buy or not to buy

[D.Booker]

I just have a quick question, it's mostly asking for an opinion cus i'm not sure exactly what i want to do.....i have a 1993 nissan maxima (my first car)...but i'm about to go off to college in the fall and the campus is out in the country (snow, four wheelin', hunting and what ever else) and thats why i'm thinking about getting a four wheel drive (not to mention a convertible all in one)...i saw a 1988 ford bronco, it has 145K miles and the guy wants 2 grand for it.....now i went to just look at it and it has rust in the typical places (under the doors, rear fender wells, tailgate, and above the door a little bit) i'm gonna go test it out today, but if the motor is good, would it be expensive to get the rust fixed (it's kind of bad in some places) and would it even be smart to get an older bronco since i have a newer model car or does it sound like i should just wait

sorry about the long message but i've just been thinking ******* this, and i'm not sure exactly what to do...thanks for any help

 

[Seabronc]

If you have the rust fixed professionally, it will most likely be expensive. The tail gate almost has to be replaced but it all really depends on how extensive the rust is. You could do the work yourself and learn some new skills as you go, it's all in the Bronco mystique and falling in love with your truck. If the rust is fairly extensive I'd probably look around for a different one before plunking down your money.

Good luck,

>-

 

[Broncobill78]

I have to agree with Fred. $2K is a lot for a rusted 88'. Now if it has a new engine & tranny then it's maybe a little different but still, as he said having the rust repaired at a shop will probably run you close to or even more than the asking price for the truck.

On the other hand, the doors & tailgate are both bolt-on's and as such they & the front fenders are things you can replace yourself in the driveway using hand-tools. If you just have a shop weld some patch panels into the quarter panels and then sand it yourself & have it repainted by someplace like Maaco then the economics become a whole different thing. It just depends on how much of your own work you want to do and how much you're willing to learn about *doing* your own mechanical & body work. Get more info on the drivetrain, plenty of engines DO sound good at 145K but this is something that you need to probably get another 40K-50K out of. You'll be doing a lot of back-n-forth driving between home & school and the last thing you need is to blow a head gasket 6 months into owning it.

To be perfectly honest with you though a 93 Maxima is probably a much smarter choice for a college student. Unless you're familiar with doing your own work or you're willing to learn (and even if you ARE willing to learn, don't discount the cost of building up a good set of tools. Good tools AREN'T cheap and you need more than a ratchet & some screwdrivers to do your own work) then a Bronco can be an expensive toy to own. If you're reasonably close to home, have access to tools and assistance then sure the Bronco can be a great truck, especially if you decide to learn and rebuild it piece by piece, but I've seen more than a few people get into trouble making choices like this. Understand what you're getting into before jumping in with both feet. there's no shortage of people here willing to help out, but there's only so much that you can do over the internet /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I hate to sound like I'm discouraging you from owning a Bronco, I've loved them since *I* was in high school, but if MY son was looking at doing something like this I'd tell him not to (well, maybe not because I have a truck, a trailer and 25yrs worth of accumulated tools, but unless you're in the same boat give this some thought)

Go & take a second look, find out more about it and post what you find out. This may or may not be a good choice for you but there just isn't enough info right now.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

To be perfectly honest with you though a 93 Maxima is probably a much smarter choice for a college student.

Unless you have someone else paying for your fuel, I have to agree with BroncoBill78.

Broncos only get 12-14 MPG, and if you are ******* the pedal, you may be looking at only 10 mpg. Depending upon how much driving you will be doing the difference in the cost of fuel b/w a Bronc and Maxima can be $200 a month. You are looking at a 20 year old truck, IMO, not a wise investment for a daily rider.

My advice... get or keep a low cost economical car, and hook up with a friend who has a 4x4 and you buy the beer. When I was in college, I had a friend with a 18' bass boat and a 100 hp merc on it and we had a blast. I bought beer or chiped in for gas, and was always welcome.

just my $.02

joe

 

[ms_jetset]

I just have a quick question, it's mostly asking for an opinion cus i'm not sure exactly what i want to do.....i have a 1993 nissan maxima (my first car)...but i'm about to go off to college in the fall and the campus is out in the country (snow, four wheelin', hunting and what ever else) and thats why i'm thinking about getting a four wheel drive (not to mention a convertible all in one)...i saw a 1988 ford bronco, it has 145K miles and the guy wants 2 grand for it.....now i went to just look at it and it has rust in the typical places (under the doors, rear fender wells, tailgate, and above the door a little bit) i'm gonna go test it out today, but if the motor is good, would it be expensive to get the rust fixed (it's kind of bad in some places) and would it even be smart to get an older bronco since i have a newer model car or does it sound like i should just wait
sorry about the long message but i've just been thinking ******* this, and i'm not sure exactly what to do...thanks for any help

I agree with BroncoJoe and BroncoBill and Seabronco. I drive my Bronco from Manhatten to N.E. Pa on the wkends, I put about $100 in. Thats just to go to and back (about a 2hr. drive each way). There crazy gas hogs! Not to mention any repairs that might need to be done. And with a truck that old you can bet your gonna start having repairs done. Don't get me wrong I LOVE BRONCOS, (too much if you ask anyone)! But for a college student I don't recommend it unless you have rich parents, and are ready for a sick, obsessed new hobby!!!!!!!