Calling all Base 2 door Owners.

[Heath Aggen]

So I have a young son turning 16 in June of 2023. I, always trying to think in advance, have started thinking about his first truck, we are in Texas, so yes first truck not car. We have a 4 door Bronco ordered for mom and that has been where my focus has been. But the other day I saw a Base 2 door on a lot and before the ridiculous 20k mark up, it was 31k. I said, I bought my to older girls subaru foresters and they ran in the low 30s, so why would I not consider this for his first truck. Its a great platform for a young man to do some modifying, its available in a manual transmission, its fairly roomy for a smallish vehicle etc.
So all you Base 2 door owners chime in on your thoughts of it with some pics of what you've done or plan on doing to help inspire him. He likes cyber orange aka yellow.

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[Lil Red Broncette]

Haven't received mine yet. I have driven one at Off-Rodea and love the short length in look and turn radius. Then again, I've owned three Bronco IIs and appreciate short wheelbase. A manual trans is something I think is good for a new driver. It likely quadruples the time learning to drive if not more simply because it takes repetition to get good at manipulating the gears and starting on steep hills (though I believe the Bronco has something that allows avoiding having to learn that skill). What it does get one is a genuine understanding and feel for how gears work with the engine. When lower gear is better vs higher gear, what helps get power to road vs inefficient, etc.

That said, I hope your son would fully appreciate such a car given and not take it for granted.

I have some very mixed feelings about new drivers and new cars. The odds of the new car getting banged up are high but if one can afford a new car for a new driver...well likely such costs are affordable.

New cars have some nice safety features and I certainly get the desire to cocoon my children in the best protection when they start to drive. On the other hand there are so many features that can interfere with learning good driving habits. Things like blind spot indicators, lane assist and even some of those same safety features.

One can become dependent on safety features and the first time they get in a car without or if they malfunction the driver dependent on them gets into trouble. For example, the first car I ever had with traction control would conceal that vehicle's tendency toward spinning its rear wheels in wet weather. Not a surprise that a RWD car would do that really, but even myself, an experienced driver, didn't realize how often I was tickling the edge of that traction control till I turned it off. I can see dependency on stability control systems by young drivers that start to push the envelope making them think they are still maintaining control when in fact it is the stability control keeping them out of trouble. I've always tried to get my children in addition to new cars with nannies, also into older cars without them in poor weather conditions and in safe area learn how to handle without the nannies.

The only fundamental concerns I may have with a new bronco as far as safety of young driver would be that short wheelbase and higher profile. Those can combine to create greater roll over probabilities....and perhaps the idea of having a top off reflecting less protection in such an event.

 

[Texas Sunshine]

My son is now 27 but has always been an excellent driver. I would not have put him in a higher than normal four wheel drive. I live in South Texas and we have had four wheel drive F-150's and he did not have an issue with them as a teenager. If you do get him the base (which is what I am getting) I would not add a lift kit to it until he has been driving for a while. My opinion as a mom.

 

[67BroncoG1]

My now 21 year old son's first car is the 1967 bronco in my profile picture. I can assure you it didn't look like that when he bought it. Lots of father and son hours spend making work as a daily driver. He now has it at school in Fort Worth.

 

[Blackcat]

I'd go ahead and order it now if you want it in time for his birthday!!!!

 

[Blackcat]

In all seriousness though, I'd get my son/daughter a base, no question. They might get mine when they're old enough.

 

[helifino16]

Definitely don't get the 4 Dr in that color. If he pulls over and puts on the blinker, people will think he's letting kiddies off.

 

[555-RGNE]

It's a good plan, IMO. My first vehicle was a bone stock '91 Eddie Bauer Bronco. I drove it for a year and a half, then put a 4" lift and 33s on it. It was the perfect size in that I couldn't jam a whole bunch of people into it and get distracted, but big enough that it protected me in a crash when a new Isuzu truck ran a red light and I t-boned it at about 45mph. The Bronco needed a little front end work, but it totaled the Isuzu and it only had a couple thousand miles on it.

I have a 2 door Basequatch on order and plan on giving it to my oldest when he starts driving in 5 years.

 

[BroncoDude]

Great plan. Do it!

 

[riyatch]

Just ordered my 16 year old son a Base. Until it arrives he has/will be driving an old beater.

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