having brake work done, and routine maintenance performed. Bearings, seals, ball joints, u-joint, and tie rods are all in good working order. This Bronco has NO lift kit on it. I installed heavy duty progressive rate cargo coils up front, and has the stock leaf springs under the rear. Shocks and steering stabilizer have all been replaced with Rancho RS5000. Driveshaft’s are good and tight, not sloppy, they have been rebuilt.

INTERIOR:

The interior is all the original stuff that’s in pretty darn good shape for its age. It has the Ranger interior trim package that has the wood grain door panels and dash trim. The original carpet is in really good shape, not all tore up, it was redyed in the factory red color. The dash pad is not cracked or warped. No extra drill holes or anything like that on the dash. It has an Alpine stereo, Autometer tach, Mallory 2 5/8” gauges, and a chrome roll bar in the rear. All gauges, speedometer, wipers, and heater controls all work good. The factory oil pressure and water temp gauges work but are not currently hooked up, the aftermarket Mallory gauges under the dash are all functional. This Bronco has factory air conditioning and factory cruise control, which both work but currently has some of the components under the hood unhooked when the big block was installed. I have all the factory components to put it back to original that go with the Bronco.

EXTERIOR:

The Bronco was repainted at one time in the original black color. It is a respectable paint job, but it is not flawless. It does have some lights scratches and some stone chips on the lower areas of the body. There also are a couple small dings in the hood and tailgate, nothing real bad or big, but they are there. It has the factory XLT Ranger exterior package on it, which gives you all the chrome moldings around the windows, beltline molding, chrome bumpers, wheel well trim, drip edge trim, tailgate trim, and chrome grille insert. All moldings/chrome are in decent shape, not all pitted or dinged up. The outer grille shell is a NOS (New Old Stock) that was installed on the Bronco, it is in excellent shape! All the body panels appear to be the original OEM sheet metal.

OTHER / MISC.:

Tires are near new 33x12.50x15 BF Goodrich All Terrain KO’s, mounted on 15 X 8 KMC aluminum modular wheels. Engine has L&L Products nickel plated fenderwell exit headers with 3” pipe going to Flowmaster 70 series mufflers, I think it sounds nice, some people say it’s too loud, an easy change if the buyer don’t like the sound. The Bronco has factory power steering that works great, also factory power brakes that has an electric vacuum pump and reservoir to assist the braking. The fuel gauge works and has a Mallory electric fuel pump back by the tank. The back glass window in the tailgate goes up and down. There is a big tank 4 core radiator with shroud and a factory 7 blade clutch fan that keeps the Bronco cool, it does NOT overheat.

There are two maintenance items that the Bronco could use: the heater core started to drip a little last year, so I just looped the heater hose in the engine bay at the time. I only drive the Bronco in the summer months so didn’t worry about it at the time. I have a brand new heater core in the box to go with the Bronco. The power steering pump has a very small drip off the bottom of the reservoir at times. It is not big, but it’s there. It’s either the o-ring on the reservoir or the o-ring on the high pressure hose. The steering work great, no issue there. The pump and lines have all been replaced in the past.

I have taken some time to thoroughly write this description with honesty and details to the best of my knowledge. Yes the Bronco does need a few minor things, but nothing big or show stoppers. You could drive this Bronco home if you wish to, it might use a little fuel depending on where you live. It has not been fully restored, it is not flawless, but a very respectable Bronco. The underbody/chassis has been cleaned and painted black a couple years ago. It is still very clean free of dirt and grease. I looked a long time to find a Bronco this original and not all messed up or jacked up. I have a pile of receipts for the motor build and the Bronco over the years, I will include with the sale. All the upgrades I have done to the Bronco including the motor have less than 2,000 miles on them.

Buyer is responsible for all shipping/transportation costs. It can be shipped right to your doorstep if needed. I will make my schedule flexible for pickup of the Bronco when needed, and assist in loading. A United States Post Office Money Order or a Paypal transaction of $2,000.00 for a deposit must be received within 48 hours after the auction closes. The deposit is NON-Refundable. Standard money orders, cashier’s checks, personal checks and bank checks NOT accepted. Cash is always welcomed. The remainder of payment for the Bronco must be a wire transfer to my bank, or cash in person. I will not release the Bronco or title until paid in full. Bronco must be paided for in full 10 days after close of auction. Clean Michigan title in hand. Bronco must be picked up within two weeks after auction closes, unless discussed prior to end of auction. Feel free to call Joel @ 616-994-253zero with any further questions. I have a great track record on Ebay with 100% feedback rate, I feel I do good honest business. Good luck, and happy bidding!