How much more capable is the Base to the original Bronco?

[Hoofnmouth]

The old one's could be completely submerged though for a long time (without totaling it). As long as you shut the engine off as soon as it happened. It was a matter of pulling spark plugs, cranking engine until water cleared exh, drying out distr cap, and changing engine oil. Even Durasparks were fully potted and waterproof. I've done it, and wheeled the rest of the day.

Also, EB is approx 3 inches shorter, 7 inches thinner, 21 inches shorter, and at least 1000 lbs lighter (some sites show closer to 1200 lbs). An EB will fit were the new bronco won't.

Still think the new bronco will kick the crap out of an old EB though, generally (base vs base).
I assume the base new bronco will still have electronic limited slip like action, using brakes, at a minimum.

Bad ass?

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[mjohnso3]

I was thinking to myself today, as I contemplated what I needed for the .............just in case scenario. I started to wonder what "Just in case" meant to me. I realized it meant Just in Case I am too stupid to turn around and go back.

That's not to knock those who don't mind the risk of getting stuck or using cool recovery stuff. I started thinking of my uncles Bronco, the mustard colored, white top version. No idea of the year, I was 10 years old, so less than 71 or older I guess. He drove the heck out of it, camping and hunting, but it was just stock as far as I know. Undented, it looked so cool.

So for those who are versed in old unmodified Bronco's, what were they capable of in comparison to the base?

I have owned 3 first gen Broncos and they do indeed look good and very unique. But I would expect the 2021 to outperform it in every category. With the exception of the last couple years the first generation, they had four wheel drum brakes, a horrible three speed on the tree manual transmission and the automatic that became available a little bit later wasn't that much better oh and lack of power steering on the earlier models. These things were a pain in the a#$ to keep straight on the road. And the death wobble that everyone accuses the Wrangler of having, the Broncos suffered big time from that too. But I sure miss it!!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

A 2 door base for +- 30k, I'll take 2.

I'm looking at that option too, LOL.
I'll have more than $30k in my 69 rebuild.


OP:
With only minor mods....2.5" lift and 33's, open diffs front and rear, my 69 will shock you with how capable it is.

Then, for drivability, I added fuel injection....it just made it so much better in every way.

This whole idea will be VERY interesting to revisit once i have both of them on the road.
But I think it was covered very well on page one ....all the ease of operating that we have become accustomed to in todays vehicles will pay off in spades......
....until I hit the GO pedal on the 69 and that throaty V8 starts to make its noise!!!!!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

That's the only thing bugging me about the base... the open diff. If you could add a rear locker to the Base like you can to the BB, I'd do that in a heartbeat!

Yes, plenty of folks on here claiming most of us don't know what a locker is for and might never use one, but where I drive to camp, I've been almost stuck a few times when a rear locker would have made the situation way less stressful.

But you're right, with the open diff I would be slipping and having a hell of a time getting up some of our sand-covered steep roads and the old EB would be fine.

I hear ya about the locker, BUT .... the EB had a limited slip, at best, unless modified, as you'd have to do with a new one.
That being said, my EB on open diffs was mighty impressive.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

LOL!!!!
Mine.

Ye old points distributor HATED water! LMAO

 

[MaverickMan]

I will put this out there. The newest vehicle I have ever owned is my 96 Bronco I am sitting in rightmeow. It has basically all the same upgrades the new bronco has.
IFS
comfy ride
OD
better brakes
Lights
High speed stability
Daily reliability

While it is better every day driving than a early bronco and it is very much better at that. It is not really as capable offroad apples to apples.
And i doubt the new one will be aswell(base stock only).

For one my 96 is heavier and so is the new one. Sure power to weught is good but that doesnt mean much when you are in the right gear and either sliding off something or leaning over something or sucked into something. Light weight is everything there, which is the reason people took door off of things before it was cool to do so. Also to be fair we have to go apples to apples and give the old EB a good set of shoes. A modern durable radial tire with a decent all season tread is what comes stock on base so that will help out the EB a bunch. The other and really the main factor is bashability. While too much rambunctous behavoir may stall an old one you can bounce them harder because they are lighter and have a drivetrain of a heavier duty nature. Iron radius arms, thick spring coils, leaf springs all of those can survive a hell of a hit compared to what we have now which sacrifices durability for comfort.
When truely testing the capability you have to put a vehicle through something it doesnt want to do. Which The new one will have to work harder at because its weight. So will it survive the bashability requirement necesarry to beat an EB that the owner is afraid of breaking. Only time will tell on that. But modern vehicles seem to have alot of parts to damage. That said modified vs modified it get a lil trickier.

 

[Old Guy]

I will put this out there. The newest vehicle I have ever owned is my 96 Bronco I am sitting in rightmeow. It has basically all the same upgrades the new bronco has.
IFS
comfy ride
OD
better brakes
Lights
High speed stability
Daily reliability

While it is better every day driving than a early bronco and it is very much better at that. It is not really as capable offroad apples to apples.
And i doubt the new one will be aswell(base stock only).

For one my 96 is heavier and so is the new one. Sure power to weught is good but that doesnt mean much when you are in the right gear and either sliding off something or leaning over something or sucked into something. Light weight is everything there, which is the reason people took door off of things before it was cool to do so. Also to be fair we have to go apples to apples and give the old EB a good set of shoes. A modern durable radial tire with a decent all season tread is what comes stock on base so that will help out the EB a bunch. The other and really the main factor is bashability. While too much rambunctous behavoir may stall an old one you can bounce them harder because they are lighter and have a drivetrain of a heavier duty nature. Iron radius arms, thick spring coils, leaf springs all of those can survive a hell of a hit compared to what we have now which sacrifices durability for comfort.
When truely testing the capability you have to put a vehicle through something it doesnt want to do. Which The new one will have to work harder at because its weight. So will it survive the bashability requirement necesarry to beat an EB that the owner is afraid of breaking. Only time will tell on that. But modern vehicles seem to have alot of parts to damage. That said modified vs modified it get a lil trickier.

Interesting read, thanks.

 

[OX1]

LOL!!!!
Mine.

Ye old points distributor HATED water! LMAO

I fixed that a long time ago in my mudding days. RTV the cap on and the cap vent. (and add a 5.0 HO rubber distr cover).

A distr cap vent is not required. Worse case, distr can vent through the clearance of distr shaft, down into crankcase, if really required (I ran it like that for 15 years).

Will be interesting to see if anyone has the stones to go swamping in one of these and how well the electronics really are sealed up.

 

[MacHudson]

Yeah you learn that a match book cover will suffice for a temp spacer to reset the slipped point gap to get you home.

I don’t miss that schit.

“Mmm - maaaattch book what? What’s that?” - said half the youngin’s here.

our reply - ” ... And what do I do with these three shells?!”

My first cars required a loose air filter cover, a pencil, and a can of starter fluid liberally applied deep inside, on any random cold morning. More likely to be needed when I had to get to school for an exam.

I don’t miss that stuff either.

But I do wish there were a happy medium between yesterday‘s ancient technology, and today’s all-computers, can’t do anything on your own.

Commander Adama in the reboot was correct. Sometimes the computerized version is not as good, because you can’t fix it when it bugs out.

 

[OX1]

For one my 96 is heavier and so is the new one.

Yeah, built, loaded, 4 doors are going to approach 6000 lbs.
Can't "crawl" something that heavy, on slippery rocks, disbursed among
mud and wet leaves. Sometimes you have to get into it.

(14 years ago @ Paragon, if anyone remembers that place, RIP!!!)

http://luxjo.supermotors.net/PARAGON/24-26 NOV 2006/JIMS VIDS/20201224_092144.mp4

 

[Beachin 74]

I think I have an actual dwell meter in the basement next to the Betamax...

Still use mine on the 74'. Running a Mallory dual point distributor is twice as much fun for a tune up! I only had to break out the dwell meter once in the last 8 years when I replaced the points as the dual points last twice as long.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I fixed that a long time ago in my mudding days. RTV the cap on and the cap vent. (and add a 5.0 HO rubber distr cover).

A distr cap vent is not required. Worse case, distr can vent through the clearance of distr shaft, down into crankcase, if really required (I ran it like that for 15 years).

Will be interesting to see if anyone has the stones to go swamping in one of these and how well the electronics really are sealed up.

LOL, I ordered that boot IMMEDIATELY upon getting back home!!!
Bronco now has Explorer EFI (HEI) ....still torn down to the frame right now..... EFI totally changed the character of that thing, for the better in almost every aspect.

 

[bluesun68]

Speaking on "too stupid to turn around" two of the times I have been stuck have been completely unexpected. Pulled of freeway onto dry grass and the mud underneath got my "full time 4wd" as the lockers didn't lock until each wheel had dug a nice deep hole. Another time pulled around and got hung up on a rock I never saw. Luckily I was able to back off. So while I don't know what Winder Towing charges for off road recovery, I imagine if you can even find someone to come out and pull you out the price would be about the same as a rear locker.

 

[Wyo]

I grew up in my dad's 68 Bronco with limited slip front and rear, eventually it became mine and I still have it. The early Broncos couldn't be stopped. I don't think unless you've truly driven an EB with limited slip rear and front, how amazing they are off road. True 4x4, good power (289 in ours), small package and tight turning radius made it truly unstoppable. The EB would and does get you where you need to go. Period! I honestly don't expect the base new Bronco to be as good. Heck, I honestly don't expect the BL to be as good as an EB. That's a lot to live up to plus the new Bronco is just so huge it wouldn't even fit on many trails we've been on over the years. It'll be a lot more comfortable and it'll be a lot more fun on the open trails but do I personally expect the new Bronco to be better off-road than the original Bronco? Personally, I don't.

 

[LarryZiegler]

I have owned 3 first gen Broncos and they do indeed look good and very unique. But I would expect the 2021 to outperform it in every category. With the exception of the last couple years the first generation, they had four wheel drum brakes, a horrible three speed on the tree manual transmission and the automatic that became available a little bit later wasn't that much better oh and lack of power steering on the earlier models. These things were a pain in the a#$ to keep straight on the road. And the death wobble that everyone accuses the Wrangler of having, the Broncos suffered big time from that too. But I sure miss it!!

The dreaded death wobble was easily cured with the addition of a 2nd steering stabilizer (KYB). Once added, the vibration in the steering went away forever.

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