So I've been very curious looking at pics of everyone's Broncos...Alot seem to have a lift kit, bigger tires, engine mods, and paint jobs...Whats the average time it takes to get there? 5 years?

Being in college doesn't help money wise for me. And being on contacts for work.

I bought mine bone stock legit, nothing has been replaced on it, springs,shocks calipers everything is still stock...Ive only had it for a year and its just been general repairs, (mainly rear end,I put a used limited slip and new pinion bearings, total to do came to about 280$) Also working on getting some matching tires for the 4 ones I picked up free, only 235's.

So Ive prob only spent about 400-500$ total on it since I bought it in Jan 11'

 

My build is going on a one year so far. I won a free trip to Afghanistan next year so I'll be able to buy lots of $$$ goodies.

 

It has been around 3 years since i decided to start doing upgrades and not just replacements, sooooo much to do... and i'm so happy about it, just a nice hobby .

 

I'm at my second year. Body is the most neglected, but mechanically I'm close to where I want to be, short of maybe regear + lockers.. plus the small stuff, which definitely counts and adds up.

Trying to talk my stupid girl into letting me get 35s but she will not budge. Today she surprised me and told me she might buy me tires, I got all excited, then she told me how 'expensive' they were.. $450? I asked what she was talking about, they should be $900+ and she said she was just going to buy two to start me off with.. what the? oh well, two is better than none, i guess?

anyways, tax refund checks is how most of us afford the big things, even those of us with good jobs. Noone can justify $1000+ lump sums on random accessories for a 20 year old truck, I don't care how much money you have. You just add up the parts, when you come into money like during refunds, make the plunge and dont think twice... and don't listen to the wife or girlfriend! just do it or it will never happen.

 

I've found that "set" items (Rims, tires, shocks, etc) need to be purchased in a SET...not HALF a set...Otherwise, something ALWAYS comes up and takes the money for the rest of the tires, rims, or whatever, and you're stuck with 1/2 a set...

 

Way to early to tell for me since I have had mine less than two weeks, and only done one thing to it (replaced the badly torn leather seats with a mint set of cloth seats), but the answer is...Depends. There are a lot of variables in a build. And of course, the big one is how much money are you going to put into it? In my case, since I am unemployed at the moment, that question is going to be very little. So, it will take me longer to get my Bronco where I want it to be, then someone else who can afford to put a couple hundred, (or thousand depending on their income) a month into it. Another variable is what you are going to do to it. Again, in my case, since I am an inexperienced off-roader, and have no plans for huge tires, air lockers, swapping out front suspensions, or body lifts, my goal will be easier to reach than that of someone who is going to be swapping both axles, raising the body adding lockers, huge tires, etc. However, I can say mine will most likely be done in 2013 because I am suing the guy who hit me while I was bike riding and the trial will be in 2013. I will use the settlement money to get mine painted, add a Detroit Tru Trac, 4 tires of the same brand, and Rancho shocks, maybe even headers, and a larger exhaust. My build is basically not going to be much over stock. I will add a Warn winch to it, and maybe some extra lights, but it is my daily driver, so mods will be at a minimum.

Jim

edit: My bad, I misread the question, thought it said "How long does a build take"

 

Thats fine night, I pretty much got an idea of your project and time wise.
Id love to spend my tax returns on it but I'm using all of it to get me to Punta Cana lol. Yeah I can't see either dumping 1k on stuff right away, but over time yes.

 

I seem to spend a few hundred every month on average. There will always be those big projects such as a lift kit or a trans rebuild. But I enjoy working on my Bronco so spending money on it doesn't bother me too much. However I don't like to take shortcuts or have to undo someone else's crap work.

 

AMEN! I have three 35'' tires with 95% tread sitting by my garage.. they have been there for two fricken months.. Then we agreed I should just get a whole new set that's less aggressive, and then I was just going to find one used one, then.. ugh..

I dunno what's going on, I'm either getting two brand new non-matching tires, or apparently waiting until I get paid and don't have to use all of my money on bills (which is never). I think my only other option judging by reactions is wait until an exact, matching tire with 95% tread shows up for $25 (NO MORE)

 

My tires look brand new, but one of the Bridgestones got shredded, so the spare is on it now, and it is a Toyo.

Jim

 

I love my 33'' Cooper STTs.. but they're a bit loud for an AT and sorta mediocre in the mud (great in everything else, tires are a 9/10 for me). Dying for some General Grabbers, the ones with the red sidewall?

See, to the original poster.. I have plenty of money, I've had my Bronco for two years and I still don't have the fricken tires I want. Just be patient, before you know it you will look out your window one day at your Bronco and say "hey, can't believe I made it this far, but... what's next?"

Builds I don't think are ever 'done'. I can give you a list of $20,000 worth of stuff I want done with my Bronco and I've put close to $10k into it so far. When you get your lift, you're gonna want Bilstein shocks and Deaver coils and extended pivot arms, when you get your bilstein shocks, you're going to want Fox shocks, or maybe coil-overs with completely different front suspension style. Get tires you like, and you'll want lockers, get your lockers and you'll want beadlocks, get the beadlocks and you'll want bigger tires, get bigger tires, you'll want to regear, regear and you'll want a more powerful engine, after the rebuild you'll feel you need a stronger transmission, finish that and the combo wont make you happy so you'll look at a diesel swap, after the diesel swap you'll.. well, you get the hint..

Here's to an eternity of Bronco 'upgrades' and numerous fights with your significant other and possible breakups over the expense and time spent on the upgrades.

 

Gotta remember guys, that old beaten up truck/bronco you've invested $5k into, and gotten it PERFECTLY running, and the body is still beaten up.....Won't leave you, take half your ****, or sleep with your best friend, get mad if you go to a booby bar......You get the idea....

And if you get a second bronco/truck, it's TOTALLY FINE, because guess what, they DO NOT BITCH!...

Rodney Carrington - Getting Married to My Pick up Truck - YouTube

 

Might not be cheaper than a woman, but all the Pros far outweigh the cons

Jim

 

How do you figure? The truck/bronco doesn't need new shoes/purse every lil whipstitch.....And doesn't stand with its' hand out for your paycheck...

 

I just had to buy my Bronco shoes.. luckily my girl knows how to put her own darn shoes on at least.