I'm 18 and looking to buy my first car. Something under $5k preferably, and under 100k miles. I'm not really looking at any certain year, i'm pretty much a daily driver, but I have to go off road sometimes to get some places.

Are any certain years more reliable than others? I was looking at http://carpoint.msn.com and it showed that 1991-1996 all had occasional engine problems, and some years had occasional problems with brakes, transmission, A/C and engine. Is this true?

I know they went out of production in '96, are parts easy to find if I had some problems with it?

More questions to come, all advice is welcomed. Thanks.

 

Well, I used to own a '88 F-150, and now have a '94 Bronco. The Bronco is based off the F-150 Truck, with some differences other than the obious lack of bed space. Other than interior parts, the powertrains, suspensions, and just about everything else mechanical is basically the same. There are a lot of F-150's out there, including the junkyard where you can get parts.

I have 148,000 miles on my Bronco, and it has never needed anything other than normal maintenance. I had a problem with the ECM going out and an airbag problem, but nothing too bad to repair (or have repaired).

You will find many opinions about the Twin-Traction Beam front suspension, but I actually like the system. It can be a pain sometimes, but it provides a good ride and is actually quite tough for what it is.

If you scroll through the board, you find all kinds of different problems people are having with the Bronco, but most are due to mileage and age. Probably the most common problems are the automatic locking hubs, ball joints in the front end, and the rear window also seems to come up a lot.

Most prefer the 351W, as it's even underpowered for the Bronco, and the mileage difference between that and the 302 is only 1-3 mpg, if that.

If you need reliability for off-road, the first thing I would change is the automatic locking hubs if the Bronco you end up purchasing has them. They will fail when you need them most. The Bronco is overall a great vehicle, as it has room, comfort, is fun to drive, and there are all sorts of aftermarket parts out there. It also has 2 doors, which you really can't find much anymore in a full size SUV.

Hope this answers some questions and good luck Bronco hunting!

 

Around how many miles would I expect to see any serious problems come up?

How much would should I spend on a mid to late eighties model with under 100k miles on it?

a 1988 Eddie Bauer, V8, new 31 inch tires an under 78k miles for $3450. Is that a good deal?

Concerning the auto/manual hubs. If I won't be doing much offroading will the automatic hubs be ok?

 

That '88 Eddie Bauer Bronco sounds like a good deal.Still,take the time to check it over carefully,and give it a good testdrive,paying attention for any noises that don't sound right.You might also take a glance at the temp.&oil pressure gauges and see what they register when at idle,and driving the truck around.Any used vehicle will require servicing at some time or another.What condition the engine&tranny are in depends on the previous owner(s) and how they drove it,and serviced the truck.Usually,the EFI302&EFI351 engines,with proper care,should last past 150,000 miles without any major problems.They might nickel&dime you here&there,but what used vehicle doesn't?I've seen some EFI302&351s with closer to 200,000 miles on them,and still going strong.My '90 XLT Bronco's EFI302 is just about to turn 115,000 miles,and runs great!I bought the truck with 92,670 miles on it back in August of 2000.Since then,basically I've just changed the oil every 3,000 miles,tuned-it-up,and put a new battery in it.I had dual exhaust put on it,but that was my doing...the stock exhaust system probably had two years left before it would need replacing,but I wanted to upgrade it,anyway.As for the hubs,the automatic hubs should be fine.Good luck.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-02 AT 10:14 AM (EST)]Thee is an '87 Eddie Bauer being sold up the street from me. I looked at the car and most everything seemed to be in good condition from the outside, but the info sheet on it said it was a V8(I forget 5.0 or 5.8), the bottom was starting to rust and has 146,000 miles on it.

I'm going to call today about the asking price, how much do you think it's worth? Kbb.com is saying around $3000. Or should I even bother with it?

 

I meant to say it has 143,000 miles on it, I couldn't change it because I tried to change it an hour later.

What about the rust? Could the engine fall through or anything? I saw the rust on one side, I don't know how far it went under, as I didn't get under the car and see.

Can you explain all that engine stuff in easier terms, I don't know much about the technical side of cars.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-02 AT 12:40 PM (EST)]That $3,000 figure is about right....if it is in good overall condition.An '87 with just under 150,000 miles is worth about $2,250-$3,000, probably.If it is a 302,it will have EFI,and in the 8th digit of the VIN a 'N'.If it is a 351....the original engine put in it in 1987,it would have to be a 351 H.O.,which would have a 4 bbl. carb.Engine code for a 351 is a 'H'.If it has a EFI351,it isn't original,because 1988 is the first year the 351 got EFI.

 

EFI stands for electronic fuel injection.If that '87 Bronco is powered by a 302 V-8,then it will be fed by electronic fuel injection.The 351V-8 engine used in '87 vehicles was fed by a four-barrel carburator,so if the engine in that '87 Bronco is a 351,then it will have a four-barrel carb sitting on top of the intake manifold.On top of the carburator will be a round air cleaner housing,which will have an air filter inside it.On EFI-equipped engines,the air cleaner housing is referred to as an airbox,and it sits on the left side of the engine compartment.It will have a flat,rectangular air filter inside it.From the back of the airbox will be two hoses(or "tubes")which will go to the throttle body on the engine's intake manifold.It's easy to tell the difference between an engine with EFI,and one with a carb.The VIN number(Vehicle Identification Number) will be a metal tag,located on the left side of the dashboard(driver's side),and visible by looking from the outside of the vehicle into the truck's interior.The engine code is the 8th digit found on the VIN.For a 302 V-8 the factory code will be a 'N',and for a 351 V-8 the code will be a 'H'.The general rusty areas on Broncos are usually the lower tailgate,and around the rear wheelwells.If the rust hasn't eaten through,it will be easier to fix.Many companies sell Bronco patch panels,and body parts,so even if the rust problem is bad,it can be fixed(but for more money).I doubt you'll have to worry about the engine "falling out" of the truck.Just because the seller is asking $3,000 for it,doesn't mean they wouldn't take less for it.Take it for a testdrive,and ask many questions before you buy it.If you have any auto mechanics as friends,or family members,you might ask them to tag along with you if you go to look at the Bronco.They'll know what to look for,and what questions to ask,if you are unsure.Good luck.

 

I have an 86 with the 5.0 (320) with the EFI. I got 200,000 miles on it before having to do anything major on it other than brakes, tires, water pump, etc. They are good trucks. Remember, you would be buying a 4WD that has the aerodynamics of a cinder block. Don't expect really good gas mileage. That goes for almost any 4WD. But go Bronco.

 

ok since we seem to be in efi and carb mode I have a question
I have a 85 bronco it has a good running 300 I-6 its its fed by a 1bbl carb I went out and bought a 87 302 out of an f150 of course the guy took most everything off the engine and just left the core.
now my question is will I be able to make the 87 302 work in my bronco
by adding a carburated intake??????

Oh yea Fiend you will have a blast with a Bronco Ive had my 2 years
and I threw everything I could at it and it keeps comming back for more!!!!



kevin

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-02 AT 10:02 PM (EST)]Ok that explanation helped a lot more thanks.

I called the number on the car, no one picked up so I left a message.

Concerning the rust, how much do the patch panels cost? And if the rust is bad, how much would it cost to fix? If the rust is bad, i'll ask them to deduct it from the price, so I can get it fixed.

 

To check out prices for Bronco parts&patch panels you can check out these websites: autostyles.com & autobodypartsonline.com There are a few other places,too,but I can't remember them.Rust repair&bodywork depends on the extent of the job.Each shop is different in pricing their work.You're better off spending more,and getting it done right the first time.If the rust is just surface rust,that isn't too expensive to fix,but if,say the rear wheelwells on both sides have extensive rust that has made holes in the body,and the tailgate is the same way,you're probably looking to spend big bucks to repair both these areas.You could always buy a used tailgate,or a replacement one(new).You can try to point out the rusty areas to the seller,in an attempt to knock down on the price,but that tactic doesn't always work.Good luck.

 

Do you think the mileage is too much? Or should I look for something with less mileage on it, so I don't run into problems so quick?

I was looking at the parts on autostyles.com, the pictures shown are all black. Is that going to match the truck?

 

The body panels you would have to primer,and then paint to match the color(or colors if it is two-tone)of the Bronco.That mileage on the truck is about average(actually a bit lower)for a 1987 model year vehicle.If you drove this Bronco,and it ran well,I'd be more concerned about the rusty areas on it,and the cost to fix them.I know of many Broncos with well over 100,000 miles on their engines that still run good for their owners,and without major(i.e.costly)repairs.It all depends on who owned/drove the vehicle,and how they serviced it.Unless you absolutely have to have this particular '87 Bronco,I would still look at other ones for sale.When I bought my '90 XLT about two years ago,I had two other Broncos I was also considering.I drove all three,looked them all over,compared the positives&negatives of each one,and then decided on my two-tone blue '90.In fact,I got the used dealer I bought it from to come down $795 because I told them I had another place willing to give me another Bronco cheaper,and in about the same shape.(Actually I REALLY wanted the Bronco I ended up with.....I was truthful,however).They want your business,they'll deal.Never pay the asking price.Funny thing is the place that had my truck said they weren't willing to come down in price.When I acted like "okay,I have another one to look at today,anyway".....they called me two days later and said basically to come and get my Bronco.Don't rush into buying a used vehicle!See? I waited it out,and got what I wanted.Turns out the other Bronco I went to look at(a Dark Chestnut metallic '89 XLT) needed a lot of expensive repairs.(It only LOOKED to be in good condition.)That "testdrive"(if you could call it that....) lasted,I would say,not even 2-3 minutes!(Some of those smaller used dealers you have to be careful of....cavet emptor!)The only thing I wish was different on my truck is it has the EFI302,instead of the EFI351,but I really can't complain since the 302 runs so well in it.

 

Well I drove by where the Bronco should be going to school and coming back home, and it wasn't out. I saw it way back in there driveway. I am thinking it's not for sale anymore, since they haven't called either. I'll wait a couple days, see if I see it out anymore and wait for a call. And if nothing call back, and see what's up.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm sure i'll be back for more.