78 bronco

[5.0Flareside]

im only 18. this was back when i was 16 and i didnt have rent or utilities and bout once or twice a week id eat out. and would get new clothes if i need it whenever. and also you gotta remember Tyler is only 15. so hell be doing bout the same as i was.

 

[countryboytn]

I'm not trying to piss in your Wheaties. I promise you that. It's just that you remind me of me when I was younger.

When I was 18 I loved old trucks. I owned a lot of them, they perpetually kept me broke. It was one thing after another.

At your age you need a car. Something less than 8 years old. Something that will get you around, be easy on fuel, cheap to insure, something reliable.

I went down a long and rocky road trying to keep crap built before I was born running. From what you're saying $300 worth of filters and miscellany is a stretch for you. If that's the case then this is not the vehicle for you. Trust me, I've been there.

What are you going to do when you're broke down on Saturday night and staring at a $250 wrecker bill to get you back to the house? Or when you need to sink a few thousand into the drivetrain?

See, I've made all these mistakes. Now that I own a successful business and have disposable income I can buy trucks like this. If I were to get this Bronco I can afford to take it to a professional mechanic and pay $5,000+ to have it rebuilt.

Are you in the position to do that?

I'm not trying to bring you down. Just telling you the reality of what you're getting into.

As a boss if you showed up to apply for a job driving that and later someone else with the same qualifications showed up in a 02 Honda Accord I'd hire the gu in the Honda Accord. Chances are better that I'm not going to get the "I can't come in because my rig broke" call. He's also not going to hit me for advances constantly to pay his NAPA bill.

Old trucks are fun. It's a great hobby. If you can afford it. Wait a few years, the trucks will still be out there. Once you're established, have some disposable income, then find a truck you really like and enjoy it.

I understand where your coming from, and tend to agree... to a point.

My main reasons on wanting it are

1. I don't fit as well in cars... I'm not huge (6'2ish) but my head hits the roof in most cars, so fuel economy is out anyway for the most part..
2. Family history...
3. Easier to work on... even though they may break down more, I can fix more myself, than on newer vehicles.
4. Price... I'm not sure what else I can get, especially in good shape without high miles for less than 2K

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

Tyler has personally told me that his budget is about 2500. Your not going to get an 02 accord for that much. The guy is asking 600 for the Bronco so that leaves him with about 2000 dollars to get it fixed up. You also don't need that much money to do a overhaul. Heck, you could pick up a decent used drive train for about <1000 if that much. Plus, I dare you to find a more reliable vehicle than a dent side.

 

[countryboytn]

and also you gotta remember Tyler is only 15. so hell be doing bout the same as i was.

I don't have any expenses other than, maybe half my insurance, gas, repairs, and whatever else I wanna spend it on.

 

[countryboytn]

Tyler has personally told me that his budget is about 2500. Your not going to get an 02 accord for that much. The guy is asking 600 for the Bronco so that leaves him with about 2000 dollars to get it fixed up. .

Again...

Everything else I'm finding that I would be interested in is 2k+

Otherwise, their junk.

 

[Hanau]

Mercury Grand Marquie, Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car, Lincoln Continental.

Very reliable cars. Lots of room.

Bargain priced, resale value on these is very poor. You could pick up a very nice Crown Vic for $2K. Taxi companies regularly run 250K incredibly hard miles on these cars.

Find one that was owned by older folks, has less than 100K on it, and take care of it.

That's the route I went. Found a 5 year old Grand Marquis. Loaded. Leather, power everything. Had 80K on the clock, picked it up for $6,500. Ran it for 2 years on oil changes, 1 set of tires, and 1 set of brakes. Got high teens for mileage.

It was nice to have a car I knew would get me to meetings on time. Used several old Ford trucks to work landscaping out of.

Then as I made money, the company grew, I bought new trucks for the crews.

Now I indulge in my fondness for old trucks.

 

[countryboytn]

Sorry, but I don't feel like rollin' in a grand marquis, ect.

I don't know how well one of those would handle what I would throw at it...

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

Mercury Grand Marquie, Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car, Lincoln Continental.

Very reliable cars. Lots of room.

Bargain priced, resale value on these is very poor. You could pick up a very nice Crown Vic for $2K. Taxi companies regularly run 250K incredibly hard miles on these cars.

Find one that was owned by older folks, has less than 100K on it, and take care of it.

That's the route I went. Found a 5 year old Grand Marquis. Loaded. Leather, power everything. Had 80K on the clock, picked it up for $6,500. Ran it for 2 years on oil changes, 1 set of tires, and 1 set of brakes. Got high teens for mileage.

It was nice to have a car I knew would get me to meetings on time. Used several old Ford trucks to work landscaping out of.

Then as I made money, the company grew, I bought new trucks for the crews.

Now I indulge in my fondness for old trucks.

Those use the Ford modular engine, they would be harder to work on than a 351M/400. The transmissions are alsoy more complicated than the C6. If they are blown beyond repair the replacement cost is astronomical more.

 

[Hanau]

Yeah it was kind of weird driving a grandpa car.

Heck it made a good impression, got my foot in the door when I was starting out, didn't let me down, and was sinfully comfortable.

Kinda sucked going from bidding on a job in that to then having to work out of a 78 F-350 with no air, radio, and power nothing. The 76 F-250 wasn't too bad, it had a radio.

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

Oh another thing Tyler wants 4x4.

 

[countryboytn]

Kinda sucked going from bidding on a job in that to then having to work out of a 78 F-350 with no air, radio, and power nothing. The 76 F-250 wasn't too bad, it had a radio.

I can deal with all of those... the 72 monte carlo, that we already own and I have the option of driving doesn't have any of those. (Ok, so it has a AM radio and a A/C but it doesn't work...)

 

[Hanau]

Those use the Ford modular engine, they would be harder to work on than a 351M/400. The transmissions are alsoy more complicated than the C6. If they are blown beyond repair the replacement cost is astronomical more.

Missed my point. I bought it because it was newer and didn't need to be worked on. With 80K easy old people miles on it the car was barely broke in.

 

[5.0Flareside]

Oh another thing Tyler wants 4x4.

lol. true true.

 

[5.0Flareside]

Missed my point. I bought it because it was newer and didn't need to be worked on. With 80K easy old people miles on it the car was barely broke in.

but see those motors lots of times have problems and you have to take to a dealership for. unless your a certified tech. where the older pushrods are simple and cheap to work on.

 

[Hanau]

That's why I wouldn't buy a modular motor with more than 125K on it.

 

[countryboytn]

Oh another thing Tyler wants 4x4.

Yep, everything I'v even considered looking at, has been 4x4

Missed my point. I bought it because it was newer and didn't need to be worked on. With 80K easy old people miles on it the car was barely broke in.

Yeah, that's a good point... but when something does break. It's easily more than the car is worth to fix it.

 

[5.0Flareside]

even now its impossible almost to find a grandma/grandpa car that has that few miles on it for less than 2k.

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

Missed my point. I bought it because it was newer and didn't need to be worked on. With 80K easy old people miles on it the car was barely broke in.

I would put the reliability of my 88 Bronco which has less than 72,000 original miles against that of a early 2000's Panther platform car. Just because it's newer does not mean it's better.

 

[Hanau]

Have to know where to look. I check in Lewiston first, lots of retired folks there. Then I check Missoula.

I've actually found quite a few old people cars in Missoula. Saw a 1992 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 w/ diesel for sale there last year. Nice truck. Garage kept w/ only 30,000 miles.

About 5 miles from where I sit is a 1996 F-350 XLT single cab, 4x4, Powerstroke truck. It has less than 15K on it. Farmer bought it the year he turned the farm over to his son. He and his wife use it to drive to church in the winter time when it's snowing. He's about 85 and I'm like a vulture waiting for the estate sale. Truck is kept in the garage year round and is so minty fresh it hurts to look at it.

 

[5.0Flareside]

I would put the reliability of my 88 Bronco which has less than 72,000 original miles against that of a early 2000's Panther platform car. Just because it's newer does not mean it's better.

id put the reliability of my 92 with more than 302k on the electrical and suspension and supposedly 80k on the motor and tranny (actually think its 180k) against any new non-pushrod vehicle.