Could you get dealer option fender flares like this back in `76 ?

[UNCbronco]

Could you get metal fender flares install like this on your Bronco as a dealer add on option back in `76 ? What do you think ? Thanks

 

[Lewko66u13]

Curios aswell seen the post on fb and the guy is saying it’s all original.

 

[Slowleak]

That was not a dealer option. It doesn’t mean a dealer did not do it, but it was not a Ford dealer option.

 

[okie4570]

Curios aswell seen the post on fb and the guy is saying it’s all original.

That 302 badge isn't original for sure on a 76'

 

[Broncobowsher]

If the dealer had a really good body shop, they could have done that. But highly unlikely, dealers were after quick profits. Dealers would have just slapped on a quick set of fiberglass flares and sent it onto the showroom.

Some people don't understand what original means. That looks very customized. And not back in the day customized either, fresh stuff. Not super flashy over the top, but a lot of little things.

 

[DirtDonk]

Do the codes indicate it’s a legitimate Ranger?

 

[UNCbronco]

Do the codes indicate it’s a legitimate Ranger?

Here is what he sent me; can you decode it ? Thanks

 

[okie4570]

Here is what he sent me; can you decode it ? Thanks

AG is Olive Ranger buckets and rear seat.

 

[DirtDonk]

Cool. So what are G and BG?
Nice Bronco no matter what UNC. The 4900 for the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) means it's got the heavy-duty suspension package.

And I don't rule out the dealer completely. I agree that most dealers would never have gotten that exotic with flaring and matching the Ranger stripes (maybe 1 out of 4,000?), but many dealers still knew local customizing shops that might do special work for them now and then. By the '80's and '90's it was a huge part of the industry.
My biggest customer here locally with Trailmaster suspensions was a huge new vehicle customizer that worked the entire west coast. They had trucks and trailers, their own body/paint shop that would have put most full size body shops to shame, a big fancy showroom and you saw their logo decals on the tails of vehicles driving around almost any time you looked.
So while this work on a Bronco would have been almost unheard of, it might not be completely impossible for someone to have bought it from a dealer that way.

One of the other large customizers in Southern CA was a "bailment pool" customer that took delivery of vehicles by train directly from Ford and GM to do custom work for dealers. Once the work was done the still-new vehicles were delivered to the dealer with all the add-ons and what-nots already installed ready to go on the lot for prospective customers to oogle.
That's how a lot of the old-school custom vans got done. Not all of them, but a good percentage went through these customizers before the dealer ever saw them.
Again, a Bronco in one of these situations was pretty rare. But not unheard of. Didn't Stroppe work that way too? Broncos went straight to them? Or did they work through dealers? I'm guessing direct.

Paul

 

[Scoop]

Odd that whoever did it applied the Ranger stripes differently on each side behind the rear wheel wells. I see that the intent was to go around the lower spare tire carrier hinge - that's not how Ford put the stripes around the hinge. Nicely done but I agree with most comments - not likely done by the dealer and most likely done fairly recently.

 

[okie4570]

Cool. So what are G and BG?
Nice Bronco no matter what UNC. The 4900 for the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) means it's got the heavy-duty suspension package.

And I don't rule out the dealer completely. I agree that most dealers would never have gotten that exotic with flaring and matching the Ranger stripes (maybe 1 out of 4,000?), but many dealers still knew local customizing shops that might do special work for them now and then. By the '80's and '90's it was a huge part of the industry.
My biggest customer here locally with Trailmaster suspensions was a huge new vehicle customizer that worked the entire west coast. They had trucks and trailers, their own body/paint shop that would have put most full size body shops to shame, a big fancy showroom and you saw their logo decals on the tails of vehicles driving around almost any time you looked.
So while this work on a Bronco would have been almost unheard of, it might not be completely impossible for someone to have bought it from a dealer that way.

One of the other large customizers in Southern CA was a "bailment pool" customer that took delivery of vehicles by train directly from Ford and GM to do custom work for dealers. Once the work was done the still-new vehicles were delivered to the dealer with all the add-ons and what-nots already installed ready to go on the lot for prospective customers to oogle.
That's how a lot of the old-school custom vans got done. Not all of them, but a good percentage went through these customizers before the dealer ever saw them.
Again, a Bronco in one of these situations was pretty rare. But not unheard of. Didn't Stroppe work that way too? Broncos went straight to them? Or did they work through dealers? I'm guessing direct.

Paul

G is auto transmission and B8J is limited slip front and back axles 3.50 gears

 

[hyghlndr]

No, not original.

 

[m_m70]

not sure if it was done too recently. Might be my screen but the drivers side rear quarter seam looks like it has some funk goin on there. Would think that would have been cleaned up when they did the work under it.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Paint looks way fresh to me. Doesn't even look like something done back in the day. Style, yes. Execution, modern.

 

[m_m70]

Paint looks way fresh to me.

I would agree. Does the rear drivers side quarter seam (upper to lower) look like its got issues or is it my screen? Looks like the typical rot bubbling though.

 

[UNCbronco]

I did talk with the owner about this Ranger. He said his father bought this Ranger in 1989 from a Napa Valley, CA winery and they bought it brand new, and it sat in their barn for years before he bought it from them. It only had around 33,000 miles on it, and they pulled the motor out and replaced it with a new crate engine. He said he didn`t know why his father changed the motor back then. He got the Ranger from his father back in 2006 and drives it now. He does not have any paperwork or documents from the original owner or from anything that his father done to it. It does have rust area in the usual places. He said in the 33 years that they have owned it they have never done any body or paint work on it and that`s why he said it had the original paint. For me this guy just didn`t know enough about this Ranger for me to buy it, so I am passing on it. Also, I was not a big fan about the fender flares, really would like an uncut one in this color combo. Thanks for everyone comments.

 

[fordfan]

I would definitely pass on it unless it is really cheap in this crazy market. It is obvious that is has body filler and rust issues. It is obvious that it indeed isn't original paint or flares. As previously mentioned, it has badges added to the fenders, and something else that I noticed is that the original rear view mirror holes in the doors have been filled and the mirrors have been reinstalled in a weird position on the doors.... really far to the front. If it's cheap enough, you could restore it to an uncut original though....

I've seen the same method of a rare 'survivor' all jacked up many times before, and the previous owner's modifications billed as rare 'original' stuff!

 

[NGABronco]

I would definitely pass on it unless it is really cheap in this crazy market. It is obvious that is has body filler and rust issues. It is obvious that it indeed isn't original paint or flares. As previously mentioned, it has badges added to the fenders, and something else that I noticed is that the original rear view mirror holes in the doors have been filled and the mirrors have been reinstalled in a weird position on the doors.... really far to the front. If it's cheap enough, you could restore it to an uncut original though....

I've seen the same method of a rare 'survivor' all jacked up many times before, and the previous owner's modifications billed as rare 'original' stuff!

Picky, Picky, Picky!!! LOL
I'm sure glad we got folks like you that catch all those details, good eye Dennis!!! Now go help your Dad finish his Roadster!!!

 

[sprdv1]

Could you get metal fender flares install like this on your Bronco as a dealer add on option back in `76 ? What do you think ? Thanks

Me thinks make it Yours No matter what

 

[sprdv1]

G is auto transmission and B8J is limited slip front and back axles 3.50 gears

the vin man taking us to school