BF Auction: 1985 Ford Bronco 4-Speed
- Seller: Michael V
- Location: Buckeye, Arizona
- Mileage: 300,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 1FMDU15Y1FLA78607
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 300ci Inline-6
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
The third-generation Ford Bronco was a tailored update to the previous model and was reportedly in development since before the previous Bronco was on the market. This white and black 4×4 is a bit of a project truck as the u-joint broke on the rear drive shaft, so it’s been sitting in this garage for a few months. It’s being listed here as a Barn Finds Auction, and it sounds like it would be an easy fix.
It looks solid and is located west of Phoenix, where rust typically isn’t as big of an issue as it is in the Midwest and Northeast portions of the U.S.. That location appears to have spared this Bronco from the ravages of salty roads. As it isn’t driveable until the rear u-joint is changed, the photos aren’t the best as they’re all taken while this Bronco was parked in the garage.
There aren’t many photos, but I don’t see any major flaws here, inside or out. I like the simple theme of this Bronco, which appears to be a base model rather than an XLT or Eddie Bauer trim level. Even the standard Bronco would have had standard chrome bumpers front and rear, so these have been changed to black bumpers at some point. They fit the lower black trim theme well and look more cohesive than chrome bumpers would have looked.
For a truck located in southern Arizona, the interior looks outstanding. I’m assuming something is happening with the steering wheel since it’s covered, but we don’t know. I used to use one of those in the winter in northern Minnesota for the cold, but maybe folks use them in Arizona for the heat? I don’t see cracks or any big issues with the interior, for the most part. Is that a third pedal? Yes, yes, it is. This truck has a four-speed manual.
And, is that a straight-six? Yes, it’s Ford’s 300-cu.in. OHV inline-six with 120 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. It sends power through that four-speed manual and a transfer case to all four wheels, when they are connected with driveshafts and u-joints. This one has been sitting in the garage for the last four months, and the seller has the parts to fix it, but it sounds like it’ll be up to the next owner to take it on.
Bid On This Auction
BlisterEm bid $2,500.00 2024-09-05 09:15:18
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Comments
I love the Bronco , wish it was closer.
Its a stick with straight six a perfect combination in my opinion. U got what need to get the job done. Should bring plenty of smiles and looks to be in good shape. 300 six is bulletproof and with a stick as a bonus! Trucks were made to have a stick shift in my opinion. Drove 5 axle class for 30 years. Good luck to buyer and seller and drive it!!
💯 Har. Good call.
I found w these 300s and the stick shift, they are slow… but never really feel that slow. If you know what i mean.
Nice to hear of your truck driving experience, always enjoy the opinions from the Commercial drivers.
6 In a row..Ready to tow. 🙌
OJ, OJ, OJ…..I said it first!……lol.
U-joint is an easy fix! Get that replaced and your bids will go much higher, imo.
The Ford I-6 is great for flatlands commuting. Inclines and pulling a trailer will put a great deal of stress on the power train and the driver. Wonder if a V8 conversion is relatively straightforward
Buckeye,East of Phoenix on I – 10.
I always have cloth steering wheel covers,all the others get to hot.
West! :)
Correct
Bought a ’91 short bed F150 brand new with a 300/5 spd. 4WD. Drove her cross country and back. It never felt underpowered to me, granted it had a few more ponies being EFI. Miss that truck.
I go a lot to “local” motorcycle track days. One of the guys brings his track bike in a Ford E159 with the 300 I-6. He has issues getting up some freeway grades. I know the I-6 is a solid motor but also that it can’t pull much at highway speeds especially on an elevation. Hence I never had an OBS with anything less than an 8 pot under the hood.
Could a supercharger be added here?
There’s options for HP upgrades. I seem to remember a YouTube video where they hopped one up to over 400 hp.
Great looking Bronco. All business with vinyl, rubber on the inside and all those pedals and levers. In addition to the heat those steering wheels were rather thin section. That doesn’t sit well with some folks then or now.
A near trip down Memory Lane for me. I had an ’85 Bronco but mine had the XLT package on it. Mine was also a 351 HO with automatic. I always wondered that if mine was the high-output motor, what was the low-output like? Actually I couldn’t complain–too much; mine kept up with modern traffic and it could tow a 19 foot RV without a lot of effort. The stock Holley 4bbl got replaced with a non-smogger 600. A little tweak to the advance curve and it actually became an HO.
It’s almost a shock to open a hood and see a six cylinder motor in the bay. They were around but sure not very common. I sure wouldn’t kick one off my driveway. Of course I’d much rather have an inline six than a V-6.
This engine would be a smogger in its own right. I foresee a lot of tuning to get it to do the job it was designed to do. Probably change the carburetor and start at that end.
Something iconic with a white Bronco as much as a green Mustang or a black Charger that triggers the mind.
I had a ’85 XL Bronco, 300-6 w/4 Speed manual. Fun but NO power for speed. Could pull decently at city speeds and flat ground. 3.08 gears and the 6 was winding on the freeway. The carb is a 1 year only electronic controlled junker. Putting it back to a regular carb will help.
I had a 95 half ton ford p.u.with a 300 -6 cyl. 5 spd.I bought it for $1,000 from a business with 100,000 miles on it and drove it for 3 years. If the NY salt hadn’t eaten it up I’d still be driving it.