hello all! im in the market for a 78 or 79 bronco which as you know is essentially a short f-150. my dad is concerned about the reliability of a bronco thats more than 20 years old. i was just wondering what you guys have to say about the reliability of these trucks. hes mostly concerned with major stuff like the engine and transmission. i would like to get a bronco with an np435 but an auto would do so if you have any comments about which one is better please feel free to say so. i am planning to get one of these to use as a daily driver and a weekend wheeler. thanks yall.
-jonathan

 

Well, here's a quick story. From my perspective, they are reliable when maintained. My f-250 with a 400, t-18, np205, etc, was drivin alon mindin its own business, when all of the sudden I dipped into some serious holes in the sand, in a creek on the beach. Twice I went headlights deep in the salt water, twice I got pulled out, and she fired right up as soon as I got out. About two weeks later I finally got around to draining the tranny and tcase, it was black as all getout, smelled like absolute crap, but it still shifted as smooth as ever. So, thats my story. Personally, these are my favorite vehicles, so I'm somewhat favoritized towards them good luck.

 

there alot better than anything newer the np435 is great these trucks are the best there very inerchangeable with the 73 tru 79 pickups. every thing is better if well mantained but these will take a betten. cheper and easer to work on to. these trucks are becomming hard to find i grab it asap.

 

 

70's fords are the t-rex of the truck world i love fords but NOTHING compairs to what they put out in the 70's TOUGH,STRONG,and SIMPLE. like mentioned above the key is well maintained. they are not hard to maintain or for the most part not finicky . get one in good working order keep it that way and you will have a GREAT friend for life. quick story in regards to your pop. i used to have a 94 ford p-up on my way to a 4000 mile relocation trip it started acting up leaving my on the side of the road. the few service stations i passed told my they didnt have the scanalizer computers to check out they truck "go to a dealer " was the reply. big dollars are spent in any dealership.
the problem, malfunctioning main computer and O2 sensors $600 dollars in parts and 4 days wait neither of which i had. took it slow and kept going (frustated). 78 f350 on the way back loaded. I broke down in the middle of nowhere nevada. thumbed a ride to
the next ghost town with a napa store 100 miles 1 way! $42 later i had a new alternator and v.r and after a quick hitch back 25 mins. and i was rolling. moral to the story the truck is simple easy to maintain and repair and mostly parts are cheap.
good luck to you and welcome to a great family

 

I have a late '78 which looks like a '79. It has 351 with auto tranny. I have had no trouble at all with it. Parts wearing out is normal. I have had no trouble finding replacement parts.
Body parts are the trouble. It is hard to get a hold of body parts cheap if you find good ones.
I suggest you purchase one.
Good luck!

 

Hey bluethunder! I own a 79 F150 4x4 stepside. I drive the truck everyday.The statement made about them being dependable with maintenence is true. If you take care of any rig, it'll give you years of dependable service!! I have a newer Nissan truck (95), and have found my Ford, (even though it is 16 years older), to be easier to work on, and has been more reliable, and it's paid for!!I have found a great love for this truck, and the good points about it heavily outweigh the one bad point-it's gas mileage.

 

i have 280K mile on my 77 f-150. I have to keep it tuned and it requires care. I drive it every day 20 miles to work and back. I have owned it longer than any else. When I bought it, the pour girl was neglected. I spent the first year doing something almost every day. Now...oil, gas, tune ups. love em they will love you back.