Purchase advice needed

[vertbird]

Guys, I'm looking at a 68 Bronco as my first early Bronco purchase. It's not running but it wouldn't take much to get the engine going, so that's not my concern. I'm more concerned with suspension & body. It's pretty solid in most places with mainly surface rust and a few bad spots that I can see. Door jams & hinges seem rust free as does the frame (just surface). But at some point it had major suspension work, requiring rear wheel wells to be tubbed, and tubular shock struts, a ladder bar? etc. My question is, based on the pictures is this suspension/lift actually worth keeping? It says white horse on the springs & I know they're reputable but I'm planning on making this a nice clean driver and not a ********* off road vehicle. Door sills have been cut off...not sure if due to rust or just to make for more off road clearance. They're not giving it away but no one is on these first gen Bronco's. Thanks for any advice on this.

 

[Tiha]

That traction bar on the rear can be removed. Not a big deal.

Front end is okay. It should ride and drive decent.

I don't care much for the body lift. That probably would bother me the most.

the rockers. They are probably sliders, as in sliding over rocks. Can be cut off and replaced.

Don't see anything not fixable in those pictures. Top of the rear frame, where it is hidden under the body is usually the first place I see get thing and rust.

Do the doors open and close okay? The door hinge design is weak to begin with and then adding the body lift. That poor thing has probably flexed a ton.

Considering you can buy every piece for that truck I wouldn't be afraid. It can always be fixed and unlikely you will lose money on it.

Of course looking around to compare helps. I was looking a couple months ago. Seems like there are a lot of trucks out there in the $6-$8k range that need everything with no title.
Then I came across one for $8k halfway through reassembly but with all new parts in boxes and a title. To me that was a bargain.
So there is a wide range of trucks available. If this is not the first one you looked at, you probably have a good idea what you are getting into.

 

[vertbird]

Thanks Tiha, doors open & close ok but passenger latch is not great. I’d love to get rid of the body lift if I got this, but it looks like the front suspension shock loop runs close to the top of the body so I’m concerned that whole system would have to be cut off or something, any thoughts?

 

[Tiha]

You would have to cut and weld on the hoops, shorten them in order to remove the body lift, or modify the fender wheels for the hoops to extend up into the engine compartment.

So not sure how much work you are looking to do. Might be better off just returning it to all stock. Or leaving it and making the best of it.

 

[chrlsful]

some would see it as a body off rest0. Depends on who UR, what U want, etc. Mine? I got in '82 and went to work earning an income. It didn't get the rest0mod till coming out of the woods 32 yrs later. I am not a mechanic but retired to a friends garage and do breaks, exhaust etc to havea trade off on "office work" I do to stay in a separate field (consulting). I want a bronk I never had so upgrade & restore as I go. Not fancy smancie, expensive or shinny. Just a true dual purpose rig. I probably have 10K$ in parts in it (U never recover what's put in) may B twice that in hrs labor? I'm fortunate to have gotten in B4 the price escalation for these (began in early 90s w/the net). Research (ID) on what you have in front of U is first (along w/same on what these components are capable of). Find out if the vehicle is actually what you want (for what you want). Some try'n make it into things it aint. It is a very dangerous vehicle (not safe at all, even still on road). Even so it's my daily driver along w/an '85 (ford) fox wagon.