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What To Look For When Buying Your EB

broncomanbrad

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2004
Messages
789
Loc.
Roseau, MN
Rust Problems

Most of our Broncos weren't made to last the 30+ years that they have. Some of them have weathered better than others. But for the most part every single one of them needs serious attention to the body. When looking for your first Bronco (or even your second or third), some of the most problematic areas are:

Inner fenders
Door posts
Rocker panels
Windshield frame
Behind and around the rear wheel wells
Floor panels (if there is carpet pull it up, if at all possible)
Tailgate

Even if the metal seems to be great you should always try to look at the back of the piece. More than one person has taken a Bronco home and then found out that someone simply painted over the rust and made it look decent. One way to check is with a screwdriver but most owners won't want you beating away on their Broncos with sharp objects.

If the Bronco looks decent you will also want to look for bondo. Using a magnet works well. Sometimes a deal that seems to be too good to be true, truely is.

Next you'll probably want to look at the drivetrain. Look for obvious things like oil leaks.

If you can't tell if the wiring has been replaced it probably hasn't. Depending on what kind of vehicle you're looking for it might make it more valuable to you.

Generally speaking as the EB's aged they became more mechanically sound. For instance when they were first introduced the 1966's only came with 170 or a 289, 3 speed transmission, points ignition, and a Dana 30 front axle. With the last year of production came the best engineering. 302 engines, duraspark ignition, the option of the 3 speed manual or C4 automatic, Dana 44 front axle, and the option of getting power steering or power brakes.

For the in depth history of the EB and what mechanical changes were done you can check out the FAQ on "Yearly Changes".
 
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