Urban Sasquatch daily driver sanity check!

[PlayTime]

Final update for closure: the HE build I was hoping for was one of that group "Stuck In Production" for months on end, and I decided to bail. I landed a 2dr automatic, a little less exciting but but I will not support Ford not doing PPPPP: proper planning preventing piss poor performance.

Thanks for the great replies!

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[PrepVet]

Drive what you like and what you want. I drove a Terminator in downtown Chicago as my DD for a while... aside from what felt like a super heavy clutch linkage after a while of stop and go traffic i liked it.

 

[Mrjay804]

Im an urban Sasquatch'er and of the 20+ vehicles (I may have a problem ) I've owned in my lifetime it's one of my favorites and best for around town driving. I drive 20K+ miles a year both city and highway for work and in Metro Detroit it handles itself well. Between the potholes, unfocused drivers, 100+ mph drivers and the semis the Bronco works wonderfully, it can do 80+ mph when needed and is quite comfortable for long drives. Lastly, I traditionally hate SUVs and trucks (despise crossovers, they are what are truly destroying America....rant for another day )and my last few cars were Challenger Scat Packs and a Jaguar XF I'd chose the Bronco again especially if I could get a painted Mod top and possibly painted Sasquatch fenders.

 

[PlayTime]

Not a fan of the "lifted truck tailgating within 3 inches at 80mph" Detroit culture, eh?
FWIW I get an OBX non SAS this weekend. Not for these reasons, but availability and price points I had to work within.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I love my two door manual base Sasquatch. I have no hard top noise, other than some expected wind noise at hwy speeds, but not excessive, mine came with the free liner and I've no creaks from the top. The top did drip a little water on a couple windy hard rain storms, but very little and the last three storms have been pretty good ones and I checked for leaks and none.

My manual shifts as well as ANY manual I've driven, and almost all my cars for 40 plus years have been manual... Almost, the Bronco shifts as well as my MR2 did; I miss that car. No grinding noise at 10K miles and it's been in the upper 30s, low 40s on some mornings this winter. Oh and the ski trips I've taken too, no grinding sound and perfectly smooth at 6:00 am in the mountains during a snowstorm.

Like stated above the turning radius of the 2 door is tight. If the system would re-calibrate the speedo and ODO using the tire's TPS when ever you switched tire sizes I would buy some TO from a base and run those around town and save the 35" tires for off the road. Those tires waste gas in town and I live in a hilly area with a lot of lights that are on demand with no right on red due to curves so there are too many stops that kill my fuel economy.

Is there a way to switch back & forth between tires sizes and have your ODO/speedo correct?

 

[HItman84]

I've got an obx sas waiting to ship and while I won't rule out it hitting a dirt trail now and again I'll never rock crawl or Baja run. I went with SAS because it was required for the advanced auto and living in New England it just didn't make sense to get a 4x4 vehicle without an option for always on. While the snow is an obvious reason it's also been raining a ton the last few years and that's been harder to drive in my Camaro then snow.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I learned to drive on a 1949 Diamond T…owned a ‘70 Bronco 3 spd since the late 80’s, 82 F350 4 spd dump bed, traded a 22 Bronco black Diamond 7spd non sas for 21 Badlands 7spd non sas, and a couple of 5 spd roadsters both early 90’s…not because I’m a manual fanatic but because they were cheaper, functional, repairable…well, the roasters could also include fun…point is to lend a sense of sensibility and credibility to my thoughts…

I only bought 6th gen because I had a contract that took me off the far and out to Arizona for long term. I needed something with A/C. My thought was to replace the body of my 70 (almost no sheet metal left on my daily driver and farm workhorse) while away and then sell the 22 when contract was over - I don’t need two utility work vehicles and the 70 meets my needs for that. I found The differential gearing on the black Diamond rendered 6th too high. Any acceleration / slight grade needed turbo boost on highway. But I fell in love with exploring the national parks and back country out here on my weekends and then I fell in love with just how capable the damn thing was off road compared to my (stock / original) 70. I wanted more!

With Badlands differentials on 33s much more reasonable rpm in 6th. Give some of that back with 35s/SAS.

If 99% urban use, prefer 7 speed and won't accept baby bronco sport (which would make a lot more sense for urban life)…then at least go non SAS. You’ll give up gas mileage, a little pep, and less useful 6th gear all for look of big expensive tires. For me image is nothing. Functionality is everything.

realize I was driving 70 bronco as a daily back when they were laughed at for being $700 rusty bricks and my convertibles were gay/girl cars instead of being the racetrack gateway darlings they are today.

Things I tend to buy start out as jokes, last decades, and end up being classics. Includes my iron barrel 500cc bullet.

I’m not sure the 6th gen will be classics - 30 years from now won’t be able to replace the computer and electric vehicles will blow away the performance but won’t have the charm the 70 has today.

Question: Speaking of rusty bricks.

I've seen shows where they've taken an old Bronco and replaced the frame/chassis with a new upgraded modern one. I also seen one where they kept the original Chassis and put an all new tub & body on it. So, what keeps us from buying a chassis and body and building our own Bronco from scratch?

I'm assuming it's the lack of a VIN?

Is that why they take completely rusted out trucks/car/SUVs and rebuild them from nothing with all new chassis and body parts, basically just keeping just the VIN?

A 74 Bronco is so basic, a chassis, power train, suspension & brakes are most of the work and what you would want to modernize anyhow. The body and interior on those are pretty basic and I'd imagine the easy part of the build; all can be bought new with after market parts.

But what a beautiful and capable foundation one could build today all with aftermarket parts and a salvaged coyote engine with trans from a wrecked F150. I think if I had a garage I could do that for the cost of a loaded Bronco. Paying for the labor would be prohibitive for me, but doing it myself from the ground up would be a fun project and dare I say a bitchin' ride after completion.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Lastly, I traditionally hate SUVs and trucks (despise crossovers)

I have always thought it funny that Americans in general have never embraced the [hot] hatchback cars like the Europeans, but put a bulbous body like on a CUV and they buy em like crazy! ???

I particularly hate the idea of the fastback CUVs, you know the 2 door sports car look on a SUV but just with a bigger rounder body, you just lost over half of your carrying capacity for the look of a sports car in your heavy SUV????

Real SUVs are square backed with space to pack your gear, not sloped with a small hatch back like a sports car... If small enough and light enough that would be a rally car. But those are not that either.

 

[JEMSA]

Question: Speaking of rusty bricks.

I've seen shows where they've taken an old Bronco and replaced the frame/chassis with a new upgraded modern one. I also seen one where they kept the original Chassis and put an all new tub & body on it. So, what keeps us from buying a chassis and body and building our own Bronco from scratch?

I'm assuming it's the lack of a VIN?

Is that why they take completely rusted out trucks/car/SUVs and rebuild them from nothing with all new chassis and body parts, basically just keeping just the VIN?

A 74 Bronco is so basic, a chassis, power train, suspension & brakes are most of the work and what you would want to modernize anyhow. The body and interior on those are pretty basic and I'd imagine the easy part of the build.

But what a beautiful and capable foundation one could build today all with aftermarket parts and a salvaged coyote engine with trans from a wrecked F150. I think if I had a garage I could do that for the cost of a loaded Bronco. Paying for the labor would be prohibitive for me, but doing it myself from the ground up would be a fun project and dare I say a bitchin' ride after completion.

Yep - it’s about the VIN. Can’t build from scratch and make it road legal - otherwise would need to comply with current safety and emission standards.

So with trusty VIN in hand then becomes a question of - can anything be kept to make it authentic at least in some form of spirit other than appearance and how much to modernize the function. That is, is it a classic Bronco with fuel injected power disc brakes 5 speed transmission? No single “right” answer.

I’m struggling with my own answer given that I’ve happily dailied it nearly stock for so long. I kind of like going to a parts counter and knowing I will get correct part just giving year engine and transmission - in stock off shelf.

I’m leaning towards changing very little. I have cut my skirts as I was often hitting fenders. Thats about it. I do have a holly carb and 2.5” lift. Upgraded heater blower. All else is stock. Might even backtrack on carb.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Yep - it’s about the VIN. Can’t build from scratch and make it road legal

So, if the places where the VIN plates are located are cut out, well away from the plate and splice into the new body, after grinding and painting one would never know where it was spliced in. Some of these guys can weld a piece in and you'd never knew they did.

The VINs and a title should be the major hurtles in getting it registered??

But a 1974 Bronco, has no smog and mods/safety (brakes & electronics) upgrades are allowed, so I'd assume getting a title and the VIN plates, If the plates aren't rusted themselves, from a shell would work?

That's probably why we see guys pay $$$$ for rusty old wrecked beaters.

 

[Squatch]

Sorry I missed this thread! Lots of ignorance in here.

First 10K miles was 2.5-3hrs of rush hour Miami idiot laden traffic 5 days per week IN FLIP FLOPS!

I love it! If you actually love a manual transmission, then you'd do it too.

It is a forgiving transmission, but on the truck-side of them. It's not tractor manual, but the Ford Performance tune which adds rev-matching to the downshift is very satisfying and a value-add. I probably did 8K+ without the FP, though, and loved it.

I had the real 10spd auto(10r80) in the F150 and it's a sweet bit of kit. The unfortunate decision to bean-count out the 10r60 for the Bronco is reason #2 to avoid it. The first is that it's an automatic.

Driving an automatic is like drinking non-alcoholic beer... what the hell's the point?

 

[Squatch]

Is there a way to switch back & forth between tires sizes and have your ODO/speedo correct?

FP tune.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Question: Speaking of rusty bricks.

I've seen shows where they've taken an old Bronco and replaced the frame/chassis with a new upgraded modern one. I also seen one where they kept the original Chassis and put an all new tub & body on it. So, what keeps us from buying a chassis and body and building our own Bronco from scratch?

I'm assuming it's the lack of a VIN?

Is that why they take completely rusted out trucks/car/SUVs and rebuild them from nothing with all new chassis and body parts, basically just keeping just the VIN?

A 74 Bronco is so basic, a chassis, power train, suspension & brakes are most of the work and what you would want to modernize anyhow. The body and interior on those are pretty basic and I'd imagine the easy part of the build; all can be bought new with after market parts.

But what a beautiful and capable foundation one could build today all with aftermarket parts and a salvaged coyote engine with trans from a wrecked F150. I think if I had a garage I could do that for the cost of a loaded Bronco. Paying for the labor would be prohibitive for me, but doing it myself from the ground up would be a fun project and dare I say a bitchin' ride after completion.

There's a lot of shady stuff going on in that world. The most legitimate way to do it is build a Ship of Theseus, but you have to start with a clean VIN frame to do it right.

There are people getting away with building from scratch using only a glovebox tag and title, but whoever owns the frame is the one that has true rights to that VIN and it can get messy.

 

[JEMSA]

So, if the places where the VIN plates are located are cut out, well away from the plate and splice into the new body, after grinding and painting one would never know where it was spliced in. Some of these guys can weld a piece in and you'd never knew they did.

The VINs and a title should be the major hurtles in getting it registered??

But a 1974 Bronco, has no smog and mods/safety (brakes & electronics) upgrades are allowed, so I'd assume getting a title and the VIN plates, If the plates aren't rusted themselves, from a shell would work?

That's probably why we see guys pay $$$$ for rusty old wrecked beaters.

VIN is located on the glove box door. Yes, that’s why people will buy total loss, just for the vin and maybe a handful of lenses and bezels. Fairly common in fact - just as you note, allows a vehicle to be built from scratch that only needs to meet codes of the era.

Here’s my new body waiting to be put on the old boy, pictured next to my Black Diamond

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