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Need Opinions On My New Project

ALLOUTWAR13

Well-Known Member
Joined
November 14, 2003
Messages
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City, State
Dallastown, Pennsylvania
Year, Model & Trim Level
99 sport
Well the time has come to find a vehicle to use as an offroad only project. I will keep my Ex dont worry it is just going to remain my daily driver for now. I want to turn it into an offroad show truck eventually. So I need a beater to mod and take offroad especially since i only live an hour and a half away from paragon. I've kind of narrowed my choices down to a few vehicles that i have found are good platforms for an offroader as well as cheap to upgrade and get parts for. So the vehicles i have come up with so far are......
1. 87 Bronco(its my dads so it would be cheap to buy)
2. Jeep CJ or early wrangler
3. Jeep Cherokee
4. Jeep Grand Cherokee
5. Dodge Ram
6.Ford F 150
What do you guys think? Im only looking to spend like at most 3 grand for the vehicle. Or should I try to find another Ex and just spend the extra money on it?
 



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I would think the Bronco because you can get it from your dad for cheap, and you know what you're going to get rather than realizing that the vehicle you bought has more problems than what you originally thought.
 






I second that, one of those other trucks might be just as capable as the Bronco but who knows what they have already been put through. Besides the Bronco is the next closes thing to an EX!
 






I also vote on the Bronco. Keep it in the family. Soon it will be a classic car. If you decide that you just can't go with the Bronco, then I would do a jeep. The rest of the list is just too exspensive in parts to do the job you may want.

HotDogs
 






I agree that the bronco would be best. Do bronco's have solid axles? Or is it dependent on the year? Just curious.

Gool Luck!
CP :D
 






If your looking for a vehicle to build- the 91-94 Ex would be a good start- you can get a sport for less than 1500, add in a solid axle and you are good to go for way less than 3000. Lots of good resources on the net :D

Looking around the Jeeps and Broncs are fairly expensive. Jeeps Ive seen are in the 4000 range for a beat POS CJs or YJs. 7000 gets you a 4cyl TJ.

If you have a bronco cheap then I would guess the decision is made- but thats a fairly big vehicle - depending on what you wanbt to do.

Find a 5spd early Ex. do the SAS and hit the trails.
 






I vote #2 for an off road only vehicle. They are cheap to do modifications to and there is a huge aftermarket for them. Do a spring over for really cheap and you have enough lift for 33's maybe 35's with trimming. They are also fairly easy to swap to stronger axles.
 






Jeep CJ: SFA, convertable, small/manueverable, I-6
 






If your thinking of turning your present Explorer into a trail rig in a few years. Then get a cheaper Explorer now.

When your ready to turn your present explorer into a trail X you will have a perfect parts truck.

ie... You get a locker, tires, rims, roof rack,seeing as most of the stuff will convert. You will save alot of cash buying only one of something. As a added result if something breaks on the daily driver you can always cannibalize until the funds let you buy a new part.

The thing that I've learned. When the time comes for me to leave here and go back home. When I build up my next Explorer I'll do most of the same mods only this time I'll get different products. You'll know what works for me may not work for you. You'll know what works for Mr. ALLOUTWAR13...
 






i say get an earlier bronco... they can be had for cheap... not the really early bronco, but the first of the big broncos... 400 ci engines and solid front and rear axles.... either a 78 or a 79.....
 












Thanks for the input guys I think I might research teh bronco a little more. I still wont have the money for a few months i want to have like 5 grand before i start the project that way i can get off to a running start. Today im going to look at an xj I saw for 495 thats really in the price range.
CodePoet The Bronco is indeed dual solid axle witha 302.

Im still going to shop around and until im already to go i am not going to be definite on anything who knows i might go to an auciton and get lucky to find a rolled TJ to rebuild.

Thanks for the input guys. ANd yes in about 4 or 5 years the ex will be my trail rig but until then i want to do a build up on something other than an ex for once i just need a change hahaha.
 






If it's an 87 bronco it's going to have dana 44 ttb. What kind of lift do you plan on doing on the bronco? I've heard the TTB lifts for broncos are even worse than the ttb lifts for explorers. I've read the brackets and the front cross member are more prone to cracking. though if you plan to go solid axle it would be a good platform depending on what you want to do.
 






If I go with the Bronco the first thing I will do is a solid axle swap. The bronco is pretty rusty underneath so I will probly have to get a new frame and get a new rear axle. So While I am at it I will do a solid for the front too.

I am worried though that for an all around trail rig the bronco is going to be a little big but maybe Im wrong.
 






It depends on if you care about body damage, if you want to keep it pretty i'd go with something smaller but if you dont care, go for it, make trees hate you. :p
 






no point in trying to keep a "pretty" trail rig. even a small jeep-size rig will eventually get dented somehow as you progress on to tougher and tougher trails. dont worry about size. cut the fenders off of it, run as little lift as possible, and have fun. :)
 






thanks guys looks like Im getting a Bronc and tearing up some sheet metal. Hahaha and maybe ill put a tube cage inside and out that will give me a reason to talk the parents into letting me get a welder and tube bender. Ill let you guys know if i need any help with the SAS and Ill definitely let you know when I take my first trip to paragon.
 






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