daily drivers

[FLIT67]

Ok folks, what would y'all think is reasonable too many miles/day for a daily driver. If I start doing this, mine will be approx. 70 to 100 per day. Just a nice and easy 50 to 55 mph. Just curious what the crowd thinks. Right now, mine is an uncut '76 bone stock except for the intake and 4 barrel.

 

[SteveL]

My 72 was my dd for about 5 years before they gave me a company truck. Then I built it more for trails. Now that I'm retired I'm working on getting it more street friendly so I can drive it more. Funny thing. When my 72 was my dd it was more reliable than my partners newer cars. I was always having to give him rides when he or his wifes cars were down. Especially the caravan she drove.

 

[sprdv1]

well that just depends on how much you want to save on it....

may as well just enjoy it and fix things along the way, if need be...

ENJOY

 

[Digger556]

Ok folks, what would y'all think is reasonable too many miles/day for a daily driver. If I start doing this, mine will be approx. 70 to 100 per day. Just a nice and easy 50 to 55 mph. Just curious what the crowd thinks. Right now, mine is an uncut '76 bone stock except for the intake and 4 barrel.

Depends. Fuel mileage is usually what makes a Bronco impractical for long commutes. Stock units range from 9-12 mpg typically. At 100/day and $3/gal, that's $25-$33/day.

Overdrive and EFI can bump mileage to 14-15mpg. Some have got better, but I wouldn't count on it. I was commuting 40 miles/day at 14mpg. It was okay for a while, but its hard to justify when I have another truck that will get 20 mpg or buy a beater that gets 30-50mpg. In the end, I bailed on the V8 and I'm swapping in a turbo diesel. Should get 20-25 mpg, making the Bronco a respectable commuter.

 

[blubuckaroo]

I drive mine.
I try to compare it to those driving 1/2 & 3/4 ton trucks to work. I'm sure my 15-17 MPG will be close to most of theirs.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I've had that commute. It gets tiring. and with any older car, there is a lot of maintenance to keep on top of. It can be fun to work on stuff when you choose to, sucks when you have to in order to drive it every day.

I found it much nicer to have a daily driver. Modern gas and go car. Take the Bronco when the weather is really nice, or just a fun drive on a Friday.

 

[Pa PITT]

I'd think anything on a daily basic over 10 miles one way would be more than I want.
...
But I had a friend drive his crawler home from a Bronco event .. His Haul Truck broke down . So he jumped into his Crawler . It's a 302 AUTO od & About 37 tires. No top no doors . It's in good shape but he drove that thing at 70 mph from Arkansa past Stephenville I'd say maybe 500miles one way.
He swore the only problem was having to stop ever 100 miles for gas.

 

[blubuckaroo]

It really depends on how dependable your Bronco is, how comfortable it is, and if it's set up for you're kind of commute.
A 5" lift, 37s, heavy bumpers, rock skis, and a four point harness wouldn't be my choice to drive to work, but something with good comfortable driving manners, tunes, and A/C would. That's how we've built ours. It's fun to drive in the conditions we use it. We've got other vehicles, but the Bronco is my go-to unless I need a truck or carry more passengers.

 

[sprdv1]

I found it much nicer to have a daily driver. Modern gas and go car. Take the Bronco when the weather is really nice, or just a fun drive on a Friday.

Kind of gives you something to look forward to, during the week as well..

just a couple occasions here, driving it to work.

 

[1strodeo]

...something with good comfortable driving manners, tunes, and A/C would.

off topic, call me weird but I never listen to music in the car, and I love music and play it in the garage always. I guess I enjoy the peace and quiet and I like to hear the engine.

X10 when driving my Bronco!! I love the sound of the engine and just as important I like to hear problems coming before I can FEEL them ;D

 

[ame]

I have found with other fun cars in the past I get tired of them driving it everyday, its nice to have a special fun or weekend car thats not a DD.

 

[cs_88]

I've had that commute. It gets tiring. and with any older car, there is a lot of maintenance to keep on top of. It can be fun to work on stuff when you choose to, sucks when you have to in order to drive it every day.

I found it much nicer to have a daily driver. Modern gas and go car. Take the Bronco when the weather is really nice, or just a fun drive on a Friday.

Agreed.
I found that commuting in the Bronco gets kinda old and I just don’t enjoy it like I should. Then when you start factoring in how much you’re spending on gas and maintenance...
When I drive the Bronco I want to just enjoy the ride and not care less about mpg.

 

[Lawndart]

I dd mine during the non-salt months, generally Apr-Nov.
I usually end up with about 50 per day. And I really enjoy the Bronco all the time.
However, this is mostly rural and small town roads.
I consistently get 13-14mpg.
If it was highway or urban combat driving, I would drive my ole Ranger.

 

[tasker]

JUST about everyday from early March till late November up here in the north east...just a bikini and half doors....351 w/c4 and 33's....when it's empty I put gas in...I don't want to be old someday and say "I should of used it more"

 

[bchesley]

I drive mine 6 out of 7 days a week regardless of season or weather. I have spent hours setting it up to do all things including 70 down the highway. I only drive it 8 miles one way to work, but I have driven it 200 miles one way without a hitch. As long as the tires are balanced it will drive as smooth as my 3/4 ton diesel dodge. You can see the specs in my signature.

 

[Broncobowsher]

For 2 years the Bronco was plan B daily driver. Plan A was a motorcycle. I could commute for a week on what the Bronco cost me in a day. But I had to keep the Bronco up as it was still needed for grocery store runs and the mornings where it was raining.

I like the idea of daily driverable, but it makes a much better backup vehicle that just gets used a lot. Really sucks to be wrenching at 11PM on a Sunday night because you have to get it running to make it to work on Monday morning.

 

[Lawndart]

For 2 years the Bronco was plan B daily driver. Plan A was a motorcycle. I could commute for a week on what the Bronco cost me in a day. But I had to keep the Bronco up as it was still needed for grocery store runs and the mornings where it was raining.

I like the idea of daily driverable, but it makes a much better backup vehicle that just gets used a lot. Really sucks to be wrenching at 11PM on a Sunday night because you have to get it running to make it to work on Monday morning.

Why not have Bronco plan A and have a plan B as the motorcycle, beater, etc?
Then those occasional Sundays, you can take your time and do it right.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Because the motorcycle was brand new, reliable, cheap. The Bronco was a project. New engine installed. Always needing work. Lot of little things that always were needed. Without A/C the motorcycle was a better summer ride. With the proper attire it was good in the winter as well. Ran on 1/5th the fuel the Bronco took. Nothing was wore out. I sold that bike with 50k on the clock.

People forget how much work it was to keep vehicles on the road. Those old vehicles still take that level of work. 100k was a wore out vehicle, today that is still a high dollar used car. Back then it was common to have been inside the engine a time or two before it was ready for a rebuild at 150k. These days you don't even have your first oil leak at 150k. Often they have not even had the spark plugs changed. 150K was time for a rebuilt, now it is just time for a new set of plugs.

 

[Lawndart]

I use to ride motorcycles nearly all the time. After a few crashes, wildlife, age and various incidents with drivers, I find a Bronco with a soft top a similar experience without most of the drama. Plus no gearing up to go.
I think you are being a bit negative about the older metal. In my experience, with good maintenance, and not driving like a teenager, they can be quite reliable once you work out the POs neglect, mods, etc.
I do swap out the occasional missions with my ole Galaxie just to change the experience.

 

[FLIT67]

Right now I have a 98 1/2 dodge 12v that needs a lot of front end work. I do have a bike, but do to my eyes, I'm going to sell it. I can't see into the shadows driving to and from work ( and yes, I have already hit a deer about a month ago because of it). So, the bronco really doesn't need the heater or functional windshield wipers right now. I'll put a new fuel pump on and give it a shot for a couple of days.