New to 4wheelin

Hello everyone,
Well Ive had it, a few months ago my dad and I as well as a few of his friends went out to the desert and went dirtroading, well now im hooked. I finally decided to buy a 4x4, and this 4x4 will be a Ford Bronco. I remember the 88 bronco that my dad had a long time ago (first car i ever drove in el mirage dry lake) so I want another one. This is where I need some help. Ive been looking at bronco's for sale online and have narrowed down my search to the years 90-96. My questions are these...
1: What does a good used bronco usually go for in price? The ones ive been
lookin at are around 3000-4000, seems like a good price.

2: When I go to look at a bronco what kind of things should I look for? Typical
rust spots, etc...

3: How expensive is it usually to fix motor problems, or any other problem for
that matter? From what I've seen browsin these forums and other bronco
webpages the parts seem nicely priced.

4: How much HP does the stock motor make? I saw somewhere 191HP?

5: I am planning on lifting it a few inches, not sure exactly how to go about
this so I need some suggestions. How much do larger tires generally cost?

6: I hate to ask this, but how reliable are bronco's? How many miles does a
stock motor go before it needs a rebuild? The one im lookin at has 110k
miles on it.

This bronco will be used as my daily driver, but I want to be able to get over/through/under rocks, hills, water, MUD!!! on the weekends or whenever it suits me.
Basically I just want all the information I can get my hands on. When it comes to working on the car I am fairly mechanically inclined, my area of expertise is Hi-performance aircooled VW engines, never worked on a v-8 though, cant wait.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, and when I do buy a Bronco soon, ill be on these forums annoying all of you with questions questions questions
Thanks...
-Bryan

Well thanks for the response. =)

This is the bronco ive been watching. I havent actually gone to see it in person yet though. It is a 92, says it has 110k miles on it, its an XLT, doesnt say what motor size is in it, although it does say V-8. Asking price is $3700. What do you think?

The other one is a 91 XLT with V-8 for 3800. Says it already has a lift kit, tow package, 33" tires, a rebuilt trans with warranty, and also everything is power.


The reason I asked how much motor repairs can run is because there is a 93 for sale that says "rebuilt motor, good condition, nds motor work." The price for that one is 2300, for that price im assuming it might be something serious. Im not to keen on performing any serious mechanical work on my first bronco.

Assuming that these were in good condition, 4x4 works, no major rust etc, which would you rather buy? I like the 91 because its already half way there with what I want, but I like the looks of the 92.
Thanks again for your help.

-Bryan

Bryan,

Other than the body style, these are basically the same vehicle. The 92's had airbags I believe as well as a much more computer-controlled envrionment. The tranny is computer controlled on the '92 whereas the '91 is not. This limits the types of mods you can do with a simple computer chip.

If it were me, I'd be leaning towards the '92 because like you, I like the looks of the more modern bodystyle better. However, if the '91 has a 351 and the '92 has a 302, I would definitely go with the bigger motor and get the '91.

It should also be noted that automatic tranny's in Broncos will grenade themselves at about 100K. You should ask about the tranny history in that '92 before purchasing. They are not cheap to fix! The '91 w/ the rebuilt tranny and warranty sounds like a good deal.

BTW, how many miles on the '91?

Doesnt say mileage on the 91, I will call and find out though. Yea its kinda a tough choice here, but I am leanin more towards that 91 simply because it already has some mods done to it, rims, 33" tires, tow pacakge etc...
Is there a website or catalog that offers cosmetic upgrades for broncos?

Not to "burst your bubble", Bryan, but...
After looking at the picture of that '91, I'd be skepticle about the lift and 33" tires.
Maybe it's an older picture, and there's not a current one to post?
I also see some damage to the rear quarter (behind the door), and some missing trim.
"Let the buyer beware"!

If you look at my gallery, you'll see my '85 with 2" lift(pretty mild) and 33's.
Note the difference in sidewall height on the wheels.
Also note the distance between the rocker panels and the ground.

On the other hand, the '92 looks pretty nice!

But, I digress.
Very good choice you're making!
You're also asking all the right questions!
Bronco's are virtually unbeatable right out of the factory for their 4X4 "prowess".

Good luck!

BTW,
Just looked at the site you found. Cool!
I'd give one of these a try before looking at that '91.
89-$2,950
88-$2,600
Plus, you could sell the running boards (both of those have em) and make a little cash back.
Trust me, you won't want to be going off-road while those anchors are attached.

I wouldn't think twice. Hands down the 92. First, the 89 has the A4OD tranny which is no bargain. They don't shift very well either. The 92 has the E4OD which is a very strong reliable tranny. Second the 92 has a much nicer interior which is much more user friendly. All in all the 92 is a better truck.

Thats what I like to hear! The 92 does look nice, I have no problem with the paint color or anything, and the tires look nice too. So you wouldnt be worried about the 110k miles on the tranny? You think it might still be ok? Above the post said that they tend to grenade after 100k miles. Im planning to go look at it this weekend. If all goes well there may be a new member of the family.
How can I tell when I goto look at it if something is wrong with the trans? Like one of the posts above says, im going to test the 4x4 in low and high, anything else to try?
And thanks alot for the responses guys, its been much help.
Oh, and just in case I do end up buying this bronco, or any bronco for that matter, how much does it cost to replace/fix the transmission assuming it explodes? I think I read somewhere about 8-900 dollars i dont have? And what causes them to blow up?
You know, come to think of it, I think that was the reason we sold the 88 bronco we had years ago, the transmission was slipping or something.

Thanks alot for the responses guys, its been much help.

-Bryan

I have a 93 with 130K and I wheel it real hard and really work the tranny in the mountains. I have had no problems at all. Just be sure it shifts nice and check the fluid. If it is a real slow shift or hits real hard be cautious. As for replacing or fixing it. I would gues it to be twice that. More like $1500+. Go for it.