Bronco II With Quarter Flip Windows Found

[Jim Oaks]

​

The quarter flip opening windows are shown in the 1984 Ford Bronco II owners manual, but in 20+ years of involvement with Rangers and Bronco IIs, I've never actually seen them outside of advertising. The thought had been that they never actually made it in to production.

Ford Bronco II Quarter Flip Removable Window - Bronco Corral

Well, here is a 1984 Ford Bronco II that was special ordered (DSO 52) out of Dallas Texas with the side opening quarter windows.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

That must have been a very rare option. Were they listed for any other years?

 

[RobbieD]

WOW! After all these years.

Any backstory on this truck, Jim? Glass, latches, gaskets, it all looks like OEM parts, and not aftermarket.

 

[fastpakr]

Woah! I never believed they actually existed until now.

 

[ericbphoto]

Nice. If you can leave all that glass at home, it doesn't get bashed against rocks and trees.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The Bronco II was on Facebook Marketplace in Tennessee.

The guy sent me a pic of the sticker in the door to check out the VIN and DSO, and he sent for a Marti Report.

I'm still waiting for more photos, but the video I linked shows the interior.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The Bronco II was on Facebook Marketplace in Tennessee.

The guy sent me a pic of the sticker in the door to check out the VIN and DSO, and he sent for a Marti Report.

I'm still waiting for more photos, but the video I linked shows the interior.

Hes got good taste judging by the sharp lookin OBS dually.

 

[BlackBII]

Amazing one of these actually exists!

 

[Jim Oaks]

I suspected that it could have been a preproduction Bronco II that made it in to public. But its sequential number was over 70,000 and it had a special order DSO.

 

[RobbieD]

I suspected that it could have been a preproduction Bronco II that made it in to public. But its sequential number was over 70,000 and it had a special order DSO.

For us B2 guys, it is something to see what looks like substantial photo proof, after all this time, that the flip-out windows were actually released.

The kicker is, these were thought to be "preproduction". But on this truck, besides the 70,000+ VIN, the Federal door sticker looks like "03/84" for the build date. I just found this googling:

So . . . .
Bronco II production started in January 1983, with release to dealers in March of 1983. This press release, although not dated, touts the "flip-open-and-remove rear quarter windows" as "new options this fall", which would be Fall of 1983.

Besides the indication, with this B2 example coming to light, that removable quarter glass was actually put into production and sold to market, it also seems that the time window for availability is later than we thought.

I have to think that this would have been a popular option, yet examples have been impossible to find, until now, apparently. Ford wouldn't have spent the design and tooling costs, unless they planned on moving enough to return the investment. It is interesting, though that this truck has the "special order DSO".

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

For us B2 guys, it is something to see what looks like substantial photo proof, after all this time, that the flip-out windows were actually released.

The kicker is, these were thought to be "preproduction". But on this truck, besides the 70,000+ VIN, the Federal door sticker looks like "03/84" for the build date. I just found this googling:

View attachment 51965

So . . . .
Bronco II production started in January 1983, with release to dealers in March of 1983. This press release, although not dated, touts the "flip-open-and-remove rear quarter windows" as "new options this fall", which would be Fall of 1983.

Besides the indication, with this B2 example coming to light, that removable quarter glass was actually put into production and sold to market, it also seems that the time window for availability is later than we thought.

I have to think that this would have been a popular option, yet examples have been impossible to find, until now, apparently. Ford wouldn't have spent the design and tooling costs, unless they planned on moving enough to return the investment. It is interesting, though that this truck has the "special order DSO".

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

My guess is ford thought they would be a more popular option then they ended up being and pulled it from production.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I'm guessing a Dallas dealer special ordered this for a customer that wanted these windows. Could be the dealers weren't ordering any with that option to have on the lot.

If you think about it, they're cool, but maybe not very practical. You're probably not going to reach back there and open them unless you're in the back. Not sure how heavy or awkward these windows are to handle and take out.

If it had the reclining rear seats it would really be a unicorn.

Maybe we just couldn't find one of these because they're camouflaged. LOL.

Maybe these will be like the Bronco II plus. Never saw one for decades, and then they just started showing up.

 

[RobbieD]

They would seem to be an option that was intended more for offroading use. I bet driving down the highway at 60 with those huge openings would be . . . well, interesting.

I would have to think that the glass panels were heavy and awkward to remove, install and handle.
I am curious, though, if padded vinyl storage bags were included with them (as with many removeable sunroofs at the time), and, if the removed panels would actually both fit in the cargo area behind the rear seat (kinda doubt it). If they couldn't stored in the truck, they would be even more impractical.

And I honestly think that Ford killed the option early more for reasons of injury / death liability, or perhaps even for body structural issues, especially relating to crashes or rollovers.

Still, it is amazing to see one these on the hoof, so to speak.

>>> EDIT: The BroncoIIcorral page that Jim linked, does have images of the 1984 owners manual pages, which shows the glass storage, in provided bags, to be strapped down in the cargo area. Curiosity answered.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you think about it, they're cool, but maybe not very practical. You're probably not going to reach back there and open them unless you're in the back. Not sure how heavy or awkward these windows are to handle and take out.

Just be careful not to drop them...

I wonder if a few sneaked out but they were killed because of a safety thing. Seriously I don't think anybody in TRS has ever seen one in the 20 years I have been on here. There can't be too many out there, far fewer than BII+ even. They couldn't have made it a year and if they were available they would have sold far better than they did. The Marti report will be very interesting... they might have record of how many did get out.

This is like finding Sasquatch but for a Bronco II. Nobody even thought they really existed until boom here is one in clear color video/pictures in the wild.

 

[WNY964x4]

Can't believe I am actually seeing this with my own eyes.