The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Bronco channels Rick Astley by saying that it too will “never let you down.” Let’s see if this Ford’s price makes us think we’re getting Rick Rolled.
A bone was thrown yesterday in the form of a 2000 BMW 528i estate. That handsome wagon offered high miles, but those were countered by a tidy presentation, the presence of some recent maintenance, and the fact that it was... well, an E39 wagon. The $5,900 asking price helped too, as was evident in both the comments and the 70 percent Nice Price win in the voting.
Are you OJ Simpson? No? I didn’t think so. That’s ok though because today’s 1990 Ford Bronco 4X4 isn’t the right color for all the inevitable OJ jokes that tend to endlessly harrow the owners of certain lighter-hued editions of Ford’s big Bronco.
There are lots to like with this 4X4 Ford despite its lack of even tangential celebrity status. The ad notes a clean title and only a mere 78,000 miles of exercise under its tires. Those tires are white letter BFG All-Terrain T/As and they wrap factory alloys that look pretty spiffy.
Above all that is clean bodywork painted in what looks to be Raven Black with a like-colored bolt-on rear cap. All the glass and trim appear intact and, perhaps most surprisingly, there’s nothing amiss on either front or rear bumper, both typically being big chrome-plated canvases for damage.
The interior is equally as nice and is as red as you could want it. It’s a very simple space, featuring manual window winders and mirrors and doors that likely require a key to open rather than a button. The cloth upholstery shows a bit of wear on the driver’s side of the split front bench, but other than that, it presents exceedingly well.
Ford offered three engines in the Bronco this model year, two V8s, and an entry-level OHV straight-six. This truck sports that 300 CID six. That offered fuel injection starting in 1987 and this year made 145 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque.
While not as powerful or posh as a V8, the 300 six is generally considered to be one of the greatest engines of all time, and who are we to argue. I’m just kidding, go ahead and argue your hearts out.
Transmission duties are handled by a four-speed automatic (AOD or E4AOD, depending on which end of the year this truck was birthed). A two-speed transfer case and part-time 4WD system complete the drivetrain.
The engine compartment looks reasonably clean and the seller claims that the truck “Run and drives excellent.” On the downside, there appears to be some extraneous wiring coursing across the firewall and I don’t discern any evidence of A/C componentry in there. That may not make this the best truck for those most at risk during our current climate crisis. There are functional vent wings in the doors to provide a bit of relief while at speed, but those can only do so much.
The latest Bronco, like all new cars and trucks, is a technological marvel. In contrast, this old-school edition is about as simple Simon as you could get, and that’s a good thing since there’s not a lot of stuff here that can go wrong. There’s also a lot that you could do with this Bronco. For most, it’s probably not sufficiently fuel-efficient nor safe enough to be a daily driver, but as a weekend fun car with a good bit of off-road ability, it’s damn-near perfect. We, of course, will need to see if that perfection extends to its $9,000 asking price.
What do you think, is this classy, and by now classic, Bronco worth that kind of cash? Or, does that price buck the perfection trend?
You decide!
Portland (again!), Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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