Just have to vent

[LittleHorse]

I know where you are coming from, but I pay cash. I would rather wait 3 years to get something than pay a bank thousands of dollars to get it faster.

I hate debt and pay cash when I can, but fortunately my bank periodically has low interest rate promotions if you do a short term and make your payments with direct withdrawal.

I have a 3.9% rate on my '05 TJ, by the end of the loan it'll end up costing me an extra $1000, but by that time I bet the Bronco II would have cost me far more than that in repairs.

 

[LittleHorse]

If you weren't so far away I'd trade you my 1996 GMC Sonoma. Runs like a champ every day of the week.

Good luck with it and I hope you get it running and moving right, I'd hate to see a nice B2 go to the scrapper.

Ben

eh, it won't go to the scrapper. The interior is almost perfect and the body is straight, A/C works, etc. Once I get the engine running right and the new shocks put on I shouldn't have any trouble selling it.

 

[xr75er]

Let’s see where to start. Bought the b2 in April. Paid $1050.00. The guy said he had it checked by a “mechanic “only thing he found was the radius arm bushing. So first thing was the radius arm bushings, then the driver side spindle (found this while I had it jacked for the bushings), shocks, front brakes, electric window gearing , almost forgot the new drive shaft. Then I did a3” body lift. All good there.
Then the motor quit. Figured it was the TFI. Put in the heat sink conversion. Then it quit again. Started trouble shooting, fuel pump not working. Changed front fuel pump and filters no joy. Changed computer no joy. Put the old computer back in and it stared. Then it started smoking. Checked the plugs and 1was oiled, changed the valve seals on #1 and the valve cover gaskets. Went to replace the rear fuel pump and found a bad post on this, See prior post (Rear fuel pump). Ran ok for one day. Then quit again.
Found bad wires at the inertia switch. Changed out the connector. Ran fine for 2 weeks then quit this week while taking the son out for beer and pizza. (Scotch for me.)Jumped the fuel pump and got it home. Started fine the next day. Checked the codes and EGR PFE 35. But this did not have anything to do with it not running; all the parts stores wanted $70 to $120.00 to replace this sensor. Went to the man store (JY) got one for $6, installed it and got 11 code.
Since the fuel pumps weren’t running I decided to add a bypass switch to the fuel pump wiring. Now if the thing shuts off I can turn on the fuel pumps and go. Oh yea new seats due to broken back and torn material. Just my $.02

Well famous last words, It quit again going home from work. I'll be checking ALL the wires this weekend. My fuel pump switch was intermitent. so that's why the wire check.

 

[LittleHorse]

perfect...so after replacing the power steering pump and leak checking it in the garage last night, it started leaking again on the way to work this morning. Pressure line connection, good steady drip about 1.5 per second. I would have thought a leak that big would have started when I ran it and bled the system in the garage.

If I can't get it to seal I'm just paying someone to take care of it. I'm tired of working on this thing.

 

[LittleHorse]

LOL the alternator just went out.

Cutting my losses, gonna quit shooting for "excellent" mechanical condition and just going for "runs".

Fortunately I have a second Bronco II that is in much better mechanical condition, but poorer cosmetically that I can drive after I sell this one and before I can afford to go buy something newer. Thinking about maybe a 2000 SVT Contour.

 

[country0001]

I've got one if you need one

 

[unoleisu]

the exorcism might be a problem, I live in baptist country. I don't think they do those. :icon_rofl:[/QUOTE]

Find a Full Gospel, or Penticostal Church. They can cast the demons out. Or if you prefer, a good Native American Shaman can sage it. Then it'll be fine!:icon_thumby:

 

[LittleHorse]

I've got one if you need one

might take you up on that. How much would you want for it?

I've got a buddy whose gf lives in Stillwater and he goes down to visit her about every other week, might have him pick it up from you if he's down there next weekend.

 

[ragajungle]

AHHHH! No SCRAP! No Scrap! No Scrap B2! Remeber it is an old truck. dude I went throught the exact same thing you did. fortunately for me it wasn't my daily driver so it sat in the garage being preened for months
>Alternator
>Rad
>Belts
>Hoses,
>Exhaust
>Brakes
>Wbearings
>Ball Joints (4)
>Tierods
>Half Shafts
>Valve Covers
<Plugs Wires
>Leaf Springs
>Shakles
>Hangers
>Shocks (yes mine snapped too BOTH Sides!)
>Brakes
>Lines
>Hoses
>and a partridge in a pear tree!

and then I got laid off. Then My Taurus was Repoed and now I use my BroncoII as a daily driver and put about 200 miles a day on it. It was a biatch but once bugs are out it's a great truck and not may around.

If you bough a 1990 anything chances are you are gonna have a laundry list it is a 20 year old truck

If there is ANYthing you need PM Me, I have been through a top down rebuild on 2 1989 B2's

-Mike

 

[Alyeska]

With an old truck/car like this, there will allways be something going wrong. It really depends on what your wanting. But, in all honesty, if you have the time and a bit of skill, fixing up an older car/truck is actualy cheeper in the long run than buying a new one. Specific concerns with the b2s would be the amount of plastic used in the things. THe plastic ends up falling apart after a while, and your going to find yourself replacing most of it eventualy. Spec the stuff in the egine compartment, and anything on the outside of the truck. I have seen a lot of b2s with ignission issues, having taken apart the ignition switch I think I figured out why, the plastic rots, and it basicly breaks apart inside. With mine, I am actualy planing to switch to a dash board ignition switch for starting it. Stick it somewhere nicely hidden away and no one will be taking my truck, cause thay could never get it started! No matter what thay did to the switch on the wheel.

THe worst thing with starting a project car/truck, you have to deal with all the crap everyone else has done to it. Some of it can be quite unplesent and quite difacult to repair. Still, once you got it running nice, Might take a while, it should stay in the shape you maintain it in, and you should be able to easily keep ahead of issues.

 

[country0001]

might take you up on that. How much would you want for it?

I've got a buddy whose gf lives in Stillwater and he goes down to visit her about every other week, might have him pick it up from you if he's down there next weekend.

Just pm me and give me what you can for it. people helpin people man.

 

[LittleHorse]

i have the skill, just not the time. I have a career that demands long hours during the week and an old house that needs some fixing up before I can sell it to downsize so the wife can quit working when we reproduce.

This isn't my first rodeo, I've always had old cars, many much older than a '90 Bronco II, so I felt like I was reasonable in my expectations - but this has by far been the most time consuming to keep running.

 

[LittleHorse]

AHHHH! No SCRAP! No Scrap! No Scrap B2!

Oh and just for the record I won't be scrapping it...just selling it to someone with more spare time to work on it than I have.

 

[country0001]

Sometimes they have to be scrapped for various reasons. I have scrapped 2 over the last 3 months.

I'm not proud, but parts of them live on, on many different trucks all over the U.S.

 

[TexCaliBII]

Gotta chime in on this too. We received a "free" 87 BII from my mother-in-law. She brought it form Texas to Utah, runs perfectly she says, yeah right..... Is that why it was towed???? I swear the ONLY part I have not yet had to change on this truck is the TFI!!!! Once I got it running, then steering correctly, then stopping correctly, then accelerating correclty, you get the idea I of course started modding, that is cutting our rot and replacing sheet metal. She still ain't exaclty pretty but that little truck horsed my wife, daughter, cat and dog 4,000 miles from Utah to Alaska, in January! And it still runs perfectly, if you don't count having to put a ratchet onthe crank snout to mov the flywheel past the 4 mising teeth once in a while..... I got kooked on the BIIs and being a glutten for punishment I acquired 2 more, sigh..... Well the 84 was fun with all the emissions gear but got it running and sold it. Shame, it had a very solid body and got chopped by the guy I sold it to. Oh well. My current money pit is an 88 that was blowing oil badly enough to fail even the emission standards here in Alaska. For refference my 87 passed without a cat on it! Of course it failed visual becuase not cat installed Anyhow I got the motor rebuilt and had it purring like a kitten Test drive showed the trans to be, shall we say bad? Had bought a 92 Explorer for parts and all it's guts and gear are now going into the 88. Oh well it fills the winter nights, really glad I have a heated garage. Keep on keeping on. I agree a newer truck might be better but then again, I ain't beholden to any bankers. Take care and good luck to everyone maintaing these trucks. What can I say? I LOVE mine!

 

[LittleHorse]

I guess the other part of what I'm struggling with is that usually when I go through this it's some sort of classic car with more market value. With this thing, I could very easily have $3000+ in it just to get it in good shape but still 100% stock. And it's not something I plan on keeping forever, so resale value is important to me and the pure and simple facts are that it's a 1990 Ford Bronco II XLT, and they just don't have a lot of market value. I think it blue books for $1k even in good condition. That's not always accurate but even almost perfect I don't see getting more than $2k out of it.

So I either put another $1500 in it to sell it for $2000 if I'm lucky, or sell it for $1000-$1200 in a "clean looking, rough running but drivable" condition as it is right now.

 

[country0001]

I guess the other part of what I'm struggling with is that usually when I go through this it's some sort of classic car with more market value. With this thing, I could very easily have $3000+ in it just to get it in good shape but still 100% stock. And it's not something I plan on keeping forever, so resale value is important to me and the pure and simple facts are that it's a 1990 Ford Bronco II XLT, and they just don't have a lot of market value. I think it blue books for $1k even in good condition. That's not always accurate but even almost perfect I don't see getting more than $2k out of it.

So I either put another $1500 in it to sell it for $2000 if I'm lucky, or sell it for $1000-$1200 in a "clean looking, rough running but drivable" condition as it is right now.

Yeah thats true. There is not a market for these unless they're lifted. I saw a really really nice, new paint job 2wd B2 for 2500. I walked away. whwn I got far enough away a laughed uncontrollably.

Sadly enough I've seen a lot of older vehicles fixed up sold for far less than they were worth

 

[country0001]

Oh I'll ship that alt tomorrow. Got busy

 

[LittleHorse]

no prob...I've got other vehicles to drive and it makes it around town just fine as long as I charge the battery every couple days.

 

[trail B2]

Another thing to mention here is there is a lot of satisfaction in getting an old car running reliably.Even though it sometimes seems like an impossible dream.My B2 has been pretty good since got the bugs worked out of the 4.0 switch and it's pretty fun to drive.Plus there is approximately 35 jeeps lifted with 33s in town and one B2, mine I like it that way.With the mods i've done it off roads well and still goes down the road better than it did stock so I do have some victories.Putting money into cars is usually a loss no matter what at least B2s are cheap to start with and used upgrades are available everywhere.