My Early Bronco's

[Airmapper]

Well with a newish X and no mods to speak of, here is some of what I was working on before the X came along, and will still be working on, so the X has to share. (I mod anything I own, don't worry, the X will see some action in time.)

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I have 2 Bronco's, the first one (now green) was and is a member of the family. It was purchased new by my Aunt and Uncle, sold to my Dad, I learned to drive in it, three-on-the-tree, first lessons starting at 6 years old. (still driving manuals)

It is an early production half cab, made in the 3rd month of manufacturing, and it has many unique features to early 1966 units. With that in mind, my plans to make myself a trail rig were put aside and I've done what I can to preserve it and keep it moving under it's own power. It is waiting for me to build an adequately sized shop for a complete body off restoration.

It has an I6, 170cid engine, 4.56 axle gearing, and a rear limited slip. This was all factory options.

Photos of it are here: LINK

Since I didn't want to go all nuts on the family heirloom, and a significantly rare vehicle, I got a '70 Bronco Wagon (blue), of which lots were made. It was also hacked on by the previous owner, so I have no guilt modding this as I see fit.

It has the prevalent Ford 302 Windsor V8, but unfortunately higher 3.50 gearing, and open diffs. (Well i think there is a non-working LS in the front) It's on 33" BFG KM2's now, and it has about 2.5" of lift, however I'm debating a 3.5" lift one day. I have lots of plans, but for now it is pretty drivable and I take it on short trips. It will be putting in a NP-435 4 speed transmission, better know as a "Bulldog" or "granny gear" trans, that will give me a lowest gearing of 58:1, even with the high axle gears. It is my hopeful trail rig and most of it's future mods will be with wheeling in mind.

Photos of the '70 are here: LINK

Thanks for looking. Many of us in the Bronco community also have Xterra's. A few regard the X as the SUV Ford should have built using the Bronco name. It is very much what the legacy of the Bronco should have refined itself into as a modern vehicle. Nissan caught on, Ford has turned a blind eye to off road capable vehicles. (Except for the Raptor, and only the wealthy can afford it.)

 

[AZhiAZiAM]

those broncos are awesome man. always been a huge fan of them. there is a HUGE and i mean 100+ bronco meet every year at pismo. it's just amazing seeing them all roam around.

 

[KChurch86]

Beautiful! I have a big soft spot for Broncos, especially the early ones like yours. I like almost any Bronco I see, right up until the '87's when they did away with the inset headlights.

 

[02Xterra]

Sexy Bronco's man!! I like the '70

One of the vehicles on my list of own/restore/mod one day

 

[Macland]

It's so nice that you recognize the importance of keeping something like that as close to factory as possible. Those things are incredible man. I almost had a Bronco for my first vehicle and I still regret not choosing it some days. I loved my '71 Chevy Cheyenne but a Bronco would have been a lot of fun.

 

[Cameron23]

I want a bronco so bad!

Sent from my brain to the interwebz via a Samsung Galaxy S and Tapatalk 2

 

[J Everett]

Thank you so much for sharing your Broncs with us. I've had a soft spot for Broncos of all years since I was a kid; the first car I have any memories of was my mom's 1980 Bronco, and I also remember pictures of my dad's 1978 Bronco with the 400ci engine that was, sadly, stolen out of the driveway when I was an infant.

The day I put my deposit down on my current Xterra, a beautifully resto-modded 68 half cab came up for sale locally for $8800 and I very nearly bought it instead of my Xterra. If it had been a full cab, I probably would have bought it.

 

[Bakerx05]

Just like the others are say, I would love to own a pre '78 Bronco also. Have though about getting rid of the X to get one but never bit the bullet.

DO NOT get rid of the WINDSOR!!! That is about the best engine you can have in a Bronco!!

If you start doing work, be sure to post up about it!!!

 

[KChurch86]

It's so nice that you recognize the importance of keeping something like that as close to factory as possible. Those things are incredible man.

^^THIS^^

Couldn't agree more. There's a kid in town who's got a pristine older Bronco, I want to say it's a '67. He and his dad did a frame-off restoration on it, and it's beautiful. Black wagon with a white top, gorgeous.

 

[OKXterra]

Sweet! I am a sucker for a classic Bronco. My Father-in-law has a 1976 that he bought new off the lot back then and uses it as his dirt road cruiser still. He and I usually end up wrenching on it anytime MississippiGal and I go visit.

 

[Airmapper]

Thanks for the kind words and comments, will be sure and update on any major progress.

I like how the older vehicles seem to let the modern brand loyalties fade. Most people who like 4x4's seem to appreciate them and forget the smack talk. I know my head will turn over any old 4x4, be it a Jeep, Scout, FJ, Rover, you name it. Modern 4x4's, well I got my favorites, and my not so favorites.

 

[AaronsX]

Not to sound like a creeper lol But I think I saw you driving the blue one today or someone with one like it! Anyway it was sick!!

 

[Jmac289gt]

those are very kool sir and I too like the fact that people can appreciate the fact that some things are worth more stock than modified, they might not look as kool but sometimes looks are over rated.

 

[Airmapper]

Not to sound like a creeper lol But I think I saw you driving the blue one today or someone with one like it! Anyway it was sick!!

Haha, well if you seen it you are a creeper sneaking around in the woods spying on me, I had it out here at home but didn't leave the property with it. There are a few around, but you may have spotted one I don't know about. People have claimed to seen me before when I wasn't out, so I'm pretty sure there is a similar one to mine in the area. I'd like to see it myself.

 

[TKDx00]

Nice ponies... I had an '80 when I lived up in Mass. First 4x4 I owned. 302 4 speed auto. Started rebuilding a 351C for it when a guy made an offer I couldn't refuse. Would love to get my hands on a pre '78 model. Enjoy your Ponies but...LOVE the X!!!

 

[AaronsX]

Lol I haven't been sneaking around the woods I just passed a blue one at a intersection in town, then I remembered you posting this thread.

 

[Airmapper]

Well I think the world of the X, but it's doing it's job great as is, so time to focus the time and money into my original dream for an ultimate 4x4.

The NP435 is on the workbench, disassembled and ready for a good refresh. These trannys are tough as nails, so I hope a good gunk removal and a few gaskets and it will be ready to go.

It's cold, it's slimy, it's sticky, and it has to go.....

And I am starting the process of sealing up the springs of oil that would be the envy of Jed Clampett. Dropped the oil pan, now I have to figure out the rear seal and make sure that is my issue.

A peek at the underside of a 302:

My problem with the oil pan:

At least the PO used a gasket I think I can re-use, they hacked up so much stuff I dug into before, I about fell over when I found a quality replacement part used.

Stay tuned, I'm hoping to get the drive line work done this year, maybe....okay I hope faster than that.

And the last good overall shot I have of it, been a little bit, but I've not changed anything on the outside.

 

[metzican]

Its looking great. Keep us updated. I always have my eye out for a old bronco that has a good body to start with.

 

[J Everett]

Its looking great. Keep us updated. I always have my eye out for a old bronco that has a good body to start with.

There was a guy selling one in New Iberia near Dauterive Hospital on N. Lewis St. when I was there about a month ago. If you drive through that way it's visible from Lewis; you can't really miss. If he hasn't sold it already. Might be listed in the Quik Quarter or CL.

/threadjack


Airmapper, that Bronc' is sweet. I'd love to see some tube doors on it.

 

[SnickerDoodle]

Oh man! These are beautiful! I would love to eventually own one!

 

[gamecock257]

Looking forward to seeing more. I've always loved the early broncos and would like to have one myself someday

 

[Xado89]

I love Bronco's as well, and the Old International Scouts! If only I could find one.... I've declared my next truck will be a Bronco. My buddy got a 85 Bronco I think for his first truck, we had some fun times with that thing. Best part it was a stick shift!

 

[Airmapper]

Thanks for the comments, it does help keep me motivated seeing interest in the project. I'm doing some very common swap work, so it's nothing new to the Bronco world, but it's the most advanced vehicle work I've ever tackled, so it's a big learning experience.

I spent several hours today working on it. I removed the exhaust pipes, drive shafts, shifter assemblies, and got some of the cross member bolts out. The path to drop the Trans to T-case is cleared. I have to come up with a safe and controlled way to drop it, and hopefully a little more man power to help ease it all down.

 

[drbandkgb]

I like this project

 

[Airmapper]

Today I <crossing fingers> finished the tranny cleanup (not a full rebuild, but I did tear it down.)

Before, and mind you I did clean it some before I took this pic:

Prepped to paint:

Some rust preventing grill paint later, (I debated using clear coat):

Back in one piece:

And this came in, for some easy shifting:

Stay tuned, I'm getting closer to the fun stuff. I was hoping to make a car show this month, not sure if I can whip through this that fast though....

 

[Cameron23]

This may be a stupid question but wouldn't you want to paint the whole piece with rust prevention? why only the lower?

 

[Xterraforce]

Those are some nice Broncos. I always have and always will love Broncos of all years but of course the early ones are my favorites. I've only owned two Broncos. Both were (don't laugh) 1985 Bronco IIs. The first was stock except for a Detroit Locker in the rear and 32" BFGs on the stock wheels with trimmed fenders for clearance. I bought a second one in much better shape for $500.00 and sold the first one to funds mods one number 2. It ended up with a rear Detroit, 4.56 Yukon gears, 6" BDS suspension lift, 2" body lift, 35" Pro Comp Xterrains, James Duff bumpers and a Warn M8000.

I think you hit the nail on the head with a comment you made that helps explain part of my love for Xterras. They are exactly what the Bronco should have evolved into. Thanks for sharing yours and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for these two horses.

 

[Airmapper]

This may be a stupid question but wouldn't you want to paint the whole piece with rust prevention? why only the lower?

No such thing as a stupid question, but sometimes I give stupid answers. (Not this time though.)

The upper part, being the casing cover and shift tower, is made out of Aluminum. Aluminum does oxidize, which is why it doesn't look "fresh" (that and some grease I missed) but if I were to sand it down, it would just oxidize another layer. It sealed itself by oxidizing and shouldn't corrode any beyond that, unlike iron, which will continue to oxidize (rust) beyond the outer layer.

So by leaving that part alone I actually am preserving it better, than if I were to go to pains to make it look like new, and then paint it which has no benefit to aluminum other than cosmetic.

 

[Airmapper]

Well I reluctantly turned down a wheeling invite because I really needed to make some progress on this project. No wheeling now for more wheeling later. Had my Dad and Uncle available to help, weather was perfect, so took on the heavy stuff.

Brought out the Transmission, Intermediate housing, and T-case in one piece. That thing is HEAVY, I'm not sure the total weight but about 200lbs sounds close. Ratchet straps are wonderful, eased it down slow and steady.

Also got out the bell housing, pressure plate, clutch, flywheel, and flex plate. I'll probably need to replace most of it.

Now on to sourcing parts, placing orders, and spending money......

 

[metzican]

Liking the progress.

 

[Airmapper]

I'm a slow mechanic, but this project is not dead. It's about a month over my hoped for completion, but I'm plugging along.

I'm into the Transfer case now, got it all apart today after fighting a stubborn bearing, a snap ring (have I ever mentioned my loathing of snap rings?) and a stripped set screw, going to modify the shift rails for full twin stick functionality.

FYI, if you ever strip a set screw head (hex or allen head) I've had very good luck with first putting the torch to it for a bit, then finding an appropriate sized Torx socket, slightly larger but still fits in the hole. A few delicate taps with your favorite BFH to drive it in, and then gently ease in on the ratchet and it should go ahead and hold to twist it out.

Since my last post, the engine is buttoned back up, the refreshed oil pan installed. I finished the intermediate housing and did the mix/matching of parts to convert it for use with the swapped in transmission. I've also been ordering and pricing parts, that is a job in itself. (and is painful for a tightwad like me....)

Not many pics, but I did get these:

And one more. This is what you find when you pull apart the work of a hick redneck mechanic. I don't know what previous owner made this clutch rod. I was less than impressed with the quality, but amused with the ingenuity. Yes, a portion of that is indeed a socket.

 

[metzican]

Maybe it was a trail repair that just ended up being a replacement part!

 

[gunna15]

Nice work man! I'd love to have a Bronco!

 

[Airmapper]

If anyone was paying attention, they may have thought I gave up, or just continued to procrastinate on my Bronco build. While it certainly didn't go as fast as I had hoped, it's going.

I've been doing something to it about every weekend for the last month or so, and most of the really hard work has been in the last few weeks. Today I finally reached a milestone.

All this was in progress since my last post:
Transfer case complete rebuild, finished.
Twin stick shifters, test fitted.
Clutch linkages, rebuilt.
Transmission, installed.
Transfer case, installed.
Crossmember, installed.
Exhausts, attached.
Driveshafts, bolted up.
Starter, attached.
Frame jack stands, lowered.
Wheels, installed.
Axle stands, pulled.

As of today, the Bronco sits on it's own feet. Buttoned up and for the most part complete, except for one kinda big issue.

I underestimated just how bad my body mounts were. The flattening of those results in my body being very close to the frame, and as a result, my tunnel cover has very little clearance from the transmission. I switched to a top shifted 4-speed, so even though I planned for the tight spaces and got a remote shifter, there isn't enough room between that and my heater box to install it.

But, I have a solution in the works, a new body mount w/1" lift kit is sitting on the workbench. It should give me adequate clearance for my shifter, along with more room to work on most major areas of the vehicle. It may also improve the looks a bit, and my tires will have a bit more clearance.

During that I may have to rework various linkages, don't know yet. And I need something to cover up the tunnel. Aside from that, barring the unforeseen issues that may come up, I should be drivable again, with a transmission favored by rock crawlers, and hopefully a smooth new clutch.

Stay tuned. I've already started to plan and prep for a cosmetic refresh. I'll be ditching the cheesy pinstripes everywhere. Swapping the falling off chrome emblems out for vinyl sticker emblems. Probably will black out the grille, maybe repaint the flares to match. I may swap my Dick Cepek rims for some classic wagon wheel steelies I'll paint black. The DC's are just a bit flashy for a trail rig.

I also am planning to get at least a front bumper in the spring to mount my Smittybuilt 8000k winch on.

Sorry I don't have a bunch of photos, the install work isn't visually impressive, just the parts I had out back where they are supposed to be and mostly obscured. I do have this of the finished T-case and twin sticks fitted up:

 

[KChurch86]

Just like the opening sentence of your last post, I did think of you the other day; haha. I was reading about a vintage Bronco build elsewhere and it got me wondering how your project was going.

That's a good list of accomplished tasks. Glad to hear you've got a solution to the sagging body mount dilemma as well! Is it just the pucks that's worn out or is there compromised metal too?

 

[Airmapper]

Is it just the pucks that's worn out or is there compromised metal too?

Honestly, both. I'm only addressing the mounts for now. It should hold together, but I do need to address the floor rot eventually. My plan is to rework all the flooring once I have access to a welder to piece it together with. I get carried away going in a bunch of different directions sometimes, but overall I'm trying to eat the proverbial elephant, one bite at a time.

Thanks for the support!

 

[Airmapper]

Didn't get pics of it all, but I ended up getting some stuff for the Bronco I hadn't really planned to get so soon, but it worked out I found it local, and for what I believe was a good deal, so I jumped at the opportunity.

I got a Dana 44 axle, it has a track lock carrier, 4.09 ring and pinion, and as a bonus most of the parts for a f-150 disk brake swap. I also got the radius arms, and I need those as one of mine is bent.

Be a nice upgrade from my weak D30 and 3.50 gearing, not to mention the stopping power of the disks. (And I already have have a hydroboost unit waiting to be worked on.) Good thing is I can mostly work on it on the side until I'm ready to switch it out. I will have to drop and re-gear the rear at some point, but I'll probably wait until the front is almost ready to go in before I pull the rear.