Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Bronco Special

Since I live in the snowbelt, older trucks are relatively common as winter approaches. Unlike the plethora of vehicles I see that meet this criteria, this example of Ford's legendary first gen Bronco is remarkably un-cut up. No lift, no big tires, none of the normal modifications people do to their Broncos-- and that fact alone made this sighting very dear to me. I've grown to really appreciate the first generation Bronco. I know it's not the biggest SUV there is, and it certainly doesn't have the widespread image as a Jeep/CJ-5/Willys, but I love these for what they are.
On the surface, this example seemed to be pretty clean, save for obvious crash damage. Upon closer inspection, though, this little Bronco revealed a tragic amount of rust, visible and otherwise. Aside from the tailgate and spare tire mount, the body doesn't look all that bad, but whose to say what the undercarriage looks like? Given this truck's age, I guess that's not too surprising, really; after all, it lives in a state where winter is nearly 6 months long. I do like the hubcaps on this particular example; I'm not quite sure if they're factory to this year, or if they're off a later model Ford truck, but they seem to fit rather well. I do like the period graphics, though I'm not quite sure whether they're paint, or whether it's a decal package, but either way it looks fantastic on this truck.
Judging by the older license plate (pre numbers then letters format), I'd venture to say this Bronco has been a daily driver since at least 2005 if not beforehand. While I do respect the idea of using a near four decade vehicle as a daily, I have to wonder how much longer it will last, given the months that lie ahead. All in all, this is a relatively clean old Ford that definitely deserves a better life that what its living right now, but I can't fault the owner's choice in using this uncommon Bronco as his daily. I would too, given the resources to do so.