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May be the end of the road for the old girl... baby questions!

2K views 32 replies 23 participants last post by  ScorpionBoy 
#1 ·
well my wife and i are expecting our first baby here in November. i have a 96 bronco xl. manual windows, locks, t-case, hubs.. you name it it is bone stock. has the m5od 5 speed and a 5.0l. it has been a great truck, has 81,000 miles on it and new 31-10.5 geolander tires and EB wheels.. never let me down and never passed a gas station either.

my concern is gatting a baby seat into the back of my bronco easy on a daily basis.. My truck has the bench front seat and just getting in the back is a Bitch let alone trying to navigate a newborn and diaper bag. :histerica does anyone do this on a daily basis?

anone else have any opinions on broncos and babys.. and how practical they are?


i appriciate all the insite..

Byron
 
#2 ·
I have 4 kids with 18mth old twins. i have taken all in 79 in bad weather but mostly its just the 6&3 yr old girls on weekends. getting the babies is pain in the butt if they are in a car seat but once they are in regular baby seat its not bad. no where as easy as wifes mini van or a four door but they grow quick. i'd put baby seat in middle spot and see how it works. if you are like me giving up the bronco will me rough. but family has to come first. congrats and good luck
 
#4 ·
i don't have kids, but when my brother came out with my tiny little nephy it took him a good 5 mins to wrestle that seat into the back. the effort made him break a sweat even. if you can leave the seat in, then i don't think it is that big of a deal. but, you have to crawl in everytime unless you are super tall. i think your destiny is to get yourself a minivan or a 4door. sorry.
 
#6 ·
yea that didnt come out right. no i have a 6 & 3 yr girls and twin 18mth boys. little cloudy today, home with 6yr old who has strep and doctor said she is ok to go to scholl. But they wouldnt let her back in school and i am 100% comminsion so i dont get paid when not in
 
#8 ·
My wife and I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and another due on July 28. We use the Bronco regularly and it's not that big of a deal for me. Keep in mind, we have a child seat in both cars so we don't have to swap the seat around. With an infant you have a permanent base and a removable carrier that snaps in and out. If you don't already have a base for each of your cars buy them now.

If you're thinking about getting something different, I would recommend a TTB Explorer. Explorers are certainly better family cars and in my opinion a better overall vehicle. Family or not I prefer to have 4 doors and access to the rear cargo area is much better in the Explorer. With a few modifications an Explorer can do everything a Bronco can do and use a lot less fuel which is becoming more and more important.
 
#9 ·
My wife and I have a 3month old Baby. I have not taken the little guy in the bronco yet but it looks like it would be easier than my VW Jetta. The jetta has 4 doors but man it is so small that it is a pain to get the seat in and out of the base. I dont see that happening in the bronco because there is sooooo much more room.
 
#11 ·
if i can i am thinking about getting away from SUV's all together.. reason #1 is fuel prices that will continue to rise.. also safety and ease of use. i am kinda reading up on the newer wagons (dont really have a lot of cash to spend about 10k. that includes the 5,500 i hope to get for the bronc if i sell it.)

looking at
2002 mazda protege5 sport wagon
and 2002-2003 ford focus wagon.
 
#12 ·
$5500 for a base model 96 Bronco seems steep, but if you can get it more power to you.

I only suggested the TTB Explorer because I figured you still wanted a truck and to be able to play off-road.

DO NOT buy a Focus. It will kill you in repairs.

The Mazda is a decent product if it's maintained but they are expensive to repair when they do break. My recommendation would be a Honda or Toyota.
 
#15 ·
If you toss the babyin the car seat just right the arm will fall down and all you have to do is clip it ;) Probably not a good idea with a newborn.

The most important thing a person can do in their lifetime is to raise children. There is no formal training available. You won't know how they will turn out until it is too late to do anything about it. Be a good role model, they really do pay attention to what you do.

Good Luck!
 
#16 ·
A cardboard box in the front floorboard works as good as a baby seat plus it's easier to get in and out.
Wasn't that long ago the safest place for a baby was in it's mother's arms. Or so said the everyday person. But we didn't have seat belts either.

When Ford made them optional in 1956, GM went on record saying the things were dangerous, as you could burn, drown etc. It was also felt you were safer leaving the car via the door ejection method than flying around all the sharp steel edges inside.

We've gotten smarter some.

I'd go for the forever left in spare baby seat. Everyone in the baby making years has a friend or relative with a spare in the basement or garage. Just ask..................
 
#18 ·
I drove from Florida to Washington state in my '81 with THREE kids! The wife drove her car with the dog! The Bronco still fits my whole family. I have a '01 Durango with the third seat and the Bronco still has more "family" room and storage space. It is fullsize so I feel it is safer that half the crap on the streets today as well. Keep the Bronco! Slapping in some bucket seats might make it easier (I went to the junkyard today and found a plethora of 87-96 Broncos and F150s. Also, if you take off the top you can just lift the babay into his/her seat that way with ease....babies look the rush of wind from an "uncorked" Bronco!
 
G
#20 ·
My daughter is now 17mos old and she has ridden in the bronco probably 50-100 times. Its a little bit more of a PITA than say a minivan but you get used to it.

Its always easier with the infant carrier cause the baby is already locked in the harness.

I had thoughts of selling too, now im happy i didnt. :thumbup

Oh, and as for a little car i would check out the dodge caliber.
 
#24 ·
I had a '91 Toyota pick-up before I got the Bronco. I got the Bronco because I had a second kid. Both my kids love riding in the Bronco. Of course it is more difficult to load the kids in the Bronco than it would have been in a 4-door car or SUV, but I bought the Bronco because that is what I wanted. The Bronco is my daily driver and I only haul the kids around a couple times a week. The ends definately justify the means in my case.
 
#25 ·
I ran/still run my 2 kids around in mine on a daily basis. The infant car seat is a bit of a pain at first, but you will get used to it. Just like you will get used to alot of new things once the baby arrives. We had a carrier that clipped into the base. Mounted it in the center of the back seat and just popped the carrier in and out. Now the kids are in and buckled up even before I leave the house..

IMHO, if the Bronco is in good shape, Keep it. Try it out. If it doesn't work, then look at other options..
 
#26 ·
I've got three. When the youngest was still in her carrier it was easiest to keep her in the middle, it was just easier to get in and out. The other two I would just reach back and unsnap the harnesses and they would then proceed to fight over who got to climb over the center console first.
 
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