First Car
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 33
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From: St. Paul, MN
First Car
Hey, I'm new here...although I've been browsing for awhile. Anyway I want a Bronco for my first car and I was wondering what would be the ideal engine/year for me. I don't care about being the first off the line, but I don't want to be a total dog either. My main concerns are gas mileage and safety. I haven't found a safety rating for 78-86 Broncs, are they just as safe as the rest? Seems like they should be..same body and all. Also, what kind of mileage on the odometer should I look for to last me a long time while also being reliabe. My price range will probably be about 2000-4500 or so...havent saved up the money yet. Thanks if you can answer...sorry for all the questions.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 813
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From: NJ
First Car
HEY OLDLL
welcome .just my opinion but i just love my 1991 5.8. it gets about 12.5 mpg and up to 14.5 mpg on a trip towing a boat and full of luggage. i paid 4300 1.5 years ago it had only 88000 miles on it. its fully loaded eddie baur. it is big and heavy so i feel safe while driving with my family. its great in the snow and rain. it has fairly good visibilkity and is very comfortable to drive. you should chack out the thread bronco reassurance and built ford tough.
good luck on your quest
welcome .just my opinion but i just love my 1991 5.8. it gets about 12.5 mpg and up to 14.5 mpg on a trip towing a boat and full of luggage. i paid 4300 1.5 years ago it had only 88000 miles on it. its fully loaded eddie baur. it is big and heavy so i feel safe while driving with my family. its great in the snow and rain. it has fairly good visibilkity and is very comfortable to drive. you should chack out the thread bronco reassurance and built ford tough.
good luck on your quest
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 8,547
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From: MA
First Car
If you can, I would look for the 92-96 range. Any bronco should be solid and dependable. I know my 96 has a driver air bag, and Im assuming the 92-96 is when they were put into them. Gas mileage? Bronco? If you worried about mileage, get the 5.0. If you want to have a little bit of power to mess around with, go with the 351. From what I hear, the 5 liters get a few miles better per gallon, but Id rather take some extra power. I am averaging about 12-13 on my 96 351. I have owned a 89 (well, techinically, its a Centurion, but for comparison purposes, lets call it a bronco). That platform was also very solid. If you can, Id stick to fuel injection. Also, make sure you like what the bronco looks like. Dont buy a bronco if you dont like what the front clip looks like, or if you dont like the interior. You'' find the one.
Rich
Rich
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: St. Paul, MN
First Car
Yeah, I like all the Bronco looks, especially the 87-91 interior. BTW air bags were only in the 94-96. I would like the 92-96, but they all seem so expensive unless they have 150000+ miles. The ideal would be an 87-91 with a 92-96 front clip. I agree, I'm trying to stay with 87+ to get fuel injection. Any reason not to get a Bronco besides mpg if I have a (really) tight budget? They seam real reliable. Gas mileage really isnt much of an issue because i wouldnt drive much. I need something to haul because I have an upright bass I have to transport and various other instruments, and I like offroading, so this seemed like the most economical, reliable, and fun solution. I have also looked at Ramchargers, but they have less power and no removable top so Bronco won. And Blazers I have read are less reliable and got a 1 in driver crash tests. Wow that was longer than I thought it would be.
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 8,547
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From: MA
First Car
From what youve said, a Bronco sounds like it would be perfect. Yes, they are very reliable. They can also stand up to accidents. I believe it was mentioned to read through the post built ford tough. Im not sure if the front clip swap is straight forward, I believe there are a few things that have to be modified/removed. If you find any broncos that you are interested in, you should post all the specs and prices here. All the people on this list are quite helpful, and have alot of technical knowledge. Also, you should paruse through the NHTSA techincal service bulletin boards. They might help you narrow down the best of the best for broncos.
Rich
Rich
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2002
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First Car
Go with a 85 or 86 with a 302 or a 351. Lots of aftermarket parts available. Stay away from 96 if you want performance upgrades. I have a 96 5.8 (351) and I am having a hard time finding performance upgrades.
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: MA
First Car
[i]Stay away from 96 if you want performance upgrades. I have a 96 5.8 (351) and I am having a hard time finding performance upgrades.
Rich
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: SE Texas
First Car
You should be able to find a clean 87-91 with the 302 and OD trans. for $2000-3000, but most will have 150,000 miles or more. After all, they're over 10 years old! The inline 6-cyl. 300 is also a good motor to look for. The Bronco can be a bit squirrely at times, like any SUV, but it's very solid. I've had a few friends that have rolled or wrecked, even one that went thru a travel trailer, but none were ever injured. Good luck in your search!!!
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Heart Of Dixie
First Car
I have an 81, i dont even know what kind of mileage i get. never even thought to check! i love my truck, she doesnt look great right now but the price was right. i paid 600 for her and have put about 600 into her to this point. The bronco is a very well built and dependable vehicle. i wouldnt worry too much about mileage, as long it has been well maintained it will last a long time. Bsides half the fun of owning one is working on them.
Senior User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 473
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First Car
My '86 351H.O. is a great first truck. It was/is mine. The drivetrain is pushing 300k miles, the motor is 162k miles and the body about 2k miles (I crashed it, but hey, now all the rust is gone on it). The only thing I've had to replace on it so far is the starter. Theres one other small problem, but it's just a clamp for the vacuum hose on my transmission. Otherwise I got a whole new custom Y-Pipe for it and it's meaner than ever. It'll smoke most any other truck out on the road (Not that I do 
). As long as your Bronco is stock height too you shouldn't have to worry about roll overs or anything. My Bronco is tall enough (Though I'd like 2" of lift and 35"s) and it's stock I've never worried about roll overs and I've done some crazy stuff in it. What you should do is check through peoples gallerys and see what you like and dislike and determine what you're looking for, at least thats my opinion, heh.
). As long as your Bronco is stock height too you shouldn't have to worry about roll overs or anything. My Bronco is tall enough (Though I'd like 2" of lift and 35"s) and it's stock I've never worried about roll overs and I've done some crazy stuff in it. What you should do is check through peoples gallerys and see what you like and dislike and determine what you're looking for, at least thats my opinion, heh.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 348
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First Car
wheelMA1 where are you getting the parts from? I have a K and N and Flowmaster exhaust that is it. Thinking about headers but trying to find right applications with correct smog crap. Just doesn't seem to be alot of info out there for 96 everything stops at 95.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: SE Texas
First Car
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&threadid=103411
Are Broncos dependable? I say "YES!" They will take more abuse off-road than most trucks, but even the minor repairs on an older one can add up if you don't do the work yourself.
New User
Joined: Feb 2003
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First Car
I HAVE HAD MY 78 FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND IT IS WONERFUL. IT HAS BEEN MORE RELIABLE THAN MY DODGE TRUCK (99). IT GETS BAD GAS MILEAGE IN THE SUMMER AND WORSE IN THE WINTER THAT IS ALL I KNOW BUT I BOUGHT IT FOR 500 DOLLARS AND AFTER A PAINT JOB AND AND NEW SEATS AND A NEW MOTOR IT FITS MY NEEDS PERFECTLY AT A GRAND TOTAL OF $2100