ford bronco

[ranover]

my brother is looking at buying a 81 bronco and he would like to know what are the cons and pros?

hes looking to spend around $5000.

cheers

[ranover]

a bit of off road some beach driving

[Beastmavster]

Bloody big rig for beach driving and very expensive to run....

[-Scott-]

Which engine? Didn't Broncos come with a selection, from 4.1 straight 6 to 5.8 V8?

[RUFF]

Bloody big rig for beach driving and very expensive to run....

Its not like he needs a zook so he can fit between the flags. Most beaches i have driven on you wouldnt have a problem with a big vehicle.


Years ago when i was prob only 15 my old man and all his mates used to go up to Submarine Beach just south of Seal Rocks and they all had either F Trucks or Bronco's. Can not remember a time ever being bogged in any of these. No lockers and all ran 31" Desert Duelers.

[beretta]

Hi there, I had a 81 model Bronco with a pretty hot 5.8l V8 and 4 spd manual, I loved the power and the ability to blow off the unsuspecting spanker, they can be made to look tuff and sound horn no doubt about it. They're easy to work on, parts readily available.

But allround....tuff they ain't, IMHO. I had recurring probs with wheel bearings (several and only did easy 4wding), stress cracks in panels and structural members, manual hub lockers, tail gates stuff up and you can't get the rear window down (electric sliding and $$) bad body flex caused joins in the body to crack and subsequently deteriorate even when repaired professionally, the list could go on and on. Tell him to save his coin and get a GQ Patrol or whatever else blows his hair back, but don't waste yer money on a bronco.

Just my opinion anyway.

[ISUZUROVER]

Most beaches i have driven on you wouldnt have a problem with a big vehicle.

On the beach that is true but on all the inland tracks on places like moreton and fraser it can be a problem.

No lockers and all ran 31" Desert Duelers.

Don't broncos come with LSD's front and rear?

I remember years back when I went to moreton, a Bronco was first off the barge and he had forgotten to lock the hubs. Buried itself up to both axles in soft sand right in front of the barge door before he had realised, but then he locked the hubs in and managed to drive out. Don't know if it had lockers or LSD's but it definitely didn't have open diffs.

[Utemad]

Most beaches i have driven on you wouldnt have a problem with a big vehicle.

On the beach that is true but on all the inland tracks on places like moreton and fraser it can be a problem.

I have taken a current shape F250 with 7.3L turbo V8 diesel automatic on the beach at Double Island and never had a problem. Weighs in at 3.3 tonne empty. Even in the soft sand it drove without any hint of bogging down. Just put your foot down and your away.
Inland tracks were tackled with ease but sometimes width was an issue.
Although like the quote before about looking tough but aren't really also fits these models.
This was on the stock 265/75 16 A/Ts

[wannaberacer]

I owned an 84 Bronco a few years ago with the 5.8l V8. Paid $10500 for it.

Was BIG...real BIG. Was good off road to the extent you could straddle large washouts without falling into them. Mine supposedly had LSD's front and rear, but they didn't work and I didn't have a chance to check em out.

I got stuck and nearly went off a cliff. In the process of being dragged backwards/driving backwards I broke a spline in the front driveshaft somewhere. So 4wd wasn't much chop after that.

Talk about thirsty. Ran on gas and used 33 litres/100 k's...petrol was about the same.

Parts are available but aren't cheap. Dear as...esp good Bronco parts.


Bases on my experience and what I got for my $$, I would think for $5000 he is asking for big trouble. but you live and learn.


In the end I sold mine for $12500

[Camshaft1]

Forget the Bronco. Get a late seventy shortwheel base F100. Heaps tougher physically not just visually!. Then you will have a ute, toughness, aswell as all the other good things associated with the big american beasts. For one is that you dont look like every other clown on the road! My girlfriend bought an F truck and now i am getting one myself, we are so impressed. Stay clear of anything early eightys, broncos included. They are just to soft and not made nearlly as tough as the old girls. The steering boxes, transfer case, body panels and so on are all not as strong as old ones and tend to break far more often. See how you go. Hope you get a goodie anyway.

[CRUSHU]

even better, buy an imported 77 -79 bronco. same tough drivetrain and chassis the Ftrucks are built on, but shorter. come with power steer and good interior, that you don't get on the aussie F trucks (mine is an import, so i have all the bronco stuff anyway)

[beretta]

What they said....go the 70's models for sure, very tuff, they turned to shite after 80's, all plastic crap. The 70's models were much much more robust, all round.

[DamTriton]

I used to drive one when I was at Channel 9, still see it around occasionally (microwave link truck for live crosses etc.).

Thirsty as (thank god I didn't pay the fuel bills!). Steered like a bucket of crap,"ratiometric approximation steering", top heavy, very high rear loading for mums shopping (well, anything really), access to rear seat a real pita after the first day. Not a great deal of wheel travel in OE form

Better options around these days.

[AussieCJ7]

personally I prefer a 60's early bronco but good luck finding one in Aust

[Tiny]

I used to drive one when I was at Channel 9, still see it around occasionally (microwave link truck for live crosses etc.).

Thirsty as (thank god I didn't pay the fuel bills!). Steered like a bucket of crap,"ratiometric approximation steering", top heavy, very high rear loading for mums shopping (well, anything really), access to rear seat a real pita after the first day. Not a great deal of wheel travel in OE form

Better options around these days.

like a kia????

[DamTriton]

I used to drive one when I was at Channel 9, still see it around occasionally (microwave link truck for live crosses etc.).

Thirsty as (thank god I didn't pay the fuel bills!). Steered like a bucket of crap,"ratiometric approximation steering", top heavy, very high rear loading for mums shopping (well, anything really), access to rear seat a real pita after the first day. Not a great deal of wheel travel in OE form

Better options around these days.

like a kia????

Couldnt be any worse, could it?????

[Robert Polsen]

there were a cuple of bronco's at the WA nightowle comp two years ago and all thay seemed to do was get bogged and dig 4 bloody big holes in the ground (but im a zook driver so im abit biass) ther was one used for recovery and that worked well.

[ranover]

cheers all

can always count on OL for info

hes getting it. its a six but hes droppin a 5.8 in her. will take it out this weekend for a test run with my rangie.

cheers anyway

[Beastmavster]

Hmmm....

See if you can at least put 2V heads on the clevo to save some fuel costs.... with 2V heads on the 351 she'd probably cost no more to run in fuel than my shorty GQ.

Scary but true.

[DamTriton]

Drop a Barra 6 turbo engine into it, should be a straight drop-in. Physically lighter, just as much power/torque, and no carbie to worry about when you're at interesting angles.

[CRUSHU]

Hmmm....

See if you can at least put 2V heads on the clevo to save some fuel costs.... with 2V heads on the 351 she'd probably cost no more to run in fuel than my shorty GQ.

Scary but true.

The engine he will be dropping in will probably be a 2v headed engine anyways. 4V heads are fairly rare, and undesirable in a stock application.
The engine (if original) will have open chamber heads, if you are running straight gas, or willing to run only premium fuel, and want more power and efficiency, put Aussie 302 closed chamber heads on it. Will bump up the compression into high octane fuel only regions, so straight gas or less desirably, premium fuel.

[Beastmavster]

Yeah most likely if the engine is out of another F truck it will be a 2V. Not that many 4V head engines here in aus really beside the GT's.

A friend went the 302 heads on his 351 XC and it was a very good mod with the upped compression, but was sensitive to fuel octane even in the leaded petrol days.

On premium or LPG should be no issue though.


Another option would be to get a crappy taxi style falcon motor - EF/EL for instance. those 4 litres are pretty cheap to run and are still good horsepower (157kw). Still go ok with gas as well.

Something I'd still consider in the maverick.

[bigbronc]

Hi i got a bronco its not as heavy as it looks only 1980kg. LSD front and rear standard ive gone wheeling with my mates one has a jeep with 3" lift and the other a rangie 2" lift and 4.6 litre conversion can go more places than both of them. inland tracks on fraser and morton are no prob better turn circle than anything ive driven.

[dirtyGQ]

Hi there, I had a 81 model Bronco with a pretty hot 5.8l V8 and 4 spd manual, I loved the power and the ability to blow off the unsuspecting spanker, they can be made to look tuff and sound horn no doubt about it. They're easy to work on, parts readily available.

But allround....tuff they ain't, IMHO. I had recurring probs with wheel bearings (several and only did easy 4wding), stress cracks in panels and structural members, manual hub lockers, tail gates stuff up and you can't get the rear window down (electric sliding and $$) bad body flex caused joins in the body to crack and subsequently deteriorate even when repaired professionally, the list could go on and on. Tell him to save his coin and get a GQ Patrol or whatever else blows his hair back, but don't waste yer money on a bronco.

Just my opinion anyway.

should get a swb petrol gq for $5000. I have a f250 4wd a lots stronger diff then the f100 but for offroad too big for my liking,great fo cruiising beach etc but not for offroad and they can have overheating problems.

[CRUSHU]

Hi there, I had a 81 model Bronco with a pretty hot 5.8l V8 and 4 spd manual, I loved the power and the ability to blow off the unsuspecting spanker, they can be made to look tuff and sound horn no doubt about it. They're easy to work on, parts readily available.

But allround....tuff they ain't, IMHO. I had recurring probs with wheel bearings (several and only did easy 4wding), stress cracks in panels and structural members, manual hub lockers, tail gates stuff up and you can't get the rear window down (electric sliding and $$) bad body flex caused joins in the body to crack and subsequently deteriorate even when repaired professionally, the list could go on and on. Tell him to save his coin and get a GQ Patrol or whatever else blows his hair back, but don't waste yer money on a bronco.

Just my opinion anyway.

should get a swb petrol gq for $5000. I have a f250 4wd a lots stronger diff then the f100 but for offroad too big for my liking,great fo cruiising beach etc but not for offroad and they can have overheating problems.

What sort of F250? The 79 F250 front diff is a low pinion D44, marginally stronger than the high pinion in a F100/F150, and the rear is full floater, so is a lot safer. They are also quite cheap, and swap straight in.

[dirtyGQ]

yes i have a 79 f250 as a garden ornament at the moment very str8 old girl just need a new auto . worked 351 and got rid of the dual wheels. sounds tough goes great but you need bloody strong arms to 4 wheel in it (mate broke his thumb) i reckon is unstoppable on the beach and tows anything.

[CRUSHU]

oh yeah, I forgot. Only the imported ones like mine have power steer

[Camshaft1]

or just about every other one on the road these days has considering every man and his dog has fitted power steering. and the conversions are good. What is this doing up again anyway. i wrote in it before i got my second F100. And that was 8 months ago!

[CRUSHU]

yeah, but mine is factory!! no old shitbox toyota crown box on my truck!!

[460cixy]

5g for a bronco it must be fucked . if i saw one that cheap it would be mine thats for sure