So, a few updates on the 72.
Nothing much has happened with it since the BWB. Driven it to work a few times and it has performed admirably. The drive to Denver was a risky but excellent test of its road-worthiness.
A few things I have noted:
Power steering ROCKS! This is my first Bronco, of the 3, with PS. The GM Saginaw box has a pretty decent ratio, lock to lock, with no difficulty in turning the 33s. That being said, I need to throw a steering stabilizer on the front. 60-65MPH and the wheel is a little too responsive.
Need to do some work to quiet the interior. Sounds like a dryer full of cinder blocks in there. Ordered just about everything I could to quiet the tailgate down. I'm on the lookout for some foam insulating sheet I can slide in between the bows on the hard top to help out there. Quiet truck = happy wife = Bronco money.
Brakes. I need a brake job. Like a mad man. I get about 75% peddle before it starts to slow/stop. At stop lights I get a leg workout keeping the truck from rolling. On a couple of occasions, I've caught myself slacking and rolled back a bit. As luck would have it, the rear drums I bought from Advanced several months back that didn't fit the rear on the 69 are actually front drums. 50% of the drums already on hand! Also, I happen to have a complete hydroboost set up, with dual return Saginaw, from a Lincoln in the garage. So, the 72 is going hydro soon. I just need to check the Sag PS gear box for the appropriate fittings to the Lincoln lines, modify the push rod, if necessary, and then throw everything in one weekend. Sbolt, expect a phone call or two that day. Or just be prepared to come on over and take a 6 pack home with you for your trouble.
Tires=Bad. Working on that.
Heater is nice and toasty. Although I do lack the ability to change from defrost to other settings. Need to fix those cables. Also, someone put a vacuum initiated coolant gate on the lines running to the heater. No idea what that is all about. Cable gate is going back in.
On the history side of the truck, I spoke with the 1999-2000 owner last week on the phone. My hood cracks date back to when he was selling the truck. Some potential buyer managed to put the hood pins in under the hood resulting in some custom fiberglass work around the riser and two nice creases in the roof.
1999-2000 was ALSO under the impression the motor was a 351W which I thought was entertaining. That means from 1999 until last month when I bought it, all the POs thought they were running a 351W. I have to laugh when I imagine the last PO going in to have the motor rebuilt and likely insisting to the shop he had a 351W. I need to check the paperwork on that rebuild and see what the shop noted the motor as.
The paint that is on it now is the same paint that was on it when 1999-2000 owned it.
No luck as of yet in tracking down anyone from prior to 1999. Hopefully SBolt can lend a hand with that. Also found a guy on CB.com who is from that area who is looking for clues. Bill of sale from that time only has a name, which I have had no luck with finding any information on. I have friends in California I am trying to leverage to find out how I do a historical VIN search in that state. Virginia was very easy when I was researching the 66, but they had no records for earlier than 72.
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