Funny stories of how you got a bronco

[Boss Hugg]

I load it up, and bring it home.

THAT is a great story. Potentially sad because we don't know what happened to the PO, but...

 

[ArmyCOL]

Was driving to work one day in Orlando and saw the vehicle out of the corner of my eye in a parking lot at UCF. Spun around to have a look and low and behold there was a foe sale sign in the window. Called the number and found out it was a student who was selling because he needed tuition money. Wanted $2500 gave him $2300 and took it home that afternoon. Been a project since then.

 

[ep67bro]

My 67 was kind of funny. I had been looking for a bronco for a few years this was back in 2004-2005. I found one in a local sales paper it was in Dover about an hour from my house. It was in February and was snowing, I go look at it, it dark snowing, cold. Get there the guy that has it is in the Air Force, the bronco came with him from Oregon so no rust, it had minor accident damage to the front quarter. He said to me "man its not running right and I really need a reliable car". He was asking $3,000 I offered $2,200. He took it. Got it home found it wasnt running right because someone had put new spark plug wires on the wrong plugs! It came with a brand new soft top and a pile of other parts. By far the best bronco deal I ever got.

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Awesome thread!

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

 

[Cajun76]

Kinda always looking, but not really looking, then my ‘76 popped up on FB from a guy I knew...looked at it next morning and done deal. Didn’t even drive it.

 

[retro77]

I had some buddies that talked j**ps, but I always wanted a bronco. I had mentioned this to one of my boys and, without telling me, he advertised for one. A guy in the next town over replied, he had one for sale. My son and I went to look at it. It was a 77 but in rough shape. It was missing the drivers side rear fender, rusty, dirty, the front diff was sitting behind the rear seat. But it ran and drove, had decent super swamper tires and slotted aluminum rims. I wanted it anyway, so $400 later it was mine. Oh by the way, this was 1992. I worked on it once in a while, but it mostly set in the garage, down to the frame. Finally in the last few years it was together, running and driving. This past June I got it painted. It turned out exactly how I wanted it! As everybody knows, they are never finished. I have more plans for it, but enjoying it greatly for the time being. It is such a blast driving it! The best 400 dollars I ever spent.

 

[Audifan]

It all started with a trip to Home Depot with my Father in law as we were building my RV garage. An old army green bronco pulled up next to us at the light and I said…”I’ve always wanted one of those things”. That was it. End of conversation.

Fast forward a few months and I get a text message out of the blue of a picture of his truck with a trailer full of Bronco parts. And a message… “Congrats, we’re building father and son broncos!”

Now, I never said I wanted to build one...nor did I say I wanted one now, or that I had time in my life to do this. But apparently my father in law thought it was a great time for us to “bond” even further...and of course my wife was on board and said “he needs this, you have to do it”. So, I was stuck.

So, I started researching what it takes to build a bronco from scratch, found this forum...and practically had a heart attack I started reading build threads that span THOUSANDS of man hours and MULTIPLE years...It freaked me out.

Yet here I am neck deep in my first build (way more than I expected), helping my father in law with his build and because I'm now as insane as everyone else on CB...I have already put down money and started buying for my 2nd build.

 

[Boss Hugg]

The best 400 dollars I ever spent.

And I'm sure 400 is ALL you have in it now, right??? ;D

 

[retro77]

And I'm sure 400 is ALL you have in it now, right??? ;D

Maybe just a little more than 400, well, quite a bit more, and a whole lot of sweat equity, and many, many hours spent in the garage, but I don't regret any of it. The end result was worth it, plus I learned a lot and developed new skills.
I am sure most of the members here would agree.

 

[66broncofan]

Traded for it!

So a fellow bronco friend of mine knew a college student at CU Boulder that had a 66 that he was having problems with. A fellow college buddy had tried to jumpstart his Bronco and reversed the terminals. Needless to say, they fried the electrical system. Or at least that’s the problem they began to chase. The student spent lots of beer money tracking the issues, like new starter, alternator, voltage regulator etc... He could not get it working again so that’s where my friend came in.
My friend, a true friend if there ever was one, said, let’s go up there and help him out and see if we can get it running. We drove up to Boulder from Colorado Springs and got busy troubleshooting things. Turned out everything was good except the battery cable to the starter didn’t get bolted down tight enough. Got it working but the kid was done with it. His frustration turned out in my favor. On a whim, I offered to trade him my 1968 Mercedes 200D; basically, a 4 door taxi. He though on it and a few days later took me up on the offer. I drove it home on a cold January night with no heater because the heater core was toast.
Needless to say that was almost 20 years ago. Bet that kid wished he didn’t make the trade now!

 

[1970 Palmer]

So, I was looking for a Covid Project to stay busy and my wife has wanted a early Bronco for a very long time. We have been surfing the CL ad's all over the southwest. Everything was junk, or well out of our limited resources. I had put the word out to my car buddy's that I was looking for a early project Bronco, had to be a stock one, not cut or lifted. Light rust, bodywork, or needing mechanical work was OK.

So, I get a email from my buddy, that says "check this out on CL". 93,000 miles, all original/complete, uncut, 302 with a three speed U15. It was a 1970 which was important to me to avoid the Calif. Emission requirements. It had rolled over on a car trailer and had side body damage, needed inner fender panels (rusted), and both front floor boards (rusted).

So we jump in the F150, drive the 400 miles to take a look and give the seller a deposit, and return on the weekend with a car trailer to bring it home. I tell the seller, I have been looking for a EB for a long time and never saw his ad on CL before today. It seems he wanted to save paying the CL listing fee by placing his listing in the BARTER SECTION for free, and not under AUTOS FOR SALE, that would cost him $5.00.

The best part of the story, it came out of rural Pauldin, AZ (north of Prescott) , in Todd Z country.

John

 

[FordBronc]

Ha! This story is probably the only true "I'm in Dubai and want to buy your Bronco" story on the internet. I bet the Seller was surprised to see you were real.

Yes he was a little shocked when I called him. But after we talked a while, he knew I was serious and a US resident, then I offered the "hold it money".

He was a younger kid and story goes he traded some high dollar souped up hot rod 4 wheeler for it. He got a good deal and I got the better deal IMO.

 

[Gas Pig]

There has been some pretty funny stories on this post! Maybe it with all types of cars but I’m a personal believer if Broncos could talk they would have the best stories!

Ok now onto one of my purchases... It was about 14 years ago on the week between Christmas and New Years, I came across a non runner ‘66 in Phoenix on eBay. Because it was an Arizona truck the body was really clean, I figured it was so clean the auction would be won by a local. Figuring I wasn’t going to win the auction so I didn’t bother to tell my wife anything about it. So as the week went on the bids really weren’t going up like I had thought. As New Year’s Eve got closer I then realized the auction actually end on New Year’s Eve at 11:00 pm. All day I keep an eye on the auction but our whole family (basically large family reunion) was gathering at my grandparents house for New Year’s Eve. This was pre- smart phone (at least for me) so I couldn’t watch auction from the party. I couldn’t stand not knowing the auction status. I got to the point and I told my wife I had to run home because of stomach issues! I got home and watched my bid win at 11:00 pm on New Year’s Eve... I won it for $1750. It was so under valued and I believe it’s it ended on New Year’s Eve eve. I had to be the only Bronco nerd sitting around a computer screen watching the “count down” not Times Square but eBay! lol Filled with joy and excitement then I realized... crap I just won and I hadn’t mention anything to my wife the possibility of me buying another Bronco. Well thank The Lord the He finds favor on me because I have a very understanding wife and she was surprisingly cool about the whole thing! Even thought it was funny that I made up a story that I was having stomach issues. lol

I’ll let some other guys post more of their stories first. But this Bronco has a prequel story to me buying it off of eBay... so stay tuned in.

 

[Madgyver]

i got a 77 with no motor for $900. clear title.

 

[Deano]

I was out driving around on a backroad in the biggest snowstorm back in the mid 90s in my bronco just having a blast playing in the snow drifts wasn’t very many tracks in the snow then I came around a sharp turn and a set of tracks veered off the road so I slowed down and started looking to see if anyone needed help and then this guy and his 2 kids are standing in the road so I asked do you need any help he said I’ve got a bronco like the one your driving stuck over the bank and if you can get it out I’ll give it to you it’s up against a few trees so I put his kids in my warm bronco and went walking to see how bad it was. I clime in the passenger side and fire it up and it doesn’t move I get out and find he had knocked the lock in off so I walk back over to mine and pop the lock in off take it down and put it on his and fired it up and spun it around that tree and back up the bank I went with it he was amazed I drove it out then he said you got it out it’s yours but can I drive it home and clean it out I said let me know when I can come get it. About a week went by and I was setting in town and he pulls up beside me with it and said he needed a ride home after he drove it to my house and that’s how I got one bronco

 

[ZOSO]

My current 74 I have was on a random day in 2014. My dad called me and told me to come over after work. Once I walk in to his house he said to hand him 5 bucks. Well all I had on me was 2. He tossed me the keys to the bronco and said get it out of my garage. He needed the space for his new Harley. (This bronco has been in the family since 76. I grew up in it with my dad and grandpa)

My old 74 a buddy picked out of a garage for cheap. He dropped it in my driveway for $800.

My 77 was owned by a contractor at work. He told me about it and then one day he asked if I want to buy it. Paid $500 for it 3 or 4 years ago and the tub was non salvageable. I was going to part it out but came across a good tub for a good price so now I have a project that is just sitting there(time and money are short so been thinking of selling).

 

[JeepGuy]

Lol. Bought one, have owned two.

First one was stolen. That scenario played out on this forum in the Off Topic Section. Long story short, guy I bought it from produced a second Bronco close in value and we called it good. That is the current Bronco in my description. Got it partially ruff, took it out with the guys from SoCalBroncos and beat it to crap, then started a rebuild a few years back... maybe more than a few. Currently stock piling new parts to get this thing back on the road.

 

[roundhouse]

Was driving mine in 1998, and at a locksmith, one employee saw it and asked if I was interested in buying another one.
He had one with a knocking engine.
Wanted $3000.
I go looks at it and he mentions that he was going to use the money from the sale to buy a desktop computer, he shows me the sale paper with the computer.
I got a friend that’s a computer geek and builds computers so I ask if he will trade a new computer with those specs for the 77 bronco?
Sure .

So my friend builds the computer for $1,500 and I drive home the 77.

Turned out the knock was a bad lifter and bent pushrod , but the engine was worn out.
I get rid of the knock by putting the lifter back together , swap the 4 turn power steering box into my 74 and put the 6 turn on the 77 and sold it for $3000.

I still have my 74 that I bought in 96
Installed disc brakes and a three inch lift and 33s right after I bought it

In 99 i installed EFI and later a five speed NV3550,

 

[cannunz546]

About 15 years ago, my son (10 years old at the time) and I and a local mechanic decided to locate a vehicle like my first car (a 1972 Monte Carlo) and restore it. My son found a survivor in Arizona via Ebay motors. We had the car shipped to Illinois. It was a beauty. After 8 months of mechanical and body work, the car was completely restored. The day after it was completed, I went back to settle up my final bill at my mechanic's shop. When I walked in, there was a 1973 Bronco in one of his bays. I went out to look at it and it was in great shape. My best friend had a 1973 Bronco when we were in high school and I fell in love with it. I asked my mechanic who owned the Bronco and he said it was his but that he thought he had it sold. The potential buyer was on his way to look at it. Fifteen years prior, my mechanic had bought it from a woman who moved from Colorado to Illinois. He never drove it and had it stored in his barn at home. I asked what he wanted for it and he told me 3,000. I wrote the check for it on the spot. It was my first of two Broncos. Both 1973s. I still have both Broncos (which have been completely restored), and the Monte Carlo. They remind me of my high school days and all the good times we had. Most importantly, during the rebuild process, they provided me with a lot of time with my son when he was young. He's a car guy and still loves to drive them. His oldest child (my granddaughter, who is 1-1/2) refers to the vehicles as Grampa's vroom vrooms. The vehicles will stay in our Family and provide many more memories yet to be made. Hopefully, there will always be gas to fill the tanks .....

 

[Boss Hugg]

I left out the part that the PO on mine had gotten his third DWI as a result of rolling this thing (with young daughter inside). So he was in jail, in a divorce he probably didn't know about yet, and she sold it with the title he had already signed...

Every now and then a random stranger will ask what year my bronco is. I'll tell them "73" and lately, I've had a couple guys tell me "I had a 73...but mine was green." I've had to wonder if I was talking to the PO a couple times!