Black Diamond Builds

[sonofhammer]

my question for you guys.. I have weather Tech or the like floor liners in all my other cars to protect the carpet.. Black Diamond has "washout" interior.. I had selected that I wanted floor liners, but then thought.. I am not protecting carpet... does it come with something?

according to Build and Price, it comes with carpeted floor mats

2 door for example comes with carpeted floor mats for the front row

To see for yourself, scroll down to the package and select "View All Features"

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[Misterbear]

I thought the guy had some good, honest humor for his truck.

Yeah, I agree they've jacked the price on their winch option. I also agree an aftermarket would work just fine, and having more doesn't always equate to having better. I have the kind of family that gets multiple vehicles stuck in the back field mud trying to free the first vehicle. I try to be the smart one.

I'm not afraid of making those changes like you did for your wiring. Reliable is smart when it's only you and your equipment for 50 miles or more. It doesn't have to be rocket surgery, but it has to work.

Thanks for the trailer like. I've been reading the Bronco will be more capable of towing than my Jeep. The Jeep's 3.6L slogs towing the trailer up the passes between Oregon and California, and shockingly the Bronco may be better even with the 2.3L. We'll all find out soon enough.

 

[Bigmoose]

I remember reading it in material somewhere. Can't find it at the moment.

 

[5280Bronco]

BD, 4dr, Cactus Gray, MIC, rails, mid, 2.7/auto, floor mats, tow, and steel rims.

considerations:
1. Will remove tow package if no transmission cooler is added. Pricey for class 2 receiver.
2. Will add sound deadening if product is made from bedrug material
3. Going to sell the steel rims. I hope to upgrade to BL takeoffs if possible.
4. I will add a winch plate and Zeon 10 S winch and ARB on board air.

Mine is the exact same build, but in A51 with the rails swapped out for the sound deadening headliner. When they tried to build my rig with the rails AND the headliner, it gave them an error. I figured that the roof rack would be an easier addition from the parts counter than the headliner. Love the build!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

How many Jeep Rubicons do you see parked or on the road that you know have have never even climbed over a pebble? It will be the same with the Broncos and their high end capable packages. Lots of people puff themselves up by puffing up their vehicles. We like to equate the capabilities of our cars and trucks with ourselves. Only once ever did I see a moderately monsterized truck with the words "small penis" expertly stenciled on the lift gate. It made my day and it's a story I love to tell.

Black Diamond has all you need to drive those roads that have warning signs against typical cars, trucks, and RVs. My Wrangler Sport (X) is high enough, and sturdy enough to handle pot holes that would swallow a car, and rocks that would bottom out the undercarriage. It's all I need. It tows my little trailer on dirt and gravel roads. A Bronco Black Diamond will do the same for me, and will be 12 years newer. I won't have to cry making the payments, and I won't have to be puffed up using it as my daily driver.

Get all the fancy puffery if that's what you need. Fool yourself with your any-day-now technical rock crawling for those of you with bark and no bite. I've got places to go. Sometimes it's work. Sometimes it's the mountains. I'll see your vehicle in the parking lot at the store when I pull in with my tiny trailer to stock up for my next adventure down the road. That's a high climb into your Bronco after all that shopping at the mall.

Standard Bronco Black Diamond in Anti-Matter Blue, 2.3L Ecoboost with 7-speed manual
Additions: Black Modular Hard Top, Floor Liners, Tow Package
That's all I need to be real.

Agreed, it is an easy trap to fall into.

When we started looking at Broncos my wife was all wanting a badlands or sasquatch for when we go on trail rides. I am like "you know the '85 Ranger we have been up and down cliffs, thru 2' of water, dunes etc you will be following doesn't have any of this stuff right?

So we ended up with a Black Diamond.

 

[5280Bronco]

Agreed, it is an easy trap to fall into.

When we started looking at Broncos my wife was all wanting a badlands or sasquatch for when we go on trail rides. I am like "you know the '85 Ranger we have been up and down cliffs, thru 2' of water, dunes etc you will be following doesn't have any of this stuff right?

So we ended up with a Black Diamond.

Looking good!

 

[lrtexasman]

Mine is the exact same build, but in A51 with the rails swapped out for the sound deadening headliner. When they tried to build my rig with the rails AND the headliner, it gave them an error. I figured that the roof rack would be an easier addition from the parts counter than the headliner. Love the build!

I am going with the Hotheads liner and sound deadner. Folks with jeeps seem to prefer them. I wish I knew exactly what the factory liners were made with before buying them, lol.

 

[5280Bronco]

I am going with the Hotheads liner and sound deadner. Folks with jeeps seem to prefer them. I wish I knew exactly what the factory liners were made with.

Agreed. I'm taking a risk with the factory one, but I liked the fit and finish of the ones from coverking on their website. Though the ones we have seen dont have the same "finishing" touches the ones on their website show, so I may reach out to them to see if the factory liner is the exact same as the one they would offer retail. If the retail one is more complete, I'll add the rails and delete the headliner from the factory. Hotheads is a good choice too. I just prefer the aesthetics of the Coverking more.

 

[Misterbear]

Agreed, it is an easy trap to fall into.

When we started looking at Broncos my wife was all wanting a badlands or sasquatch for when we go on trail rides. I am like "you know the '85 Ranger we have been up and down cliffs, thru 2' of water, dunes etc you will be following doesn't have any of this stuff right?

So we ended up with a Black Diamond.

I looked at those others. I'm sure we all have. I just couldn't do it.

We also have a Jeep Patriot. I'm not even exactly sure what year it is, but it's paid off for a couple now. It has all the creature comforts. I've never used the 120v power. I used an inverter in my Jeep twice in 12 years. Now everything is USB, and I plug a decent charger into the 12v. I used the heated seats in the Patriot for the first time last week; hurt the back. The Patriot has leather seats which are comfy and easy to move on. The Bronco has marine vinyl which is also easy to move on, and hotter than heck in the sun as I recall from my childhood. The Bronco will get seat covers right off.

Having tons of refinements is certainly an ooh-ahh factor, but don't be delusional and think that stuff won't break or stop working. Just like I'm not tearing my dash apart to replace the teeny lights in the two switches that make the windows go up and down.

Even the base model will get you up those hills capably and in relative comfort. I think the Black Diamond has smartly included the necessary items to do that a little easier, and without suffering from a stupid. If you're really gonna use all that high end stuff then by all means. We'll all be having fun in a Black Diamond, and have money left over to do it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I looked at those others. I'm sure we all have. I just couldn't do it.

We also have a Jeep Patriot. I'm not even exactly sure what year it is, but it's paid off for a couple now. It has all the creature comforts. I've never used the 120v power. I used an inverter in my Jeep twice in 12 years. Now everything is USB, and I plug a decent charger into the 12v. I used the heated seats in the Patriot for the first time last week; hurt the back. The Patriot has leather seats which are comfy and easy to move on. The Bronco has marine vinyl which is also easy to move on, and hotter than heck in the sun as I recall from my childhood. The Bronco will get seat covers right off.

Having tons of refinements is certainly an ooh-ahh factor, but don't be delusional and think that stuff won't break or stop working. Just like I'm not tearing my dash apart to replace the teeny lights in the two switches that make the windows go up and down.

Even the base model will get you up those hills capably and in relative comfort. I think the Black Diamond has smartly included the necessary items to do that a little easier, and without suffering from a stupid. If you're really gonna use all that high end stuff then by all means. We'll all be having fun in a Black Diamond, and have money left over to do it.

I know, my caveman crude Ranger with 31's and a tight limited slip does great for more than it really should. 20+ years of wheeling the Ranger aside she should have a more capable machine with her Black Diamond.

After having automatic AWD for years I wanted her to have automatic 4wd for snow and I wanted smallerish tires for better road manners and snow performance for her. Plus 32's are cheaper to replace than 35's. And she wanted remote start.

All that kinda locked us into the Black Diamond. I kinda look forward to not having to hunt down a vacant camping spot to blow up our air mattress since it has 110v too lol.

My Ranger had vinyl originally as do many open station tractors. The Bronco stuff is supposed to be super awesome but given my druthers I would rather have cloth (Big Bend) But I guess with little kids a hose out interior may not be the worst thing in the world...

 

[sonofhammer]

Here's what I'm slowly landing on

2Door
A51
Mic Roof
2.7 v6 Auto
Adv 4x4
Mid
Floor Liners
Tow

$44,725

Maybes:
Roof Rack
Sound deadening headliner

$45,585


I've been trying to balance creature comforts (heated seats, Auto A/C, headliner) with off-road capability ( at least a rear locker) with power (v6). Auto is a non-negotiable. My wife wants to drive it. (But who am I kidding, I can't drive manual either )Also, no need for a 4 door (no kids) and while the Black top is interesting, its not 1.8k interesting.

Lower trim levels (BB, base) require squatch to get a rear locker, and since I plan to have this as my Daily, I'm not too interested in 35's. BL with a v6 gets you to 47,725 without any of the creature comforts.

And lets be honest, my previous vehicles have all been sedans and Econoboxes, A Subaru or a Bronco Sport will be more than capable for whatever adventuring I'll end up doing. So I don't know if bumping up to Squatch or Badlands with a v6 is even worth it.

Do I have any glaring holes in my thinking? Will I have any regrets going with this build?

 

[dgorsett]

Here's what I'm slowly landing on

2Door
A51
Mic Roof
2.7 v6 Auto
Adv 4x4
Mid
Floor Liners
Tow

$44,725

Maybes:
Roof Rack
Sound deadening headliner

$45,585


I've been trying to balance creature comforts (heated seats, Auto A/C, headliner) with off-road capability ( at least a rear locker) with power (v6). Auto is a non-negotiable. My wife wants to drive it. (But who am I kidding, I can't drive manual either )Also, no need for a 4 door (no kids) and while the Black top is interesting, its not 1.8k interesting.

Lower trim levels (BB, base) require squatch to get a rear locker, and since I plan to have this as my Daily, I'm not too interested in 35's. BL with a v6 gets you to 47,725 without any of the creature comforts.

And lets be honest, my previous vehicles have all been sedans and Econoboxes, A Subaru or a Bronco Sport will be more than capable for whatever adventuring I'll end up doing. So I don't know if bumping up to Squatch or Badlands with a v6 is even worth it.

Do I have any glaring holes in my thinking? Will I have any regrets going with this build?

Just FYI: You can get a rear locker (4.27) on a BB without Squatch, just no Adv 4x4 (requires Squatch). It would end up being a couple thousand cheaper and you get Alum wheels, but no MGV or washout.

 

[sonofhammer]

Just FYI: You can get a rear locker (4.27) on a BB without Squatch, just no Adv 4x4 (requires Squatch). It would end up being a couple thousand cheaper and you get Alum wheels, but no MGV or washout.

Yes, good point!

I've been staring at b&p for so long, forgot that its the adv 4x4 and not the locker.

This would save me $2,825 at the cost of adv 4x4, washout interior, steel bumpers, and rock rails.

Steel bumpers and washout and adv4x4 are a bit of a "want to have" at this point though. And I fee like all 3 are worth the price.

But I'm trying to convince myself more than anyone else.

 

[dgorsett]

Yes, good point!

I've been staring at b&p for so long, forgot that its the adv 4x4 and not the locker.

This would save me $2,825 at the cost of adv 4x4, washout interior, steel bumpers, and rock rails.

Steel bumpers and washout and adv4x4 are a bit of a "want to have" at this point though. And I fee like all 3 are worth the price.

But I'm trying to convince myself more than anyone else.

I'm doing the same. Ford really nailed the pricing. All the want to haves are just a little over priced, but not enough to eliminate them from consideration!

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