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RARE 1983 FORD BRONCO 4x4 4.9L I6 NP435 4SPEED CLEAN STRAIGHT AZ ZERO RUST STOCK

Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Make: Ford
Model: Bronco
SubModel: RARE 4x4 4.9L I6 MATED TO NP435 4 SPEED
Type: SUV CONVERTIBLE 2 DOOR
Trim: CONVERTIBLE SUV ROCK CRAWLER
Year: 1983
Mileage: 183,000
VIN: 1FMEU15Y6DLA22812
Color: Beige & Brown
Engine size: 4.9L INLINE 6 (300 cid)
Number of cylinders: 6
Fuel: Gasoline
Transmission: NP435 4 SPEED w/ Granny Gear
Drive type: 4x4
Interior color: Tan
Drive side: Left
Options: 4-Wheel Drive, CD Player, Convertible
Vehicle Title: Clear

1983 Ford Bronco CONVERTIBLE SUV ROCK CRAWLER Description

VEHICLE
Exceptionally nicebone stock3rd generation(80-86)Ford Bronco that runs and drives as good as it looks. It's anArizona truck with a 100% rust free frame and body. The paint and interior are original. It's rare because of the highly desirable engine/transmission drive train combination that mates the smooth running factory 4.9L (300 c.i.d.) I6 engine (which many argue is the best Ford engine ever made) to the legendarily strongNP435"Granny Gear" 4 Speed manual transmission. 183k original miles. New clutch & flywheel installed 2 weeks ago. Everything's been professionally gone through to ensure years of trouble free service.Runs and drives tight like new with no rattles, no steering slop, no leaks and zero mechanical issues. Everything works as designed.
HISTORY
1980 was the 1st year of these TTB (Twin Traction Beam front suspension) Broncos, all built in Wayne, MI. They ran the same basic chassis from 1980 through 1996. Such a long production run means there's tons of parts and aftermarket support for these rigs which were really F150 station wagons with a removable convertible top. Because they were designated by the Feds as station wagons (having a factory back seat) all 50 States do not require mud flaps (like pickups do) and they can be legally driven on urban Boulevards (unlike pickups in many big cities which are restricted).
THE 4.9L 300 C.I.D. I6 These drive trains aren't typical in Broncos. This unit's been gone through from stem to stern by professionals to ensure any worn or leaky parts were replaced. The carburetor was removed and professionally rebuilt. New oil, filters, plugs and coolant are a given. A tune up with new ignition parts was then performed and the timing set to factory specs. Starts every time with a click of the key. Runs smooth & quiet & cool just like an industrial sewing machine. No leaks, no smoke, no knocks, no rattles, no issues. Just the reliable torquey power of a tractor. The temp gauge never goes past 25%. These engines are truly amazing.

According to Wikipedia: "The 300cuin (4.9L) six was added for the F-series in 1965. Power outputs were increased to roughly 122hp (91kW) during the early 1980s, before fuel injection was introduced. This became the primary engine of the line, eclipsing the 240. Unlike the Falcon engine, it featured separate intake and exhaust manifolds, which could be easily replaced with aftermarket manifolds offering the promise of even more power, through the installation of larger carburetors and a higher flowing exhaust system.

Also during the late sixties and early seventies, the 300 was used in larger vehicles such as dump trucks, many weighing into the 15,000–20,000 pound (7,000–9,000kg) range. These 300s were equipped with a higher flow HD (Heavy Duty) exhaust manifold and forged crankshafts and rods since the engines were going to be constantly working in the 3000–4000 rpm range. These rare, yet effective manifolds had a much higher exhaust flow rate due to the fact that many of these engines would spend hours at 3000 RPMs or more. Due to their straightforward and high flowing design, enthusiasts often seek these manifolds out due to the ease in which they allowturbochargersto be retrofitted to the engine.

Engine sizes were converted to metric for 1983, causing the 300 to become the "4.9". Fuel injection and other changes in 1987 pushed output up to 150 horsepower with 8.8:1 compression. This engine was gradually phased out, ending production in 1996.... However, it was renowned for its durability, low end torque, and ease of service. [In Broncos] the 300 4.9 came [only] with New Process NP435 4-speed manual transmissions. The 4.9-liter 6-cylinder was built in the Cleveland, Ohio engine plant. Race car driver Scott Donohue Raced a rally truck with a ford 4.9 in it and won the baja 1000 3 times.

This engine is also used byStewart and Stevensonand Harlanin their standard tow tractors, as well as a multitude of other pieces of equipment, such as ski lifts, power generators, wood chippers, tractors, and, until they converted to diesel engines, mostUPStrucks. ManyUPStrucks still use the 300 to this day.In stationary service (generators and pumps) fueled with LPG or natural gas, this engine is known as the CSG-649".

How many trucks have you ever driven that have an engine that powers ski lifts?

MECHANICALS:After the tune up with new plugs, wires, cap & rotor the engine was sealed and every serviceable part that needed it was inspected and replaced where needed. New belts and hoses were installed. The 1st week of this month the transmission was removed and a new clutch disc, pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bearing with new rear main seal plus the 2 freeze plugs hidden by the tranny were professionally installed. The factory flywheel was removed and machined to a new surface. The rear drive shaft removed and professionally rebuilt from front to back. A new OEM spec catalytic converter was installed. The newer muffler was installed 6 months ago. All the shocks and bushings and other suspension components are newer, replaced within the last year. The brakes were bled and inspected. They are all newer and adjusted well, having also been replaced within the last year.This truck has clearly lead an easy life. A picture shows the under carriage with the transmission & flywheel removed to replace the clutch. At that time the rear main seal was replaced along with the 2 freeze plugs shown at the back of the motor. They weren't bad, it was just out of principle. Same picture also shows the rebuild sticker on the new rear drive shaft, along with the new catalytic converter and newer muffler. This vehicle has no oil or coolant leaks anywhere.
EMISSIONSThis truck has never had an issue passing emissions. It's emissions Legal in all 50 States as nothing's been altered under the hood nor with the exhaust. The factory Motorcraft carb is made by Holly for Ford since the early 60's and are easily tuneable and adjustable to always pass emissions anywhere. Moreover, because it's over 25 years old this truck is eligible for Historic Plates in any State. That means you can get Collector Car Insurance from places like Grundy Worldwide or Haggerty, which is not only far cheaper ($18/month for a $15,000 full coverage policy) but also the vehicle becomes immediately Emissions Exempt!
NP435E 4 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONNew Process manual transmissions are notoriously rugged and these "E" models were specifically built for Fords. It features the incredibly deep 6.7 to 1 first gear ratio, a.k.a. "Granny Gear". 2nd gear is 3.34 to 1. 3rd gear is 1.79 to 1 and 4th gear is 1.00 to 1. Reverse is 8.26 to 1. There are no leaks. The brand new (replaced this month) clutch engages strongly and the gears shift concise as designed. The flywheel was freshly machined. The rear main seal and the 2 freeze plugs hidden by the transmission were replaced out of principle during the clutch job. These transmissions are so robust they ran in school buss's and 5 ton dump trucks. The RPM's produced by the granny gear ratio also means these Ford carbs can tackle the steepest of inclines without stumbling.
NP208 TRANSFER CASEThe factory New Process 208 2 speed transfer case was so substantial it was used by Ford in the F250, F350 and Bronco (but interestingly not in the F150). It has a 2.26 to 1 gear ratio so when in low range combined with the granny gear you can literally inch along. It features a strong but light aluminum housing and is driven by a big 5 inch wide chain. It uses red transmission oil instead of gear oil which reduces drag for improved fuel economy. The factory Ford manual lockout hubs engage normally and the 4x4 works as designed.
DIFFERENTIALSBoth differentials are 3.08 gear ratio which means it's perfect for highway cruising, saving gas and engine RPM's, yet with the Granny Gear 1st you can still rock crawl. It's the best of both worlds because the 3.08 pinion gears are so big, with so many teeth making contact to the ring gear, they are one of the strongest setups available. The front is a Dana 44 which means it's strong with lots of parts availability. The twin traction beam TTB coil sprung front end with radius arms means not only is the ride super smooth but also these trucks can be jumped without the worry of bending the tubes like a straight front axle. The rear end is a Corporate Ford 8.8 inch. No leaks nor issues in either diff.One summer a bunch of guys were down playing in our 4x4s along the banks of the Santa Cruz River and a buddy had an '83 Bronco identical to this one in every way except baby blue on 31 inch tires. He had removed the doors and top to shed some weight as it was warm. He began trying to climb this steep & slippery 25 foot hill which was an extremely challenging obstacle due to the uneven approach and lack of traction. He kept at it to no avail, bumping it up about half a dozen times but couldn't quite make it. So being a bit drunk he wasn't wearing a seat belt and suddenly stomped the gas, trying to bull his way up but the approach bump literally knocked him out of the drivers door onto the ground next to the truck which, without a driver, just marched at idle in granny gear all the way up and over the top like a soldier, much to all our astonishment. He ran after it and it was marching along so slow that he was able to jump back in and that's how Jack conquered "the hill". The moral of the story is this engine has so much low end torque and such a big flywheel that when combined with that granny gear it just won't stall. It will literally climb steep obstacles by itself. That's when I learned why big straight 6 motors rule! No wonder Toyota Land Cruisers ran them from 1956 to 1997.

INTERIOR
The previous owners didn't smoke. The interior is amazingly clean for a 35 year old vehicle. The seats are exceptionally clean with no tears. The gauge cluster looks great as does the dash with the aftermarket removable cover. The original dash top shows some typical heat cracking underneath the cover. All the gauges work including fuel, as well as the digital clock. The odometer and speedometer workbut the needle on the speedometer is a bit jumpy like it needs lubrication although it's perfectly quiet.There's an aftermarket Sony CD deck installed that sounds great. All the windows roll up and down smoothly including the rear tailgate window which functions electrically via a factory switch on the right side of the climate controller.The horn works. The roof/headliner is spotless. There's a factory roll bar for safety. The seats are the original cloth style. The rear seat is in excellent shape and ingeniously designed because it has a quick release mechanism so you can quickly remove it. The floor has the original parchment vinyl and is great shape considering the age.
EXTERIOR
This is a 100% rust free truck with the exception of some surface rust on the exhaust system. Obviously the truck has never been wrecked because the factory paint looks amazing, although there is some typical sun fading of the brown paint on top of the hood and roof. On a small section of the left rear corner the lower brown paint stripe was touched up. There's a few minor stone chip and other minor paint imperfections that are barely noticeable but that's to be expected after 35 years. The removable fiberglass top is designed to be light but very strong and is in great shape with no cracks or de-lamination. The prior owners claim it's never been removed and upon inspection that appears to be true as none of the fastener screws appear to have been touched. It certainly sounds like it as this truck has absolutely no rattles or wind noise. Needless to say if you do remove the top and the rear seat these Broncos look really amazing and you should search Google for some images if you've never seen it. Lastly, the glass and mirrors are all in great shape with no cracks or stone chips. The swing out spare tire carrier works as designed. The 5 wheels are steel 15x8 Black Stone Crushers shod with newer 32x11.5x15 Falken Rocky Mountain ATS Radials that run quiet. The spare tire is a brand new never run 32x11.5x15 BFG All Terrain Radial.
DRIVEABILITY
Starts great. Runs great. Shifts great. Stops great. Handles great. Looks great. 4x4's great. Comfortable to sit in. Comfortable to drive. Smooth ride. Exceptionally tight steering. No wander. No slop. No rattles. No leaks. No issues. Everything works. You can tell it's never been seriously off roaded just by looking at it. This truck will drive comfortably from Arizona to Maine and back to Arizona needing nothing but gasoline as it motors down the Interstate at 75 MPH smooth & effortlessly.
BUGOUT CAPABILITYDoomsday Preppers take bugout capability seriously. How many bugout vehicles have you heard of that start with a 33 gallon fuel tank? At the bottom of this auction I've provided a list of all the TTB Broncos that have recently SOLD here on eBay. Note that none of them have this industrial drive train combination. Moreover, every single one of those Broncos would be immediately disabled in the event of an electro magnetic pulse because they are all controlled by computers. Come the Big Pulse or so-called Zombie Apocalypse this truck will be one of the few left on the road because it is carbureted with no engine computers governing it.
PAPERWORK
TITLE is Clean, Notarized, Arizona. Never liened. Never salvaged.
A NOTE ABOUT FEEDBACKI've bought and sold a lot of trucks on eBay over the years and virtually every experience has been a good one because of a simple rule a pawn broker from Philadelphia (who is a long standing eBayer) once taught me about the logic of eBay feedback. He advised that as a rule of thumb each positive feedback is worth a dollar of trust. That means if you want to buy, say, a $300 carburetor the seller ideally should have at least 300 positive feedbacks. Of course this rule is often difficult to follow when buying vehicles as most sellers just don't have those kinds of sales numbers, but it's a general guideline worth thinking about, especially for rookie eBayers who are quite understandably nervous about sending money to a stranger for a vehicle sight unseen. Bottom line is this: established long time sellers like myself would never ruin their hard earned feedback over the price of some vehicle since reputation is worth far more than that. The same cannot be said about some random guy with, say, only a 175 or even 750 feedback, never mind zero feedback.

TERMS OF SALE
Please only bid if you have the funds in place to honor the following terms. Public Auctions are NOT a video game. Per the eBay Terms of Service (TOS) you agreed to when registering: "Your bid (or offer) on a public auction constitutes a legally binding contract for sale which you can be held liable for" so please don't act unless you have the means to pay per the following terms as it takes a considerable amount of time and money to prepare a vehicle for an auction like this.
Cash or bank to bank wire transfer for bulk of sale preferred.$1000 PayPal deposit due within 24 hrs. of auction close.Full amount due within 72 hrs. of auction close by bank wire transfer or overnight letter with cashiers check.(This applies even if you are planning to fly down & drive home). PayPal is NOT an option on balance of payment after deposit. I'll help your shipping agent load vehicle as much as possible. Upon full payment we'll pay to Xpress Ship the title & paperwork. We'll store vehicle free of charge up to 3 weeks after auction close. After 21 days a $15 per day storage fee is charged. I've been doing this for 18 years on eBay so just know this, I'm a man of my word and my reputation is worth far more than any money you could possibly pay for some old truck.For any questions Email through eBay or call52O-9 Seven Seven-O112between hours 7 to 9 AZ time.
Similar TTB Broncos sold on Ebay for comparison demonstrate what solid investments they are. (If links don't open with a click simply copy and paste the links into your browser to view):

This 1989 Bronco sold for a whopping $30k but it only had 1,526 miles:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1989-Ford-Bronco-ALAN-JACKSON-039-S-MUSEUM-BRONCO-1-563-MILES-/371879097732?hash=item5695b8b584%3Ag%3AqyYAAOSwopRYfhJo&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Incredibly this 1996 Bronco sold for an amazing $28,601. Nothing special beyond the low 64k miles and the (94-96 only) Momochromatic paint scheme:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Ford-Bronco-XLT-SPORT-MONOCHROMATIC-/201814807727?hash=item2efd1994af%3Ag%3A7v0AAOSwA3dYlRPt&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
This '96 Bronco just sold for $23,350 with 83k mileshttps://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Ford-Bronco-Eddie-Bauer/112855033682?hash=item1a46af2752:g:s~8AAOSwKX9aoIsR&vxp=mtr
This '95 Bronco sold for $20,400 with 69k miles:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Ford-Bronco-EDDIE-BAUER-68k-Actual-Mile-PRISTINE-SHOW-PIECE-/371824391192?hash=item569275f418%3Ag%3AI6YAAOSwcLxYJNll&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This stock 1990 Bronco sold for $18,500 with 40k miles. They say it's a CA truck but it sold in NJ?They use salt on the roads in New Jersey!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-Ford-Bronco-LOWEST-MILEAGE-ON-EBAY-California-Survivor-/371889005874?hash=item56964fe532:g:fYYAAOSwXYtYwu0K&vxp=mtr

This '94 Bronco just sold for $17,200 with 162k miles.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1994-Ford-Bronco-RUST-FREE/302632670233?hash=item4676501419:g:eCwAAOSwjytafPy0&vxp=mtr
This '94 Bronco sold for $16,250 and had 183k miles.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1994-Ford-Bronco-XLT-/152376057492?hash=item237a521e94%3Ag%3AbQMAAOSwj85YMaaZ&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This miracle worker with zero feedback managed to get $16,000 for his 1996 Bronco.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Ford-Bronco-XLT-Sport-Sport-Utility-2-Door-/332133698174?hash=item4d54b60a7e%3Ag%3Az7gAAOSw~AVYoUZV&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This '96 Bronco sold for $15,000 with 151k mileshttps://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Ford-Bronco-XLT/173135104346?hash=item284fa8095a:g:ZZcAAOSwfphac6s9&vxp=mtr
This '96 Bronco sold for $13,100 with 169k miles and they use salt on the roads in Colorado.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-Ford-Bronco-LOWEST-MILEAGE-ON-EBAY-California-Survivor-/371889005874?hash=item56964fe532:g:fYYAAOSwXYtYwu0K&vxp=mtr

This '95 Bronco sold for $12,500 to a seller with Zero feedback so it's all a big shot in the dark buying from him?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Ford-Bronco-Eddie-Bauer-Sport-Utility-2-Door-/192068438665?hash=item2cb82bca89%3Ag%3AjKsAAOSwEzxYaxLh&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This '95 Bronco just sold for $10,000 with 211k miles and they use salt on the roads in Nebraska!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Ford-Bronco-Eddie-Bauer-/162442531089?hash=item25d2545111%3Ag%3AKa0AAOSwTM5Y1Gac&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The point of documenting all these recent TTB Bronco sales is that clearly these trucks are a great investment as they're only increasing in value. The older the better in my view. Moreover, people are paying a lot of money for not so much truck in my opinion. Absolutely none of those sold above have the5 ton rated NP435 standard tranny. None have the industrial 4.9L straight 6, who many in the business agree is the best gas motor Ford ever made. All of the above are driven by computers and the fact is those early Ford EFI systems were notoriously prone to developing untraceable "ghosts" in the injector/computer wiring harness that are often unfixable. Every single one listed above was an automatic transmission which means that 25% of the horse power (and gas mileage) is robbed by the torque converter. Automatics tend to leak, overheat, and are expensive to fix. Automatics cannot be push or bump started. Automatics don't have a granny gear low. Fact is this is the only non-automatic 80-96 Bronco for sale on eBay and just look at the condition, never mind everything's mechanical's like new, including the clutch, which is in fact new!
Some years ago I read an article in one of the leading 4 Wheeler mags that interviewed the top 10 names in off roading on the pros and cons of automatics versus standard transmissions and 5 out of 10 guys said "automatics plain suck". I personally love both because I love to wheel. The point is despite a run from 1980 to 1996 for the TTB Bronco with mostly interchangable parts for all those years you rarely see the standard transmission. This makes this truck rare. Rare is valuable. Rare goes up in value quicker than common.
For a closer comparison here's the only carbureted Broncos that sold recently and none have a manual tranny nor straight 6.
This '82 just sold for $12k and has rust!https://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Ford-Bronco-XLT/222867401044?hash=item33e3eea954:g:Dt8AAOSwUMZanHqI&vxp=mtr

This restored '82 was listed for $22.5k and sold despite very few words describing it?https://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Ford-Bronco-Crome/173186892516?hash=item2852be42e4:g:E6YAAOSwe6Zaclge&vxp=mtr

TRUCKS WE'VE RECENTLY SOLD
83 Bronco almost identical -- the only other I've seen on eBay in the last year with this same unique motor tranny combo:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-ford-bronco-6-lift-33-tires-15x10-street-locks-rock-crawler/322478169539?hash=item4b15325dc3
This 1968 Early Ford Bronco I restored over 15 years & would have gone much higher if it still had the factory doors and top:http://www.ebay.com/itm/371654293442?forcerRptr=true&item=371654293442&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:EOISSA:MOTORS:1123

This 1993 4Runner is very special, was bought by the founder of PhotoBucket, and I virtually hand built & assembled this unique drive train:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1993-Toyota-4Runner-SR5-/371823786832?hash=item56926cbb50:g:7Q8AAOSwZQRYXg-a&vxp=mtr
This 1983 Toyota Hilux 4x4 is a real rare gem:http://www.ebay.com/itm/371903777977?ul_noapp=true

This 1980 Toyota Hilux 4x4 is another original classic:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-toyota-hilux-short-bed-straight-axle-20r-classic/372098692694?hash=item56a2cf7656
1986 Toyota Hilux Extra Cab Pickup 4x4.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322313195173?ul_noapp=true
I restored this 1979K5Blazer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371809865925?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649
This winner stole this Very Rare 1988 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 with 5VZ-FE engine swap.http://www.ebay.com/itm/371596809950?forcerRptr=true&item=371596809950&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:EOISSA:MOTORS:1123

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