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1988 Ford Bronco $2000???




rusty ol ranger

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Damn you guys got a real way of rippin stuff apart.

2k is a good price for anything thats that solid and goes down the road. If you think youre gonna score a "perfect" BII for less then 5k youre on somethin good. Cause even used and pretty abused ones are getting 2500-3k.

Just because its not worth it to you doesnt mean that its not truely worth it.

A new ranger is valued over 30k and its not worth 10 to me.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Damn you guys got a real way of rippin stuff apart.

2k is a good price for anything thats that solid and goes down the road. If you think youre gonna score a "perfect" BII for less then 5k youre on somethin good. Cause even used and pretty abused ones are getting 2500-3k.

Just because its not worth it to you doesnt mean that its not truely worth it.

A new ranger is valued over 30k and its not worth 10 to me.
The one I posted has minimal front fender rust, clean body/interior and is bone break out the manual/evtm to repair it stock. And its starting price was a grand cheaper.

If I have to reinvent the wheel there was a really clean brown one on Marketplace forever with no engine/trans for like $800.
 

snoranger

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Damn you guys got a real way of rippin stuff apart.

2k is a good price for anything thats that solid and goes down the road. If you think youre gonna score a "perfect" BII for less then 5k youre on somethin good. Cause even used and pretty abused ones are getting 2500-3k.

Just because its not worth it to you doesnt mean that its not truely worth it.

A new ranger is valued over 30k and its not worth 10 to me.
Did you see that he pics of the engine bay??
The care and attention to detail that he put into that swap is the same care and detail he put into every other repair on that poor truck. That’s what makes it not worth the $2k...
 

Dirtman

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2k is a good price for anything thats that solid and goes down the road.
Look closely at the engine and tell me how far you think that thing is gonna make it down the road. For god sakes the computer is mounted on the heater box with plumbing straps and wood screws...
 

Shran

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Damn you guys got a real way of rippin stuff apart.

2k is a good price for anything thats that solid and goes down the road.
Having done several swaps I feel qualified to judge the quality of work that was done... 2k for "a truck" that will leave you stranded because of hack work done by previous owner(s) is NOT a good deal. Nobody is going to want to work on it either when you're 500 miles away from home and the duct tape and super glue fall apart.
 

rusty ol ranger

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Well evendently i look in the wrong places cause every B2 i see is over 4k unless its total junk.

I didnt notice the ECM mount and shit...but still, being realistic 2000 dollars doesnt buy much these days, not to mention just cause it looks like a hack job dont mean it is. Alot of repairs i make to anything look like shit but they work and keep working...its just a matter of not paying attention to detail.

Its not a friggin benz headed toward pebble beach...looks arnt usually first priority on some guys DD/off road toy
 

gaz

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If your willing to go through it, offer $1,200; I spent more rebuilding my new 4.0L. Looks strait overall, no small achievment. From what I can see underneath, it looks reasonably clean, inside looks like I'd expect. He does not earn a reward for his shrink wrap or computer placement skills but if it runs well, I would consider it.

My only suspicion is in the lack of paperwork on an engine/tranny with less than 3k. I could easily produce receipts to demonstrate the age and depth of my current and former rebuilds. What's his story for selling?

All that said, if it drives like a BEAST with it's "party jewels" out and has the 4.88's to support 35"s, well then it's probably a keeper ..)
 

Dirtman

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Well evendently i look in the wrong places cause every B2 i see is over 4k unless its total junk.

I didnt notice the ECM mount and shit...but still, being realistic 2000 dollars doesnt buy much these days, not to mention just cause it looks like a hack job dont mean it is. Alot of repairs i make to anything look like shit but they work and keep working...its just a matter of not paying attention to detail.

Its not a friggin benz headed toward pebble beach...looks arnt usually first priority on some guys DD/off road toy
My point is if that truck had the original motor in it, even with a million miles on it, it would be worth way more. Id pay more than 2 grand for that truck with the stock 2.9 in it. But the "work" done to it has depreciated its value from a good running daily driver to the project vehicle catoagory. Buying a vehicle like that you need to buy it with the expectation that your going to be re-doing all the work to get it back to reliable daily driver condition.
 

Shran

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I've had a bunch of toothless idiots try and sell me their "rebuilt" things. The most recent one led me around her yard full of junk and showed me several nasty, greasy engines under tarps in the weeds that her "ex had rebuilt and left there." Apparently taking things apart and leaving them all over the lawn is the same as having them checked out at a machine shop... who knew.

My rule of thumb nowadays is if there aren't at least some receipts for labor or parts or anything, really, it has NOT been rebuilt and the seller is simply full of shit. I have yet to be proven wrong since I started following that one.
 

gullyburner

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Fixed it for him. If he could run the machine to bore the engine/turn the crank and had all the tools to rebuild the trans he could run a welder good enough to not burn holes in the exhaust or would know somebody that did.

Does it drive? That isn't listed under either the pro or con category.
Yes the car drives well. The ol "starts up every time". I took it for a short ride and liked what i was testing.. but ugh lol im sorry yall im new to cars and bronco ii crazy so i just dont want to be gullible. He was as upfront as i could tell and was cool enough to let me drive never having drove manual before
 

gullyburner

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Wiring and general overall quality of the 4.0 swap looks awful and I would expect lots of things, like gauges, lights, etc to be non functional.

I also call BS on the "rebuilt engine and trans" thing - make him provide some proof from a machine shop, if he can't, it's highly likely that his idea of a rebuild is throwing valve cover gaskets on it.

Also calling BS on the welding hole deal.

It sounds to me like he got it from someone else who did the engine swap and has now found out what a cluster it is and wants to pass it off to some poor sucker. I'd advise that you not be that guy.
The lights and gauges are functional. (Saw it in person)
 

gullyburner

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If your willing to go through it, offer $1,200; I spent more rebuilding my new 4.0L. Looks strait overall, no small achievment. From what I can see underneath, it looks reasonably clean, inside looks like I'd expect. He does not earn a reward for his shrink wrap or computer placement skills but if it runs well, I would consider it.

My only suspicion is in the lack of paperwork on an engine/tranny with less than 3k. I could easily produce receipts to demonstrate the age and depth of my current and former rebuilds. What's his story for selling?

All that said, if it drives like a BEAST with it's "party jewels" out and has the 4.88's to support 35"s, well then it's probably a keeper ..)

First he said he needed to buy a new house. Then after i met for the test drive he said he needed money for a mechanic shop..
 

1990RangerinSK

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I have a couple of thoughts, here:
1) Anybody worth their salt will pay attention to detail. My dad used to say that any job worth doing is worth doing RIGHT.
2) I call BS on 80,000 miles. That's 2500 miles per year.
3) The tires are sticking out past the fenders. MAKE SURE THAT'S LEGAL (it's probably NOT). If it's not legal, and you have to have it inspected before you can license it, you'll have to make it legal.
4) I'm assuming (since the listing doesn't say that it's 4x4) that it's RWD. Here's what I found for value: https://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/1988/Ford/Bronco-II/2-Door-Utility/Values
4a) based on body condition, and what others have said about the swap, I'd be inclined to consider it low retail. Bear in mind, too, that's RETAIL, as in what you would pay buying that truck from a car lot. Private sale is almost ALWAYS cheaper.
5) No paperwork for the engine rebuild? I agree with others. That's a HUGE red flag.
5a) For all you know, that engine was removed from the donor vehicle, and installed into this truck without having ANYTHING done to it. Assume that to be the case.
5b) For all you know, the body may have 80,000 miles on it, but the engine may have 900,000 miles on it.

My advice? Don't walk. RUN. AWAY.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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3) The tires are sticking out past the fenders. MAKE SURE THAT'S LEGAL (it's probably NOT). If it's not legal, and you have to have it inspected before you can license it, you'll have to make it legal.
4) I'm assuming (since the listing doesn't say that it's 4x4) that it's RWD. Here's what I found for value:
In Nebraska nobody will care about the tires.

It has front lockouts (looks like a stock D28) and a 4wd lever, if it’s a 2wd it is going above and beyond to look like a 4wd.

2wd BII’s are scarce to the point people don’t know they exist around here.
 

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