Not allowed to get a bronco

[Piercem]

I really want an early bronco and the other day I found a really good one for sale. The problem is my dad talked to the guy and he said it runs great and everything is good but that it's just not a car for a teenager to drive . He said overall Broncos are unsafe so I my dad doesn't want me to get one because of the safety. What do you guys think about the safety of a bronco?

 

[Crawdad]

A good early bronco will run you around $7k-$10k and that is a bare bronco. Even with that kinda money you would need to sink in another $3k-$4k in better brakes, roll bar, and even efi for better gas. For that price you can get a small used ford ranger with all the bells and whistles for $5k. My first car was a 73 bronco on 36s. The steering was way out of whack so he put 31s on it but still a lil squirrelly. It got me and my sister to high school but my senior year my dad got me a wrangler that drove like a Cadillac compared to my old bronco. I have a 2003 ford ranger and I'm building my 77 bronco from scratch. Broncos love cash, checks and credit cards. Get a more reliable car and spend your money on having fun. Let the big boy toys come with time. I wish I did when I was your age.

 

[langester]

I would say that they are not as safe as modern cars and trucks we have today. That being said , I do not believe they are unsafe to drive. That is a blanket statement that is just not true. It might not be the best choice for a new driver, but it also depends on the driver. I have seen teenagers that are very capable of driving these rigs without a problem, I have also seen teen drivers I wouldn't trust with a bicycle.
These rigs can be made a little safer than they were from the factory. Better seat belts, roll cage, etc.
My first vehicle was a 79 Scout I got it my Junior year of High School, I had no problems. My second vehicle was a 76 Bronco, I got it my senior year, I had no problems. I saved and bought my own vehicles and made me appreciate what I had and I got what I liked. I will say that I was your typical teen driver for my day, a little reckless and wild, but I never thought it was a dangerous ride.
I also believe that when its your time its your time. I see people getting hurt everyday that are doing everything in their power to be safe. I also see the other end of the spectrum of people without a care in the world doing dumb things and never facing any consequences for their actions.
I think the political correctness and the fun police are taking things a little too far on many issues and it needs to be tamed down a bit. You only get one shot at life and you should be able to enjoy it the way you want to within reason.
A bit of a rant but I hope it helps. I am sure both sides of this issue will be shared by others.
Good luck and I hope you can change someones mind and get yourself a Bronco!

 

[Hockeydad4-22]

Well your dad is both right and wrong

A lot, I mean a lot depends on you. Are you responsible enough to dire it reasonably? Are you going to be showing off in it to your pals?

Assuming you can responsibly own and operate a 50yr old vehicle, are you willing and able to spend the time and money to make it as safe as reasonably possible? Ad a full cage, disk brakes, 3 or 4 point seat belts, suspension...

If you meet ALL the above and then many-many more, then yes, it makes a decent vehicle for a young man to drive. After all, it's what my now 20yr old son and I built for him to drive. These days it's his second vehicle, when he absolutely must be at work, and has no other resources- a 50yr old vehicle is not exactly reliable.

 

[half cab]

Get your dad to take it for a test drive n see what he thinks about it. I had just turned 19 when I got my first Bronco. That was a long time ago and have never been without one of some kind.

 

[Piercem]

Maybe the best thing to do is for me to buy a more reliable car until I'm a little older then start looking into getting a bronco

 

[broncobsession]

Maybe the best thing to do is for me to buy a more reliable car until I'm a little older then start looking into getting a bronco

Good thought! Maybe you would consider buying a nice daily driver with half your money and a beat up project bronco to slowly fix up with the other half. You will learn to work on it and by the time you are done have some driving experience under your belt. Food for thought.

 

[JGbronc]

I had a Bronco when I was a teen. 2 actually (traded one for the other). Like said above, it really depends on you. I never had an issue, but I knew to respect the fact that it was an antique 4x4 that would not drive like a new F150. By the time I turned 16, I already had experience driving a Bronco and had been around them since I was an infant. So needless to say, I knew what I was capable of doing, and what to avoid.

They cannot be driven like a sports car, they can't take a curve at high speeds like a Mustang or the equivalent, and they have the aerodynamics of a brick. Not to mention, they do require regular maintenance and repairs.

But there is nothing more fun to drive!

 

[deltabronco]

The difference is that unlike a car, your bronco will increase in value...

 

[Piercem]

It's just if I wanted a bronco now it would be pretty hard to convince my dad after what the guy told him about it...

 

[okie4570]

Well go have him talk to a different guy who says it's ok!

Lot's of variables though. My first vehicle was a 71' with no ps or pb. I lived 5 miles from school, 7 miles from where we hunted and fished most of the time. Air bags didn't exist then, and shoulder seat belts hadn't been around that long. Are there safer vehicles now, yes.
We live almost 20 miles from town, and 15 miles from the school that my kids attend. No way I'm sending them on the high way in an EB as a teen aged driver. If we lived in town, and they drove a few miles each day at city speeds, I'd let them drive an EB with PS, PB roll cage and shoulder belts. It would have to be fairly stock with no giant lift and and tires either. Also, they've been around them growing up, and they already know the risk of driving EB's.

 

[Brent13]

It is sad at what we have become with safety, and that may sound stupid. But, I have a 7yo little girl and I will likely be the same way when she is ready to drive. I started driving with a 72 Scout, then a 74 CJ5. Talk about a wild ride! That thing handled like......well, did not handle well at all! But here I am, alive and well. It is just sad our kids won't enjoy the same things we enjoyed. We are over the top when it comes to being safe, but that is what society has become.

Brent

 

[brian72]

put a rollbar in it... build a stout bumper front and rear and put a set of rock sliders on it... it will live survive any soccer mom accident

 

[BR549]

Suggest to him you want a high horsepower hotrod, then the bronco will be the lessor of 2 evils.

 

[Rustytruck]

I bought my Bronco just after my birthday when I was 18 back in 1977. I had no dad to save me from this dangerious world and I survived. Tell him its eithor the safety of a Bronco or you might just get a motorcycle.

Ask your dad if he really wanted you in a 100 mph capable Honda that gets smashed up like a beer can or a Bronco that tops out at 70 mph and smashes Hondas for breakfast.

Best luck on your quest for Bronco poverty.

Might want to remind your dad he was once your age seeking responcibility and lifes choices and did his parents tie his choices?

 

[broncodriver99]

How old are you? How long have you had a drivers license? Can you live without your cell phone while driving? If you have a few years of driving under your belt and are a good driver you could probably handle it as long as it is fairly close to stock height. Throw some lift in there and I know plenty of adults that I wouldn't trust to drive a Bronco.

The big problem with older vehicles is that they are not forgiving at all. An accident will be MUCH worse that with a modern vehicle. No airbags, crappy seat belts, no crumple zones, compromised metal due to rust, and no soft surfaces to absorb any impact you have with the body during an accident. Add in the obsession people have with their cell phones these days and their unwillingness to do without them while driving and an older vehicle definitely become more of a risk.

There was a thread on here a while back about a teen who got a smokin deal on a cherry stock bronco that was in really good shape. I think he made it about 2 months before he totaled it. He was very lucky in that he walked away from the accident without any injuries. Had he been a more skilled driver and had a little more sense the situation wouldn't have happened.

At the end of the day our opinions don't matter at all. Your dad has come to his conclusion after speaking with the fella who owns the Bronco, and he is right, they aren't really an ideal vehicle for a teen. I doubt he came to the conclusion just because the guy said so but because he understood what the seller was telling him where as you may not have. Your Dad is only looking out for your best interest and your safety and I guarantee you he is a much better judge of your abilities than you think.

Start out with something newer, safer, and more reliable. If when you have the time, money, and more experience pick up a project Bronco and make it your own.

My advice would be to listen to your father.

 

[BluebroncoNC]

Roll bar tied into the frame, 3 point seat belt install, high back seats, upgrade brakes, power steering, couple of fire extinguishers, upgrade lights to LED, your golden.

But hey, Pop purchased for me a 69 Camero SS Convertable, decided it wasn't safe enough and sold it before I got my drivers permit. So I feel ya.

 

[wepuckett]

If your really intent on driving a Bronco get a beater you don't spend a lot on but it safe and reliable prove you can drive safe and keep saving. By the time you prove to your dad your ready you should be able to buy an even nicer one but not burn the bridge on the Bronco while arguing with him over this.

Or as someone suggested buy a dependable daily driver and either hold or use the rest for a lesser bronco you and him can work on together or you and your friends can and get it road worthy and do all the upgrades for safety too.

 

[BOBS 2 68S]

I got my 1968 bronco when I was 19. My dad found it for me, but my dad also had a bronco. He also told me it was not a toy and I break it I had to fix it...respect. That was 1979. And I still have that bronco.

 

[6677ebman]

Prob 15 years ago I sold a '75 to a teenager in suburban Birmingham. Well-to-do family, his dad was a pharmacist I believe. ANYWAY the dad called me like 3 days later & said he didn't want his son driving it in the city, and wanted me to come buy it back, and I did, totally understood. The Bronco wasn't junk, was a pretty solid uncut 302 auto. Anyways I've dealt with the teenager in an EB issue too