When is too little not enough?

[daddycreswell]

I've had my 73 for 10 years now, in the last couple of years I drive it less and less. I bet I haven't put 200 miles on it over the last 3 years total. I always thought in my head as my kids got older (grown) I would drive it so much more, but I don't. Main reason is just lazy I guess, it requires me to move stuff out of the way of the Bronco in the garage to get it out, and move other cars out of the way outside in front of the garage. It's just easier to hop in another car and go, I also don't just drive. If I am in the car I am going to a certain place for a reason and back home, I don't "ride" if that makes sense. I have no desire to get rid of it, but when is too little not enough? Am I ruining it just letting it set in the garage?

 

[68rockcrawler]

Wow, that is a great question! I built mine up for trails so much that it's not street legal anymore, which means it only gets driven when I go wheeling, which is rare. I also keep an F250 and a trailer around just to haul it on those rare occasions. I have so much money wrapped up in all of this stuff. Mine usually fires right up and runs good whenever I do take it out so I'm guessing I'm not ruining it too bad letting it sit. The tires and anything else rubber will degrade over time.

 

[daddycreswell]

Wow, that is a great question! I built mine up for trails so much that it's not street legal anymore, which means it only gets driven when I go wheeling, which is rare. I also keep an F250 and a trailer around just to haul it on those rare occasions. I have so much money wrapped up in all of this stuff. Mine usually fires right up and runs good whenever I do take it out so I'm guessing I'm not ruining it too bad letting it sit. The tires and anything else rubber will degrade over time.

Mine fires right up as well and drives right out, I keep a trickle charger on the battery so it's ready. Just a question I asked myself this morning as I was walking out of the garage and looked at the Bronco.

 

[abn373]

For a few years I lived in a condo and had to keep it in a rental garage about 1 mile away. it seemed like I never drove it because I had to drive my truck there, park Raptor at storage unit, take Bronco out, I wasn't allowed to leave truck at the storage place overnight, so I had to be back before 6pm. If I wanted to keep it overnight I had to ride my bicycle to the rental unit and leave bike inside garage. For 2 years I don't think I drove it more than 3 short times. I almost sold it because I was paying $225/month to keep it stored. I would have regretted it because I have owned it since 1997 and now I have an actual house again with a garage. I still wasn't driving it enough, considering in Charleston you can drive with the top off year round and I live 10 mins from the beach. I rarely offroad it anymore, so this year I decided to make it even more reliable, comfortable, and easier to use frequently as a cruise around truck.

 

[gnsteam]

I've had my 73 for 10 years now, in the last couple of years I drive it less and less. I bet I haven't put 200 miles on it over the last 3 years total. I always thought in my head as my kids got older (grown) I would drive it so much more, but I don't. Main reason is just lazy I guess, it requires me to move stuff out of the way of the Bronco in the garage to get it out, and move other cars out of the way outside in front of the garage. It's just easier to hop in another car and go, I also don't just drive. If I am in the car I am going to a certain place for a reason and back home, I don't "ride" if that makes sense. I have no desire to get rid of it, but when is too little not enough? Am I ruining it just letting it set in the garage?

I sure hope I don’t fall into this category. I purchased my Bronco in 2011 with the intention to drive it daily. I did so for almost two years. When it became very apparent, that upgrades where going to need to happen to make continued use more enjoyable. So back to driving a modern truck and only driving the Bronco on nice days for fun. Now that I have started a full frame off. I look forward to the day it done. And my plan is to drive it a lot and use it for adventure travel. The only thing I worry about now, is how valuable these Broncos have become. That first scratch is really going to hurt.

 

[1970 Palmer]

I have exactly the same thought but it's not the same vehicle. I used to frequently drive my 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon collector on weekends. But since I have rebuilt my early Bronco and it is my daily driver, the Wagon just sits in the garage. It's a real PITA here in California having to pay $150/year for DMV registration, Agreed Value insurance, replacing the battery that seems to never hold a charge, Tires go bad from sitting, and a whole host of other things have to delt with on a inoperative vehicle. Even if you choose to place your DMV registration on a low cost "non-op" status, the other costs of ownership continue.

My vote after seeing my car sit is to find it a new loving home to reside. Move on and don't look back. Life is full of toys.

 

[ep67bro]

Man I am in the same boat with my broncos. I have had my 67 since 2005. It never was my main vehicle but I used to drive it just about every weekend and a bunch in the evenings in nice weather, then I started wheeling it at least 4 times are year plus driving it on the street. Fast forward to today. My 67 is at my shop with equipment blocking the door so I cant even get it out, my 70 is at home in the garage with bikes and scooters and crap in front of it. Havent drove the 67 since last fall when I took it wheeling for the first time in 8 years, and the 70 I have driven once since last November. Its easier to just drive something else or its too hot, too cold, too far, blah blah. I think all the time why am I keeping them but then I see the prices people are paying and I think I may have more time in the future, dont sell them it will cost a fortune if I ever wanted to get one again. Its a hard decision and one I really dont have answer too. But you are certainly not alone!

 

[billh1289]

Definitely not alone. Going back and forth on listing mine. I think pride is keeping me from selling at this point. I’m still into it, but life keeps getting in the way of using it. I sold my last eb in 2007 and said at the time if I ever get another one I’ll never get rid of it, yet here I am…

 

[okie4570]

It's appreciating every day, while your other vehicles are most likely depreciating. If you don't need to the money, I'd keep it.

 

[Madgyver]

i enjoy building them. i make it so it is easy so i just jump in and go... anywhere. sometimes its blocked in, gotto use other rig.

 

[Scoop]

We have a 74 Ranger that has been in the family since new. We have intentionally put minimal miles on it over the past 5+ years to keep the mileage low. It now has about 65K. The last 2 years is it has essentially been in storage covered in a family garage. We are saving it to hand down to our daughter. I recently came to the conclusion that sitting in a garage covered up and rarely being started was not the best. So we moved it back to our garage and we've been driving more - mainly locally to friends and on short errands. I had forgotten how nice a stock 74 Ranger was to drive! I've decided not to worry about mileage on the odometer and enjoy it more.

My advice is to make your Bronco more accessible and drive it more. You won't regret it!

 

[Broncobowsher]

Not a Bronco, but I have a boat that is about the same way. I don't use it much. Couple times a year it will get a few hours put on it. Sits in the garage. It was the first real toy that I bought after moving out and being on my own. Restored it twice now. Unlike the Bronco the vintage boat market is still flat. Except for a few big names old boats are low value items. I'm keeping it. I enjoy it when it does go out. I know everything about it. I have a few odds and ends that are super rare. It was a very high end boat when new and the name recently was bought up and is being used for some high end modern builds. https://buehler-turbocraft.com/

I am planning on keeping it. One of the things on the new house was making sure the garage was going to be large enough for this to takes it's little corner and live there. Truly isn't practical to keep it, but I do like it at times. Gives me something to tinker with. Take friends out when they visit. If it were a new boat I was making payments on, it would be stupid. But at this point the value is stable.

 

[gnpenning]

I've been selling off multiple items a week for several weeks now. All things that aren't getting much use. My 69 firebird convertible was a tough decision since I've had it the longest. I have some tiding up to do before advertising.

Today a 74 explorer pickup left. With each sell it is getting easier to let go.

I need to be passing on some pictures of my 66 U13 to someone that asked about it last weekend. I'm not sure about this potential buyer, but who knows??? I will be happy to cut the bronco herd in half this year. I have way to many projects and need to let others have a chance at ownership.

Different for everyone.b

 

[Tasty Geezer]

I am hitting at a year after finishing (almost) a 6-1/2 year frame off and driving mine as a DD. My daily before the bronco was T-boned right when I finished the Bronco and I have yet to buy another vehicle. I never intended driving the Bronco daily, but it has been amazing enough I have yet to buy anything else yet...
I've hit 5K miles this year so far... 15 years owning this Bronco and 20 years total EB ownership...

I hope I can keep this up...

 

[armynavy17]

I see two maybe three routes depending on you and your needs/wants. Some questions first though, do you still enjoy driving the bronco on the rare occasion you go through the effort to do so? Do you still enjoy wrenching on the bronco? Is there something you would rather be doing than driving or wrenching on the bronco?

Option 1 - Remove the barriers keeping you from driving the bronco. Build a shed for the clutter in the garage or have a yard sale/donate/throw stuff out. Sell the vehicle you have in the driveway or put it on the curb or expand the driveway/garage so it's out of the way.

Option 2 - Give or sell it to one of your kids if they're interested. Throw in a stipulation that they have to offer it back to you before they sell it to a stranger or that it can't leave the family until your gone, it's morbid, but hey it's yours.

Option 2.5 - Determine a fair value for it and list it or put it up for auction.

People change, hobbies change, and if nobody ever sold their bronco, almost none of us would have a bronco. Not to say there wouldn't be a following, just most of the people here wouldn't be part of it.

Nothing explicitly wrong with keeping it in the garage like you are now, but is it bringing any joy to you life? Maybe you just like looking at it behind/under a bunch of accumulated stuff, kinda odd, but to each their own. Life's to short not to live it, if you're still into it, keep it and drive it. If you're not into it, pass it on to someone else and use the funds to buy or do something that does bring you joy.

 

[daddycreswell]

I see two maybe three routes depending on you and your needs/wants. Some questions first though, do you still enjoy driving the bronco on the rare occasion you go through the effort to do so? Do you still enjoy wrenching on the bronco? Is there something you would rather be doing than driving or wrenching on the bronco?

Option 1 - Remove the barriers keeping you from driving the bronco. Build a shed for the clutter in the garage or have a yard sale/donate/throw stuff out. Sell the vehicle you have in the driveway or put it on the curb or expand the driveway/garage so it's out of the way.

Option 2 - Give or sell it to one of your kids if they're interested. Throw in a stipulation that they have to offer it back to you before they sell it to a stranger or that it can't leave the family until your gone, it's morbid, but hey it's yours.

Option 2.5 - Determine a fair value for it and list it or put it up for auction.

People change, hobbies change, and if nobody ever sold their bronco, almost none of us would have a bronco. Not to say there wouldn't be a following, just most of the people here wouldn't be part of it.

Nothing explicitly wrong with keeping it in the garage like you are now, but is it bringing any joy to you life? Maybe you just like looking at it behind/under a bunch of accumulated stuff, kinda odd, but to each their own. Life's to short not to live it, if you're still into it, keep it and drive it. If you're not into it, pass it on to someone else and use the funds to buy or do something that does bring you joy.

Oh I smile like a 2yr old when I do drive out. As far as wrenching on it, I don't I have a guy do it for me. I should probably do it but I don't. I have no interest in selling it, it's in my will to go to my son, so it will never leave as long as I'm alive. Just a question I ask myself every now and then. I have plans for it in the next couple of years, both boys will be gone from the house then I plan on have the odds and ends that need to be done fixed and drive it more.

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[BOBS 2 68S]

Yea, I drive the 1/2 cab. The vette (had it since 1981) just sits if I want drive the vette I need to move the Bronco then decide to just take the Bronco were ever I was going. And no boy racers want to race the Bronco

 

[MS73HD302]

Mine sat 15 years and fire right up after cleaning the points and feeding the carb. of course all the hoses, belts, brakes, tires… etc needed to be replaced but it still fired up right I don’t where it’ll ruin it but as you already know maintenance items will compound if left too long.

 

[muskrat]

It's appreciating every day, while your other vehicles are most likely depreciating. If you don't need to the money, I'd keep it.

What he said.

I still use mine often when the weathers nice. Jockeying cars parked in front of the garage is a pain.

I’m also upgrading comfort and performance to enjoy it even more. Toms Premium Sears just installed and EFI next.

Keep it. Appreciating asset that you can enjoy whenever time allows.


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[NewDog]

Oh I smile like a 2yr old when I do drive out. As far as wrenching on it, I don't I have a guy do it for me. I should probably do it but I don't. I have no interest in selling it, it's in my will to go to my son, so it will never leave as long as I'm alive. Just a question I ask myself every now and then. I have plans for it in the next couple of years, both boys will be gone from the house then I plan on have the odds and ends that need to be done fixed and drive it more.

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My $0.02 - if it keeps you smiling, just drive it when you can! It sounds like you have a plan - and giving it some use, even if it's only a couple hundred miles a year, is better than no use (and no plan). You should get good smileage (smiles per mile) regardless!
Cheers,
David