Buying

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Jimmyheaters

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Hi can anyone give me some tips.
I’m looking to buy my first bronco and I have found 2 in my area one 1983 for 12,000 and a 1984 for 5,000 they both look pretty good but I feel like the 5,000 is a little bit too good of a deal any tips
 

Skitter302

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How clean of a Bronco are you looking for? I've bought them from $800 for a rough example, to $5000 for a good Bronco that needs some paint cleaning. So $5k isn't unreasonable if its rust free.
 
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J

Jimmyheaters

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Don’t need the body to be perfect I just don’t want it breaking down all the time but do expect it not to be 100%
 

Skitter302

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You can get a Good Bronco for $5k, You can get a NICE Bronco for $8k. $10-$12k seems a bit high. Bcos in that price range Better come with low miles (100,*** or less) and a warrenty.
 

Tiha

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Lower miles is always nice, but have to look them over close for shoddy body work. Spend lots of time underneath.

What the the mods on either truck or are they both stock? New engines? transmissions?
 

miesk5

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Yo Jimmy,
Welcome!
dash_cam offers very good advice on having an independent inspection done at sellers location! If you cant inspect it yourself, post Location in the noobie section and ask members for their help or seek out an ASE certified shop in area to inspect it for you. ASE is National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, read about it @ About ASE - ASE.
Find an ASE shop @ Shop Locator - ASE
Google each for reviews especially in Yelp, Facebook, BBB.

Check Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for 80-96 Model Year & Engine Type by NHTSA @ Welcome to VIN Decoding :: provided by vPIC

Our Navy Federal Credit Union used to suggest using https://www.nadaguides.com for finding the "value" of a vehicle.

Order a CARFAX™. Although not all accident info May not be provided, other important info is provided @ https://www.carfax.com

VINCheck® by National Insurance Crime Bureau is a free service provided to the public to assist in determining if a"... vehicle has been reported as stolen, but not recovered, or has been reported as a salvage vehicle by cooperating NICB member insurance companies. To perform a search, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is required. A maximum of five searches can be conducted within a 24-hour period per IP address." @ VINCheck® | National Insurance Crime Bureau

While you take a test drive, have someone stay behind or follow and check for leak puddles, exhaust smoke, tire shimmy, etc.

Besides the usual visual, driveability and leak checks, look for:
Engine Oil level: If the oil level is low, chances are the engine uses oil or leaks. Beware of water in the oil (there is probably a cracked block or bad head gasket), or thin, dirty oil with a distinct gasoline smell (this may indicate internal engine problems).
Oil pan rust - our's formed spots @ 62k miles - sand it down and prime/paint it w/Rust Bullet Automotive) & high temp. paint - too time-consuming replacement for such a basic thing as not having better gauge and paint by Ford
Try opening and closing tailgate and moving glass
Radiator plastic side seam leaks, esp. during engine cool-down period/overnight - our's leaked @ 50k miles & again just recently - look for leaks after engine has cooled down, esp overnight

Pull the transmission dipstick out when the engine is running at normal operating temp. The level should read FULL.
For it C6 auto trans., look for leaks around pan from (front) Pump seal. Observe color and odor of the fluid. It should be red, not brown or black. Dark brown or black fluid that has distinct burnt odor, indicates a transmission in need of repair or overhaul.
Odor may indicate overheating condition, clutch disc or band failure. Use an absorbent white facial tissue and wipe the fluid level indicator. Examine the stain for evidence of solid particles and for engine coolant signs (gum or varnish on fluid level indicator).
If particles are present in the fluid or there is evidence of engine coolant or water, the transmission pan must be removed for further inspection.

Sometimes a seller may "promise" to return a certain amount of money during negotiations..
Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a "guarantee".
Never give out financial info (bank account, social security #, paypal account, etc).

A summary of questions to ask the seller;
Do you have the maintenance records?
Do you have the title in hand and is there a lien on the Bronco?
How do I get the title?
Has the vehicle been in any accidents?
How much tread is left on the tires?
Are there any scratches or dents on the vehicle?
Did this car belong to a smoker?
Was this car used by pet owners?
Can I receive close-up pictures of a specific area (miesk5 note, such as on 1/4 panels, tailgate, etc)?
Are there any document or preparation fees?"
Courtesy of ebay

Good fortune Jimmy!
Al
 

dbmcd

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Yo Jimmy,
Welcome!
dash_cam offers very good advice on having an independent inspection done at sellers location! If you cant inspect it yourself, post Location in the noobie section and ask members for their help or seek out an ASE certified shop in area to inspect it for you. ASE is National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, read about it @ About ASE - ASE.
Find an ASE shop @ Shop Locator - ASE
Google each for reviews especially in Yelp, Facebook, BBB.

Check Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for 80-96 Model Year & Engine Type by NHTSA @ Welcome to VIN Decoding :: provided by vPIC

Our Navy Federal Credit Union used to suggest using https://www.nadaguides.com for finding the "value" of a vehicle.

Order a CARFAX™. Although not all accident info May not be provided, other important info is provided @ https://www.carfax.com

VINCheck® by National Insurance Crime Bureau is a free service provided to the public to assist in determining if a"... vehicle has been reported as stolen, but not recovered, or has been reported as a salvage vehicle by cooperating NICB member insurance companies. To perform a search, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is required. A maximum of five searches can be conducted within a 24-hour period per IP address." @ VINCheck® | National Insurance Crime Bureau

While you take a test drive, have someone stay behind or follow and check for leak puddles, exhaust smoke, tire shimmy, etc.

Besides the usual visual, driveability and leak checks, look for:
Engine Oil level: If the oil level is low, chances are the engine uses oil or leaks. Beware of water in the oil (there is probably a cracked block or bad head gasket), or thin, dirty oil with a distinct gasoline smell (this may indicate internal engine problems).
Oil pan rust - our's formed spots @ 62k miles - sand it down and prime/paint it w/Rust Bullet Automotive) & high temp. paint - too time-consuming replacement for such a basic thing as not having better gauge and paint by Ford
Try opening and closing tailgate and moving glass
Radiator plastic side seam leaks, esp. during engine cool-down period/overnight - our's leaked @ 50k miles & again just recently - look for leaks after engine has cooled down, esp overnight

Pull the transmission dipstick out when the engine is running at normal operating temp. The level should read FULL.
For it C6 auto trans., look for leaks around pan from (front) Pump seal. Observe color and odor of the fluid. It should be red, not brown or black. Dark brown or black fluid that has distinct burnt odor, indicates a transmission in need of repair or overhaul.
Odor may indicate overheating condition, clutch disc or band failure. Use an absorbent white facial tissue and wipe the fluid level indicator. Examine the stain for evidence of solid particles and for engine coolant signs (gum or varnish on fluid level indicator).
If particles are present in the fluid or there is evidence of engine coolant or water, the transmission pan must be removed for further inspection.

Sometimes a seller may "promise" to return a certain amount of money during negotiations..
Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a "guarantee".
Never give out financial info (bank account, social security #, paypal account, etc).

A summary of questions to ask the seller;
Do you have the maintenance records?
Do you have the title in hand and is there a lien on the Bronco?
How do I get the title?
Has the vehicle been in any accidents?
How much tread is left on the tires?
Are there any scratches or dents on the vehicle?
Did this car belong to a smoker?
Was this car used by pet owners?
Can I receive close-up pictures of a specific area (miesk5 note, such as on 1/4 panels, tailgate, etc)?
Are there any document or preparation fees?"
Courtesy of ebay

Good fortune Jimmy!
Al
Get all that done and you should have a "perfect" truck!
 

captsb890

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Hi can anyone give me some tips.
I’m looking to buy my first bronco and I have found 2 in my area one 1983 for 12,000 and a 1984 for 5,000 they both look pretty good but I feel like the 5,000 is a little bit too good of a deal any tips
As the old saying goes---"You get what you pay for"---I'm thinking of selling my 89 XLT 5.8 The engine was topped at 135,000 it has 202,000 on the odometer-Beautiful new paint top to bottom $3500) complete new AC system (Firestone) new shocks, brakes Good tires, complete rebuilt transmission ( in shop now for that) Cruise control, clean interior ( One little tear on drivers seat) never smoked in, new headliner, Shade over windshield, I don't drive off road, Has new window tint ( needs one side on inside) I was offered $15,000 for it ( before it was painted) true body never in an accident---Glass pack mufflers ,I need to get a flight simulator or I would not even think selling it-----
 

Hunter1897

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My advice...if the engine, tranny and body are in good shape, the rest is easy to deal with (oh of course no electrical gremlins either) if you're reasonably mechanically inclined. Broncos of all ages are notoriously prone to rust so if the body is clean (no bondo, no rust) then that's a huge plus.
 

Jasgeer

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I owned a 1981 with 351/C6 and enjoyed 4-wheeling it with minimal changes (2 inch lift, better shocks, aggressive tires, etc.) I realize they improved a lot over the years but my son had a 1993 with the 351 and I was underwhelmed with the stock performance. He also had to replace the E40 with was $$$. I found this on Wikipedia: "In 1994, the 300 engine was removed from the Bronco lineup. The 302 engine received a Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor system in 1994. The 351 followed with MAF in 1995 in California. 351s in the rest of the country received MAF in 1996 along with OBD2 on both the 302 and 351." If I were to get one I would definitely make sure it had a MAF system to correct the injection due to elevation and temperature. All of the 302s in this era had the high performance roller cam but the 351 only had flat tappets. Yes, the 351 might have more torque but the 302 might run more efficiently and have better mpg.
 

chrlsful

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Soooo many factors: current national/international 'interest', U live/its sold in city? country? rural?; place in 'gen' (1st yr of it? last?), condition ona 5 point scale, how bad they wanna sell, how bad U wanna buy, each's knowledge of the specific model (typical 'bad spots' good? bad?), rarity, etc, etc.
Use NADA, Kelly's, consumer reports, ck in w/the bronk specific 'on-line clubs'. Never buy sight unseen (pic only). Ask if it's OK to have a mechanic take a look (even if unable to hit up an un-known local 4 $25 bucks rather than leave ur car, a deposit, or ur license). U want to hear the reaponse to the Q at the very least...
 

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