Chevy Blazer vs. Ford Bronco

We love pull &pay. And with the internet, most of those places are on-line and a car is more easily located.

 

Personally I'm biased towards Fords. That being said, when choosing an older vehicle to fix up or modify to your tastes you should consider your states Safety Inspection & Emissions Laws. My 1994 F-150 has reached old enough that North Carolina emissions laws no longer apply to it. So it only has to have a yearly Safety inspection. That means I can now do whatever I want to it. From pulling the smog equipment, modifying the exhaust system, to changing the motor to whatever I want. My 1972 Ford F-100 however, is old enough that there is no yearly emissions or safety inspection. Just property taxes on it. My guess is they figure if I can keep sumthing that old on the road, it oughta be safe enough. Which means I can do whatever I want to it at all. A better motor with newer hotrod style parts & a slightly more modern overdrive transmission is in it's future.

Now as for parts for these old vehicles, there are many many many places making & selling reproduction parts needed to fix them up. Sum of the prices make shock you, but its a shiny new part without having to clean it up or fix it if like if you went junkyard crawling. Which in itself is NOT as easy to find parts from thanks to a certain asshole's "Cash For Clunkers" crushing program a few years back. Now I don't know about Chevys *gag* but any one that needs old Ford parts, just ask and I'll share my links to many 1990 & older Ford Truck & sum Car websites. Sum of them even have parts for old *yuck* Chevys from 1985 & back Truck & SUVs.

 

I always had the impression that the reason for the Bronco was the folding windshield. As for EMP resilience, I think I got the idea from HalfFast, that a standard small-block engine today is the same as it was in the carburetor-points-and-condenser days, only the added-on ignition and fuel systems are different. And, they used to sell parts for racing them that would still fit new blocks, so you could install a 4-barrel and a distributor and coil on a 2018 vehicle. No computer involved. A manual trans might be necessary, I guess autos have computers. I suppose the heads might not work either, but old ones should be available.
I've not really looked into this but it seems reasonable.

 

That used to be true...about twenty years ago. Since then, engines have been redesigned so that nothing remains in common with the older engines. Chevy small blocks had a lot in common from 1955 through the 1990s. Ford small blocks began their run in 1962 and ran into the early 1990s when they came out with their modular engine design. Chrysler had a more limited lineup but still had a fairly long run, beginning in 1964.5 and lingering until 1992.
Sadly, those days are long gone.

 

A lot of the older vehicles can be kept running if you have the parts. I'd take either one. My latest ride is an 02 Mercury Mountaineer( over priced Explorer)! Could do without some of the power accessories but hay, they came with the truck.

 

Starting in the early '90s on up automatic transmissions began having electronics in them. My 1994 F-150 was a late '94 model made towards the end of the year so it received a '95 model transmission that had electronics in it. Its basically an early '95 model. If it had been made earlier in the year it would have gotten the non-electronics '94 model transmission.

 

The Chrysler small block is still quite easy to retro fit in to the 2000s. The magnum v8's are close enough to the LA small block that most anyone could do it.

 

Well I have a 95 bronco and a 86 GMC Jimmy.

Love them both and with their short wheel base and more then enough power I go almost anywhere in them, great for any logging roads or my driveway (not sure which is easier).

My go to rig is the bronco.

Bought a new FJ Crusier and my lab pretty much refused to ride in it since the window wouldn't roll down. Thought that would be my new long term rig but the kids cried when I said I was going to sell "Broncie".

I drove up to my shop one day and a squirrel disabled the fj in about 45 minutes. Chewed through a cable that the dealership said was a common thing. Sold that piece of crap and still have the bronco.

 

Jimmy

 

Driveway certified

 

It was probably one of my compatriots from Secret Squirrel Land. You are on the Secret Squirrel Watch List.

 

Blazer. I'm a Chevy man.

Nothing wrong with a Bronco though except the dash is all wrong and I think I remember the engine compartment was more crowded

 

Well I broke down and bought another 95 Bronco at the auction Friday

 

Well it's no secret that many of your buddies at my shop are in no shape anymore to disable anything

My humble apologies, I did not know they where your friends!

 

Just checking in to see if Motomom was able to pick her pick of those vehicles ??

 

Hopefully it will be a diesel since very few people have ever seen diesel shortages, not counting the government mandated diesel shortages in 2007 to 2008.

 

The boy wants to Bronco. But we did learn about the Dodge Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailduster, which may not be as expensive to buy and restore as a Blazer.

We already have a Jeep Cherokee (2001) and I would consider getting another one, but from the early '80's.

 

67 Cheve and a 97 ford trucks .I'm good

 

Newer jeeps are junk.
The newer ones appear to be glorified and over sized cars with weak CVT transmissions.
Might as well get a Subaru, at least it would be more reliable and get better mpg.

 

Oh yeah its worst than I thought.
The jeep renegade is built on a fiat 500 body.
So you get an over sized car with 4wd and i believe it has thr failure prone rubber band transmission.

So it's like a jeep that you can't or at least shouldn't ever use to do actual jeep stuff with.

Like they said on top gear, "it's trail mix rated".