Possibly buying a Bronco

[TRanger03]

So about a week ago I was driving down to my friends and his new neighbors had a fullsize Bronco sitting in the driveway with a for sale sign on it, $600. It looks beaten, body has a good deal of rust, and the doors are real bad. I havn't called the guy selling it yet to get specifics, but i assume its a mid 90s and I'm unsure of the milage. I've always wanted a Bronco, and this just seems like my best oppurtunity (its the only thing I've found thats running, in my price range). Obviously, I have to call the guy and check it out for myself to make sure the drivetrain is still good. I was thinking I could do a 2-3in body and 2.5in suspension lift for around $400-500 and then hack out the fenders to run 35s. It will be stricktly a mud/trail truck. Cheap build, I'm looking to spend as little as possible.

Good Idea? What do you think?

 

[racsan]

i love the full size bronco, dad has had 2. the first was a '89 302 creeper-1st 4 speed manual. at 90,000 the engine dropped a valve. we put a junkyard 302 back in and dad traded it for a '96, last year made, 351, E4OD auto, still have it, only has around 60,000 miles on it. both not pullin anything get about 15 mpg at best. towing the 351 gets 9-10, the 302 got around 12. the '89 pulled a 24' travel trailer, the '96 pulled the same trailer until dad got a newer trailer thats a 27'. thats about all the '96 has done is pull a travel trailer, dads been using S-10 blazer's as his go-fer vehicle, better on fuel. id like to wind up with the '96 for myself someday. it may be thirsty, but its got plenty of power. the 302 wasnt bad either. i dont know if ford ever put a diesel in the bronco chassis, im guessing no, since its a half-ton platform, though g.m. put diesels in their 1/2 ton's-f/s blazers. a diesel creeper-1st 5 speed o/d manual trans full-size bronco would be awesome. may have to build one some day. check out the rear spring hangers and front radius arms for excessive rust, these have been problem areas on both the bronc's of dads. but go for it if its a solid platform.