Looking for a Tailgate (me and everyone else, right?!)

[fordgrl99]

When my Dad passed away about a year and a half ago, he left me his 1996 Bronco XLT (he had ordered it new). USED to be a very nice truck, but when his health started declining, so did the truck. I'm working to put it back together again - poor thing has over 260,000 miles, but still runs great! Just started burning oil when he parked it in July/06.

Here's my dilemma. A few years back, we drove from OH. to PA. (almost NJ) to pick up a tailgate he bought on ebay. But when he put it on, it doesn't appear to be the right part; and even bigger deal, the inside 'guts' rusted through and he couldn't reuse them. Where, or where, can I find a used tailgate that's at least in "repairable" shape with good innards? I've been haunting some of the online parts places (i.e. junkyards) as well as places in our area, but so far, no luck (or they want a mint!).

Any help is much appreciated!!

 

[Redneck86]

The 2nd place i called had one, guess i was lucky. I gave 200 for one off an 88, motor works, good glass and even has nicer paint then the rest of my truck. I thought 200 was a good deal for how nice it was. Any tailgate from 80-96 will fit yours, but the trim might not be the same dependin on the year. My truck is a 86, and like i said the gate is from an 88. When you get one though youll need a friend to help put it on, they weigh like 80 pounds.

 

[shift1313]

is the orig. from your truck not repairable? i think the year they switched trim was 93. so a 94-96 should be the same. you can probably make any work it just depends on how accurate you want the truck to be. If the orig. just has some rust on the skin there are patch panels and whole tailgate skins available.

lmc lists 80-82 as one tailgate and 83-96 as another. However the lower skin repair panel they list for 80-93.

lmc list 83-96 tailgate for $269. This is just going to be the metal and unpainted. if you have a good motor, glass etc you can switch everything over that way. you will be sure to get a part with no rust that way.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fd/full.asp?page=35

 

[Broncobill78]

When my Dad passed away about a year and a half ago, he left me his 1996 Bronco XLT (he had ordered it new). USED to be a very nice truck, but when his health started declining, so did the truck. I'm working to put it back together again - poor thing has over 260,000 miles, but still runs great! Just started burning oil when he parked it in July/06.
Here's my dilemma. A few years back, we drove from OH. to PA. (almost NJ) to pick up a tailgate he bought on ebay. But when he put it on, it doesn't appear to be the right part; and even bigger deal, the inside 'guts' rusted through and he couldn't reuse them. Where, or where, can I find a used tailgate that's at least in "repairable" shape with good innards? I've been haunting some of the online parts places (i.e. junkyards) as well as places in our area, but so far, no luck (or they want a mint!).

Any help is much appreciated!!

You're right. Everyone is looking for them because they're usually the first & most noticable things to go. Now, as a rule the 80-96 parts are all interchangable (I'm specifically not dealing with the current thread about 80-96 tailgates firring 78/79 trucks and maybe vise-versa). The 80-96' parts will all fit but Ford made a lot of trim and exterior changes in that time so while one tailgate will physically bolt up to another truck the character lines may not line up and it may seem out of place. Not much that anyone can do with that outside of custom work and of course everyone here understands that "custom" is just a code word for "expensive"

Unfortunately there ARE not quick, easy or cheap solutions to the tailgate issue. You either buy one used & roll the dice or you buy a repro shell and spend the time/$$$ to swap parts and make it work. You either spend the money or you do the work and sometimes you do both. The absolute *best* deal is to find a tailgate from your particular Bronco and swap it whole but those are getting fewer & fewer and the prices are always going up. I've started hearing about salvage yards wanting upwards of $1K for a clean & complete tailgate. Not to be rude but that's just bending you over. A fair price is one thing but $1K is another. Profiteers should always be dealt with harshly.

There IS no easy answer, the best thing you can do is keep looking. It's getting to the point where it's *worth* it to buy an entire Southern parts truck in order to get what you want. You can sell off the remainder to recoup your expenses. Sorry, but that's about the best option available today.

 

[George Coleman]

Here is a few places in Ohio to get a tailgate B) If that is were you are! Good luck

1996

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco 7r4 bottom rotted cleaN UP BEFORE SALE 7R4 C

4

hrs 00034991 $500

actual PRP - Denison Auto Parts USA-OH(Cleveland) E-mail 1-800-328-9001

1995

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco LITE SCALE NICE FOR YEAR 000 A

0 7A4842 $350

actual Ohio Auto Salvage USA-OH(Columbiana) E-mail 1-800-332-1980

1995

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco W-GLASS,LIP REPAIRED BUT ROUGH 27109 $200 Bob's Auto Wrecking USA-OH(Milan) Request_Quote 1-800-853-6266 Request_Insurance_Quote

1996

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco BLACK ROUGH SHAPE 8276 $150 LaPoint Discount USA-OH(Holland) E-mail 1-800-845-0270

1995

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco BLACK LT LIP RUST,519008 519008 $100 Kash's Auto Wrecking USA-OH(Cleveland) E-mail 1-877-895-7004 / 1-216-229-7004

1994

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco JUST APPLIQUE T0756J $75 J and J Auto Wrecking USA-OH(Marshallville) E-mail 1-800-425-1555

1996

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco BURG,SILVER,PWR,NO GLASS 000 A

0 040422 $Call Fox Auto Parts USA-OH(Malvern) E-mail 1-800-228-6159

1995

Lid/Gate

Ford Bronco Full Size heated- WHITE (NDS GLASS,RUST,BONDO BTTM K3739 $Call Brims Imports Auto USA-OH(Kenton) Request_Quote 1-800-221-3874 Request_Insurance_Quote

 

[walnuts75]

I am also looking for a tailgate in Ohio. I've totally fixed up my bronco and it now looks awesome....except for the tailgate because I have been unable to find one. I have been looking for a new tailgate for about 4 months now and have found nothing. I prefer to buy a cheap used one whole rather than just the shell. I've checked junkyards, craigslist, and ebay, but all the ones I find are in just as bad condition as mine.

George, where did you find those numbers?! That last number from Kenton is actually pretty close to where I live! I'll have to check it out and see! Hopefully it's in better shape than mine.

 

[George Coleman]

The numbers came from a national salvage yard listing, it covers US and Canada!

 

[benztee]

i have an extra one. right now its for sale on e-bay, along with my old bronco. if it doesnt sell this week you could grab it from me cheap. lmk

 

[walnuts75]

i have an extra one. right now its for sale on e-bay, along with my old bronco. if it doesnt sell this week you could grab it from me cheap. lmk

Does the window still work. I'm looking on ebay for it right now. Is it under auto parts?

 

[shift1313]

also autofab sells a fiberglass tailgate for around $800. all your window hardware and everything bolts into it, of course you cant set a ton of weight on it like on a steel one.

 

[benztee]

Does the window still work. I'm looking on ebay for it right now. Is it under auto parts?

i took it off of e-bay.. i posted it on craigslist, and also in the for sale section here. it just needs glass.