Newbie looking for feedback...

[NJK]

Howdy, y'all -

Guess I'm the new gal on the block but I hope to get some good advice here -

I've been driving a 90 Bronco II for the last six or so years. It's been a pleasure driving her (yes, she's a lady!), but my daily mileage has been taking its toll, so it's getting time to retire her to 'pasture' as a ranch/range truck.

Questions are these - is it better to get another Bronco and deal with possible mileage on the engine issues, wear and tear, etc. or look at something else altogether?

Is there something comparable out there in terms of
-cargo space (she's my 'truck' - I haul feed, hay, water, propane tanks, etc., regularly),
-visibility (great windows - easy to see surrounding traffic),
-mpg (around 13 or so)
-transmission (manual preferred)
-good clearance/skid plate (rough, unpaved roads)

....this is just about the newest vehicle I have, so I'm not conversant with what came out to replace the Bronco II when Ford stopped making them or what's comparable/available now.

Any and all suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated -

Thanks, and y'all stay warm out there!

NJK

 

[FutureX]

what milage are u looking at now?

also dont forget the 4.0L from 1st Gen Explorers almost direct bolt-in, my suggestion keep the BII, either 1: rebuild your 2.9L (those 2.9L are a take you beat the snot out of them before they die) or 2: grab a 4.0L out of a 1st Gen from the junkyard and rebuild it,

if your looking to upgrade, and stay in the family, 1st Generation Explorer (91-94) Sport gives you a bit more cargo space and about 3"s of extra wheel base, but you dont have the big back windows only the BII had those,


my 2.9L is rolling on 137k on the dial, and still runs strong , granted shes getting ready for a rebuild or good healthy tune up and walk through...

 

[NJK]

I bought the BII used, so I imagine it's been over once, and I've put another 80K or so on her - my mechanic says she's got a lot of life left and is worth fixing all the 'little stuff' to keep her on the road, and rebuilding the engine if/when it has to be done. I have worked on a lot of cars over the years, but don't have the time/skills/place/tools to do this one, so I guess I'll have to depend on him to fix her up.

I do need a bunch of parts - some of which have been like hunting chickens teeth...does this forum include parts? I haven't had opportunity to explore much, but it would be great if it does and I would love to find what I need fairly close by so shipping doesn't bite too bad.

Thanks for your input and opinion - I do love driving my BII and hope I can keep her on the road!

NJK

 

[fischerry]

i bought a 2.9l engine kit off ebay about t3-4 years ago i think it was a tomiko kit.But i know advance sells everything else.you..yes you could rebuild the 2.9l in a weekend if you had the parts and a manual.these engines are easy.also they are easy to find at jy's.KEEP THE BRONCO

 

[Mike Irish]

I had this issue a few years ago. We did the bottom end ourselves and bought a new set of heads from King Cylinder Heads. http://kingcylinderheads.com/Ford/Ford-cylinder-head-K260CG.html we got the whole thing done for less that $1K and some elbow grease and essentially ended up with a brand new motor.

 

[NJK]

Thanks and more questions!

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, and yes, I've decided to keep my Bronco and do whatever it takes to spruce her up and keep her running. Which brings me to 'the rest of the questions'...

Finding parts - especially big ones - within a reasonable shipping distance is like finding chickens' teeth! Can anybody give me some guidance where I can get a rear (deck) door in Texas? I really only need the handle - mine has come apart and no longer activates the latching mechanism (which still works fine), but I have searched high and low and cannot seem to find JUST the handle, so I guess I'll replace the entire door, if that's what it takes! Thus far, junkyards seem to have only crunched rear-ends, so are there any recommendations for either the handle alone or a whole door?

Thanks a million - y'all are terrific!

NJK

 

[ncranchero]

I've had a dozen or so B II's and I loved them. If I found a good one with reasonable mileage on it I'd buy it in a minute. BUT, there are 3 Escapes in my family and for daily use/economy/maneuverability they are the closest thing to the old beloved B II's. I'm looking for a deal on one now.