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The BRONCO....

Hammer

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For those that don't know my step father passed away in it on Oct. 1st in a car accident in his most prized possession, his 1974 Ford Bronco. . I was really torn on what to do with it because I had a lot of bonding time with my step dad, he did a lot of the work himself but I had built the short block when I was around 18, it was the very first engine I had ever assembled by myself. I couldn't just let it go to an auction lot . Part of my heart and my fondest memories of Bill were with that Bronco. If it was going to be sold or parted out, I was going to have the say on what goes and what doesn't.


The ins. Agency called late last week and said I could take possession but needed a place to take it. My moms house wasn't an option for several reasons the biggest being she (and I) didn't want to see it in its current state. I had already looked at it and grabbed what personal possessions out of it I could and knew she doesn't need to see what I saw. I was short on time and had to get the Bronco somewhere to have the body removed before I could bring it home.

A HUGE thanks to George (Hallett22) , we had met while I looked at his Vector for a board member . Ironically he worked for a body shop up here and as we got to talking about how I ended up in Nor Cal he said If I needed any help don't hesitate to ask. A week or two went by after we met . I received the call from the agency and needed a destination for them to tow it to soon, like the next day :eek: . I called George and within an hour he put me in touch with a friend of his who would remove the body for me for a VERY fair price, he also kept the salvageable parts for me. (Lights,grill,tailgate,etc...) . This was all at the end of last week. The car actually arrived on Friday :thumbup:

I called Richard monday morning as I was going to head up to his shop to go over what I would like saved. I was stunned when he had told me it's already done and he labeled all the parts and put them in boxes for me ! I didn't want to inconvenience him by having him store the Bronco so I rented a Uhaul trailer and headed to Loomis around 1:30-2:00. Got there around 3 or so and the Bronco was ready to go. We loaded with a forklift into the trailer and I was ready for the drive home.......

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Hammer

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I made the drive from Loomis through the country roads and finally made it home. I headed down the driveway towards the house, I still had a bunch on my mind from the drive and was still dwelling on what I was going to do now that I have the Bronco in my possession. How should I build it ? Should I build it ? Should I just part it out and keep the motor ? Am in in over my head ? What would Bill want ? Etc... Etc..... Etc.....

Well, in my haze of thoughts as I approached the gate to the house I realized I won't be able to turn the truck around at the end of the easement/driveway (idiot ! :rolleyes: ) ! My only choice now was to pull in past the gate and unload the rig and back out. Hopefully back up enough into the easement/driveway to make the turn and head back out. You see, I rented the u haul trailer for 6 hours thinking I'd have plenty of time to drop it back off. I thought I'd have it back by 4:30 no problem. By the time I assessed the situation and figured out what I had to do it was already 10 'till 5, they close at 5:30. No way I was going to make it back. To top it off it was cold outside and I knew about halfway home I was getting sick. What a day, I said screw it . I'll unload it In the morning and take the trailer back.....

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I did a quick once over to make sure the motor was somewhat covered and noticed a hole in the back of the drivers side valve cover. Covered it up with a tarp and I'll deal with it in the morning....

The next morning I woke up feeling like shit as the cold had hit me in full force. Ugh, great way to start the day. I had to get the trailer back so I didn't accrue anymore charges. I rolled the frost covered rig off the trailer while trying to keep my balance on some black ice while wearing vans . Lol. I didn't come up north prepared to be here as long as I have. No work boots, or work clothes to get dirty. I was able to get the rig off the trailer without hurting myself or letting it roll through the electric fence.... Success ! For now....


I opened the gate to back the trailer out and luckily the neighbor was awake, almost ALL the neighbors are retired but they still get up and are more productive in an hour than ole RD is in a day, hell maybe two :D ! He was nice enough to swing open the gate to his house as we share an easement and let me back the trailer partially up his driveway ( our gate entrances are directly across from each other) so I could make the turn up the driveway and take the trailer back. What a pain in the ass while sick...
 
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Hammer

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When I came back home from dropping the trailer off at the rental place I felt horrible and decided I should take a nap, well that nape turned into all day . It got into Tuesday evening and both the neighbors decided to try and tow the rig up to the barn. The barn is probably 100-150 yards from the house, maybe more. My mom woke me up and told me Hal and Billy (the neighbors) were going to take care of the Bronco. It was nice of them, but I didn't want them to but they insisted I stay inside and they'll take care of it. They wouldn't have it any other way...

As I peeked out the window of the front door I noticed they were going to attempt to tow it backwards. I already knew that wasn't going to work because they couldn't keep the wheels straight . They gave it a few valiant tries, then I told my mom it's getting dark, they can do it in the morning. Full knowing I would take care of it before they would.

Tuesday morning I got up early and was ready to figure out how to get it to the barn. Bill had a tow bar for the Bronco, I just had to find it. I did , it was in a hidden room in the garage. Of course Bill being the cautious guy he always was he had a tongue lock on it. Of course, none of the keys I could find were the right ones. So cut the lock off with a grinder. Good to go right ? Wrong, the drop hitch was too low to hook up the tow bar, so I had to put the ball on the bumper. Now I could hook it up and tow the rig up to the barn. :thumbup:

6yjutery.jpg


2e4etevu.jpg
 

Hammer

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I had already experienced how hard it was, almost impossible to push the chassis, turn the wheels and chalk them once I had the rig in place when hooked it up to the hitch. To this point I had no help.

So before I went any further I gave Billy a ring to give me a hand when I was ready to back it into the barn. With no steering wheel or column there had to be an easier way to turn the wheels . Took me all of two minutes to figure out a solution.... A 1/2 drive Ratchet into the end of the steering shaft.

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Worked out perfect to turn the wheels left or right as we slowly guided the chassis into its new home/workshop. The Barn.....

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Other than taking my daily walk to feed the Lamas or occasionally driving the mower up to the barn for more firewood I haven't taken the time to explore the amenities the barn had to offer . It has a shitter and a full sub panel. It may be a perfect candidate for a fab shop, the wood structure kind of worries me a little though. Last thing I need is for it to go up in flames ! Lol
 
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Hammer

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Now that I had it in the Barn I was able to see what I have to work with. It's going to sit for a few weeks, I need to head back to Havasu for a few days maybe a week and then run back to L.A. For Christmas.

Here's a few pics. You can see where the frame bent....

vatena8a.jpg


Hole in the valve cover. Not sure if I should do a complete rebuild or not. Obviously going to pull the valve covers and carb off....

tydejuby.jpg


Hurst shifters for the transfer case and manual trans
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Other than the 9" rear I have no idea what drive terrain I have and haven't looked up the #'s on the tranny or transfer case. I don't know what front axle it has either. Not sure where I'm going from here, I've never built a 4wd rig . My only experience with 4wd stuff is the leaf spring lift and bushing kit my old man and I installed on a CJ5 when I was in HS, shit maybe even JR. High now that I think about it.

A frame will be the first thing to track down. Not sure the availability of a used one or if I should just bite the bullet and buy a new one, I really have no desire to buy another a Bronco just for the frame. I'd rather not have junk lying behind the barn and I'm sure my mom doesn't want that either. I'd rather build it piece by piece starting with the frame for a platform and go from there.


I've browsed some EB (early Bronco) Forums to look at some build threads, but nothing has impressed me yet, other than the likes of 100k+ Builds like the ICON Bronco with the Coyote Engine, even that lacks styling IMO.... This won't be an all original build either, it's not in the budget. I plan using it as a heavy trail rig with slight street use, just as Bill intended to.....



Any insight help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
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WildHorses24

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I bet when this project is finished you'll be glad you kept it.:thumbsup

From the pictures it looks like a Dana 20 T-Case with twin sticks, and Toploader 4 speed trans. Probably a J-Shift T-case if its still the original, which just means it has a higher gear ratio. The front axle is a Dana 44 and in 74 the rear 9" was a big bearing or HD. Hard to say about lockers unless you open them up but you could put it up on jack stands and figure out the gear ratio by turning the tire. Looks like stock disc up front which is a nice option and you already have the hydro boost power brake unit and steering. I'm in the process of building a 67 and have owned a 74 & 76. Finding a new frame means, title, glove box door etc... you should be able to find them from $500 to $1000 depending on condition etc.
Looks like everything is really there for a nice set-up. I'm not a duff fan but they have Cage build their extended arms and have been known to work well. I bet you'd be pretty surprised how well it works on trails and rides at moderate speed in the desert, just the way its set up now.
I'd 3-link the front and 4-link the rear, nice set of coilovers all around and you'd have a nice trail rig that also works well in the desert. :thumbup:

I look forward to seeing how this turns out!
 

Hammer

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I bet when this project is finished you'll be glad you kept it.:thumbsup

From the pictures it looks like a Dana 20 T-Case with twin sticks, and Toploader 4 speed trans. Probably a J-Shift T-case if its still the original, which just means it has a higher gear ratio. The front axle is a Dana 44 and in 74 the rear 9" was a big bearing or HD. Hard to say about lockers unless you open them up but you could put it up on jack stands and figure out the gear ratio by turning the tire. Looks like stock disc up front which is a nice option and you already have the hydro boost power brake unit and steering. I'm in the process of building a 67 and have owned a 74 & 76. Finding a new frame means, title, glove box door etc... you should be able to find them from $500 to $1000 depending on condition etc.
Looks like everything is really there for a nice set-up. I'm not a duff fan but they have Cage build their extended arms and have been known to work well. I bet you'd be pretty surprised how well it works on trails and rides at moderate speed in the desert, just the way its set up now.
I'd 3-link the front and 4-link the rear, nice set of coilovers all around and you'd have a nice trail rig that also works well in the desert. :thumbup:

I look forward to seeing how this turns out!

Thanks for the input :thumbup:
I plan on 4-linking the rear, based on the things I've read. James Duff and Wild Horses seem to be very popular for suspension components, I also found a ton of receipts from both companies. I will most likely leave the Duff arms on there for now, unless I can get a front and rear link kit for a fair price. Any other suspension companies I should look in to ? Do people extend the wheel base on these things ? If I were to do it, now would be the time with a bare frame to start with. I'd like to look into some sort of sway bars that I could easily disconnect when I'm not on the pavement, it had a ton of body roll, I think the springs in it are really soft. You could get out of shape real easy If you weren't careful. The power plant is a pretty stout 351w .

The Dana 44 should be pretty stout right ? I'll check for lockers and the gear ratio when I get it up on jack stands.

Where could I find a frame,glove box and door ?Any good sites to look at ? That's what I need to register the rig when it's done ?
 

rivermobster

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Wow Mike. :thumbsup

Don't forget about what I told ya! Louie at Custom Truck. He might have most of what you need, or at least be able to tell you where to get it.


846 W Cienega Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773

(909) 599-2228

Don't talk to anyone but Louie, and make sure you tell him your my friend. :)
 

Hammer

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Wow Mike. :thumbsup

Don't forget about what I told ya! Louie at Custom Truck. He might have most of what you need, or at least be able to tell you where to get it.


846 W Cienega Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773

(909) 599-2228

Don't talk to anyone but Louie, and make sure you tell him your my friend. :)

I will ! I made a few calls this morning and it seems that a new metal tub is non existent, as in nobody manufactures one, only fiberglass. I was pointed to a message board for EB's in Nor Cal and the admin has disabled registration :rolleyes: sent them an email we will see what happens....

I did find this though...


http://slo.craigslist.org/cto/4216002782.html


It may be a prime candidate with some good parts, it would also give me the option of running an auto or manual trans. I was told the manual trans I have is a lower gear ratio and better for rock crawling .

The rust just from the pictures has me worried a bit.

I'd just have to pull the body off and have it painted. This might be the way to go....
 
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rivermobster

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I don't think that will sell anytime soon for that kinna money!

IMHO, you should keep looking...
 

WildHorses24

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www.classicbroncos.com and pirate4x4 are great resources for parts and questions. So is Wildhorses in Stockton, nice guys with a ton of knowledge. CL and Ebay are hit & miss as always. The Duff 4 link kit is $3000:eek , for $700 you can buy a universal kit from RuffStuff Specialties or talk to a local fab shop... Whatever you do up front just make sure you add the ram assist, should only be about $180 for the ram and the cost for a shop to port the gear box. I'd ditch the stock tie rods... go to a Stone crusher steering or something similar that matches the length and angles of the panhard bar. As far as wheel base, you don't see them moving the axles much but a common upgrade is going to full length axles from a Full Size Bronco (78+) or old F150/F100's. All EB's get bad body roll after you lift them, if you want them to flex. Sway bars arent a bad idea, I have been fixing the steering issues on mine with the ram assist and correcting angles on steering and panhard bar. With a 6" lift and 37's, it handles pretty well at speed now.

Theres a lot of good threads on Classicbroncos about 4-links and 3 links for the front, steering, etc... You have the whole run from the purest to Class 3 builds to KOH buggies...

I not a huge fan of ICON builds. They appeal to those that want designer SEMA broncos, or don't know they're paying 5x too much for a pavement princess!
 

WildHorses24

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I don't think that will sell anytime soon for that kinna money!

IMHO, you should keep looking...

He'll get close to 6k in CA with that set-up and it being smog-free.... The rust free tubs in CA are a big appeal to east coast/ down south guys... I sold a 76 rolling tub for $4k 2 years ago.
 

rivermobster

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He'll get close to 6k in CA with that set-up and it being smog-free.... The rust free tubs in CA are a big appeal to east coast/ down south guys... I sold a 76 rolling tub for $4k 2 years ago.

Crazy what people will pay!
 

Hammer

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www.classicbroncos.com and pirate4x4 are great resources for parts and questions. So is Wildhorses in Stockton, nice guys with a ton of knowledge. CL and Ebay are hit & miss as always. The Duff 4 link kit is $3000:eek , for $700 you can buy a universal kit from RuffStuff Specialties or talk to a local fab shop... Whatever you do up front just make sure you add the ram assist, should only be about $180 for the ram and the cost for a shop to port the gear box. I'd ditch the stock tie rods... go to a Stone crusher steering or something similar that matches the length and angles of the panhard bar. As far as wheel base, you don't see them moving the axles much but a common upgrade is going to full length axles from a Full Size Bronco (78+) or old F150/F100's. All EB's get bad body roll after you lift them, if you want them to flex. Sway bars arent a bad idea, I have been fixing the steering issues on mine with the ram assist and correcting angles on steering and panhard bar. With a 6" lift and 37's, it handles pretty well at speed now.

Theres a lot of good threads on Classicbroncos about 4-links and 3 links for the front, steering, etc... You have the whole run from the purest to Class 3 builds to KOH buggies...

I not a huge fan of ICON builds. They appeal to those that want designer SEMA broncos, or don't know they're paying 5x too much for a pavement princess!

I talked to Wild Horses this Morning since they are local to me. :thumbup:

X2 on the ICON builds.

Two problems with the Duff 4-link kit, the price and it comes in BLUE. Suspension components look so tacky when they stand out from the rest of the drive terrain and chassis. :thumbdown:
 

senorpdog

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Are you sure that frame isn't repairable? It's hard to tell from one picture. But I have some great old school frame guys that said they would love a crack at it from the one photo. They are amazing. Get me some more pics I would be glad to show them if they say no prob then I would be glad to get it handled for you gratis only problem is I'm in SoCal but I would be glad to help any way possible I just finished my own labor of love and the way it made me feel was amazing and would love to give anyone the help needed for the same feeling
 

Hammer

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Are you sure that frame isn't repairable? It's hard to tell from one picture. But I have some great old school frame guys that said they would love a crack at it from the one photo. They are amazing. Get me some more pics I would be glad to show them if they say no prob then I would be glad to get it handled for you gratis only problem is I'm in SoCal but I would be glad to help any way possible I just finished my own labor of love and the way it made me feel was amazing and would love to give anyone the help needed for the same feeling

The way I understand it is the frame, body and glove box have to have matching #'s to register it ? I'm sure it is possible to straighten it. I'm open to that idea I just don't know how that works with used Tub/cab, door and glove box .
 
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senorpdog

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Does it need to match for the DMV? Couldn't the chp verify the new numbers? We change frames on new trucks all the time and they are registered without a problem but I have no idea about the DMV
 

Hammer

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Does it need to match for the DMV? Couldn't the chp verify the new numbers? We change frames on new trucks all the time and they are registered without a problem but I have no idea about the DMV

I have no idea, I think the new tub has to have the title , I think it's in the glove box or door area of the tub. I need to do more research on this subject.

I would have no problem towing down to so cal to have the frame straightened . It's not that far.
 

senorpdog

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Ok sounds good I will check with a guy I know that does a lot of restorations he might know more on the subject
 

WildHorses24

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That would be great .Thank you !

the VIN is in 2 places on the frame. One spot by the front about where the starter is and another around the middle just forward of the rear cross member. You could hack off the back and still be fine. The only other spot is on the back of the glove box door, which fits on all tubs from 66-77 which is why you could just find a donor tub, swap the glove box and be on your way! CHP and DMV dont really even know about the VIN being stamped towards the middle because youd need to pull the body to get a decent look at it. They started putting stickers in the door jams but the glove box is still the go to...
 
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Hammer

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the VIN is in 2 places on the frame. One spot by the front about where the starter is and another around the middle just forward of the rear cross member. You could hack off the back and still be fine. The only other spot is on the back of the glove box door, which fits on all tubs from 66-77 which is why you could just find a donor tub, swap the glove box and be on your way! CHP and DMV dont really even know about the VIN being stamped towards the middle because youd need to pull the body to get a decent look at it. They started putting stickers in the door jams but the glove box is still the go to...

So if I fix the frame and get a donor tub it won't need to be registered as a salvage title ? I highly doubt I would ever sell it, but you never know what could happen financially 10 years from now. Think it would harm the resale a lot value as a salvage title ?
 

t&y

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the VIN is in 2 places on the frame. One spot by the front about where the starter is and another around the middle just forward of the rear cross member. You could hack off the back and still be fine. The only other spot is on the back of the glove box door, which fits on all tubs from 66-77 which is why you could just find a donor tub, swap the glove box and be on your way! CHP and DMV dont really even know about the VIN being stamped towards the middle because youd need to pull the body to get a decent look at it. They started putting stickers in the door jams but the glove box is still the go to...

Lol... you wanna bet they don't know about he secondary and third VIN's... hahhahaha

So if I fix the frame and get a donor tub it won't need to be registered as a salvage title ? I highly doubt I would ever sell it, but you never know what could happen financially 10 years from now. Think it would harm the resale a lot value as a salvage title ?

Welcome to the addiction called "dump everything you have into your Early Bronco". You have a solid base. The james duff arms are good. I would also agree you have a Dana 44 front and Big Bearing 9" rear. Dana 20 was stock, the transfer case could either be 3 or 4 spd. I'm in the middle of upgrading a 74 right now.

That truck is close to 40 years old. People replace the body parts all the time so explaining how you "restored it" instead of "salvaged" it would be easy.

Classicbroncos.com is a real good source and you don't deal with the drama of Pirate4x4. I search Pirate all the time for bronco parts but it really is too busy for it's own good.

IMO, if you can fix the frame do it. If the rear repair is going to alter the rear vin in any way find a way to cut it out and put it into the new metal replacement portion. Get a replacement tub and go from there. Don't worry about the glove box door matching the vin on the frame. Just keep your paperwork handy if you happen to get an actual glove box door that hasn't had the vin removed. BEFORE you buy ANY glove box door with VIN find a friendly cop to run the number. People steal them all the time (assholes). The last thing you want to do it put it on your legit bronco.

A very common and inexpensive upgrade for the front is putting on f250 shock towers. It will allow you to run longer shocks to take advantage of the arms you have (looks to me like they are extended radius arms). Way too many options or variables to go over with these things. The one good thing I have found with the Early Broncos is that the Vendors that are out there do a lot of R&D. When you buy parts from the major ones, WildHorses, Tom's Bronco Parts, BC Broncos, James Duff, Jeff's Bronco Graveyard... the parts fit with very little modification. I can't say the same for the majority of Jeep parts I've bought over the years.

Have fun and keep the pics rolling:thumbsup
 
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Custom Truck Shop

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Hey Hammer, if you need any help, the guy who runs our shop has a bronco that we/he did. He knows the ins and outs of that thing, plus we get a lot of other customers coming in with their Broncos for just about everything.
Looks like a fun project though! Really want to see it when its all done! :thumbup:
If you need anything, parts or questions answered, don't hesitate to send a PM! :D

Here's some pics of the bossman's bronco.

IMG_12911_zps451df0a5.jpg

6d077bed940acc7ca59779f178ddf278~85.jpg
 

Hammer

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Hey Hammer, if you need any help, the guy who runs our shop has a bronco that we/he did. He knows the ins and outs of that thing, plus we get a lot of other customers coming in with their Broncos for just about everything.
Looks like a fun project though! Really want to see it when its all done! :thumbup:
If you need anything, parts or questions answered, don't hesitate to send a PM! :D

Here's some pics of the bossman's bronco.

IMG_12911_zps451df0a5.jpg

6d077bed940acc7ca59779f178ddf278~85.jpg

Thanks I appreciate it . :thumbup:

Could you get some more pictures of the front and rear suspension if you don't mind ?
 

Hammer

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The Bronco is EFI ? What engine ?
 

WildHorses24

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Lol... you wanna bet they don't know about he second

Might have spoke a little quick but was referring to him repairing the frame and possibly compromising the 3rd location towards the back. Of course you never advise someone to do something illegal. Fact remains that the 3rd location is extremely difficult to read even with the body off. I had 3 EB's registered, the last being a 76 swap to 74 for smog reasons. As long as the title is clear and matches the frame and glove box there's no issues. You can find Non-salvaged titles that are just glove box/frame/pinks for sell. Now, the argument goes on for days regarding if it's grey area but it's usually the purest that cry fool. For the record the last time I had the inspection for the swap I told them where to find the VIN. Carry on.


Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
 

Hammer

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Lol... you wanna bet they don't know about he secondary and third VIN's... hahhahaha



Welcome to the addiction called "dump everything you have into your Early Bronco". You have a solid base. The james duff arms are good. I would also agree you have a Dana 44 front and Big Bearing 9" rear. Dana 20 was stock, the transfer case could either be 3 or 4 spd. I'm in the middle of upgrading a 74 right now.

That truck is close to 40 years old. People replace the body parts all the time so explaining how you "restored it" instead of "salvaged" it would be easy.

Classicbroncos.com is a real good source and you don't deal with the drama of Pirate4x4. I search Pirate all the time for bronco parts but it really is too busy for it's own good.

IMO, if you can fix the frame do it. If the rear repair is going to alter the rear vin in any way find a way to cut it out and put it into the new metal replacement portion. Get a replacement tub and go from there. Don't worry about the glove box door matching the vin on the frame. Just keep your paperwork handy if you happen to get an actual glove box door that hasn't had the vin removed. BEFORE you buy ANY glove box door with VIN find a friendly cop to run the number. People steal them all the time (assholes). The last thing you want to do it put it on your legit bronco.

A very common and inexpensive upgrade for the front is putting on f250 shock towers. It will allow you to run longer shocks to take advantage of the arms you have (looks to me like they are extended radius arms). Way too many options or variables to go over with these things. The one good thing I have found with the Early Broncos is that the Vendors that are out there do a lot of R&D. When you buy parts from the major ones, WildHorses, Tom's Bronco Parts, BC Broncos, James Duff, Jeff's Bronco Graveyard... the parts fit with very little modification. I can't say the same for the majority of Jeep parts I've bought over the years.

Have fun and keep the pics rolling:thumbsup

I spent the better part of last week reading build threads on EArlybronco.com. The possibilities are endless ! From talking to a few guys over there they like to stick with manual transmissions, I like manual trannys but an automatic seems like it would be easier on the trails. I'm going to off the 3 speed for sure and go with a 4 or 5 speed manual or an automatic . Still not sure. I'm leaning towards straightening the frame but it seems like a PIA to find a bare tub and deal with registration. That has me thinking of finding a rolling chassis. I'm really tempted to buy that Bronco from CL that I posted earlier in this thread. It has automatic and an atlas transfer case and I could rob the tub and all the accessories of it and put it on this frame or put my drive terrain in that chassis, it would give me several options . I'd have to see in person to see what kind of shape the body is in.

That still seems boring. I have 75 % sure I'm going to keep the front suspension how it is and see how well it works . Im definitely going to link the rear , just torn if I should just run coils and shocks or go straight to coil overs . Theoretically speaking , I could cut the frame off where its bent and build a bitchin' 3 or 4 link set up and just run the rear fenders and fab up a floor pan, but then it wouldn't be a Bronco. I still want it to look like an old school Bronco but have the capabilities to climb some good terrain. The thought of stretching the wheel base has crossed my mind as well, if I did that I would move the front fenders forward so the wheel well centerline is centerline with the hubs. Then I'd fab up a panel to fill in the void in front of the
Door . Having trouble visualizing if that would look good or not.


After doing some research it appears that guys are going with "full width" Dana 60's in the front and run 37's or bigger for tires. The Dana 44's don't like a tire bigger than a 35". I have a practically new set of 35" BFG's so I'm sticking with those bit going to off the wheels . I've always hated them. They are just ugly ! I like the thought of 37"'s but that is a whole financial deal.

This could get expensive ...., :D
 

t&y

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This could get expensive ...., :D

You could say that 100 times over and still have room for more. Pretty much like any thing you start to customize.

These Bronco's wheel really well without much modification. The wheel base and width are just about right for most crawling around (no your not going to run the king of the hammers without dumping a shit load into it). In stead of 4 linking the rear you could get a good set of 11 leaf pack leafs for the rear and flip the shackles. You'll get plenty of flex/drop and save a ton of money out the gate. You could always four link it later. All really depends on how much time and money you have right now.
 

Luvnlife

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Let me know if you decide to go with the Dana60 front. I have a hookup on them:thumbup:
 

whiteworks

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I spent the better part of last week reading build threads on EArlybronco.com. The possibilities are endless ! From talking to a few guys over there they like to stick with manual transmissions, I like manual trannys but an automatic seems like it would be easier on the trails. I'm going to off the 3 speed for sure and go with a 4 or 5 speed manual or an automatic . Still not sure. I'm leaning towards straightening the frame but it seems like a PIA to find a bare tub and deal with registration. That has me thinking of finding a rolling chassis. I'm really tempted to buy that Bronco from CL that I posted earlier in this thread. It has automatic and an atlas transfer case and I could rob the tub and all the accessories of it and put it on this frame or put my drive terrain in that chassis, it would give me several options . I'd have to see in person to see what kind of shape the body is in.

That still seems boring. I have 75 % sure I'm going to keep the front suspension how it is and see how well it works . Im definitely going to link the rear , just torn if I should just run coils and shocks or go straight to coil overs . Theoretically speaking , I could cut the frame off where its bent and build a bitchin' 3 or 4 link set up and just run the rear fenders and fab up a floor pan, but then it wouldn't be a Bronco. I still want it to look like an old school Bronco but have the capabilities to climb some good terrain. The thought of stretching the wheel base has crossed my mind as well, if I did that I would move the front fenders forward so the wheel well centerline is centerline with the hubs. Then I'd fab up a panel to fill in the void in front of the
Door . Having trouble visualizing if that would look good or not.


After doing some research it appears that guys are going with "full width" Dana 60's in the front and run 37's or bigger for tires. The Dana 44's don't like a tire bigger than a 35". I have a practically new set of 35" BFG's so I'm sticking with those bit going to off the wheels . I've always hated them. They are just ugly ! I like the thought of 37"'s but that is a whole financial deal.

This could get expensive ...., :D

Just find a tub and put it back together as a bronco. 4 link, coil overs, stretching the wheel base is gonna become cubic dollars and at that point the components you have will not be up to the task at hand. Take it to a frame shop and have them bend it back to stock dimensions, no big deal. Gusset up the frame a bit and call it good.
 

Hammer

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Just find a tub and put it back together as a bronco. 4 link, coil overs, stretching the wheel base is gonna become cubic dollars and at that point the components you have will not be up to the task at hand. Take it to a frame shop and have them bend it back to stock dimensions, no big deal. Gusset up the frame a bit and call it good.

Agreed. On the hunt for a donor Car...
 

DRIVE BYE

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All Great info guys. Mike i went thru a 10 year rest on one of these too. Pm me if you need any help, i have a few parts laying around too if you need them.:thumbup:
 

Hammer

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All Great info guys. Mike i went thru a 10 year rest on one of these too. Pm me if you need any help, i have a few parts laying around too if you need them.:thumbup:

Thanks. :thumbup: It will be all the little stuff that adds up . Once I get a body painted and on there I'll know exactly what I need. Still not sure if I want to stay with the 3 speed or not. Either go automatic or a 5 speed.....
 

WildHorses24

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Hammer, I live 50 miles from where I store my shit box, baby steps. ... I only mocked up my hood and fenders today but felt like I accomplished a ton!
uploadfromtaptalk1394769646742.jpg
 

Flyinbowtie

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Mike how the hell did I miss this thread?
Listen,like I toldja I OWN a flatbed trailer, with ramps, and a diesel truck to pull it.
You need to go get something or move something let me know, eh? We are neighbors ya know?
Let alone friends.
Really glad it is home.
This is going to be fun to watch.
 

Hammer

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Mike how the hell did I miss this thread?
Listen,like I toldja I OWN a flatbed trailer, with ramps, and a diesel truck to pull it.
You need to go get something or move something let me know, eh? We are neighbors ya know?
Let alone friends.
Really glad it is home.
This is going to be fun to watch.

I know, don't worry I will be calling you soon enough ! :D It is ironic that you posted In this thread today , I got the blessing/approval from my mom last week to begin putting the Bronco back together. She says she is going to be comfortable seeing it sitting the garage after I get a body on it.

Heading to So Cal tomorrow night to surprise my old man for his birthday. While I'm down there I'm going to drop by a few Bronco restoration shops and see if they can help me track down a body. Going to do my absolute best to find a 1974 Tub/Body, it is kind of important to my mom(and myself) to keep it a 1974 even though the bodies from that era are identical. Piece of mind I guess.

As soon as I get back the frame is going to a body shop to get straightened. Now I'm on the hunt for a body....
 
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