Thinking about gas... and bronco IIs

[kaskirov]

So right now gas around here is like $1.20 (about 4.60 a gallon) and is going up to $1.30 this summer. Well where i'm working right now requires me to drive about half an hour each way on a highway. Gives me alot of time to think (uh oh) and its not looking good for my ranger. Its costing me $15 a day to drive this thing. i'm making about $17 an hour so its like working an hour for nothing. thats $300 a month! thats more than my truck payment!!

so i began thinking about getting something better on gas.

at first i thought crappy gutless non-chick magnet car. BUT i go hunting, and we get deep snow here, so a 4x4 is a must. well not a must i guess, but i don't wanna go back to that stage. i also want something with a stick because i LOVE driving standard. I was thinking about a Bronco II. The fuel consumption thing (http://www.fueleconomy.gov) says that i'd save $400-$500 a year by switching to a bronco. but is that reading right? what kind of millage do they get? if this is true it would pay for itself in 3-10 years (depending on how much i paid for one). And how reliable are they? doesn't make sense to buy something to save on gas if i got to pay the difference in repairs which could cause me to not get to work. But i was thinkin that they cant be that bad cause there are alot of them around for a vehicle that was only made for 5 years.

and some random thoughts about my vehicle choices:
my truck is also leased, and i got 11 months left on it. i could get one and drive my ranger when the bronco needs work, and then it should be running good when the ranger is to go back, but with all i've put into my ranger really i should buy it out, maybe i could sell it. but if i kept it i could just buy a car cause i'd have a 4x4. but if i'm gonna do 2 cars the 4x4 should be a full size bronco cause i've wanted one for years...

 

[Southern3.0]

I say just suck it up and pay it, it dosnt make much since to have two trucks to save money. Theres the cost of the Bronco, Ins, Registration, Oil Changes and other mantainace, and even if you bought a '90 that would still be an 18 yr old truck and its gonna need some repairs. and Why pay all that and have a nice truck your still paying on just sit at home?

 

[Hahnsb2]

Milage, just like anything can vary a lot. Mine got 17-18 MPG average mixed driving stock with 235s and 22+ freeway, now with 4.10s and 31s I average 15-17 MPG mixed driving, I've seen it at 13 MPG if I'm foolin around up in the snow. I've never really done any long freeway since the tires and gears but I think it should do 20 MPG.

 

[hihoslvr]

If you're worried about about fuel mileage, definately don't get a fs Bronco, unless it's an older one you can convert to propane... Maybe you could carpool?

 

[Dishtowel]

$17/hr!!! That is NOT the Albertan way! lol.
Wait out your lease.... then I suggest that you keep your eyes peeled for a CHEAP winter/hunting beater (in the form of a B2 or ranger, there is one dude who has a KNARLY B2 in edm, seen him around downtown) and then get yourself a decent 6-9yr old car. Uninsure the 4x4 from march to hunting season, and uninsure the car from November to march. They will end up overlapping for hunting season, but so be it. (when I say uninsure I mean just take the expensive PLPD off, leave comprehensive/theft on)

But mostly I suggest making some training a priority for yourself so you can upupup that wage! goodluck

 

[hihoslvr]

Dude, I would kill for 17.00 bucks an hour, oh wait...

 

[4x4junkie]

Agreed, you won't save much if you don't also get rid of the Ranger at the same time. I'd probably just go ahead and buy the crappy chick-turn-off fuel sipper car to drive to work and then have the 4WD as your recreation vehicle (buy your Ranger at the end of lease, get a BII, etc.)

Also agreed, mileage on BIIs (the 2.9L engine) varies WIDELY. Axle gear ratio plays a huge role in mileage on these engines, although there does seem to be other factors at work as well (highway mileage reports commonly dip as low as 14 MPG, and as high (realistically) as 26 MPG. I haven't been able to pinpoint the causes yet though. I probably need to actually get my hands on one of these 2.9 gas guzzlers to find out)

My BII used to be right at the high end, but since adding the drag of bigger tires and lift, it's dropped to about the 22-23 range.

 

[Totalled]

The best mine ever got stock was 20. So definitely get one with the 2.9. My explorer averaged 20 over a tank on it's last long trip. I think you'd be ahead with a 4cyl ranger if you had to have another truck.

 

[86ford]

i would go on the hunt for a early 90s late 80s 4wd 4cyl 5 speed ranger. you can get 20 mpg without a problem and dont have the hassles that come with b2s and there age. when my cavalier i DD goes belly up i will be getting a 4cyl 5 speed 4wd ranger to drive every day because the parts are interchangable with the b2 in many cases and the gas milage is acceptable to me. my b2 is old beaten and abused so my mileage flat out sucks not to mention the 2.9 motor is some times in destructable and others it breaks constantly. it seems that people who own vehicles with 2.9s either HATE them or love them.

86

 

[racsan]

it would be alot of work/cash but if i had the cash a nice project would be a B II with 4wd, M5OD and the turbo-equipped 2.3 from a thunderbird turbo coupe. wonder how that motor does as a light tow rig? (2,000 pnds) the regular 2.3 is a reliable fuel saver, but lacks in the power dept. ive never drove a turbo version, but on paper it looks good.
________
SYNus

 

[bmacsys]

So right now gas around here is like $1.20 (about 4.60 a gallon) and is going up to $1.30 this summer. Well where i'm working right now requires me to drive about half an hour each way on a highway. Gives me alot of time to think (uh oh) and its not looking good for my ranger. Its costing me $15 a day to drive this thing. i'm making about $17 an hour so its like working an hour for nothing. thats $300 a month! thats more than my truck payment!!

so i began thinking about getting something better on gas.

at first i thought crappy gutless non-chick magnet car. BUT i go hunting, and we get deep snow here, so a 4x4 is a must. well not a must i guess, but i don't wanna go back to that stage. i also want something with a stick because i LOVE driving standard. I was thinking about a Bronco II. The fuel consumption thing (http://www.fueleconomy.gov) says that i'd save $400-$500 a year by switching to a bronco. but is that reading right? what kind of millage do they get? if this is true it would pay for itself in 3-10 years (depending on how much i paid for one). And how reliable are they? doesn't make sense to buy something to save on gas if i got to pay the difference in repairs which could cause me to not get to work. But i was thinkin that they cant be that bad cause there are alot of them around for a vehicle that was only made for 5 years.

and some random thoughts about my vehicle choices:
my truck is also leased, and i got 11 months left on it. i could get one and drive my ranger when the bronco needs work, and then it should be running good when the ranger is to go back, but with all i've put into my ranger really i should buy it out, maybe i could sell it. but if i kept it i could just buy a car cause i'd have a 4x4. but if i'm gonna do 2 cars the 4x4 should be a full size bronco cause i've wanted one for years...

I find my automatic F250 5.4 doesn't do much worse on gas the my 4.0
manual stick Ranger. I feel your pain.

 

[Totalled]

it would be alot of work/cash but if i had the cash a nice project would be a B II with 4wd, M5OD and the turbo-equipped 2.3 from a thunderbird turbo coupe. wonder how that motor does as a light tow rig? (2,000 pnds) the regular 2.3 is a reliable fuel saver, but lacks in the power dept. ive never drove a turbo version, but on paper it looks good.

That would probably be great in a std cab ranger.. BIIs weigh 3400ish stock...

 

[kaskirov]

$17/hr!!! That is NOT the Albertan way! lol.

But mostly I suggest making some training a priority for yourself so you can upupup that wage! goodluck

i'm working as a 1st year electrician over the summers, so not crazy money. but i'm going to school for electrical engineering.

i know i cant do anything till i'm out of my lease, just wanted to look at options. i got gas today, it was $74.

 

[90rangersuper]

get the full size bronco, i had a 78 bronco, the best fuc*ing vehicle i ever owned, needless to say that it had 5 in lift, 33 in tires the 400m with a holly carb, it was awsome smoking those freakin rice burners with a truck whose tires are bigger than their car, 8mpg wouldnt work now neway. go with a later full size bronco, you will be happy

 

[Jspafford]

My bone stock B2 gets about 17MPG in the winter 40% highway 60% city, it gets about 19-20 in the summer on the same ratio. However if I do a lot of country driving or freeway driving I get around 23-24 MPG.