Street/Trail ready or bone stock EB?

[trekgurl]

Hi Board,

ponygurl here and I'm new,,, so I hope I'm getting this right.

I have bronco fever, bad case,,,

When I wanted to buy my first car (1975 Z-28) my dad just rolled his eyes and mumbled something like,, (Yeah,,four on the floor and three in the tree) and then a week later he brought home a 1974 EB and I was like "what"!! little did I know getting that Bronco probably kept me alive,,, so Dad new what he was doing.

I drove it for for 8-9 yrs and really loved that bronco and had more fun than the law should allow.

Well to make a long story short,,, it was sold (sad day) and I always hoped to be able to get another one.

I even bought me a 2003 F150 FX4 reg cab,short bed thinking I could be satisfied,,, but it's just not the same,,todays vehicles just lack something? I wanna shift the gears and listen to the sound of that V8.

So my question is I'm looking for a EB now and want to give it "personality" like everyone does and while I'll depend on a mechanic to help me out alot the most major thing is, I'm looking a EB that doesn't have the rust issues.

I come across several interesting vehicles,,, some street/trail ready and some bone stock ones. around the same price. (10k-13K)

Whats your opinions on best way to start? Would you go with one someone has already built or go with the stock?

Keep in mind I don't have a shop or means to do alot of major stuff myself. I can do some,,, and my budget is not endless.

Well thanks for any feedback

Anna

 

[ontherun]

Buy it stock,. then strip it down to your liking. ;D S.

 

[crawln68]

Hi Anna,

First of all, welcome to the board. This is a great place to make friends and get tons of information. To answer your question I'll ask you a question. (I guess I didn't listen to my mother) What is your primary goal of owning a Bronco and what do you want to do with it? If it's only going to driven on the street, then you might want a nice stock Bronco. If you want to drive it on the street and go off roading in it every once and a while, then maybe something in the middle with small lift and some suspension upgrades. If you want to go rock crawling, well then you need to be looking for one that has some significant modifications done to it. So it really comes down to how you intent to use it. Hope that helps a little.

 

[tasker]

that's easy, get both kinds!

 

[surfer-b]

Stay as close to stock as possible, less things to have to worry with from Po's, in most cases, take your time and look around, as others stated you can make the changes and know they are done correct.

 

[trekgurl]

thanks for the feedback,,

starting from stock would give a person a "blank" page to work with,,, example.. one stock EB I'm looking at first thing it would need is pwr steering and I'd have to have a mechanic help me with that.

to answer what will I use is for,,, well I'm a dirty gurl,,, not a trailer queen and places like Uhwarrie, and northwest NC mountains,, and the beach,, etc. I'll shine it up some,,, but buying,,, to run it,,

With my old 1974 , We had a small group we would go 4 wheeling and we come back with plenty of "badges' and was stuck three times when I had it, "two insane situations" and one "what the h#ll were you thinking" ,,, also jumped it 28 feet ,,,that was on nothing but lightly modified truck as they didn't have all the goodies they do now.

I'm more of a big ole mud hole bogger, trail crawler, high jumper than a rock crawler.

Definately tough and fun vehicles.

Anna

 

[Big Rig]

Welcome to the board!

It's cheaper to buy one that's already been slightly modified, than it is to start with a "blank page". You should look for a truck with power steering, power disc brakes (preferably hydroboost), a solid roll cage and some suspension upgrades. You should be able to find alot of good EB's within your $10k - $13k budget.

 

[trailpsycho]

I would look into something like this:

302/351W with carb...EFI may be too much of a hassle for you (not b/c your a girl, but b/c many mechanics will cry foul--even though its just a Mustang motor--and try to charge you more--"custom" prices).

Manual or auto, thats up to you, but if its a driver, i wuold try to find an AOD auto or an NV3550 manual.

33"s with 3.5" of suspension lift or 2.5" with a 1" BL. Hopefully, with axles already re-geared.

In the $10-13K range this should be attainable. Obivously, rust free with a clean, well-taken care of body would be ideal...the problem is if you are bent on re-living too much of the glory-days, it wont stay that way long...which makes it hard to jusify the $12-13K. Every once in a while, you see something very similar in the 8K range...but I would recommend shopping around and spending the money up front rather than developing an expensive relationship with a mechanic. I would also recommend that you pick up a set of tools, trim the nails and learn the truck as much as possible, so that you can learn to do some/alot of the work...understanding these trucks is not rocket-science and it will keep you from over-spending (yeah-right)...at least on the mechanic.

Welcome to the forum. Good luck in your search and HAVE FUN WITH IT!!

 

[Ed74]

I have a stock 1974 with upgraded steering and brakes. I am extremely happy it drives straight and stops now. My body is absolutely stock, with the exception of a Stroppe standard roll bar in it. Sometimes I run in to a dilemma regarding whether or not I should cut the rear fenders to add larger (wider) tires. Therefore, if you are in between thoughts about purchasing a modified or stock Bronco, I would recommend thinking about what your primary use for the Bronco is and what look do you prefer the most. It would be an absolute shame to cut a stock Bronco. All in all, I love the look of my Bronco stock and my vision for it is modern day conveniences with classic looks. Big Rig is correct in purchasing a slightly modified one, if you are going that direction, in order to save some money. A well modified Bronco costs some serious cash, which, in most cases, we will never get back.

Good luck,
Ed

 

[deltarat]

Welcome back to the Bronco world. As suggested do as much of the work yourself as you can. It is very rewarding to say " I did that", rather than "I had that done". These are the most helpful guys in the world. Someone on here is a expert on every part of a Bronco and is willing to help. Remember, there are no stupid questions. None of us were born with the answers.
Good luck with your seach and what ever you decide to do from there.

 

[Scoop]

Anna: Since you want to give it "personality" I would suggest starting with a slightly modified Bronco - then add your touches as you go. If you are thinking of ever installing tires 31's or bigger then I recommend looking specifically for a Bronco which has already been cut. Then you avoid the "should I cut or shouldn't I cut" moral dilema. Lot's of threads on the pros and cons of cutting, but bottom line is it is a shame to cut an uncut stocker "survivor" which is in good, well preserved condition - especially if it's a 66 U13 . . .

Although most of the Uwharrie trails are fairly mild, you'll probably want 31's minimum or 33's. If you ever want to go to Tellico you'll want bigger!

Power steering and front disk brakes, whether stock or installed by a PO, is a must for safety and drivability.

Check out Carolina Broncos and MEB.

Good luck

 

[broncow72]

This would do you very well.

The money saved could be used to put on a top and transport to the east coast.

 

[trailpsycho]

If its not already sold...That is a steal for what he is asking...there is more than what he is asking in parts alone. Looks great too.

 

[broncow72]

If its not already sold...That is a steal for what he is asking...there is more than what he is asking in parts alone. Looks great too.

You ain't kidding. I watched him build it over the years and the 2 years I was not there, he did the final touches. Very well built and just about every thing new. I'd say every bit as good as some "$30,000" rigs .(edit...if not better)

 

[mike.l]

If I were in the market for a trail rig, I'd be heading to CA to get that olive drab one.