little history on my '66 U13

I know some of you guys I'v already told about you about the history and prior owners of my latest '66 U13. But for the rest of the Bronco nuts ;D on this site you might find some of it kind of interesting... well at least the old pics you might!

Anyways, if you might remember I bought my white Sep. build '66 oh back in 2010. At the time of the purchase like the rest of you guys I really wasn't looking to buy anything, "just looking"... yeah right! lol So, I was surfing Craigslist in TX and I came upon a '66 1/2. As soon as I got a good look at it I knew it was a U13 not a U14. It had the snaps across the tailgate bits and pieces of the old Witco soft top hardware and such. So, I did what the rest of us would have done is to call ASAP! Amazingly enough I got right through to the owner. I most likely rambled incoherently some questions about the Bronco. After asking about the VIN and being confirmed it truly was an U13 we struck a deal over the phone within hour time. Later in story the I'll go in a little more detail about the terms of the sale. Here is 2 pics of it shortly after I got it home from TX. Yes that is after I hosed it off... the transporter almost charged me extra for the mess of his trailer and the extra 300-400 lb. of dried mud on the truck! All four fender were packed solid of dirt as if I cemented them of demolition derby night. haha

So, over the course of the next year on owning the truck I started to return it back to an U13 but not to fully restore it just clean up what I had to work with, seen in the last couple pics.

My kids are also Bronco nuts too so anytime there is an opportunity to take "whitish" out for drive we take the Bronco! Even if Cleveland just had 8" of new snow and we are jonesing for a short cruise!

Please stay tuned in because there is a lot more of this story to come! So have a GREAT and SAFE Happy New Year Eve and I'll continue next year! ;D

Hey I reconize those Doors! Probably because they are going on my project I cant wait to hear the rest of this story!

Awesome Jeff, can't wait for the rest...!

I really like these stories please continue.

More Jeff. Thx

I want to hear the rest of the story!Hey what happen to that step bumper I like it almost as much as the 1/2 top!

Looking forward to the next installment!

Todd Z.

Ok Jeff....you got us all lured in Now tell us more!

Andy
Blue71

I'll be up all night waiting to hear the rest of this story.;D

I had an Aug. 65, U13 that Nicks Trix restored for me. Wish I had Never sold that one. Still my favorite.

Looks good. Continue the story.....

Hey I'm back at it... I hope everyone had a fun but safe New Years Eve!

I'll do the second leg of this story with my U13. Oh it was about year ago on a lazy Saturday home with my kids I jumped on the web and was looking up 1966 Bronco roadster pics. Yeah you guys don't have to tell me I'm a Bronco nerd! haha Anyhow, I stumbled across this old pic on this web site http://wymanmeinzer.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/winters-in-my-life/

Wyman's own words "1966 Bronco Roadster was my pride and joy...until winter!"

Not only was it looking at an time capsule but I was struck back by this guy's understanding he once owned a Bronco "roadster" not just a Bronco with a soft top. Oh course I was very interested in looking at an original picture of U13 I blew up the photo and I quickly realized I might actually own this guy's truck! There are several key things that caught my eye right off the bat. Now I mind you my driver's side of my truck has a lot more dents in it from Wyman's old photo. What I saw was the dent lower taillight housing, also the other dent in the taillight housing just above the rear fender line. I spotted the crease/dent in rear fender line about 2:00 on the back wheel! Lastly the jagged rip on the red rocker stripe! Could it be I have this guy's, "pride and joy"? So I sent him an email explaining who I am and why (the dents) I think I have his truck. With in couple hours he emailed me back and from there we have been talking ever since. Our first mails back and forth were on trying ID if I had his truck... check for that dent or this scare, and etc. Not only did he remember the Bronco he remembered extreme details.

I hate to do this again to you guys but I'll to continue a bit later. I'll try to jump on a later tonight!

PS yes the 1/2 cab top and doors found good homes ;D;D;D but I'm afraid the unique and strange step bumper wasn't so lucky. I happily gave it to my good friend Nolan "Ohio Bronco 21" but after he sold his truck to another local guy he figured it was scrap... so he scraped. I'd love to have that bumper back because Wyman who was the second owner of the Bronco work for the original who bought Bronco new. The truck from new always had that back bumper on it! I honestly I had know idea that such a bumper could be purchased from at the dealer. It seems to me we have found another '66 Bronco oddity... and it got scraped!

Great thread. Looking forward to the next installment.

First vote for you to sew gunnysacks back in for windows if you put a WhitCo on it!

Jeff, great stories and good detective work! Love it.

That bumper story makes me sad too. I've learned over the years to hold onto stuff even tho it may seem like it shouldn't belong. Just because there isn't a factory brochure with a picture or a ford part number on something, doesn't mean it doesn't have history back to the dealer and beyond....

Awesome story, keep it coming!

GREAT read so far.....and then what?

Fun stuff, Jeff. I hope you don't restore this one. I've always loved it just as it is, although I know if you restore it is will be a beauty too.

Sorry guys... I have been running crazy this weekend!

I'm back on it now .... in one of Wyman's first couple of emails to me he had stated that about 6 months earlier (prior to me contacting him) he actually came across some of the original bank paperwork when he had bough it at 17 yr. old. Knowing the paper should have the VIN number would indeed be final prof if I had his Bronco or not. He told me it might take him a few weeks to track it down again. Well, about two days later he sends me this pictures.


It's in confirmed I own Wyman's '66 Bronco Roadster! Of course he really wanted to know how the heck I bought it and, "you are where... Cleveland, OH???" Me being the bloodhound I wanted to know who he got it from.

Well my side of things was shorter then his. "I was got looking on Texas Craigslist a couple years ago and I found your '66 Bronco out of Abilene, TX. The guy I bought it from said it was his father's little truck he used it on his ranch. The gentleman told me his father had passed a year earlier and it was time to find it a good new home. He also told me he bought around 1975 and used it daily but took it off road in 1986." So, not much history from me but some.

Now his turn... Wyman told me he worked at 150K acre ranch as a ranch hand from a teenager all the way through until graduation of college. "We had all the gun and ammo we would want... we got paid for what we shot." (How cool was that for a teenager? Most kids that age are saying, "Welcome to McDonalds may I take your order" lol) Anyways Wyman want on to tell me his boss/owner of the ranch bought the '66 new and only on two different occasions that he got the drive it but loved driving the Roadster! So, one day driving home from work in his company ranch truck passed by where his cousin worked a gas station and there the Bronco was sitting out. He pulled right in and asked what was his boss doing with the Bronco? They told him that he was selling it so, Wyman hurried home to ask his dad about buying it. After little discussion Wyman's dad told him he would help him get the need loan. The following day Wyman told his boss I want to buy the Bronco. His boss told him that he had a gentleman coming to see/buy the Bronco later that night. Wyman is his shock said would you steer the guy wrong for $50 extra bucks. His boss said, sorry can't do that the guy has made plans to come because he lives an hour away. Wyman at that point turned away back to his father and he said to Wyman, "offer him more money." Wyman then turned and said, "would you sell it to me for an extra $150?" So the he agree and the rest it history!

He is the really crazy part... as I almost choked on my own lunch while reading Wyman's email to me telling that story. I had to tell him on my actual purchase agreement. Remember early in this thread I said I'll get back to it... well here is it. Like I said that lazy Saturday was actually a little more that eventful lazy. Yes as soon as I saw the pictures of the '66 on Craigslist I called right away... I had to talk to the owner. Like I said I got right through. I asked him for the VIN (which he ha don hand) a,d to mail me more pictures which he did with in 15 min. During the time in between getting more pics sent I called my father. I told him it's a roadster and I think it in pretty good shape. I wanted his opinion on the truck so I hurry over to his shop. By that time more pics were sent and together we check out the Bronco. My father agree to what I was looking at... it was a solid truck and worth buying. I called the owner right back from my father shop. I talked with the owner and said, "I want to buy it, what would you let it go to me for?" The owner said, "well your the second guy who called and the first guy is coming tonight to look at it."

KNOWING MY TEXAS BRONCO BROTHERS OUT THERE I HAD LITTLE TO NO CHANCE ON THIS TRUCK STILL BEING THERE BY THE END OF THE NIGHT! lol

So, I offer the owner this, "would you sell it to me if I gave you, your asking price?" The owner replied back, " the guy who is coming to see the truck has made plans because he lives a bout hour away... but your are second on the list of many now but I will call you either way tonight. I'll sell it to you if this guy who coming doesn't buy it."

So, I agree and got off the phone with very little hope that I'll ever buy the truck. My dad looked at me, "well???" I told him the deal, my father looked right at me and said, "call him right back and offer him more money!" Well, sure enough I called him right back, "would you sell it to me if I give you an extra $250 for the Bronco?" I the owner said, "I can do that!" ;D

WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT WYMAN AND I BOUGHT THE BRONCO ALMOST THE EXACT SAME WAY???

Another minor point to the sale of the truck. I was so stoked I wanted to lock it up, "so no if's or and's or but's" it was mine! I offered Paypal deposit, bank wire transfer, find a trusting person to run over cash deposit or whatever he wanted! He said, "no need... just send a check in the mail." So, next morning I sent the funds right out Priority Mail in 3 days it got to him! In my absolute shock on the same day all the paperwork for the bronco showed up in my mailbox! The title, Bill of Sale, and the Deed from him and his sister who sign off of the truck because of their father's passing. I was floored! I knew everthing had crossed in the mail! I called the owner right away, "how did I get the stuff so quickly?" He said, "Jeff I'm old school my word is my word and handshake is a done deal." "But I never got to shake your hand?" He said, "Jeff, I knew you wanted dad's old truck so bad... I knew your were good for the money!"

That's the full story about on how I bought the truck from the 3rd owner but please stay tuned because I still have more to share about Wyman the 2nd owner!

very cool story jeff. quite the enjoyable read. thanks for sharing

Thanks Jeff for posting. I just found this thread. More pics.