Bronco number 3 - A four year project.

[casadejohnson]

Most of you know I have 3 Broncos. #1 is my 74 that I got in High school EFI, 35's, ARB's, Yada Yada Yada . #2 is my uncut 66 U13 sporting a half Cab and its my daily driver. Finally we have #3 a Brown 68 that I picked up with the intention of selling it. My kids named it the "Turd" because its brown , rusty and produces a smell that can't be described only experienced.

I have had three unsolicited offers to buy #3 but my soon to be 12 year old had a melt down and informed us that "the Turd" was going to be his first car. OK, so be it, lets get cracking on a third Bronco. Its been sitting now chewing up valuable garage space for two years anyway.

What we are starting with is a 68 with a 1980 something 302, no lift, leaky hard top, cut rear fenders, minor front end damage, clutch on the way out, F'd up transfer case shifter and rust.

My plan is to go back to uncut and LUBR it, Explorer EFI, fix the rust and dents, loose the floor shifter and go back to three on the tree. I want it to be very street worthy but he's got to be able to wheel with us as well. I'm seeing opportunities to make upgrades to my 74 so that I can donate parts to this one. Thats my plan, the boy may have other ideas along the way.

Because I'm a hoarder, I already have lots of stuff for it. Here is some of what I have.

Painless wiring harness
Centerforce Clutch
Smittybilt roll bar
9,000LB winch
Used front fender
A grill thats not great but better than what it has
Duff 3 1/2" coils
Replacement Hard top
Rear seat
Decent 3 speed column from my 66
Chebby Disc conversion
Solid centerline style wheels
4x4x2 steering box
Flowmaster Mufflers
Long tube headers

We still need lots of other stuff like a good tailgate, Good T shifter or T shift twin sticks, floor pans, rockers, a Donor Explorer, thousands of hours labor and that kind of stuff.

Tonight, the boy and I started small. We installed a new Deka battery and replaced a leaky fuel line so we could get it fired up for the first time in 6 months. After 20 minutes of work, we turned the key and she fired right up. Its just a baby step but its a start. I figure we have about 215 weekends until he gets his drivers license.

Here are a couple photos of our starting point.

[Rox Crusher]

crap, this is gonna be a fun project

[Jesus_man]

I like it! And what a way to spend time with your son. The key will be keeping him interested and involved. Especially if he's involved in sports, which seems to consume weekend the whole year!!

Sounds like something I'd love to build as well. Classic looks, a little lift and modern-ish engine! And I sure so miss the ole' three-on-the-tree!!

[Kinder]

Love it. The best thing I've done with broncos was build Bubba Smurf with Willem, the time spent with him encompassed everything from elation, frustration, learning & love. I think you're time frame is a bit long...lol

[jre74]

I was 8 when I came home from school one day to see the Bronco at the end of the driveway with 'For Sale' signs in it...'pitching a fit' would be putting what I did mildly.

Keeping that Bronco in your family is a great decision for your son and you. Good chance he'll still have it to pass along to his kids...

[casadejohnson]

Tell me if this makes me selfish. I was thinking today about putting my EFI 351 Windsor out of my 74 Bronco into Bronco number 3, then I would have an excuse to build a 5.8 roller motor for my 74. I guess I need to get out my summit catalog and do some math on what it would cost.

[Rox Crusher]

Tell me if this makes me selfish. I was thinking today about putting my EFI 351 Windsor out of my 74 Bronco into Bronco number 3, then I would have an excuse to build a 5.8 roller motor for my 74. I guess I need to get out my summit catalog and do some math on what it would cost.

uh-huh, I like the way you think

[hockeydad4-22]

As you know, this is what I did with both my sons. Dan had the 66 Mustang and Drew of course the Bronco.

Everything Kirk stated is accurate. That and my rules were simple:
1 - I do not work on your rig unless you are there working on it with me, yes that means at times it sat for weeks or months. But it also means when they want it bad enough, they will work their butt off.
2 - it is their build but I have absolute veto power - I will use my veto on safety and economic reason... if they want a paisley painted rig - well it is their build
3 - I can pull the plug anytime for any reason I choose. Grades, attitude, disrespect being prime examples.

Don't just teach - talk to them, and listen too. You will learn who is a good friend, who is just passing through and who to keep your eye on. They will learn that if they want to finish and drive their rig, have the coolest car in the lot - they have to work on it, finish the project, set their priorities and choose. Yeah - you can go hang out with your buddies Friday, you can spend the night at Johnny's house but I was going to work with you in the garage this weekend. Your call. if you want to get that disk brake set done, we have to do it. The toughest part is holding to that rule, I have set it aside recently with Drew's engine conversion but that is for his mothers and therefore my sanity, his school is nearly 40 min away - each way.... twice a day. It is important he has reliable transportation and she is getting very tired of driving back and forth.

I think it is an awesome choice, I commend you for this, but understand, this will not be the last vehicle you will build with your kids, now you will have to do one for them all, then one for Michelle too.... Better start figuring out what she wants. (I have to build Cheri a classic convertible bug)

Have fun.... and no - giving him your engine is generous, not selfish.

[landshark]

Tell me if this makes me selfish. I was thinking today about putting my EFI 351 Windsor out of my 74 Bronco into Bronco number 3, then I would have an excuse to build a 5.8 roller motor for my 74. I guess I need to get out my summit catalog and do some math on what it would cost.

Come on, i think you need to get more unique with your engine choices ;)

[Justin]

How about a 10 cylinder diesel from a VW Touareg?

[kbank6]

He's going to love building this. I went through a 89 Cherokee with mine on his first car. NOT MY CHOICE, but that's what he wanted and I did not work on it unless he was there.

[casadejohnson]

I sat down with the boy this evening to discuss our game plan. He has ideas of what he wants , thats for sure. Some ideas are good some needed to be nipped in the bud. He is totally on board with a LUBER. That makes me happy. I asked him about color and he is thinking Silver and Black, we were looking at Bronco photos on the internet and came to the Icon Bronco He really liked the satin finish on that so that is something to consider. He seems to think that he needs tires like mine or bigger...that is not going to happen. I'm thinking 31's ... maybe 33's. He wanted to go for a drive now that it starts again but we have a fuel filter thats leaking gas on the intake so we need to replace that before it goes anyplace. After he went to bed, I headed to the garage with a flashlight and a note book. I had forgotten how "creative" the PO was. The drivers floor pan seems to be held together primarily by 3M expanding foam and the driver side header has at least 5 holes in it and the exhaust pipe is welded directly onto the header. Not that it matters, we have my old long tube headers that will go on eventually and the complete dual exhaust that I ran with the long tube headers. I also noticed that none of the four shocks on this Bronco match. We have our work cut out for us.

[Jesus_man]

Tell me if this makes me selfish. I was thinking today about putting my EFI 351 Windsor out of my 74 Bronco into Bronco number 3, then I would have an excuse to build a 5.8 roller motor for my 74. I guess I need to get out my summit catalog and do some math on what it would cost.

Tell your wife it'll improve fuel mileage...

Anyway, I think you have a great plan in place. I am excited for you and in 10-12yrs I hope to be following in your footsteps.

One thing I remember being a young'un and working with my dad on vehicles is I learned things that not many of my peers knew. I could do basic maintenance without blinking an eye. I remember quite a few peers, whom I never really talked to, would ask me to help diagnose a problem they were having. These were life-long lessons and I am grateful for them. However, they were not near in depth as you are about to teach your son, which is good. It'd be awesome not to fear body work, etc. Me, I'm scared!

[casadejohnson]

Tell your wife it'll improve fuel mileage...

Anyway, I think you have a great plan in place. I am excited for you and in 10-12yrs I hope to be following in your footsteps.

One thing I remember being a young'un and working with my dad on vehicles is I learned things that not many of my peers knew. I could do basic maintenance without blinking an eye. I remember quite a few peers, whom I never really talked to, would ask me to help diagnose a problem they were having. These were life-long lessons and I am grateful for them. However, they were not near in depth as you are about to teach your son, which is good. It'd be awesome not to fear body work, etc. Me, I'm scared!

I'll tell you what scares me.... I have another son who is Eight years old and he is going to want to build something about the time his brother starts driving this one. Maybe I should have called this an Eight year plan. I might try to push for a Mustang on the second one.

[Kinder]

Luckily I only have one more to go and I've already got the project vehicle secured. It is a '68 Camaro, so it isn't impossible to move from 4x4s to hotrods.

[casadejohnson]

Fuel leak was fixed today with a new filter and some new fuel hose. We actually moved the Bronco under its own power for the first time in a while.

[casadejohnson]

So what's going on here? What the hell is the transfer case shifter doing on the left side of the floor shifter?

[Viperwolf1]

That's got to have some real custom shift linkage under there.

[casadejohnson]

That's got to have some real custom shift linkage under there.

Its custom fab work for sure! The kind of work that makes you wish the PO did not own a welder. The transfer case "Shifter" works OK but it flops around pretty good. I don't have the "T" shifter for it so I'm thinking the easiest thing to do will be to twin stick it. The transfer case needs to come out for a rebuild anyway because it leaks at every seal. I dont know what holds the floor shifter in place, Its not the standard Hurst shifter, its a Daytona shifter.

[Justin]

I may still have my stock t shifter if you want it.

[casadejohnson]

Justin, I'll take that T shifter if you don't need it. I still may go with a twin stick but its nice to have options!

I had the day off today courtesy of the flooding, The road to UPS was flooded out so the brown trucks stayed parked today. The kids also had the day off because the school bus yard was flooded. This unexpected day off gave the boy and I a little garage time, and his first lesson. Today we learned that you don't always get to work on the project you want to work on when you head out to the garage! He was ready to work on His Bronco but the pressing issue in the garage was the Passenger side wheel bearing and axle seal on the 66. The bearing started to make a little noise last week and the seal has been leaking for a while now so that is what needed to be done. After explaining that the 66 takes me to work and without work we don't have any money to put into his Bronco, he was on board with the project. So we backed the 66 in and tore out the axle, We also found that the axle vent tube was rotted out and that likely allowed a bit of water to find its way into the diff.. So after replacing the seal, cutting off the old bearing, pressing on the new bearing, and cleaning up the oily mess in the brake drum, we drained the rear diff and filled it back up with fresh gear oil. With a little luck, he will remember what we did. I'm sure the bearings on his will need to be replaced as well.

[Justin]

I'll take a look for you, it's yours if I find it. Can't remember if I kept it through the move.

[71 bass boat]

Sounds like it's going to be fun build. If it was'nt for my old man letting me "tinker "around in the garage with him when i was young i prolly never would have gotten my Bronco. Or learned how easily a 3/4 wrench goes thru dry wall, when things dont go quite the way he thought they should have. Man ill never forget the look on my mothers face when she steped into the garage after that happned. Good luck!

[casadejohnson]

Lets talk about roller 351w's. I'm trying to justify my plan of donating my 69 351w to Bronco #3. To do that, I need to build a roller 351 for my 74. I have been doing a bit of reading on the subject and it sounds like the donor I'm looking for is a 96ish 351w from something like a an F250. Am I correct that there are not really any stock roller 351's , just " Roller ready " 351's? I have also looked at the possibility of buying a new roller 351w short block. It seems like rebuilding something might be a little more cost effective but I'm open to options. I'm thinking I will get some Aftermarket Aluminum heads for the project if I decide to do it. I also need to consider the intake. I got my Edelbrock performer that I run on my current 351 on the cheap but I'll need another 351w EFI intake and I don't like the prices on the new ones. I also am not a fan of the 351 truck lower / mustang upper adaptor plate. I see that you can get the lightning lowers on Ebay for $200-300 and I belive I could merry that up to an explorer upper. The explorer upper can be had on the cheap in the junkyard so that might be a good way to go without killing the checkbook. I don't need to build anything but I would like to get back some of that seat of the pants "get up and go" I lost when I jumped from 31" tires to 35's. Any suggestions or advice on what it would take to attain that goal?

[Viperwolf1]

'94-'96 truck and Bronco should be roller equipped except for Lightning which were roller ready.

If you can find a Lightning lower for $200-300 you should buy it. If you can find 2 I'll buy the other one. Explorer upper will bolt right on.

[Jesus_man]

Mine is from a '94 F-250. It's been a great motor. Needs some freshening up, but I love it! It's got plenty of power in front of my ZF5. jlougee put it together, so I don't know specifics other than it's got the GT-40 intake.

When I was living in TX and wheeling with those bronco guys, they had their big "Round-up" every year. They had two contests I participated in. A slow-crawl and a 1/8th mi. sand drag. I won the slow-crawl hands down after the Atlas install. And I nearly won the drag if I hadn't forgot to lock the front end in for a good launch. What I am saying is the power is there and it's a blast to drive. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

J.D.

[Dukietown]

If it's the get-up and go you're looking for why stop at a lightning lower? Why not go full lightning supercharger? :D

[Kinder]

' If you can find 2 I'll buy the other one. Explorer upper will bolt right on.

Does this mean you are thinking of putting in a 351?

[casadejohnson]

' If you can find 2 I'll buy the other one. Explorer upper will bolt right on.

Does this mean you are thinking of putting in a 351?

I believe Phil is just pointing out that I was underestimating the cost of a lightning lower intake. I was thinking $200-$300 and the real number is closer to $400-$450. I did find a full lightning motor for sale that is supposed to be built and ready to go for $2500. The problem is that its 2,000 miles away and the seller might be full of crap.

[casadejohnson]

If it's the get-up and go you're looking for why stop at a lightning lower? Why not go full lightning supercharger? :D

Money would be the big issue and the lack of any experience with superchargers. Winning the power ball would sure simplify my decision process.