Hopefully this is the right place to post this! 
I've come across a 1988 Bronco for a fairly cheap price. It's a little rough and does need some work, all of which I'm capable of doing myself. I'm just curious if there's anything I should look for on this one that could be a bad sign, etc.
Specs are...
1988 Bronco XLT, 174k miles
5.0L V8
3-speed auto (C6?)
A/C that works
The things I know for a fact it needs are:
Alternator likely - Not showing a positive charge on the voltmeter, haven't had a chance to verify with a DVOM to see if it's a gauge or charging problem.
Stuck brake caliper - Pulls hard right under braking, noticed a new caliper and brake pads in the center console.
Has an exhaust leak.
The CEL will blink randomly and it does idle a little rough, but not horribly. We don't do smog checks up here so I'm not worried about it failing smog, but I would like it to run as smooth as it can.
It starts up on the first crank, too.
There are no major leaks, in fact I think the only source of leaks is some seepage from the valve cover gaskets. The underside of the truck is free of fluids.
As for price, I should be able to pick it up for around $1500. Sound fair?
What should I look out for? The only Ford truck I've owned was a 1996 F-250 4x4 so I'm fairly familiar with them, but that's about it. What rear-end is used in this Bronco? The front is a D44, or should be anyway.
This would end up being my daily driver and weekend toy (I'm an auto technician with access to anything I need, I just don't want to spend all my free time fixing something!
)
Any insight, suggestions, or words of warning would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
--
Hogan
I've come across a 1988 Bronco for a fairly cheap price. It's a little rough and does need some work, all of which I'm capable of doing myself. I'm just curious if there's anything I should look for on this one that could be a bad sign, etc.
Specs are...
1988 Bronco XLT, 174k miles
5.0L V8
3-speed auto (C6?)
A/C that works
The things I know for a fact it needs are:
Alternator likely - Not showing a positive charge on the voltmeter, haven't had a chance to verify with a DVOM to see if it's a gauge or charging problem.
Stuck brake caliper - Pulls hard right under braking, noticed a new caliper and brake pads in the center console.
Has an exhaust leak.
The CEL will blink randomly and it does idle a little rough, but not horribly. We don't do smog checks up here so I'm not worried about it failing smog, but I would like it to run as smooth as it can.
There are no major leaks, in fact I think the only source of leaks is some seepage from the valve cover gaskets. The underside of the truck is free of fluids.
As for price, I should be able to pick it up for around $1500. Sound fair?
What should I look out for? The only Ford truck I've owned was a 1996 F-250 4x4 so I'm fairly familiar with them, but that's about it. What rear-end is used in this Bronco? The front is a D44, or should be anyway.
This would end up being my daily driver and weekend toy (I'm an auto technician with access to anything I need, I just don't want to spend all my free time fixing something!
Any insight, suggestions, or words of warning would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
--
Hogan