Ok... wasn't sure where else to put this.

[DeanMoriarty]

I need some help... if you all would be so kind. I went and looked at this Bronco II today... and still not sure what I think, or if it would be worth the $$$.
It seems in okay shape... except, driver window does not work. Won't go into 4 wheel drive... The guy told me he had it checked out and it's either the touch panel switch gone bad... or a small motor on the transmission that's supposed to flip it into 4wd? It seemed to drive okay. I'm not sure if this things worth it, but I need to find something very soon to get me and my son around in.. My truck is in it's death throes. I don't mind doing a little work... but does this look like a money pit to you all?
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/car/556305637.html

 

[Southern3.0]

For $1200??? as long as its not to rusty and in some what decent shape go get it! Never hurts to ask for less tho, the worst he can say is no. The window isnt a big deal. And the not going into 4 wheel, hes probiby right about the switch or shift motor. Both problems are somewhat common on RBV's and not to hard to fix. And I'm pretty sure theres a write up in the tech library on fixing both issues.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Well... I might just do that.
One more Q... the rear blinkers stays lit instead of blinking... Easy fix you think?
And I did talk him down to $1100.

 

[Branger2B]

gotta love the CLEAR picture of the odometer so you can accually see the miles that are accually on it. IMO he could be trying to hide something or just got really drunk when he took that last pic.. the other 3 were fine...

 

[Southern3.0]

My old '91 Ranger did the blinker thing for a while, turned out to be the flasher realy. Its about the size of a 4 milk caps w/ 2 terminals comeing out of it. and its a $3 part. I didnt even have to buy one, I pulled mine out to look at it, accedently droped it and it worked again. Hell it might even just be a burnt out bulb. You are looking at buying at 21 year old truck so little thing like that are gonna happen

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Haha... That's true enough. Maybe I'll just kick the thing once and see if it starts working.
Yeah... The odometer thing... Funny thing is, it doesn't have a spot for the hundred thousand mile counter... So I'm not sure what the picture was supposed to prove. He seemed like a fairly straight up guy... but given his general demeanor and appearance, it's quite likely that he was drunk when he took it...
I have about $1,500 - $2000 tops to spend. I just can't decide if I should hold out for something else. Seems like everyone's getting their tax refunds back right now and there's a lot of competition in trying to find something decent.

 

[Southern3.0]

The BII's and Rangers didnt get a Hundered thounds's spot on the odometer till '95, so even if the pic was clear theres no real way of telling. There might be a better deal or you might be getting the good deal now, its really just a roll of the dice. but if the truck is in fair shape $1100 isnt that bad.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Yeah, the odometer on my 93 is the same way.

Always a roll of the dice... Guess I can pull through the drive thru's backwards until I get the window fixed... lol.

I know this is probably a no... but any chance the AC from my 2.3 Ranger will fit on this thing, 2.9? Or any of the parts for that matter? Ranger has a bad transmission but is otherwise in great shape... it'd be nice if I could reuse some of the parts.

Thanks for the feedback btw.

 

[stegomon]

$1100 that is crazy...i have picked them up for 500 in way better shape....hell i got a $400 one sitting in my yard....needs a tranny...bought the damn thing for parts

 

[RobbieD]

How does it drive? A long test drive will give you a good impression of what shape the truck is really in. I can't tell what transmission it has, but if it's an auto it's most likely the A4LD, so pay close attention how well it operates. The other big problem area to look for is cracked heads; look for the "oil milkshake" under the cap or on the dipstick. Do the usual checking of the fluids, look at the brakes, steering and suspension, look for evidence of body or mechanical repair, etc. Might not hurt to invest in doing a CarFax report if you're serious about it; a truck that old with only 53,000 miles on it isn't common, and if it's correct and there's no major issues it looks like it might be a really nice truck and a good buy. If it's a 153 or 253,000, then it's a good bet that something major may need repair soon. Fixing the window won't be a big deal. Good luck.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Hmmmm...
Yes, it is an automatic. It seemed to shift pretty good. Oil milkshake... I had no idea, thank you, I'll check that out. I thought it made a popping sound once when I turned hard (maybe a ball joint?) but it's hard to tell... there was packed down snow all over that particular road, could have been that. The steering seemed to have a little play in it, wasn't sure if that was to be expected. The engine looked cleaner than I would have expected for being that old.
I think I'm going to look around some more before I make a decision, thanks for the advice though guys, that's why I came here

 

[AngloSaxon]

The BII's and Rangers didnt get a Hundered thounds's spot on the odometer till '95, so even if the pic was clear theres no real way of telling. There might be a better deal or you might be getting the good deal now, its really just a roll of the dice. but if the truck is in fair shape $1100 isnt that bad.

My 94's odometer has a slot for hundered thousand.

 

[Black_Splash]

Hows the passenger side look? The pics don't show that side.

 

[98ranger4x4]

you can figure out the actual mileage with a carfax, it shows you the miles at times when it was registered or had a major service so you can figure it out.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I get a carfax run on anything I can before I buy it or right after I buy it. $1,100 sounds high to me, but then again I haven't spent more than $340 on a BII yet. I did sell a BII for $1,800 though... then the buyer hired me to fix some things which added another about $400 on...

But there are some things to look for...
Aside from the normal test drive and checking to see what functions work and what ones don't....

Before the test drive:

Check the oil level and the coolant level (when checking coolant, open the radiator cap, don't just look in the overflow tank).

Get down in front of the truck and have someone unlock the column and turn the wheel back and forth some. By doing this you can look for play in the tierod joints. Good joints will have no movement to them and as the pitman arm moves, the tierods will move and will try to move the wheels. Bad joints will let the tierods move before the wheels make any attempt to move. With a careful eye you should be able to tell.

Jack a front tire up, then try moving the tire, side to side and up and down, watching the backside for movement. Repeat for the other side. While you have it up you could pull a front tire and examine the brakes to determine if there's much pad left and if the rotors are scored.

After the test drive:

Pop the hood. Undo the oil cap and check for milkshake looking snot on it. Also if you hear a snapping/boiling sound when you pull it. These are signs of a blown head gasket/cracked head.

Pull the trans dipstick (if an auto). If the fluid is no longer pink and smells burnt, that's not a good sign. If it's no longer pink but it doesn't smell burnt, it may not be bad off.

If you can, pull the fill plugs for the axles and t-case. Verify fluid level and that it's not milkshake-like. (if 4x4 will not engauge, checking the front axle probably woln't tell you anything).


After you buy, do a complete tune-up and replace all the fluids and filters.


FWIW, I bought an 89 BII awhile back, fixed it up some and sold it. When I sold it, near as I could tell it had 200+ miles on the original motor and was most likely on it's second auto transmission. It also ran like a champ and after I fixed the damaged transmission wires, it drove like a new truck. I hated to sell it.