Ok -- I have been away for a while, but now that my transmission is in Viperwolf1's most capable hands and the engine is on its way to American Speed Center, I need some advice. I'd like to get the tranny and the engine back, mate them up and dump them in the 75DBE. My question is, should I completely gut the engine compartment and repaint before I reinstall? I am not/not planning on completely redoing the body before I get the Bronco on the road, but I don't want to have to take the engine / tranny out to redo the engine compartment later. Engine bay is Bronco Orange -- Should I have a shop just redo the engine bay or will doing it piecemeal just be cost prohibitive?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

It depends on the direction you are going with it. If everything is out, I would get everything done. It's never fun doing things twice. Im in the opposite situation where I have everything e.se painted and now ready to pull the the engine and tranny to finish.

I'd at least get the engine bay done while it's out. Pulling the engine and tranny just to paint sounds like unneeded work.

My brother has convinced me that I should just wet sand the engine bay (really, the whole truck) and wax it up and be done with it -- basically, keep it all original and not get it repainted right now. This coming from the brother with an M-715 pushed by a Detroit Diesel 6V71T engine. I suspect that is what I am going to do, but I do need to replace the sheetmetal on the inner fender apron area (?), kind of where the inner fender meets the firewall. I seem to remember someone saying rust there was pretty typical?

Guess what I got to work on today.IMG_20120416_210759.jpgIMG_20120416_210817.jpg

Oh yeah, plenty of signs of rust! Not something I can work with or wait on -- the rust is all the way through in spots! I wish I didn't have to work it, but I do!

Yes!!! thank you ViperWolf!!!!!! It was fun to drive to work today!!!!!! See you all at B-fast

Post up a pic or two, that'll probably get you more suggestions about the best way to approach it. I'd pull the fender when you get some time to better assess it. It may be as easy as welding in a square steel patch.

Sounds like a great idea. I will do that as soon as I get home and hopefully have some pictures posted before the end of the evening.

Great advice guys, thanks. I guess I will try that! Appreciate it.