- First Name
- Jeff
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2020
- Threads
- 16
- Messages
- 142
- Reaction score
- 735
- Location
- Pacific Northwest
- Website
- jeff.henshaw.org
- Vehicle(s)
- BMW R1250RT
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
A few forum members have posted stories about why Broncos are important to them, and what their reservation/order/delivery experience has been like. I’ve really enjoyed seeing people take delivery when it brings a positive end to the long, frustrating wait that we have endured. It appears that I’m in the final weeks of my wait, so I figured I’d share my Bronco story.
Growing up, we were pretty squarely lower middle class. One year during a hunting trip, my dad stumbled across a farm that had a very beat-up late 60s Bronco for sale. He brought that Bronco home and we kids were absolutely thrilled with the idea of a convertible. Never mind that every body panel was dented. Never mind that the seat - removable via hand-twist anchor bolts - had been removed and the bed used to haul rusty and greasy tools. Never mind that the hard top wouldn’t fit back on easily. When we drove around during the summer with that top off, it was the coolest rig on the road.
I was only about 8 years old at the time, but on day when we pulled up to a stoplight, a guy in the car next to us yelled, “You wanna sell that Bronco right now? Cash money right here and now!” Dad refused, but it was another indicator to my younger self that Broncos were cool. And you’re cool if you’re cruising around in one. Especially on the rare sunny summer days in the Pacific Northwest.
Times got tight, and the Bronco was sold one winter. But a Bronco II would later come onto the scene. In 1984, my folks decided to get a new car and got talked into a Bronco II. It was beyond their financial means, but in the 80s, car dealers were more predatory than ever. One night we found ourselves driving around in a brand new Bronco II, and despite their place in the line’s history, it was a magical combination of luxury and ruggedness to my early-teenage eyes. We were crushed the next morning when the dealership called to inform my dad that their financing had been rejected (what dealership sends a car home before securing financing?!). We had to take it back. It was heartbreaking.
I never lusted after a 1990s Bronco. Didn’t think about vintage or restomods. In fact, Broncos just faded out of my life until 2015 when I decided that I had to have a convertible, rugged vehicle. There were some concepts of Broncos floating around, but they seemed ugly to me. And Ford did’t offer a convertible, 4-seat, rugged vehicle. So I factory ordered a 2015 Wrangler Rubicon.
The Jeep looked great to me, but owning it was not at all satisfying. I appreciate that it’s a purpose-specific off-road vehicle, but it lacked a lot of amenities that I like in daily drivers. Things like a backup camera, Apple CarPlay, and… neutral steering! I realize I should not expect any ORV to ride like a luxury sedan, but the Jeep felt behind in electronics and design in many ways. That’s part of what makes them loved, but for my daily driver I wanted a bit more. I replaced the Jeep with an F150 and have been fine with it.
I don’t track cars much and didn’t even know Ford had announced the new Bronco back in July of last year. It totally went by me. But in November of last year, I was on Ford.com and noticed a Bronco, and clicked through to the Bronco micro-site. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It looks like Ford had resurrected the classic look that I remember so fondly, but modernized it in all the right ways. The first thing that struck me was this photo in build and price:
To my eye, that design looks more like a classic Land Rover Defender 110 than the actual 2021 Land Rover Defender 110. It’s beautifully boxy, form follows function, while still being a new and modern vehicle. Absolutely beautiful!
Attractive features kept piling up to make this feel like the vehicle that I had wished the Jeep would be, but wasn’t. A big screen with Apple CarPlay, for example. Even better, WIRELESS CarPlay support. Modern electronics, but in a dashboard that has been kept remarkably simple. 35s from the factory were exciting, as the stock 33s on the Wrangler never looked quite satisfying. Marine-grade-vinyl and a wash-out platform are a huge selling point for me, as we do a lot of crabbing here in the PacNW and summer days see me dragging sand, kelp, crab bits, bait, and a couple of smelly dogs into my rig.
I was hooked instantly. Jumping into the confusing assortment of trim levels, I placed an order for a loaded Outer Banks, figuring that’s the right trim for me as off-roading isn’t an everyday use for me. The next day, I canceled the order when I realized the vomit-inducing combinations of colors that Ford was forcing into the interiors. I re-reserved a Badlands because that was the only way to get a simple, all-black interior with a LUX package and MGV. Final reservation date was 11/11/21.
My local Ford dealership, Automation Ford of Bellevue, has been very good to work with. They were clear with pricing up front, in writing. They’re synthesizing X-plan pricing via 6% off of MSRP for their early reservation holders (I think they stopped doing this and switched to straight MSRP).
Since that reservation, I’ve been reading and watching everything Bronco. I’ve read with sadness and joy the stories of the confusing delays, mixed messages from Ford and dealerships, and the deliveries now happening. It’s so great to see people getting their rigs.
My specific build is:
When my dealer got a demo, I took it out for a test drive and wound up putting a deposit on it for when it was ready to sell. It’s a non-Squatch Badlands with a 2.3L/manual. I figured I’d keep it until mine order gets built. In the process, I put a few hundred demo miles on that Cyber Orange Badlands and that convinced me beyond a doubt that this is the perfect vehicle for me as both a daily driver and as an adventuring vehicle. Ford has achieved a truly magical mix of off-road capability with daily driving practicality.
I had figured that since I’m a November reservation holder, I’d be out in 2022. But thanks to switching to a soft top, I got the email from Ford that I’m scheduled for an 11/22 week build, and I’ve got a VIN. At that point, I bailed on the demo unit. I’m cautiously optimistic that Santa will be dropping by MAP on his way to my house, and delivering my 2021 Bronco in time for Christmas.
What amazed me along this journey is that every time I mention to someone that I have a Bronco on order, they seem to have a fond story of a Bronco from somewhere in their life. A co-worker who grew up in Chile had a Bronco that his family would drive on the beach every day, and he missed that fun. The memories are always of fun times, adventures, on or off road. The passion that this community shows - during good news or bad - reflects the degree of fun that people expect.
The Bronco bug is contagious, too. My folks have watched as I’ve ordered, waited, and constantly talked about the incoming Badlands. So much that they started lusting after a Bronco Sport, which is ideal for them. A new car is as far out of reach for them as the forcibly-returned Bronco II was back in 1984. This time, however, I’m in a position to buy one for them. So while I wait these final weeks as mine is [hopefully] built and delivered, I can watch them enjoy theirs…
This has been a long journey. I hope that despite continued delays, supply chain problems, COVID, and model year changeover, we can remember that we’re getting - eventually - a vehicle that promises incredible fun. I hope to see you on the road, on the trail, top down, wind in your hair, smiling because you’re having so much fun in your Bronco. Thanks for reading, and drive safe.
Growing up, we were pretty squarely lower middle class. One year during a hunting trip, my dad stumbled across a farm that had a very beat-up late 60s Bronco for sale. He brought that Bronco home and we kids were absolutely thrilled with the idea of a convertible. Never mind that every body panel was dented. Never mind that the seat - removable via hand-twist anchor bolts - had been removed and the bed used to haul rusty and greasy tools. Never mind that the hard top wouldn’t fit back on easily. When we drove around during the summer with that top off, it was the coolest rig on the road.
I was only about 8 years old at the time, but on day when we pulled up to a stoplight, a guy in the car next to us yelled, “You wanna sell that Bronco right now? Cash money right here and now!” Dad refused, but it was another indicator to my younger self that Broncos were cool. And you’re cool if you’re cruising around in one. Especially on the rare sunny summer days in the Pacific Northwest.
Times got tight, and the Bronco was sold one winter. But a Bronco II would later come onto the scene. In 1984, my folks decided to get a new car and got talked into a Bronco II. It was beyond their financial means, but in the 80s, car dealers were more predatory than ever. One night we found ourselves driving around in a brand new Bronco II, and despite their place in the line’s history, it was a magical combination of luxury and ruggedness to my early-teenage eyes. We were crushed the next morning when the dealership called to inform my dad that their financing had been rejected (what dealership sends a car home before securing financing?!). We had to take it back. It was heartbreaking.
I never lusted after a 1990s Bronco. Didn’t think about vintage or restomods. In fact, Broncos just faded out of my life until 2015 when I decided that I had to have a convertible, rugged vehicle. There were some concepts of Broncos floating around, but they seemed ugly to me. And Ford did’t offer a convertible, 4-seat, rugged vehicle. So I factory ordered a 2015 Wrangler Rubicon.
The Jeep looked great to me, but owning it was not at all satisfying. I appreciate that it’s a purpose-specific off-road vehicle, but it lacked a lot of amenities that I like in daily drivers. Things like a backup camera, Apple CarPlay, and… neutral steering! I realize I should not expect any ORV to ride like a luxury sedan, but the Jeep felt behind in electronics and design in many ways. That’s part of what makes them loved, but for my daily driver I wanted a bit more. I replaced the Jeep with an F150 and have been fine with it.
I don’t track cars much and didn’t even know Ford had announced the new Bronco back in July of last year. It totally went by me. But in November of last year, I was on Ford.com and noticed a Bronco, and clicked through to the Bronco micro-site. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It looks like Ford had resurrected the classic look that I remember so fondly, but modernized it in all the right ways. The first thing that struck me was this photo in build and price:
To my eye, that design looks more like a classic Land Rover Defender 110 than the actual 2021 Land Rover Defender 110. It’s beautifully boxy, form follows function, while still being a new and modern vehicle. Absolutely beautiful!
Attractive features kept piling up to make this feel like the vehicle that I had wished the Jeep would be, but wasn’t. A big screen with Apple CarPlay, for example. Even better, WIRELESS CarPlay support. Modern electronics, but in a dashboard that has been kept remarkably simple. 35s from the factory were exciting, as the stock 33s on the Wrangler never looked quite satisfying. Marine-grade-vinyl and a wash-out platform are a huge selling point for me, as we do a lot of crabbing here in the PacNW and summer days see me dragging sand, kelp, crab bits, bait, and a couple of smelly dogs into my rig.
I was hooked instantly. Jumping into the confusing assortment of trim levels, I placed an order for a loaded Outer Banks, figuring that’s the right trim for me as off-roading isn’t an everyday use for me. The next day, I canceled the order when I realized the vomit-inducing combinations of colors that Ford was forcing into the interiors. I re-reserved a Badlands because that was the only way to get a simple, all-black interior with a LUX package and MGV. Final reservation date was 11/11/21.
My local Ford dealership, Automation Ford of Bellevue, has been very good to work with. They were clear with pricing up front, in writing. They’re synthesizing X-plan pricing via 6% off of MSRP for their early reservation holders (I think they stopped doing this and switched to straight MSRP).
Since that reservation, I’ve been reading and watching everything Bronco. I’ve read with sadness and joy the stories of the confusing delays, mixed messages from Ford and dealerships, and the deliveries now happening. It’s so great to see people getting their rigs.
My specific build is:
- Badlands
- Area 51
- MGV interior
- 2.7 liter, 10-speed automatic
- Towing package
- Soft top
- Sasquatch
- LUX package
When my dealer got a demo, I took it out for a test drive and wound up putting a deposit on it for when it was ready to sell. It’s a non-Squatch Badlands with a 2.3L/manual. I figured I’d keep it until mine order gets built. In the process, I put a few hundred demo miles on that Cyber Orange Badlands and that convinced me beyond a doubt that this is the perfect vehicle for me as both a daily driver and as an adventuring vehicle. Ford has achieved a truly magical mix of off-road capability with daily driving practicality.
I had figured that since I’m a November reservation holder, I’d be out in 2022. But thanks to switching to a soft top, I got the email from Ford that I’m scheduled for an 11/22 week build, and I’ve got a VIN. At that point, I bailed on the demo unit. I’m cautiously optimistic that Santa will be dropping by MAP on his way to my house, and delivering my 2021 Bronco in time for Christmas.
What amazed me along this journey is that every time I mention to someone that I have a Bronco on order, they seem to have a fond story of a Bronco from somewhere in their life. A co-worker who grew up in Chile had a Bronco that his family would drive on the beach every day, and he missed that fun. The memories are always of fun times, adventures, on or off road. The passion that this community shows - during good news or bad - reflects the degree of fun that people expect.
The Bronco bug is contagious, too. My folks have watched as I’ve ordered, waited, and constantly talked about the incoming Badlands. So much that they started lusting after a Bronco Sport, which is ideal for them. A new car is as far out of reach for them as the forcibly-returned Bronco II was back in 1984. This time, however, I’m in a position to buy one for them. So while I wait these final weeks as mine is [hopefully] built and delivered, I can watch them enjoy theirs…
This has been a long journey. I hope that despite continued delays, supply chain problems, COVID, and model year changeover, we can remember that we’re getting - eventually - a vehicle that promises incredible fun. I hope to see you on the road, on the trail, top down, wind in your hair, smiling because you’re having so much fun in your Bronco. Thanks for reading, and drive safe.
- Reservation: 11/11
- Order: 1/23
- Build Scheduled: 11/22
- Blend: 11/24
- Built: 12/1
- Delivery: TBD
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