A Change in Bronco's~

 My history with Ford vehicles & the Bronco in particular, is a long one, going back over 25-years.  We bought our first full size Bronco in December of 1999.  I'd driven Mustang's for years, before we moved to the Homestead.  When we brought horses' home, I needed something to pull a horse trailer.  It was a sad day when we traded my 1986 Mustang GT 5.0 for a Jeep Pioneer. It wasn't long before the transmission in the Jeep went out & we realized I needed a more powerful truck.  

Our choice was a black 1995 Ford Bronco.  It pulled the horse trailer easily.  I could park & maneuver it in almost any situation.  The first of April of 2000, I drove over the pass to attend Home on the Range, the first endurance ride of the 2000 season.

Home on the Range, Endurance Ride 4-1-2000~

The Bronco took me to rides when Butch had to work.  I camped in the back of the horse trailer.  Sometimes he'd arrive later with the RV.  (That year, Jas & I received our first 250-mile completion pin.)

April of 2006, I was t-boned in an intersection by a woman driving a huge old station wagon with a V shaped front bumper.  It hit right in the middle of the Bronco.  No one was hurt, I hardly felt the impact & thought the Bronco would be fixed.  Butch picked me up & the Bronco was towed away.  The following day, we received the news that it had been totaled.  The frame had been bent.  By that time, finding a full-size Bronco in decent condition was almost impossible.  

Butch searched everywhere.  April 30th, he found one south of Seattle that had come from the Portland, OR area.  It was in great condition.  I don't remember the mileage it had then, but it too, had the 5.8 L engine. We added a hitch & I was again on the road!

Our second Bronco, 5-23-2022

This is the Bronco we hauled on a trailer behind the U-Haul, when we made our move from WA to IA.  It continued to pull the horse trailer for the next two-years, until we moved Farah back to WA in September of 2018.  From 2016 until late 2018 we covered over 4,000 a year.

8-2-2024 - Goodby Bronco~

August of this year, after having been on market for over two-years, the Bronco was purchased by a mechanic from the Creston School Bus Barn. He had his dad & grandfather along with him.  The three of them were thrilled to find a Classic Bronco in such great condition.  I loved it that they appreciated the Bronco.

7-7-2019 - The 2012 Explorer & 1995 Bronco~

We'd purchased the Explorer in June of 2019. From that time on, the Bronco just sat.  We took it out for a ride now & then.  I counted on it in snowy weather, but it no longer had a job to do.  I never did really adjust to the Explorer.  It just didn't feel right for me.  It was perfect for long trips though, smooth, comfortable & with plenty of room.  It was also great if the kids came to visit, we could all fit with the third-row seating.  Twice a year though, when we took it in to switch out the summer tires to winter, I complained to Butch.  Listing the same complaints, I'd had since we'd bought it.

We'd taken it into Barrett for the seasonal tire change the day after Thanksgiving.  November 30th, we drove up to Council Bluffs for a late breakfast. It was a cold, gray, blustery day.  The next thing I knew, we were pulling into Edwards Nissan!  I asked Butch; "What are you doing?!"  His reply: "The salesman waved at me." That left me speechless.  I explained to him there was no way I was walking around in a Nissan sales lot in the cold.  

Just to be nice, I got out of the truck & followed him along the first isle.  We both stopped at the same instant & just looked at each other.  There it was - the exact vehicle we would have picked - out of who knows how many... 

2023 Bronco Sport, Big Bend~

Butch told me to get in & drive it.  Well, that was all it took.  I loved everything about it.  It felt familiar, if smaller than my full size.  Quick, nimble & so easy for me to see out of & park!  It had the heated seats I've been wanting since we moved to IA!  With under 8,000 original miles & additional convenience packages from the factory, the salesman didn't have to sell us.  Butch spent his last day of home time going over it from top to bottom.  We've installed several accessories & I've been driving it almost every day.  I'm very happy to be back in a Bronco!