Just saw a killer deal on a 88 bronco II. Quick questions.

[Mikep7779]

Was just looking online and saw a 88 ford bronco II for under 1k, says it has 67k miles. My question is is the 88 one of the makes that comes with only 5 millage places? (ie 99999) It seems that it should have more then that.

If it turns out that it actually is 67k im probably going to buy it.

 

[Broncobill78]

Was just looking online and saw a 88 ford bronco II for under 1k, says it has 67k miles. My question is is the 88 one of the makes that comes with only 5 millage places? (ie 99999) It seems that it should have more then that.
If it turns out that it actually is 67k im probably going to buy it.

Well, I can't speak for the little guys but I've got an 88' full-size and it has a 5-digit odo.

 

[Mikep7779]

Thanks, is there anyway to tell the true miles? I have a feeling this car may be at 167kmiles.

 

[yusuebronko2_86]

all depends on how well it's been kept for you to tell, generally speaking.

how much frame rust is there? if it's coastal, and if it is well kept, you'll tell. |1-10| 10 being flaked over, 1 being slightly spotted

how much smoke is there from the exhaust? PCV valve? |1-10| 10 being noticeable cloud at idle, 1 being little to none

how hard is it to start? |1-10| 10 being ****** and sputtering, 1 being before you turn the key it's running

if you floor it, does it respond well? |1-10| 10 being sputtering and stalling, 1 being wail-like-a-banshee

does it "click" at idle? how loud? |1-10| 10 being similar to a valve clap, 1 being hardly any to none

how big of an oil spot is on the ground after 1 day? |1-10| 10 being over 3" diameter, 1 being less than 2 drops

do any gears make noise or have excessive play? |1-10| 10 being noticeable whine and having a jerking endplay, 1 being little to no noise and tight

this should determine it fairly close, if you answer over 6 to any of the questions, it's either been driven hard (like mine) or it's 167K. there's no secret indicator to tell for sure, so you'll have to guestimate it.

 

[writemereal]

That was an awsome answer. Thanks for giving me something to think about!

 

[Mikep7779]

all depends on how well it's been kept for you to tell, generally speaking. --- looks to be very well kept. Saw a diffrent one today it had 160000 miles.

how much frame rust is there? if it's coastal, and if it is well kept, you'll tell. |1-10| 10 being flaked over, 1 being slightly spotted

---- Had a few rust spots. One 3 inch circular shaped one on the driver side door, seemed to be recent. The metal didnt seem weak.

how much smoke is there from the exhaust? PCV valve? |1-10| 10 being noticeable cloud at idle, 1 being little to none

-- It was night time. I didn't see much at all.

how hard is it to start? |1-10| 10 being ****** and sputtering, 1 being before you turn the key it's running

--- It turned on with one turn of the key.

if you floor it, does it respond well? |1-10| 10 being sputtering and stalling, 1 being wail-like-a-banshee

does it "click" at idle? how loud? |1-10| 10 being similar to a valve clap, 1 being hardly any to none

--- No clicking.

how big of an oil spot is on the ground after 1 day? |1-10| 10 being over 3" diameter, 1 being less than 2 drops

--- Didnt see any oil leaks. It was in the same spot for over 10 hrs.

do any gears make noise or have excessive play? |1-10| 10 being noticeable whine and having a jerking endplay, 1 being little to no noise and tight

-- Dont know how to answer this.

--- I got the price talked down the $500. Only issue is that it has trouble doing over 65mph. It seems like the truck is really trying to push it self.

It is an automatic, whats the diff between the two Ds for drive? One is a regular D and one has a circle around it. such as (D)

Seems like a steal to me, suspension seems weak, as in worn due to the age. Definitely liked the truck tho. And for $500 i cant go wrong.

 

[Broncobill78]

Thanks, is there anyway to tell the true miles? I have a feeling this car may be at 167kmiles.

The short answer is no, there isn't any way to tell. Mechanically it's a coin toss and there are way too many variables to even begin with. The other post was a place to start but I've seen actual 75K trucks leak like a sieve and covered with rustballs. To get a feel for actual milage I prefer to look towards the interior.

The condition of the brake & gas pedal covers is usually a good indication of actual milage, there will be *much* less wear at 67K then 167K, check *under* the mat to see what the carpet looks like right in front of the pedals also note if it's the original floor mats or replacements. Also look at the condition of the seats, carpets and seatbelt latches. How tight is the ignition cylinder ? Look at the radio preset bottons, well worn ones indicate high miles and lots of useage. Also look at the shifter to see if the plastic chrome is worn (autos) or if the shift pattern shows wear (manuals), with autos ck to see how tight the shifter spring in the column feels. The cigarette lighter can sometimes be a dead giveaway (if the coil is green someone's used the **** out of it). If I have any doubt I always base my decision much more on the condition of the interior indicators than the mechanical ones but that's only *my* opinion and it's only worth what you paid me for it.

 

[CraigK]

Mikep7779

I've never done this, and don't know if it's available for a 1988 vehicle, but did you check to see if a CarFax report is available? If so, by tracking records through the VIN, it might contain ownership, incident and maintenance records that would help make the mileage determination. BTW, my '87 B2 shows ~23000, is actually ~123,000, and mechanically runs very well (touch wood!).

CraigK

 

[Mikep7779]

Got the bronco home last night, has 160500 miles. Paid $450

Needs a bit of work, some high priority.

To do list:

Complete oil change (oil and filters)

Transmission fluid and filter.

Replace air filter.

Fix Tail light.

Replace Battery.

Replace all belts.

Spark plugs and wires.

Install coolant reservoir.

Remove rust from exterior and prime.

Replace window motor for back window.

Replace seat belts.

Fix passenger side seat, fails to move horizontally.

Fix gauges (Possibly a fuse issue? Doesn't register gas or engine temp)

Come summer repair Air Conditioner

 

[FordBroncoII]

Was just looking online and saw a 88 ford bronco II for under 1k, says it has 67k miles. My question is is the 88 one of the makes that comes with only 5 millage places? (ie 99999) It seems that it should have more then that.
If it turns out that it actually is 67k im probably going to buy it.

I watch the local newspaper classifieds: "Vehicles Under $1500" section. They periodically list a couple of Ford Broncos, Ford Brono IIs, Mustangs and other Ford Trucks which can be restored. Most people do not even look at this classified section:

If you are interested in checking it out the newpaper is the Connecticut Post and they have online classifieds, also. I do not know if any have any vehicles this week. If you shop around for Ford Bronco's and Ford Bronco II's it is a good site to keep on file.

 

[Mikep7779]

I watch the local newspaper classifieds: "Vehicles Under $1500" section. They periodically list a couple of Ford Broncos, Ford Brono IIs, Mustangs and other Ford Trucks which can be restored. Most people do not even look at this classified section:
If you are interested in checking it out the newpaper is the Connecticut Post and they have online classifieds, also. I do not know if any have any vehicles this week. If you shop around for Ford Bronco's and Ford Bronco II's it is a good site to keep on file.

Thanks for the info, however i found one for $450 and the body seems to be in good shape. Needs some work, going to try and do as much as i can.

This is my todo list:

Complete oil change (oil and filters)

Transmission fluid and filter.

Replace air filter.

Fix Tail light.

Replace Battery.

Replace all belts.

Spark plugs and wires.

Install coolant reservoir.

Remove rust from exterior and prime.

Replace window motor for back window.

Replace seat belts.

Fix passenger side seat, fails to move horizontally.

Fix gauges (Possibly a fuse issue? Doesn't register gas or engine temp)

Come summer repair Air Conditioner