gnisroh
02-20-2008, 09:00 PM
Due to the request of a fellow member (1fox2go), I am posting a build of my 1971 Ford Bronco.
***Background leading up to the purchase***
Around about the end of 2005 I decided my current wheelin' rig (and DD) was not cuttin' it.
I had purchased a TJ in 2004 with little homework aside from the fact that the "X" had a factory 4.0L. At the time I knew nothing about gearing, and all I wanted was a lift and "big tires".
Well, for Xmas of 2004 I got some 33" BFG A/Ts and a lightbar to boot. Soon after, woes because of the over-sized tires and high gearing (3.07) hit me. Not to mention open diffs. I came to hate mud and anything more than a forest development road.
TJ I sold:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/Cakedon.jpg
At the time, an 8.8/gear swap was out of the question due to financial constraints and lack of time. So I sold it. I started looking at Ford Broncos to replace it around Xmas of 2005.
***Bronco Purchase***
I sold my TJ on eBay, and used the funds to purchase a recently "restored" Bronco. The auto shop said they were restoring it, and had some more work to do before they were ready to sell, but I offered a lower price and told them I'd finish restoring it.
Bronco I bought:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/WhenIgotit.jpg
The Bronco is a 1971 Model. I learned from my mistakes with the TJ, so from the start, I was looking for a 9"/44 Combo. Luckily, the 9" can be found in every year Bronco. I got lucky because Ford switched over half way through production from the D30 to the D44.
It was originally a V8 Bronco, and has a newer 302 swapped in and a factory locked 9".
When I went to pick it up, I had 1fox2go with me. After an uneventful ride home I had it sitting in my driveway ready for restoration.
***Restoration/Build-Up***
As you can see by the pics, it had a fresh coat of Chevy Orange paint.:smt009 All I needed to do was install the headlamp, turn signals, and other misc. stuff.
Early August, I was usually found, with 1fox2go, at his pop's house installing a 5.5" lift and 35x12.50x15 Maxxis Big Horns.
After that, I took it to my cousin's body shop and sprayed the bumpers with Textcoat from a rattle can. $50 to do both bumpers and the cooler rack/spare tire carrier.
As it sat with bumpers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0876.jpg
Needless to say, the tires would rub on the fenders with any kind of driving off pavement, so fender flares were next.
So around November of 2006, I installed some fender flares.
Flares:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0894.jpg
(Don't get upset at me, I didn't destroy an uncut classic...well, I did, but at the same time, I found out it was a shitty restoration, and the truck is pretty much held together by bondo.)
In April of 2006, I found a lead on an NP435 and the guy was in DC. So I pack up some Bronco parts I didn't use, and make the 3 hr. trip up. After 15 min. of shootin' the shit, I was on the beltway with a used, rebuilt NP435 in the truck bed.
NP435:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/NP435.jpg
About this time, I decided to see what it could do, so I took it to a friend's house and drove it through a mud hole. Bad idea. This 5 minute romp in a mud hole sparked a chain of events that ended up costing me about $200. My starter went, and so did my battery. Right after this, the u-joints in my axles went out.
Three weeks, and three different sets of u-joints later, I'm finally able to put the hubs back together.
As it sat for 3 weeks:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0011.jpg
From May 5, 2007 to June 14, 2007 I was in Spain and Morocco, so not much was done to the old horse. However I was setting up a deal with a guy from NY to purchase my doors so I could fund a soft top.
Last Fall, I purchased a roll-bar/cage (2"x.120" wall tubing), a soft top, soft doors, and twin sticks for the D20. I also lengthened my original drive shafts at this time. Now everything is nice and quiet, no bad u-joints or binding drive shafts!:-D
***Soon to come***
NP435 install/twin sticks (with write-up)
Cage install
How it sits now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/untitled.jpg
I'm hoping to have this beast ready for Big Dogs this coming April, so look for some more progress on this thread in the next couple weeks.
***Background leading up to the purchase***
Around about the end of 2005 I decided my current wheelin' rig (and DD) was not cuttin' it.
I had purchased a TJ in 2004 with little homework aside from the fact that the "X" had a factory 4.0L. At the time I knew nothing about gearing, and all I wanted was a lift and "big tires".
Well, for Xmas of 2004 I got some 33" BFG A/Ts and a lightbar to boot. Soon after, woes because of the over-sized tires and high gearing (3.07) hit me. Not to mention open diffs. I came to hate mud and anything more than a forest development road.
TJ I sold:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/Cakedon.jpg
At the time, an 8.8/gear swap was out of the question due to financial constraints and lack of time. So I sold it. I started looking at Ford Broncos to replace it around Xmas of 2005.
***Bronco Purchase***
I sold my TJ on eBay, and used the funds to purchase a recently "restored" Bronco. The auto shop said they were restoring it, and had some more work to do before they were ready to sell, but I offered a lower price and told them I'd finish restoring it.
Bronco I bought:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/WhenIgotit.jpg
The Bronco is a 1971 Model. I learned from my mistakes with the TJ, so from the start, I was looking for a 9"/44 Combo. Luckily, the 9" can be found in every year Bronco. I got lucky because Ford switched over half way through production from the D30 to the D44.
It was originally a V8 Bronco, and has a newer 302 swapped in and a factory locked 9".
When I went to pick it up, I had 1fox2go with me. After an uneventful ride home I had it sitting in my driveway ready for restoration.
***Restoration/Build-Up***
As you can see by the pics, it had a fresh coat of Chevy Orange paint.:smt009 All I needed to do was install the headlamp, turn signals, and other misc. stuff.
Early August, I was usually found, with 1fox2go, at his pop's house installing a 5.5" lift and 35x12.50x15 Maxxis Big Horns.
After that, I took it to my cousin's body shop and sprayed the bumpers with Textcoat from a rattle can. $50 to do both bumpers and the cooler rack/spare tire carrier.
As it sat with bumpers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0876.jpg
Needless to say, the tires would rub on the fenders with any kind of driving off pavement, so fender flares were next.
So around November of 2006, I installed some fender flares.
Flares:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0894.jpg
(Don't get upset at me, I didn't destroy an uncut classic...well, I did, but at the same time, I found out it was a shitty restoration, and the truck is pretty much held together by bondo.)
In April of 2006, I found a lead on an NP435 and the guy was in DC. So I pack up some Bronco parts I didn't use, and make the 3 hr. trip up. After 15 min. of shootin' the shit, I was on the beltway with a used, rebuilt NP435 in the truck bed.
NP435:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/NP435.jpg
About this time, I decided to see what it could do, so I took it to a friend's house and drove it through a mud hole. Bad idea. This 5 minute romp in a mud hole sparked a chain of events that ended up costing me about $200. My starter went, and so did my battery. Right after this, the u-joints in my axles went out.
Three weeks, and three different sets of u-joints later, I'm finally able to put the hubs back together.
As it sat for 3 weeks:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/IMGA0011.jpg
From May 5, 2007 to June 14, 2007 I was in Spain and Morocco, so not much was done to the old horse. However I was setting up a deal with a guy from NY to purchase my doors so I could fund a soft top.
Last Fall, I purchased a roll-bar/cage (2"x.120" wall tubing), a soft top, soft doors, and twin sticks for the D20. I also lengthened my original drive shafts at this time. Now everything is nice and quiet, no bad u-joints or binding drive shafts!:-D
***Soon to come***
NP435 install/twin sticks (with write-up)
Cage install
How it sits now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Stevo02TJ/untitled.jpg
I'm hoping to have this beast ready for Big Dogs this coming April, so look for some more progress on this thread in the next couple weeks.