Pinggolfer here,
I need some help. I have finally found a job 1800 miles from home. I don't want to try to take my '94 on this type trip. I am not selling the '94 yet, but I want another big Bronco in the '94 to '96 range. I need all eyes out looking and thinking. I am moving to Show Low AZ. There is a '96 there that I glanced at. The "salesman" says it has a 5.8, (a must have), but it has a lot of "new paint" on the underside, (redflag! what is he hidin'). manual Warn hubs, pretty good paint, no rust on the bottom of the tailgate. I have not gone over it real well. Just glanced, told him if I got an offer, I'd be back in touch. Well, I got an offer of a job, so now I need a 4x4. He wants $5895 for it. I think this is way high. I would think around $4000 to $4800 depending on miles, test drive, etc. So I need your thoughts and opinions. I do not believe he will take that for the truck. His story is that it is on consignment for a friend that had a bad motorcycle accident and is a mechanic who took good care of it. The poor guy is paralyzed from the neck down according to the "salesman", and they are trying to sell it to help raise some cash for the victim of the wreck. I am not hard hearted, I just don't want to be taken at a time that I cannot afford it with all the other expenses being taken on. So, I need ya'lls opinions, as to price in a general sense, and availability in a literal sense of any Broncos in a 300 mile range of zip code 85397. Yes I tried autotrader. Zip. So my Bronco family, what are your thoughts? I realize this is sketchy at best, but I have to leave in less than three days, so I need help.
Thanks as always, Mark

 

i did a search on kelley blue book for a 1996 bronco retail for dealerships and i dont know all the options but i put it at 200,000 miles and it automatically put it in excellent condition and it comes up with suggested retail at $5000 so depending on mileage and all that i think the 5800 is a bit high. hope that helps!

 

Carfax the truck to check her story maybe? start looking for details when you see it in person and discounting the price of any repair needed. Check the rear wheel well, take a mirror under the truck and above the rear tyres, you'll find rust, guaranteed. When test driving, place it in R and roll then swing the steering side by side, clunk noise? discount. Any chirping noise when you roll? could be a bad bearing. Check the air filter for any oil, that would point to a dying engine or a bad PCV, discount... how much is there left on the tyres? any un-even wear? suspicious cheap new tyres? (that could mean alignement issues). Grab the cardons, try to move them outside their axis, if there is play the U-joints are in bad shape. Try all the windows to see how are they working, check all the lights, any issue you find you can discount it of the final price, the trick is asking before the test for the status of the truck, if he doesn't mention any issues and you find them out, you can call him on them, as he didn't consider those when setting the price.

 

Gee, selling a truck for "sentimental reasons" is what that sounds like. As you said, I'm not hard hearted but that's a helluva sob story over a 15 year-old truck. Can he give you that many details about the truck itself? If it is really worth all that then the finer points of its condition should be rolling out left and right! I hear things like that and I am reminded of something my dad once told me. "Son, never tie your heart strings to your wallet. Some one is bound to tug on them and then where will you be?"

 

Thanks everyone!
Please keep the comments and opinions coming if you have time. I'll be back in Arizona hopefully saturday and will take a closer look at this truck. Mark

 

would you be able to sell you bronco and be able to have enough to pay for another one once you get to AZ? do you really think it will cost you $3000+ in fuel to bring your current bronco with you? or is it in that bad of shape that you dont mind selling it?

heck your gonna uhaul right so why not get a flatbed and slap your bronco on the back. those uhauls get the same mileage loaded or not.

 

KEMICALBURNS,
I would love to take my Bronco with me. I will be at 6500 to 7000 feet above sea level so they do get some snow. My truck has 219,000 miles and has been dollaring me to death here lately, so I don't know which sensor is going to quit next. I need something dependable since I will be there by myself. So I'm taking my '03 pick-up for dependability, but it is only 2 w/d. I was looking at having the '96 for snow, leaving the '94 here for hunting or an extra vehicle for my wife. This is my plan in it's infancy anyway. But I am trying to do my homework first and I highly respect the opinions of people on this board. Your suggestion that I u-haul it has merit. My wife kept asking about a truck that would carry the'94 out there and I kept telling her I did not think they made one. Don't tell her I was wrong. Again thanks for the suggestions, I'll check into the u-haul and maybe save 5800 bucks and a lot of headaches fixing unknown problems with an unknown vehicle. At least with my '94 I know what has been done already and I am familiar with the old girls little idiosyncrasies. Thanks, Mark

 

There are two things that "May" be in this truck's favor. 1) If it is really an Arizona truck it will have little or no rust- my '85 has none, none in the wheel arches or the rear tailgate. 2) The others here know more than I but I remember some '96s had mass air rather than speed-density which is great. There are a few Broncos out here and they look great so you can look around out here.

 

i have a 95 E/B with no rust. no problems. no dents. mine is for sale at the asking price of 6500. it has less than 138000 miles with new tire. if interested call 276-358-1096. this is a va car and has a clear carfax. it is Teal and Tan in color. I also have a 95 XLT with a bad torque convertor for sale at 2500.
both of these machines have the 5.8 engine. pics are availabel of both for the asking
thanks
Bill