Newest project 1973 Bronco

My first vehicle during high school was a '74 Bronco. in '86 my first new truck, my '86 Flareside, could not get rid of the Bronco for a grand, How things have changed...
Anyway always "looked" on and off for another, found a '76 in 2005, rebuilt it but sold it cause the kids were small and Mom didn't like them in it..

We moved to CT in '97 and about 7 miles "down the road" there was a first gen Bronc in a guys front yard under a tarp, "rotting" been rolling past it for years, nothing going on with it other than the trees and bushes consuming it. last summer the guy had a car for sale in his front yard, I told my wife "it is a good excuse " to inquire about the Bronco..to my surprise she encouraged this.
Now since these things in "deplorable" condition are easily getting 7Grand for some stupid reason, I figured lets see what the owner would say..
He was going to re-build it (along with 2 other projects next to it, "Come back in a week he said"
So I did and convinced him to sell.....for $600.00!
Rotted frame, Fender almost gone, floors gone and 6" sunk in the ground, but a  steel top in great condition and not a tear in the seats! He mentioned it only had 18,000 mile on it and proved it with all the registration since 1973...

I got the basket case home and stripped it, alot was in great shape, Cap Wiper motor /assy, wire harness, brake =, gas pedals and assy, E-brake assy, Dash is in almost "mint" condition, tire carrier, doors, hood (no rust) radiator, Heater and duct work, and CT leagal paperwork!. What this needed was an entire new body...
Motor (302) had not run in years, but changed the oil/filter and "fired" it up, No noise smoke and great oil pressure?
So I advertised some usable parts and the vultures came-a-calling.
Ended up selling the rotted frame and drivetrain and some other parts for over $4000!
With that cash, I found another Basket case it Syracuse, NY with a valid title that matches the door VIN that matches the frame numbers. for $2500.
This is a 302 also but the P.O. took the front off it, Harmonic balancer, TC cover and chain fuel and water pump, and left it for deal for 5+years.

This one came with a second , repaired frame, So I installed all new bushings in it, replaced all the engine parts and fired it up too,50lbs of oil pressure, no smoke and noises, a C-4 and Dana 20 t-case! Put the drive line on the "new" frame and I have a roller with a title!



SO now I bought a "bronco in a box" from Wild Horses, A complete body tub, No instructions, and dimensions, just a "good luck, sucker!
But they tell you up-front not for anyone with out welding experience, able to cut, snip, modify panels and must have a crap load of patience


So we begin, made a rotisserie out of a second frame and started the build





Once all welded up, and painted, ill lift it off this frame and roll the roller under it, but paint will have to wait till spring.....

COOL!  That is such a neat story, Ron!  Thanks for posting.  And I hope you keep the story going.  

An early Bronco for $600!?!?  That's crazy.  Then sell many of those parts and buy another?  Then buy a Bronco in a box?  It is like a chess game, but I see where it is going, and I like it.  

I see the door from the first one you bought on the new shell.  And I assume the "mint" dash will go in it?  And the interior w/o a tear?  And the steel top?  Like I said, it is a chess game.

Well done!

Looks like a fun project. I'll take 2 for the price you bought it for!

Officially checkmate!

Great story!

Very neat! Subscribed.

Indeed! Awesome!

Excellent Ron. Can't wait to see how this one turns out. Subscribed here also.

You'll need one of those Quarantine Build decals for the back window...lol. I'm going to order a couple for the shitbox '80 Flareside I'm welding back together.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Quarantine-Build-decal-HOT-ROD-sticker-2020-ORIGINAL-DESIGN-copyrighted-/143686449406

I have the seats in the cellar (mouse free) and the dash is on a shelf, Since "back in the day" with the ignition switch on the steel dash, all the other keys on the keyring would sway back and forth while driving and wear the dash panel down to bare metal, so I'll strip and re-pain the original white Original key still works the switch and doors, But not sure I'll trust in when it's back on the road.

Just as I thought, Ron.

But I don't understand what you aren't going to trust when it is back on the road.  That the keys won't scratch the newly-painted dash or....?

Helicopter tape.

Looks like a neat project Ron!  
Any and all old Fords are of interest, and at the prices early Bronco restomods are getting these days thanks to Icon and others it looks like a worthy investment of your time.

I hope you have fun with it!

Not that I won't trust the truck's functioning, the key it's self, worn down, so May jus go with new keys...

reamer wrote

Not that I won't trust the truck's functioning, the key it's self, worn down, so May jus go with new keys...

Ahhh!  Ok, I understand.

Once the key gets too worn the pins in the cylinder do too.
Dig that aluminum key out of the glovebox, and Arrrgh!  

I don't know if there's an option to get doors and ignition keyed alike in the '70's, but I'm glad I only have to carry one key now.

reamer wrote

Ron,

Big question...since I already know you're pretty much a Ford purist, I think I already know the answer, but do you plan to leave the rear quarters factory, or will you be cutting them like everybody else does?

Good question Cory! Been struggling with this one.... Yes I like things original as you know, (the whole 5 strips on the bed and all)  BUT....The early bronco rear quarter design was Begged, Borrowed, or Stolen from the early Falcon designers, There was no concept of 31 x 10.50 tires yet.

So the E.B. rear quarters were fine for the existing 20 inch, rather thin tire..... Now enter the 31, 32, 33 and bigger tires for off road, fender and tire damage was/is the result.

First thing I did back in '81 on my 1974 E.B. was cut the rear quarters... So on this one, it will start it's re-birth as original, but if it looks too "stuffed" with 31's out comes the plasma cutter.......

Ron,
Vary cool story and project as others said will be following.

When I was young and lived up there guys I hung out with would hit Ridgefield power lines and 1 buddy had a 69 EB 302 / C4 with stock street snow tires. That thing would go anywhere with its coil suspension up front and soft leaf out back, shocked a lot of us where it went.

The motor had a bad freeze plug so he would fill it with water go to work, drain it work all day and fill it back up. Well 1 night he stopped for a few cold ones and when he got home forgot to drain the motor of water. Next morning the damage was done, cracked block.

He lived with his grandmother and she said if it don't run get it out of the drive!
At the time I had a shop with my dad so I got the truck and instead of putting a motor in it and using it, think the body was shot? I took the body off.
I had a 68 Cougar with a pretty good body but no motor or trans, you would think I would have come up with something and got it going to use also .......... NOPE!

Maybe you can see where this is going  Pulled the rest of the running gear and suspension from the car, had the Bronco frame stretched and placed the car body on the frame. I also channeled the cars floor to get the body as low as I could.
It was the early 80's and people were doing this kind of thing I was just trying to make it not so much red neck LOL

I had it moving under its own power with just the front drive shaft, had to get the rear longer, but by this time I stopped working with dad and the car was moved home as I did a little more work on it.
Sadly I never got it on the road, not living at home dad gave the car away and I told the person to tie up the Ebrake cables to the rear before moving it. He did not and ripped the rear axle out from under it that was the last I heard of it.

Wished I got pictures of this but was way before everyone had cameras in their pocket like today.
Dave ----

Got about 400 spot-welds done today, about 1200 more to go
All welds were pre-drilled on one panel to stitch to the other. This week I'll finish the "hold-it-together welds", then lift it up into "rotisserie" position, flip it over, and finish the rest of the welds, (I like to weld downward)
Once welding done, its Seam sealer and UPOL undercoat for the underside, (again spraying downward) then the assembled body gets lifted off the rotisserie frame (with hoist), and the roller-drivetrain goes under it...

Nice!

.... and now we know why they use robots in the factories.  

That is turning out SO nice, Ron!
Must be exciting for you to see all your work coming together.  

Lookin' good Ron. Now that's a real project...not rebuilding a body, but actually building a body!

Happy New Year Ron. Keep us posted. Is the old Flareside just collecting dust these days?