I'm thinking about buying my first project vehicle. I don't need it as a daily driver so I have the time to work on it without needing it to get to work. I had a '64 Ford as a daily driver who I was a kid and was ok at wrenching on it, but my skills are nothing spectacular. I really like '67-72 chevy trucks but I don't need another truck.

I was thinking about a Jeep Wrangler. For the off-road, no top kind of fun that that sort of a ride provides. Other than personal preference, what years should I look for or against. I am not Northern Dave, and a Cummins or small-block swap is probably not in my future. A lift, regear, lockers, body work, etc may be. I realize this is kind of open ended but I appreciate any thoughts you guys may have.

I vote early bronco instead of the heap..

I really like them but aren't they quite a bit more expensive than a Jeep?

It sounds like you should be looking for a large wooden sailboat...

Ha. Too much of a money pit!

If you don't want a CJ, any Wrangler '97 or later.

I'd go Bronco over the Jeep too but something in that general area is what you're looking for.

I also vote 97 or later Wrangler. Tons of bolt-ons out there. Much of the work you can do in your own garage. There are tons of forums and youtube videos to assist in learning. And because it's a gnarly 4x4, bodywork and paint don't have to be perfect for it to still be cool.

Find a 4.0L manual transmission model with the optional Dana 44 rear, as it came with 3.73 gears instead of 3.08's. You get fuel injection, coil spring suspension, and air conditioning. Those gears will turn 33" tires pretty well if your aren't ready to re-gear right out of the gate. Plus the resale is usually pretty dang good if you don't get too wild on the mods.

Back in the 60's my brother decided he needed a project so he bought an old Porsche. He found out real quick that he didn't have the money for it and sold it at a loss.

I currently have an '87 Bronco II that belonged to him (he died a few years ago). I want to do some work and keep it running for just a runaround to save miles on my expensive pickup. It's losing water internally, probably a head gasket but maybe worse. They're famous for cracked heads. It has 250k on it and I will likely just replace the whole engine rather than do a half way job on it. It also needs a clutch. $2500 will get it in pretty good shape and should last a long time.

I've done the Jeep thing. My next one will be a late model Bronco

Like an OJ-era model Bronco?

I had a 92 and really liked it. My dad had a 96 he got new, one the last ones made, in dark green. With the 351 and 33x12.50's it certainly did suck down the fuel, but it was a going machine, on and off the road.

I had a 74 Bronco, that was a lot of fun. Someone had put a 4" lift under it. Had power steering and dual tanks , I believe 74 was the first year for those. With front and rear Detroit lockers and 35s it was a tank. One vehicle i sold that I regret. But for your question, the Wranglers are fun vehicles especially if not a daily driver. Had several and a 85 CJ. Anything under the sun can be done to those. Just your imagination and wallet are the limiting factors.

Yep. Long-term I'd love to build up a 408 stroker and put it on about 35s. It would make for a heck of a nice rig for getting in/out of some of the place I hunt.

If you do not want a truck, how about a late 80's Blazer. Most parts are same as the trucks and the best parts supported older pickups around.

Or if off-road is not a requirement, an '81-89 Monte Carlo, preferably an SS model, nice older car, roomy, modern enough to have ac and cruise. Much more comfortable than muscle cars, came with a V8 and would be quite easy to swap a crate 350 or 383, or even an LS engine with some electronic work.

Yeah, I have thought about it a little.

I thought about a blazer. A friend had an 85 CUCV blazer with the diesel. It was gutless but otherwise pretty cool. I grew up with my father owning an 82 C20, 84 C20, and 78 K30. I like them but I already own a 2500HD as a daily driver. I really like the 67-72 but they are getting up there these days. I also thought about a Bronco even though I'm not really a Ford guy.

This thread has it all – project trucks, old Broncos and Blazers, etc. I was looking for an old Bronco when I stumbled on this ‘71 Blazer that was in great shape when I bought it in ’92. Now it’s a rust project I can’t seem to find time to work on.



Five years ago, I decided not to restore it and found this ’72 that was mostly restored promising the wife I’d dump the Blazer.



Today I still have both and am having a hard time parting with the Blazer thinking I still might fix it up some day…

Good looking 72 , I was always partial to Ford trucks but those year Chevys were good looking trucks. Dad has a 72 Cheyenne 2wd longbed all original.

If you want a Blazer, they changed body styles in '73. For several years, they had a 1 piece full roof then went to a half roof. Avoid the 1 piece. I had one. They have some rubber blocks that fit between the doors and roof to seal them up. They're very fragile and VERY expensive, if you can get them at all. Even back in the 80's, they cost well over $100/side. They'd likely be $500 or more now if they still make them.

I always liked the old scouts. And rare enough people turn their heads to see them. Money pits for sure

Scouts were built here in Louisville. A friend of mine went by the factory as IH was closing it down, and bought up enough parts (he was in the scrap metal business at the time, and knew people) to keep his old Scout looking new for a LONG time.

Far as I know, he's still driving the thing. Last time I saw it (we lost touch some time back), it was looking like brand-new. All the bodywork was immaculate.

IH built Garands and tractors here for awhile.

I like them too, and looked at them but they are hard to find and $$$. I want something I can bash around in, and something with fairly cheap parts that I can afford to mess up, so I am trying to avoid something 'too nice'.

I had an 89' K1500 that I gave to my dad. I'm glad I did as he got a ton of use out of it on the farm, but it would have been a decent candidate were it not for the old familiarity breeds contempt thing. If I'm going Chevy truck it has to be 67-72 or 73-87. My heart is in a full size because I have never owned anything but a full size.

It seems like a guy can get a fairly decent heep off of Craigslist for $6K or so. I am entirely ignorant of them save for the fact that they are very good off road and the Just Empty Every Pocket thing. Heck, I bet I haven't even ridden in one more than once or twice my whole life and never off pavement. What makes the 97 or later jeeps better than the older ones?

Maybe consider a Jeep Cherokee XJ. The 4.0 and AW4 trans are pretty much bomb proof and good for at least 300k miles. You can check them out here:
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/

A neighbor had a Scout Traveller, the long wheel base version. It was in great shape. He died a couple years ago and I don't know what happened to it. One thing they needed on it was 4 doors.

where ya live at ?.....I got a 97 grand cherokee with good engine and bad tranny Id sell ya reasonable......

Buy a Chevy. That should cover the money pit part.

If you're not scared of fords, think about a bronco. The older 60-77's are a bit spendy if you find a decent one, but they're very cool. The 78-79's are plentiful, easy to work on, easy to buy parts for, and still very cool. Much bigger than the 60s'-77's though.

Jeeps are also cool and obviously tons of new and used parts available.

Yeah they are. They're also just as easy to wrench on. Quite a few parts available, and worth a ton more. Finished or not.

What about building yourself an old school baja bug?

Completely different and fun I'd think -

The 92-96 Broncos were the last version, and had a lot of commonality with the F150. The interiors were somewhat upgraded compared to previous versions. A few years earlier they received overdrive transmissions and fuel injection. For a using large Bronco they seem to be the most practical.

A couple years ago you could get a decent 92-96 for $3-$5k, now they seem to be appreciating significantly, I can't recall seeing a good one recently for less than $8k, and restored examples might bring $15k. So fixing one up might turn a profit.

They've had fuel injection since 86. Lol.

They really are a cheap, cool, 4x4. Many of the suspension parts are the same/same as an F150. I'm sure the front suspension is the same.

I love bronco's. I had a 79 as my first 4x4. I'd like to find one to toy with after my '55 f-100 is finished.

Yep, but I think it wasn't until 95 or 96 (the last couple years of production) that the 351W became a full roller motor. Unfortunately ones in good condition seem to go for a fortune around here. I've settled on the fact that if I can at least find a clean body with a decent interior I can always rebuild the drivetrain the way I want it anyhow.

Yeah, a 351W roller is reletivily inexpensive to build. I'm doing one now for my 55 f100. Injection would be nice in your next of the woods I imagine.

We need to travel to get one worth a dime. Ours rust out here. They can be fixed but your time is worth something right?

I scrolled and scrolled, looking and wondering is someone going to mention it?

Scout.

If I get around to building a little trail buggy for myself I will likely go scout rather than early bronco. I love early broncos, don't get me wrong. But from what I've seen, a scout is a much cheaper rig to start with. They are both terrible for rust problems but I think in project form you can often buy 4 scouts for the price of one clapped out bronco.

Cheesy mentioned the Scout in an earlier post



Been there (I grew up in MI). It's not hard to find a good body out here but I don't want a ground up build either. EFI is a must out here, frankly if I were building a motor for a vehicle I intended on driving regularly I wouldn't even consider a carb'd setup.

A buddy of mine has one of these that he bought new in 1977. Helluva truck.

That's because he's amazingly brilliant.

That's why I said "a few years earlier" IIRC the overdrive trans and rear anti-lock brakes came in 87

The Scout looks like it was designed in a Far Side cartoon. Can we say crude?

Even when they were current, parts were spendy for them.

One guy did bring a Scout into Dad's garage once, that had been converted with a 4-53 Detroit Diesel. It was actually kinda neat. Also taught me Dad gets angry when you innocently cycle the "Emergency Stop" button.

Willys pickups look pretty good, lifted with big tires. Think they take Chevy drivetrains without much trouble.

Willys or an old power wagon are the ultimate dream but I don't think it's the best place to start as a novice. Still thinking about a jeep but I really like the looks of the older blazers and Broncos better. I guess I have to decide on cheap and fairly practical or another full sized rig. I've never had anything but a full sized rig, so I don't even know what a jeep can really do. I do think the no top no doors of a jeep would be fun (for a while anyway).

I would rule out any Bronco that doesn't have a straight front axle. That piece of garbage independent front suspension was a giant pain in the ass. Go early Bronco if you can find one cheap that isn't in bad shape, or go 70-80's model Blazer.

If you are a novice, and don't have much experience, DO NOT get the later model Bronco. You have been warned......

Another option could be a power wagon. Many of the 4 wheel drive parts were the same as the Chevy's. Transfer case, front axels.


Clyde

I had several 90's Fords with the Twin I-beam front suspension and had no real issues with them when wearing moderate suspension lifts. Yes, they are prone to needing alignments pretty regularly and they are not well suited to big horsepower when combined with big tires/gears and hard fourwheeling in rocks and such. They are not as good as a solid axle when asking them to handle those kinds of chores. Just my experience.

I think you're right about that. The early bronco's are pricey and climbing higher.

I love scouts, but they're so damn rusty.

Keep it coming, this is all good advice for a newb like me. I looked at scouts in craigslist and they aren't as high as I thought but they do look like they typically require more work to get squared away. I do want something that I can enjoy as I upgrade, rather than a full frame off restoration kind of project.

budget, performance, capability etc...

The recommendations for second generation broncos aren't bad.

Solid axles, coil sprung front, disc brakes up front, power steering, power brakes, short wheel base, soft ride, not terribly heavy. D44 front axles and 9" rears are well supported in the aftermarket with traction devices and gears.

78-79 bronco with an inline 6, 4 speed trans, part time T-case, slight lift, 33x10.5 tires, lim slip devices in both diffs, a good winch... that would be cool.

Mice would be the same as all that but it would be an F150 because I like to throw my dead critters in back where the meat can stay cold. lol

This - I have a 2000 Cherokee Sport with 155000 miles on it and it has been completely trouble free, it does not use or leak any oil or other fluids. Auto, A/C, P/W, etc, comfortable and totally reliable, the only thing I have ever had to do to it is replace the battery last year - not bad for a vehicle that gets bad-mouthed a lot. I did do a 2-1/2 inch lift
on it because it gets used in a lot of rough country. The biggest trick is to get one that has been cared for and not abused, they are out there but it does require some searching. Lots of aftermarket support items are available. But I recommend making sure it is the fuel injected 4.0 engine - not the carburetor version.

drover

HEY drover have you had any issues with the 0331?

I've got a '96 w/159K trouble free miles other than regular maintenance and few aftermarket
upgrades. Probably going to have be replacing the suspension before long as the rear springs
are getting tired.

I had to google 0331 to find out what it referred to. It is not a problem that I have had. The only thing I have ever had to do is replace the battery, along with regular maintenance item as recommended.

drover

Good hear. It's not an uncommon problem. Just keep doing what your doing and NEVER let it overheat.