1981 Ford Bronco XLT Celebrity NFL Player MINT Rare Ground Up Resto Docs CA Pink

1981 Ford Bronco XLT

2-Year Nut & Bolt Restoration 

$40K Spent

VIN #1FMDU15G8BLA52913

#1 Condition

 (<1000 miles since restoration)

ONE OWNER -John Cappelletti

1973 Heisman Trophy Winner

Penn State - Los Angeles Rams - SD Chargers 

NUMBERS MATCHING

Engine Trans Rear-end 

Original 351 Windsor

(Complete Rebuild 2010 - Less than 1000 mi)

Original C6 Auto 3-Spd Transmission

(Complete Rebuild 2010)

Midnight Blue Metallic & Wimbledon White 

(Penn State Blue & White)

Blue Interior

Options Include 

Power Steering 

3 Speed Automatic Trans

Power Disc Brakes

AC 

Power Windows

Tilt Wheel

AM/FM Radio

Center Console Option

Bucket Seats

Cruise Control on Steering Wheel

“On the Fly” 4-Wheel Drive

Limited Slip Differential

Rare Sliding Rear Windows
Removable Hard-Top

Mostly Original Parts and Components

Color Codes and Paint Detail All Ford Correct 

Sub-Frame & Suspension Meticulously Restored 

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION

Original CA Pink Slip from 1981

Long Form Sunset Ford Sales Agreement 

Thank You Letter from Owner of Sunset Ford

Sunset Ford Checklist for Delivery

Partial Restoration Costs:

ENGINE. TRANS & REAR-END $9000

Replaced Venturi Variable Carb with Brand New Holley 4-Barrel.

Original 3-Speed C6 Transmission completely rebuilt.  

Engine Bay Completely Detailed and Repainted where needed.  

All Smog Components are intact; Smog Pump. 02 Sensor in the Headers. Motorcraft Dura Spark Carburetor Control Module.  

All New Catalytic Converter and Muffler.

OTHER SYSTEMS $4800

AC Fully Functional and Blows Cold.

Climate Control System Fully Functional. Brand New Heater Core. Bi-Level and Defrost Work.  

Cruise Control on Steering Wheel Fully Functional.  

All Gauges Refurbished including Tach and In-Dash Clock.

Cooling System Completely Replaced. Radiator. Hoses. Water Pump.

 PAINT $14500

including Rear Cap Rebuild (Paint & Rubber Seals) with Sliding Windows. all exterior chrome. lenses and rubber seals.  

MISC EXTERIOR $4000

Updated Billet Horizontal Grille.

Brand New Bumpers.

New Factory Type Windshield with 6” of Factory Type Tint on Top.

New Windshield Chrome Trim Surround.  

All New Door Handles and Locks.

Removed Side Trim Molding and Bright Blue Pinstriped (see closeup picture) between Blue and White Paint to match Interior.  

All New Rubber Products. including Door Seals. Tailgate Seals. Hardtop Seals.

All New and UPDATED Turn Signal Lenses. Head Lights. Rear Lenses and Side Markers.

INTERIOR $5000

including Dash Pad. Carpet. Seats. Door Panels. Dynamat all Floor Areas. and behind Side Plastic Panels in Rear Cargo Area and Front Doors.

Brand New Sill Plates.

Refurbished Center Console. Wood Grain Dash and Rear Plastic Panels.  

STEREO $450

Including Panasonic CQ-C53010 AM-FM-XM Ready. CD. WMA. MPS

iPOD Hookup and Remote Control.   4-New Speakers in Factory Placement.

UNDERCARRIAGE $6000

Suspension Complete. Brakes Complete. Front-end Complete. Fuel Tank. Complete Exhaust System

Custom Made Mahogany Wood Rails were made for when Top is removed for that convertible look.   Wood Rails were designed to cover the bolt holes and give it a classic finished look.  

1981 BRONCO XLT

Great moments in time are usually marked by events and people.   But if you are a car guy maybe they are defined by the cars you drove or coveted.   Such is the case with the car we have here… and the man that owns it.  

This is an absolutely gorgeous nut and bolt ground-up restoration of an original delivered West Coast Vehicle. This Midnight Blue Metallic and Wimbledon White on Blue 1981 Bronco XLT is as All American as the man that bought it new.   Its owner is the former LA Ram and San Diego Charger Running Back and 1973 Heisman Trophy Winner from Penn State. John Cappelletti.  

If a car could qualify for the Heisman. this meticulously restored and maintained 1981 Bronco XLT would definitely be in the final vote.   What could represent strong and durable better than this gorgeous off-roader from the early days of SUV's.  

John's car was hand selected by him after owning a lot of different cars including Corvettes. Camaro's and Eldorado's in the 70's.   John had just started his Family in 1980 and a year later it was time to get something to transport his soon to be growing family.   He had just started playing for the Chargers after playing for the Rams for six years.   He was living in Huntington Beach and walked into Sunset Ford to order his new Bronco.    

Twenty-Seven Years and some 155K miles of family entertainment justified a complete ground-up restoration. John is the consummate car guy for sure and when he puts his stamp of approval on a classic. you can be sure it is nothing but the highest quality example.   John's attention to detail is all over this superbly built 4X4 motoring gem.   It has been restored and sorted to perfection and will drive. handle and ride with the best of the best restorations.   Close to $40K and a lot of personal attention was spent restoring this vehicle to better than new condition.  

John was a part owner in a Classic Car Business during the time that he restored this vehicle and the work performed was done by some of the best restoration people in the business.  

This Bronco was restored between 2008 and 2010 and has spent everyday of its life since indoors here in a Southern California heated and air conditioned building. with the occasional weekend trip home.   Less than 1000 miles have been clocked since full restoration.   Important to note this Bronco has virtually never left Southern California in its' life. John has lived continuously in Orange County since 1975.  

BODY & PAINT

Of course any color John chooses has to be as close to Penn State Blue and White as possible  and one of the more popular colors in 1981 was Midnight Blue Metallic. a deep. rich metallic blue that looks spectacular on the smooth flanks of this Bronco XLT.   Coupled with Wimbledon White and now you have perfection if you are a Penn State Fan.   Beautifully applied over first-rate bodywork using two-stage PPG urethane.  

John removed the hideous black/stainless trim moldings that ran from end to end on the sides of this vehicle; filled the holes meticulously and applied a fine pin stripe separation between the Blue and White in a bright blue to match the interior.   He also removed all the garish emblems and replaced the original grille with a Billet Horizontal Style Grille.   The entire car was laboriously color sanded and buffed until the finish was smooth and ripple-free.  

John has owned the car since new and it has never been involved in any type of accident.   Not even a fender bender.   And the hideous side moldings did their job; nary a door ding was found on the body in preparation for the new paint.  

The entire car was completely stripped and disassembled for the work. so every single nook and crevice was faithfully prepped and finished to better-than-new. This beauty is show car ready.  

Chrome. including the bumpers. are all brand spanking new.  

The rear plastic removable top was completely repainted and includes all new weather stripping around the power coated frames and the very rare and original sliding glass windows.    

And just in case you're wondering. yes. it runs even better than it looks. John has a little perfectionist in him. and to say this car has been sorted by a master car connoisseur is an understatement.   He did remove the Cats and hopped up the engine a tad to get some additional power.   So if you are a CA resident. you would have to spend some money to bring it back to CA spec. with Cats and other engine mods.   The car runs flawlessly.  

Better than new also extends to the chassis that has been highly detailed and painted. The power disc brake system has been fully rebuilt. there's a new gas tank out back. and all the suspension bushings and shock absorbers are new.  

The Undercarriage has been completely detailed and looks like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday.   The suspension has all new Rancho Gas Shocks and 3” Taller Front Coils and a leaf added to the rear springs.   The vehicle sits dead level.  

The Bronco has a welded on rear-end ladder truss and metal plates were welded to any open Ford frame areas. including the A arm openings. giving the frame more strength and stiffness.   All this without any radical modifications or “cheap” lift kits.   It can handle almost any off-road terrain but still feels and drives like it was originally set up for the highway.  

Inside. you'll find one spectacular interior.  

The Bright Blue Upholstery looks just right next to the Midnight Blue Metallic and White Exterior.   The Interior has been fully restored to stock specifications. The seat-covers and foam are new. door panels and the dash pad has been replaced.   New blue carpets match the beautifully fitted blue seat upholstery. which fits so snugly that there are no wrinkles or sags to be found.   John added Dynamat everywhere to reduce exterior road noise and it works great.    

One of the things that strikes me with this interior is the quality of the new materials. I am not sure where John found these replacements. but they have the look and feel of being NOS.  

Driving this Brand New/Old Bronco is a dream. it has plenty of get up and go and tracks down the road straight and true.   Every single component of this vehicle is in tip-top shape.   From the AC to the Climate Control. all gauges. the wiper system and cruise control on the steering wheel all work just like the day they came from the factory.   Nothing was left to chance in the restoration of this Bronco.  

In today's world of collector cars. it's important to be careful with what you're buying. The true investment-grade cars are those with proof that they are what they appear to be. and the best cars to own are those that have been correctly and authentically restored. This Bronco XLT is all that and a little more.   Oh. and it's also beautifully finished and detailed to a level that will compete for trophies at any show venue. if you are so inclined.  

John kept everything from Sunset Ford when he bought the car. including the Sales Sheet documenting the costs. the Dealer Checklist and a Letter from the Owner thanking John for his business.   The Original Owners Manual is in the Glovebox.  

Okay. now before all you low-ballers out there that think this is an $8 - $10K vehicle I want to say. typically you would be right.   And the reason would be because no one restores these things.   You will find a bunch of them out there with 200K plus on them and never been restored.  

Everyone wants the earlier late 60's early 70's Broncs.   But. this thing has had EVERY nut and bolt replaced.   A high-end paint job and interior. complete engine and drivetrain. brakes. exhaust. the works.   Please please please refrain from offering just ridiculous money for this one of a kind restored Bronco.   There is nothing out there to compare this to. except maybe the cost of a brand new Ford SUV.  

Handsome. fast. and mechanically sorted to perfection. this Bronco is exactly the kind of car we all wish we could own.   Here's your chance to own a sure to be classic that has been meticulously restored to better than new.    

Call Frank at 949-310-6262.   John's number is also available to serious buyer's.  

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

The car is for sale locally and we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time before the end of the auction.   We do not have a Buy It Now Price listed.

The car will be made available for inspection by serious bidders throughout the auction. Please e-mail us if you would like to see the car. If you prefer. we can arrange to have a qualified. independent. professional mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection for you (at your expense).

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH THE INITIAL DEPOSIT AS WELL AS THE FINAL PAYMENT.

Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end. and make arrangements for payment at that time. A $500. 00 deposit is due within 48 hours of end of auction. The deposit can be made by cash (please do not mail cash!). bank check. cashier's check. or bank transfer (preferred). The remainder is due within 10 days of Auction end. The remaining balance must be made in the form of a bank transfer (preferred) Cashier's check. or bank check (all forms of payment subject to verification). PayPal will not be accepted as a form of payment for either the deposit or the final payment. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle. sell it to the next high bidder. or sell it otherwise. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Once the final balance has been paid. title transfer paperwork will be initiated.

Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service. we will gladly cooperate. you can locate shippers by doing a search for “auto shippers”.   We have relationships with both domestic and international shippers should you need some assistance.  

This vehicle is being sold as is. where is with no warranty. expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description. authenticity. genuineness. or defects herein. and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness. imperfection. defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle.   Please Check My Feedback- I value my 100% positive rating. and will do my best to keep it.

The winning bidder should have the car insured from the time the final payment is made to us. Once final payment is made. we will exercise a generally accepted standard of care. but the buyer assumes all liability and risk once the final payment is made.

Before delivery of the vehicle. the winning bidder must provide a photocopy of a valid driver's license. Delivery is defined as the time at which physical possession of the car is transferred from us. the seller. to the buyer or the buyers' agent or chosen transport company.

If you are not sure about something. Please ASK. Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale.  

Also published at eBay.com

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