Built my Bronco.

[Pancho Kornwallace]

First, let me be clear: from the day that the UAW spilled the beans like a clumsy chef, I've been hoping, wishing and praying for a base model, two doors, three pedals. I got all of that, and I am VERY grateful for that! Thanks Ford!

On with my build. There's a few upgrades I wanted on my base model that are not available. Namely, I was hoping to be able to get the Sasquatch 4wd goodies a la carte, but such is not to be. Basically, I wanted and auto mode for the 4wd, since we're planning many trips out to the PNW (I live in Mississippi, about 50 miles north of the Gulf coast), and having an auto mode in the snowy mountains would be amazing. However, I'm perfectly fine with the shift-on-the-fly 4wd. Same with locking diffs, I wanted them but I can live without them.

Another thing is the "hose it out or drive in the rain topless" MGV interior. I was really excited about that, but it's not on option on the base model.

Overall, these are very minor concerns for me, and I'll still choose my base, non-Sasquach version with those glorious steel wheels.

One more thing I wanted but wasn't there, and it isnt a trim level issue, was the donut doors. I love them, but I'm okay with the Totally Tubular doors as a stand-in.

So, I added a few accessories like the optional front bumper and grille guard. I didn't see anything for the slide-out tailgate or a few other things I've heard mentioned. Maybe they will be added later.

My hope, but not ultimatum, is that Ford will make the 4wd goodies available individually, MGV optional on any trim, and figure out a way to create the donut doors using the tubular doors as a frame, perhaps? As I said, NONE of these are deal breakers whatsoever.

Ford built me my base model with a manual and two doors. Even the steelies I wanted are on it, I was planning to swap out with a Ranger XL to get them if they made something else standard instead! I was SUPER EXCITED when I saw that leaked photo taken inside the plant showing a two door with the steelies proudly shining lol. They just make it so much more utilitarian and rugged looking, especially when I replace the all seasons with all terrain tires a few hours after I take delivery.

But, Unfortunately, that will be a long time. I decided to take a job closer to home in order to care for my elderly parents. With this came a severe pay cut, so I'm not really in a position to buy a new vehicle until something changes. This is why I have not put in a reservation.

I am very excited about the Bronco, and my take-home price is under $32k! I think that is outstanding, considering I would never find a new hardtop Wrangler for that price, especially when equipped like the Bronco is.

Not that I'd buy a Jeep, anyway. If Ford hadn't built me the Bronco I wanted and could afford, I'd have built an older SUV into what I wanted rather than buying a Jeep. I'd probably just get a 4wd Ranger XL or F-150 XL instead (referring to buying new). The only non-Ford vehicles I'd consider (buying new) were/are not SUVs or trucks.

I decided to go with Carbonized Gray, I think it combines with the steel wheels to make it look even more purposeful and utilitarian. I love that!

(I was even going to put steelies and all terrain tires on my 2005 Honda Element EX AWD/5MT, before that thing showed me that a 2005 Honda and a 1995 Honda are NOT cut from the same cloth.)

By the time the reservations get filled and they start showing up in earnest at dealers, I'll hopefully be back to work at a good job, putting my certification I just received to use.

On the other hand, my boyfriend and I are talking about buying some property and starting a farm from scratch, as crazy as that sounds. A couple of gay farmers in the woods of Mississippi? You heard it here first, lol. I can imagine my little Bronco being very useful around the farm/property. Who needs a side-by-side? The Bronco and a Honda Rancher or Foreman will do just fine.

Be all that as it may, it's looking like 2022 is gonna be the best I can shoot for. So proud that they built one just how I wanted it.

I know Ford could have saved a lot of money and earned more profit by only building a 4 door version with an automatic, which is probably gonna be what most are, but I'm glad they decided to cater to the enthusiasts who have specific wants and needs outside of the normal, every man buyer. Thanks again, Ford! I promise to show my appreciation as soon as I can.

I wanted the Antimatter Blue on the Base Bronco but now I am thinking about the gray or silver color because of the MIC grey roof. I have not really considered the steel wheels as part of my decision making process. Thanks for that idea!

I priced out a Base Bronco with just a few options on it. Even with price of the canoe that you see attached, it is still cheaper than an upgraded trim/Sasquatch, etc.

Over time, I hope I can upgrade it. I will likely get a second set of wheels/tires (maybe 33s if they fit, or 32s are fine too). That is the best way to change the look of the truck without actually changing the truck at all. Also someday I can get an aftermarket hitch and a teardrop trailer, maybe a winch, etc. I think there will be enough in the aftermarket to upgrade it over time, but we need to make sure that we know these are not yet Jeep Wranglers in terms of aftermarket parts availability. It will take a few years.

Sponsored

 

[JohnTaurus]

I wanted the Antimatter Blue on the Base Bronco but now I am thinking about the gray or silver color because of the MIC grey roof. I have not really considered the steel wheels as part of my decision making process. Thanks for that idea!

I priced out a Base Bronco with just a few options on it. Even with price of the canoe that you see attached, it is still cheaper than an upgraded trim/Sasquatch, etc.

Over time, I hope I can upgrade it. I will likely get a second set of wheels/tires (maybe 33s if they fit, or 32s are fine too). That is the best way to change the look of the truck without actually changing the truck at all. Also someday I can get an aftermarket hitch and a teardrop trailer, maybe a winch, etc. I think there will be enough in the aftermarket to upgrade it over time, but we need to make sure that we know these are not yet Jeep Wranglers in terms of aftermarket parts availability. It will take a few years.

Yess! AM blue was a top contender for me. My parents had a new 1990 Ford Aerostar in a super dark blue that looked almost black. It was not as beautiful as AM blue, but it certainly reminds me of it. (I found a 1991 Ford Aerostar with a factory manual transmission the other day, same color ours was, would love to buy and restore it and paint it AM blue! 5 speed RWD minivan. Not headed to soccer practice lol!)

I love your Bronco, and your choices are nearly right in line with mine (not much of a canoe person, so that aside).

I also believe that we can upgrade our Broncos later on. Just wait till some kid piles up his fully loaded Bronco that daddy bought him, and I'll have my MGV seats, lol!

 

[Red Mountain Pass]

 

[BroncBro]

There’s no way I’m going to read all of that, but you got a nice build!!

 

[Pancho Kornwallace]

Yess! AM blue was a top contender for me. My parents had a new 1990 Ford Aerostar in a super dark blue that looked almost black. It was not as beautiful as AM blue, but it certainly reminds me of it. (I found a 1991 Ford Aerostar with a factory manual transmission the other day, same color ours was, would love to buy and restore it and paint it AM blue! 5 speed RWD minivan. Not headed to soccer practice lol!)

I love your Bronco, and your choices are nearly right in line with mine (not much of a canoe person, so that aside).

I also believe that we can upgrade our Broncos later on. Just wait till some kid piles up his fully loaded Bronco that daddy bought him, and I'll have my MGV seats, lol!

Regarding canoes, it is understandable...
Probably in Michigan, we don't have to worry about gators and 20 foot snakes etc getting into the canoes like you might. I just want to go around the local mid-sized lake 20 miles away for a day and pack a lunch etc... and I bet that retro looking Bronco with a canoe on top and small steel wheels will get just as much attention as a monster truck tire loaded 4-Door Sasquatch will... at $25K less in price.

Also, I get your point about offering more stuff on the base, but I am accepting the fact that the Base Manual 2 Door is relatively underpriced and I am learning to live with the happiness of getting a great deal. I fully expect to be approached by strangers and asked "how much did that cost?"

When I answer, I fully expect people to have their jaws drop and answer with the following: "Wait a minute, that is cheaper than my cookie cutter 2WD SUV that even I cannot even tell apart from other vehicles in the parking lot."

 

[JohnTaurus]

Regarding canoes, it is understandable...
Probably in Michigan, we don't have to worry about gators and 20 foot snakes etc getting into the canoes like you might. I just want to go around the local mid-sized lake 20 miles away for a day and pack a lunch etc... and I bet that retro looking Bronco with a canoe on top and small steel wheels will get just as much attention as a monster truck tire loaded 4-Door Sasquatch will... at $25K less in price.

Also, I get your point about offering more stuff on the base, but I am accepting the fact that the Base Manual 2 Door is relatively underpriced and I am learning to live with the happiness of getting a great deal. I fully expect to be approached by strangers and asked "how much did that cost?"

When I answer, I fully expect people to have their jaws drop and answer with the following: "Wait a minute, that is cheaper than my cookie cutter 2WD SUV that even I cannot even tell apart from other vehicles in the parking lot."

Yess, exactly!

My cousins have a camp on the river, but God did not intend for me to swim, so only get in the fishing boat with a lifejacket. (I took two years of lessons to no avail, and I had a near-death drowning experience as a kid, so that's why I feel that I ought to be cautious around water.)

My Bronco may tow a little aluminum fishing boat, one day... ?

I do believe that the base is very well equipped and priced, and the couple of missing things I want but don't need make no difference in my choice of Bronco.

 

[Pancho Kornwallace]

Also you may consider, hanging in there until you know the lease rate. You never know how low Bronco leases might be. My understanding is that Wrangler leases are very favorable right now.

If you buy the depreciation may not be that bad. Much better than an an average SUV.

I bought a 2016 Mustang Manual Trans Convertible in the Spring of 2017 with less than 6500 miles on it for $23.5K. That car is still worth about $17K. I did much better in depreciation than an average car. You may need to wait a few months to replicate what I did (getting slightly used one).

 

[JohnTaurus]

I like your story and hope you get your Bronco as soon as practical. I have two young daughters, so need the 4Dr. I'm probably going Badlands, which is expensive overkill for my needs. I do love the looks and simplicity of the 2dr manual though. If I can swing it, I might get a second Bronco, Base 2dr manual in white with few, if any options. I'd paint the steelies white and give it to one of my daughters 12 years from now. A manual 4wd drive convertible Bronco will be cool in the future electric world.

I like your story as well, and yeah, a 4 door would be better if I had a family of my own.

However, it looks as though I will probably be getting married sooner or later, and with that comes three awesome step daughters that I already dearly love.

So, maybe one day, we can look back and see our situations working out the same, only in reverse. I buy my two door first, buy a 4 door a few years later for taking the girls with us. I could definitely see springing for a Black Diamond or maybe even a Badlands with the 2.7L/10AT for that one. I'll have my two door for more "personal" trips? Lol it strikes me as more of a two-seater vehicle anyway. The pictures and first-hand accounts are pretty bad concerning rear seat legroom, especially. That's just fine for me alone, or with my significant other. I will probably end up taking the rear seats out of mine.

I have a Taurus sedan that is roomy, and my intended has a '12 (?) Honda Accord, so we're good on practical vehicles we can all comfortably ride in.

I am also planning on a 4wd crew cab first generation Nissan Frontier (hopefully a 2000 model year to avoid the hideous refresh where they went all Pontiac on it). I've always wanted one, and I think itll be awesome when/if we get the property. It would also be good for when the girls go camping or fishing with us. Those are just two things those sedans are no good at.

I may settle for a 2004+ F-150 Super Crew, but I'd really like the compact truck instead. It will probably replace the '74 C10 as my daily/work vehicle.

I love driving my old Chevy truck, even though my blood runs Ford blue. Manual steering and a long bed make it, um, interesting to park and turn around, etc. But, the thing is a great driver otherwise. I bought it because I've always liked the square body Chevy trucks, but disliked the gas-guzzling V-8. I am a huge fan of inline 6s, especially vintage American ones, so really, it was the deciding factor in my convincing my cousin to sell it to me. Even the manual disk brakes do not bother me, however it will have fuel injection, full gauges with factory tachometer (I'm rebuilding such an instrument cluster now), and a 3+overdrive transmission (as in four forward gears, the 4th being overdrive, as opposed to a "granny low" 4 speed) to replace the column-shift 3 speed manual it has now.

It will never get power steering/brakes/windows/locks, air conditioning or any other frills aside from the mechanical upgrades designed to provide low-maintenance, reliable service, one that I can drive to Washington state without hesitation. Oh, and it will get seats from a 99+ single cab with modern seatbelts and being far more supportive than the old bench is.

The truck rolled over to 42,000 today, yes that is documented original mileage, as it sat from 1996-2017 or so, and was barely driven before that by the original owner. I've already replaced the entire exhaust system, amongst other things mostly due to age (or in the case of the exhaust manifold, faulty/defective design) but I bought it with ~29K in February lol. I've been driving the old bastard like nobody ever has in its entire 46 years! Haha. Here's a picture. He's still a work in progress. He really needs a new hood, and for me to redo the wheels like I did the front bumper.

 

[Fordboi]

It sounds like you have your priorities correct.

second this

 

[JohnTaurus]

There’s no way I’m going to read all of that, but you got a nice build!!

Thanks, and yeah, I tend to go off a bit on the subject of vehicles, especially the ones I'm passionate about! Bronco obviously included! Haha

Don't mind my rambling, I'm not offended if it's a "TL: DR"for some, lol.

 

[Fordboi]

love me an old square body chevy

 

[JohnTaurus]

love me an old square body chevy

Thanks man! It's been a joy putting this old truck back into service. Even though I'm the 3rd or 4th legal owner, NOBODY drove this truck. I feel like I'm its first "real" owner. I drive it, I've hauled and towed with it, and our lives together have just begun lol!

Here is my current fleet, aside from my 1969 F-100 Ranger which doesn't drive right now (no brakes, waiting for the time/money to upgrade to Crown Vic front end and fix all that shit at one time).

Sponsored