1971 F250 Highboy Trade for a 1974 Bronco

[AJ not OJ]

Based on the vin it was originally a 6 cylinder. Currently a 302, not sure from what though.

 

[Pops68]

Thanks for the info on the 6 cylinder years guys!!

 

[sprdv1]

Welcome aboard AJ...

 

[AJ not OJ]

Welcome aboard AJ...

Thanks. I’m still considering the aforementioned Bronco on trade. I had a friend of mine look it over who knows a lot more about these old broncos and said overall it’s pretty solid.

 

[Kbpony]

Since this is all opinions, I’ll give mine. The Bronco has plenty of covered up issues that a lot on here have noticed and give exception to. both rigs look good from the outside, and unless some real gremlins show up, probably run/drive fine. You could add a throttle body fuel injection system to the Bronco and probably have it running pretty close to as good as your LS. I think they are pretty equal in value the way they set today. If you like the Bronco and play your cards right while negotiating, maybe you could just swap even up? Not a bad plan.

 

[Torkman66]

When you go look at it, take one of those small magnets like the ones on the ends of small screw drivers or pens. Magnets wont stick to rust. Great way to see through the paint. Fiberglass can hide rusted out areas but will fail the magnet test. Very common on some quick turns. Floors should have the "ribs" in them. If the floors are just straight, flat metal, they have been replaced....poorly. Get a good light and look at the inner rockers. Often the rockers can be mudded to hide rot but the inners are often overlooked and can tell you a lot. The single biggest problem...I mean the BIGGEST problem on these Broncos is RUST. Engines, wiring, all interior, glass, drivetrains, suspension are all easy buy and replace jobs. But RUST in the body gets very ugly very fast. Unless you have a lot of time, are a good welder, and have the space and tools to gut the body, rust will put you wayyyy upside down very fast if you require someone else to do it. If you find that there is not a lot of rust (rust can easily be hidden....see above), then it is probably a good deal. If there is excessive rust, I would pass .

 

[bronco italiano]

I'm in Charlotte North Carolina. And curious why you say that?

Bronco from dry areas fetch more money because they usually have less rust issues. Broncos are just more sought after than High-
Boys due to demand/uniqueness

 

[AJ not OJ]

When you go look at it, take one of those small magnets like the ones on the ends of small screw drivers or pens. Magnets wont stick to rust. Great way to see through the paint. Fiberglass can hide rusted out areas but will fail the magnet test. Very common on some quick turns. Floors should have the "ribs" in them. If the floors are just straight, flat metal, they have been replaced....poorly. Get a good light and look at the inner rockers. Often the rockers can be mudded to hide rot but the inners are often overlooked and can tell you a lot. The single biggest problem...I mean the BIGGEST problem on these Broncos is RUST. Engines, wiring, all interior, glass, drivetrains, suspension are all easy buy and replace jobs. But RUST in the body gets very ugly very fast. Unless you have a lot of time, are a good welder, and have the space and tools to gut the body, rust will put you wayyyy upside down very fast if you require someone else to do it. If you find that there is not a lot of rust (rust can easily be hidden....see above), then it is probably a good deal. If there is excessive rust, I would pass .

good call on the magnet- I'm planning to test drive it this week and will bring a magnet along. Overall it seems solid, and floors were replaced at some point with the ribbed kind. I looked it over with a friend of mine that has a lot more experience and nothing was overly concerning. No excessive rust from what we could see. I also posted a photo album earlier in the thread.

 

[MThalfcab]

AJ,
Your getting a lot of good advice on here but the finial decision is yours, I’ve been bit, and trust me it doesn’t fade for a long time if ever. If you do your homework on the Bronco and listen to what people are telling you as you check this Pony out, if your happy with the final trade, then what people say doesn’t matter, since you’ll be prepared for outcomes, you can’t see everything so you might grit your teeth a bit but trust me, after a while walking out to the shop and seeing your new Bronco sit there will ease any pain with excitement!
Just my thoughts!

 

[AJ not OJ]

AJ,
Your getting a lot of good advice on here but the finial decision is yours, I’ve been bit, and trust me it doesn’t fade for a long time if ever. If you do your homework on the Bronco and listen to what people are telling you as you check this Pony out, if your happy with the final trade, then what people say doesn’t matter, since you’ll be prepared for outcomes, you can’t see everything so you might grit your teeth a bit but trust me, after a while walking out to the shop and seeing your new Bronco sit there will ease any pain with excitement!
Just my thoughts!

I appreciate the insight. In terms of value I feel like a decent condition patina f250 highboy gets you in project bronco range- something needing work, rust repair, mechanical, etc. And the GM powertrain 'frankenstein' truck definitely turns some people off, but adds value for others wanting a reliable DD with decent fuel economy.

I was able to test drive it a few weeks ago. First time ever driving a first gen bronco, so its tough with nothing to compare it too. Steering and handling definitely need some work to be more road worthy. It wants to wander and there's definitely some dead spots in the steering. There's also a squeal under hard acceleration that's probably serpentine belt related, maybe a bearing, or possibly the fan? But it ran and drove and shifted well. Decent power for cruising around town. It held oil pressure fine and idles smooth. Turn signals didn't work, and other small odds and ends. Most areas passed the magnet test which was a good surprise. Even underneath where undercoating is heavier. The one area it failed was the lower rockers, but only a small section seemed to be fiberglass.

If I can do an even trade I may consider it. I'm a bit more project oriented and get satisfaction out of tinkering with things. And at the end of the day I think I could sell it easier than the truck and possibly trade up for something a bit more family friendly.