Where is the VIN on an early Bronco?

Finding and reading both numbers is the first check on any early Bronco, because bodies, doors and glove box doors are easy to swap and the frame is not.

The two locations

• Frame: on the passenger-side rail near the starter, toward the top of the rail. Look down into the engine compartment from above. The stamp is shallow and usually hidden under dirt and surface rust, so take a wire brush, a light and a mirror.
• Warranty plate: a small riveted plate. Most references place it on the driver-side kick panel on the earliest trucks and on the inside of the glove box door on later ones, though at least one gives the opposite order and the changeover year is disputed. Check both places.

How to read it

The early Bronco VIN has 11 characters:

• Characters 1 to 3: body code. U13 is the roadster, U14 the half cab pickup and U15 the wagon.
• Character 4: engine. F is the 170 six, N the 289 V8, G the 302 V8 and S the 200 six.
• Character 5: assembly plant. L is the Michigan Truck Plant.
• Characters 6 to 11: the production sequence.

So a VIN that begins U15G is a wagon built with a 302. The body codes are explained in roadster vs. half cab vs. wagon.

What to do with it

• Match frame, plate and title. If the plate and the frame disagree, the truck has had a body or a glove box door from another vehicle, and the frame number is the one to trust.
• Allow for stamping errors. The numbers were stamped by hand, and a 1 read as an I or a 0 read as an O is a common reason a VIN fails to decode.
• Check the engine code against the engine. Many six-cylinder trucks now have a 302. That is fine if the price reflects it.
• Check the body code against the body. A truck sold as a roadster or half cab should read U13 or U14. Compare with other trucks on the Bronco listings.

The Bronco buyer's guide covers the rest of the inspection, and what counts as an early Bronco explains the years this applies to.