Should I buy this?

[stevenf]

I came across an eddie bauer edition 1988 Bronco. Blue book value is $2,000.00 in excellent condition. This guy is asking $3,800.00, I think I can get him to $3,500.00. Its in VERY VERY good condition with 73,000 miles on it.

What problems are these things known for? Should I use it as realiable transportaion? Theres a picture on the link below.

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?...gv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D

 

[love_my_bronco]

i like it alot. i wih mine was that good when i got it. nice winch on the frint 2!! yea talk him down see what you can get id say drop to 3300 and raise slowly from there.

 

[stevenf]

Im going to look at it today. Where can I get dirt cheap coil spacers and blocks for the rear? Its got 33's on it and I want a 2" lift.

 

[love_my_bronco]

Im going to look at it today. Where can I get dirt cheap coil spacers and blocks for the rear? Its got 33's on it and I want a 2" lift.

honestly in my opinion you should read the "lifting ttb suspention" thread before you do that.. ill post the link.

 

[love_my_bronco]

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11092

read that.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

I came across an eddie bauer edition 1988 Bronco. Blue book value is $2,000.00 in excellent condition. This guy is asking $3,800.00, I think I can get him to $3,500.00. Its in VERY VERY good condition with 73,000 miles on it.What problems are these things known for? Should I use it as realiable transportaion? Theres a picture on the link below.

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?...gv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D

That is definitely a nice looking truck.

Does the blue book add in the cost of the winch installed?

How about the chrome running boards?

These trucks have a tendancy to rust/rot out around the rear wheel wells, and the bottom of the tailgate. You may want to get a little history of the truck, and check for body filler with a magnet.

They get generally between 12- 15 mpg highway. So depending upon how far of a commute you may want to take that into consideration. They also have been dropping in price due to the poor economy at the time and gas going over $3.00 a gal in most parts of the country.

That truck lifted with a sunvisor over the front windshield would be a head turner!

Good luck

joe

 

[bko4x4er]

depends on what it has in it. if it had a 351w or a 400ci or a 460 id for sure buy it but only for a mud truck.

if it had a 302. id use it for a dd.

i have a 302 now and 33s and i get around 6-7 mpg. after a full tune up. the motor is just too small for a bronco and after adding bigger tires. just sucks.

 

[stevenf]

It has a 351 in it. The blue book does include all of the extras.

there is no body damage or previous fixes. The guy bought it from an old man two years ago that had alot of vehicles and never drove it, left it in his garage. When the guy I know bought it, it had about 50k miles on it. It now has 73k miles on it.

 

[stevenf]

Also, that thread says you only need to do that if you lift more then an inch or two. Two inches is axactly what I want. Im looking to level it rather then lift it.

 

[metz33]

nice looking ride there. I like the looks of it for sure.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

StevenF,

I don't know what mileage/mpg to expect from a 351. I have a 302 on 33's and get 12.5 mpg 75% city and 25% highway. Mine is not lifted. It is my understanding that lifting a truck will increase drag and worsen highway mileage, (probably not affect city too much) but I do not know to what extent. Also a 351 would probably be a little worse on gas, but I guess not too much.

For someone to get less than 10 mpg with a 302, that is the exception, rather than the rule.

It also depends upon what you plan to use your truck for.

Is it something to strut around at the local dairy queen? OR is it a toy that you will bang around in the woods and through mud?

IF it is the latter, you can pick up a running '88 for about $1000 give or take $400.

IF it is to turn heads then depending upon what part of the country you are in, clean non rotted Broncos with low mileage up here in the North East are getting more challenging to find.

Good luck in your decision

 

[stevenf]

Im looking for a daily driver and something to tow my lawn maintenance trailer, I own a part time Landscape management business. Im looking for an upgrade from my 89 Bronco II which has about 309,000 miles on the body. Right now I get 11-12mpg out of my BII so I wont mind the gas milage. I dont go anywhere that is over 18 miles round trip.

What would you recommend for a leveling kit? Coil spacers? Im looking for a cheap way of leveling it. Can I get 2" lift shocks cheaper then coil spacers ($129.99)

 

[bko4x4er]

uhhhhhh <_<

i dont think you can lift a truck by the shocks. the coils is what lifts it.

if you buy leveling coils you have to buy shocks too. and its expensive as a susp. lift cuz it turns out to be like 200 for shocks. (quad shock option)

 

[BroncoJoe19]

I don't know anything about suspension, so I am sorry but I can't help you there.

I don't know if the winch is something that you see yourself using in your business, if not, don't consider that as a part of the selling point of the truck. As a work truck, you don't *need* the running boards either. I don't know if you are in an area of the country that gets snow, but Full Size Bronco's make excellent plow trucks.

My impression is that Bronco's with plows don't sell for too much more than those without them, and definitely much less than purchased separately. Granted one would have to take a closer look at the mechanics of a plow truck vs one that sat in a driveway.

In closing, even though the truck could be a business expense and you could write it off, that doesn't make it free. Instead of paying double the $2000 book value of an Excellent rated truck to get this one at $3500-$3800, I would consider looking for an excellently rated truck in a newer model for the same price. What does an excellent '96 value at? (Personally I like the '96s they are the last production year, have whatever improvements were made to the transmission over the years, and a newer computer that makes diagnostic trouble shooting easier.)

Street tires won't look as cool, but will give you better mileage, and a more comfortable ride. They will also be a little cheaper to replace, and will last a little longer.

So there you go... I haven't given you any answers, just more crap the think about. Should you decide to purchase this particular truck I would start at the excellent book value $2000 in negotiating a price, complain about the price of gas, note that the trucks as gas hogs are coming down in price, mention that the winch is NOT much of a selling feature on a dress up truck, that it doesn't have a reese hitch. The low mileage of the vehicle is already included in the blue book value consideration.

Have fun!

joe

 

[bko4x4er]

hey road tires do alright offroad.

i was in deep mud past the hubs with bald 31 inch goodyears. and as long as i kept the motor goin and the tires spinning i didnt get stuck.

IT WAS LIKE RUBBING A POOL INNERTUBE IN THE MUD. THEY WERE SOOO SLICK.

 

[Broncobill78]

That's not a bad looking rig for something in the $3K range. W/73K miles AND the extras (the winch & bumper alone will run you close to $1K, unless of course it's something like a 1200lb unit. Ask to see the documentation or look for the tags on the unit itself. Don't be a fool) If the mileage is correct and it hasn't been hit *hard* sometime in the past then sure. Even if it HAS been hit as long as it was properly repaired there shouldn't be a problem. You just need to take a good close look at it. Obviously you should get the price as low as possible but it's already in the ballpark. I assume that the top comes with it or did his dog maybe knock it over & crack the thing ? Does it by chance come with a softtop ? That would be a huge plus. If he has the winch and bumper take a good close look at the underside & the frame (pay particular attention the the frame points where it would be easiest to attach a recovery hook. Might be that he's gotten it stuck and tweeked it. Check the fit of the hood & doors very closely, do the spaces line up or are they off perhaps indicating a tweek somewhere along the line). Winches are nice but in the hands of someone inexperienced they can really maul a frame. Look at it *closely* and be prepared to call/confront him on anything that's out of whack. Expect proper answers rather than evasions. Bent sections of fame didn't occur accidently, *look* for them. This might be a jewel and it might be a pig, hard to know without looking at it closely.

 

[Justshootme84]

BB78 has some very good advice. Judging only from the pic in the link you posted, that is a very clean-looking Bronco. IF the interior and exterior are in excellent shape (no obvious dents, tears, other blemishes), and the mechanicals are in tip-top shape (no oil leaks, no tranny problems) the Bronco may be worth $3500. Some problem areas to look for on the body are rust in the rear wheelwells and lower tailgate, as well as cracks in the B-pillars or ends of the rain gutters where the hardtop meets the cab. It would help to post the engine size (cid), transmission type (auto/manual) and any major repairs reported by the seller. 73,000 miles is extremely low for a 20-year old vehicle ,as that works out to less than 4,000 miles per year. One of my Bronco friends ran across a similar 88 Bronco recently for $1000, with a softtop, in excellent condition. I would likely buy that Bronco in the pic for $2500 on the spot if it had no major issues with rust on the body. You should still look underneath it for any fluid leaks, the condition of the supsension and body bushings, and the condition of the frontend steering. Uneven wear on the tires can clue you in on any alignment problems, too. JSM84