Need tips to buying an EB

[Gregg]

First I need to say that this site and its members are impressive. I've been reading forums and tech articles and its cool. Second I need to say that I have very limited knowledge of cars/trucks. By limited I mean, I can change the oil on my subaru and how to call the dealership for any other repair/maintenance. Now when you finish LOLing, I could really use some help finding a EB. I've been on craigslist a few times a day for the last 3 months (once I got this EB bug in my head, I can't get it out). I've been looking at EB prices, mods, pros,cons...and I have a general idea about what I can get (afford) for what I want.
Budget: Under $4000
I want to tool around town and occasionally go easy 4 wheeling
I don't want to show it/restore it
I (not a mechanic) want to keep it maintained/repaired and get it close to a daily driver
Questions: Am I crazy and should forget about it? What should I look for in terms of mods? What should I inspect it for (rust yes, but how bad is bad), When/if I test drive one, what kind of ride/sounds/rattles/odors should I expect and what are red flags?
I really would appreciate your feedback. As I get some of your ideas, I'll post links to what I'm looking at in my area. Thanks!!!

 

[MattW]

Welcome to the best and by far the friendliest site on the internet.


For under $4k you should be able to find a pretty decent Bronco. You'll either find a mechanically solid one with its fair share of rust or one that has had body work done, but can't make it around the block and back. Most likely you'll find a few that need ~40+ years or routine maintenance caught up on, but will run fine with a couple of weekends of work. It may not look pretty, but it'll get you back home. Occasionally you'll find that one diamond in the rough that is the best of both worlds for relatively cheap.

If you're not looking to restore it, I'd look for one that has more rust than mechanical problems. That being said, these things are very simple to work on. A set of tools, couple of good shop manuals and the knowledge of this site can get you through anything on these old trucks. It is remarkable what some people on here know (I'm not one of them).

Welcome to the addiction as well. Post up your location too and be sure to check out the classifieds here for some good deals.

 

[ransil]

Location Helps, Prices and condition vary by location. Where you at??
$4K it will require some work for this price.

 

[blubuckaroo]

LOOK FOR RUST!
If you're handy most rust can be fixed but check it real good for cowl rust. It is harder to spot but should be considered terminal unless you're ready for a lot of work.

 

[ObscureMachine]

Get as much wisdom as you can from people on this board about potential purchases before you buy. Just because someone advertises a bronco as "runs great" or "totally redone" doesn't mean anything. If you can find some other bronco owners close to you who can go with you when you look at one. Oh, and the "search" button on this forum is your best friend!

 

[Nightstick]

Welcome to the site! You've made a good decision to ask for help BEFORE you buy. I thought I knew what I wanted and jumped on a bronco when I thought I found it. Had I done my research I woulda saved quite a bit of money.

Most people can learn how to work on the mechanical side of these rigs fairly easy, body work on the other hand can be very time consuming and expensive and if you don't know what you're doing bad things can happen. I would consider this a great opportunity to learn more about how these things operate and gain the satisfaction of fixing your own vehicle.

With that in mind I would look for something with little body work required but maybe not in the best of shape mechanically. Some "sellers" will ditch a rig because it doesn't run that only requires a simple fix to get on the road. Also it helps to know where you're at. If you're in the salted road states a rust free bronco for under $4000 will be hard to find.

 

[Dakota]

There are easy rust areas, and there are serious problem rust areas.

Easy: rockers, lower tailgate, outer front fenders, floor pans.
Hard: Inner fenders (any cowl stuff), door posts, striker posts.

Spending a bit more to avoid the hard rust areas is WELL WORTH IT. Take it from me, who was considerably more unwise than you and also bought before I learned. I have now learned, the hard way.

Mechanically, these are a breeze. Even a simple refresh/rebuild on a stock motor would not be a great big deal. I personally would look for one with a better body, and perhaps accept some mechanical issues.

Just my humble opinion.

MP

 

[stupidboy]

Welcome to the site, The description you gave of yourself and your mechanical abilities tells me that you should maybe increase your budget by a couple thousand and This will open some better doors for you, unless of coarse you are willing to get really dirty, spend countless hrs working on your bronco yourself, after learning how to do that. There are some pretty nice along with fairly reliable broncos around that you would only have normal maintenance to do to it, in the 6 grand figure. I'm not saying they are perfect but are driving and look good.

 

[BronCowie]

Tell us where you live. Your local bronco bros will chime in and help you out.

I'm a know-nothing wanna-be shade-tree knuckle-busting cross-threading do-it-twice-because-I-screwed-it-up-the-first-time mechanic and have maintained and repaired mine for years on a very low budget. These trucks are relatively easy and inexpensive to work on and you'll learn as you go with expert advice from this board.

Good luck on your search.


disclaimer: don't ever take mechanical advice from me ;D

 

[ObscureMachine]

"I'm a know-nothing wanna-be shade-tree knuckle-busting cross-threading do-it-twice-because-I-screwed-it-up-the-first-time mechanic..."

I aspire to do things ONLY twice!

 

[Stroppe-Envy-77]

I'll agree with a lot of what's already been written in response. If you want something you can drive with minimal hassle, you might need to look for something well about $4000.

One other tip I'll chime in with: if you're not planning to do a lot of the mechnaical work yourself, you'll need to become aquainted with a local shop that can.

Not every mechanic is willing or able to work on older vehicles, so you might want to track one down that does before you make a purchase. There's nothing especially tricky about Broncos, but as an example, many younger technicians don't know how to work on carburetors. (Yes, some Broncos have been updated with fuel injection, but probalby not too many that are selling for $4000.)

If your regular shop doesn't want to get involved with an older ride, start paying attention to what's parked in family-owned repair shops. If you see one that seems to have a fair number of classic or vintage cars in the bays, you'd want to check them out. This doesn't necessarily mean they know what they're doing, but that would be a starting point.

You can also check with a local car club to get recommendations. Depending on where you live, you can probably find a Mustang club, as there are lots of them. Members of the club may know which places work on old Fords, and more importantly, which ones to avoid.

 

[Gregg]

You bronco guys rock. I was glad nobody told me to spend my money on a psyhcologist! Anyway, I updated my profile. I'm in Longmont. 10 miles from Boulder and 50 from Denver. There is a EB (71 I think) not far from my house and the owner seems pretty cool. Maybe I'll get some pics of it, post them and see what you all think. If you have some specific shots I should take, let me know.

 

[akafrankcastle]

Seeing as you are still looking, I can't accuse you of snaking the 73 for sale in Denver a few days ago.

Plenty of Colorado guys here on the forum and all of them decent people.

I'll lend my support to the previously stated idea of buying a solid, mostly rust free truck that may require mechanical work. It is much easier to find a knowledgable mechanic than a cheap body guy. And it will be much easier for you to learn to turn a wrench than to chop and weld.

 

[Gregg]

I'll need to find a bronco guy before I find a bronco. I can't recall the 73 bronco in denver. What was the asking price? I have to stay below $4000 (per the Mrs.) anyway.

 

[akafrankcastle]

It was going for 2k. Owner said it needed a hard top and a transfer case to be fully functional.

As far as your 4k budget goes, I feel your pain with the finance minister controlling your purchase price. One thing you can communicate to her is these trucks are 40 years old. A strong well researched investment on the front end will prevent additional, larger, expenditures later.

 

[jim3326]

Seeing as you are still looking, I can't accuse you of snaking the 73 for sale in Denver a few days ago.

Plenty of Colorado guys here on the forum and all of them decent people.

I'll lend my support to the previously stated idea of buying a solid, mostly rust free truck that may require mechanical work. It is much easier to find a knowledgable mechanic than a cheap body guy. And it will be much easier for you to learn to turn a wrench than to chop and weld.

I thought you were referring to me til you said it needed work to get rolling. I just picked one up last weekend from Arvada but it drove on and off the trailer;D It still needs a lot of body work but seems fair mechanically. Haven't had any time to dig into it yet, still working on my other '66;D Like everyone else stated to find one that will require minimal work and only maintenance you will have to up the ante.

Jim W.

 

[Evian]

4K isn't that much money for a decent EB. It will probably need more than that to restore trust me on this. Obviously avoid anything with rust. Craigslist will be your best friend here.

 

[Nightstick]

How far are you willing to travel to buy one?