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Margot,<br><br>If they're really cool they must
be the old Broncos! :) The 1966-1977 Classic (or
Early) Broncos were the first generation and basically
looked very similar for all 11 years they were produced.
There's a good article floating around that gives a
thorough history of these trucks. Try:
<a href=http://www.off-road.com/~ebbarn/History.html
target=new>http://www.off-road.com/~ebbarn/History.html</a><br><br>Unfortunately
the Bronco.com site has been down for a while,
but there are quite a few Bronco sites around. Do a
search on Yahoo or other search engine for "Ford Bronco"
or "Early Bronco"<br><br>As much as I love the
classic Broncos I have to say that they would only make a
good first vehicle for someone who didn't mind working
on them quite a bit. As reliable as they are,
they're still 23-34 years old and parts are bound to
break and need attention. <br><br>Not to scare you off.
They're great trucks, but you have to be prepared for it
to not start some mornings or need work done some
weekends. Just don't expect it to be like a newer car that
you can just put gas in and forget about anything
else for several years. (not that you should with a
newer car, but you probably could for a while before it
starts to break down)<br><br>Prices are really very
dependent on where you live and what year and shape the
Bronco is in. I would go with the newest year possible
(ie. 75,76,77) and get one in the best shape you can
find. You can always do lots of work to a beater
Bronco, but ultimately the cost will be more for you to
fix it up then to find one in pretty good shape
already. The newer years also have nice little extras like
power steering, power brakes, etc. that make the Bronco
a much more pleasant vehicle to drive.
<br><br>Expect to pay anywhere from $2000-6000 for a daily
driver. Sorry for the huge range, but there are really
too many factors to narrow it down. Do lots of
research before you buy. Keep an eye on you local
newspaper and auto trader magazine and start getting a feel
for prices in your area. You can also try
<a href=http://www.autotrader.com target=new>http://www.autotrader.com</a> to
help you do research.<br><br>Also go look at a
few Broncos BEFORE you decide to buy. Get a feel for
what you really want. Big tires, lift kits and high
performance engines may sound cool, but they make the truck
much more expensive and really aren't necessary unless
you plan on going offroad. Also, lifts and big tires
make for a worse on-street ride. Plus, many times the
owners of a Bronco that has been lifted with big tires
drives it really hard. I know I do!<br><br>Oh, and your
other questions. Most classic Broncos were 3 speed
stick shifts. And the shifter was on the steering
column, not the floor. Those are called "3 on the tree"
and they're a trip to drive! But in the later years
(73-77) an automatic was available. I'd suggest one of
these if you plan on driving mostly on
streets.<br><br>As for how many people can fit...they hold 4
technically. You could probably pile more in, but not very
comfortably, or safely. The back seat is really very small and
not very comfortable. Personally I don't even think
they hold 4 very well. 2 people with camping gear and
a yellow lab fit just about perfectly!
:)<br><br>Hope this helps a little. Feel free to ask more
specific questions if you have them.<br><br>Jon
Hanna<br>webmaster@...<br><a href=http://ClassicBroncos.com
target=new>
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advice, please???
Sep 9 2000, 12:26 PM
