HGM
Sr. Member
Well, I've been really hessitant to start this thread. Mainly because I have no idea how fast it will happen.. So, recently, I decided that with all the help you guys have given me, much of it without your knowing, I thought I'd put my project out there for your reading pleasure.. Hope I can keep it interesting..
My father bought us this Bronco about 20 yrs ago.. There's a funny story there..He paid $500 for it, from a hunting buddy.. He had met a guy in a bar one night and saw this beat up Bronco of his.. Offered him a couple of hundred for it and brought it home, then sold it to my dad.. It had been rolled end over end and didnt (still doesnt) have much straight metal on it, but was overall solid.. It started out as a toy.. We lived in Miami and hunted in the Glades... The truck had a 302, C4 and power steering with 36" Grand Prix's on 12" wheels and it did pretty well in the areas we were hunting. So, it became our swamp buggy.. When I moved to Georgia, the same hunting buddy we bought it from kept it and continued to run it at his camp.. Anyhow, fast forward to last year, I decided to repo it and brought it home.. This summer I got all hot and heavy with it after hearing my 15yr old some show some interest... Not sure what happened there, but I've now got myself a project and have been having a blast going over everything I plan to do to it in my mind and seeing some of it happen in front of my eyes.. I spent 13yrs as a dealer tech and the last 8 as an automotive instructor, but never a body man.. The metal work has been the most fun so far..
The plan... Well, its a work in progress, but essentially, it will be a weekend driver, fully capible of a cross country trip at the drop of a hat.. The drivetrain will be from the '96 Explorer I just picked up a few weeks ago. It's a 5.0L w/ 4R70W and a 205 transfer case I got from a buddy.. This will also be an OBDII, emission compliant vehicle.. I've got some Chevy parts for the D44front brakes and Lincoln parts for the BB9" rear disc's, but have not quite decided how to power them yet, either hydro or vacuum.. I just put the 2" body lift on it and plan a 2.5 or 3.5 suspension lift with a 315 tire.. It wont be a rock crawler, but I'm not afraid to take my trucks off road..
I've got some pics, but need to scan some of my old ones to show what I'm starting with.. I'll add them later..
My father bought us this Bronco about 20 yrs ago.. There's a funny story there..He paid $500 for it, from a hunting buddy.. He had met a guy in a bar one night and saw this beat up Bronco of his.. Offered him a couple of hundred for it and brought it home, then sold it to my dad.. It had been rolled end over end and didnt (still doesnt) have much straight metal on it, but was overall solid.. It started out as a toy.. We lived in Miami and hunted in the Glades... The truck had a 302, C4 and power steering with 36" Grand Prix's on 12" wheels and it did pretty well in the areas we were hunting. So, it became our swamp buggy.. When I moved to Georgia, the same hunting buddy we bought it from kept it and continued to run it at his camp.. Anyhow, fast forward to last year, I decided to repo it and brought it home.. This summer I got all hot and heavy with it after hearing my 15yr old some show some interest... Not sure what happened there, but I've now got myself a project and have been having a blast going over everything I plan to do to it in my mind and seeing some of it happen in front of my eyes.. I spent 13yrs as a dealer tech and the last 8 as an automotive instructor, but never a body man.. The metal work has been the most fun so far..
The plan... Well, its a work in progress, but essentially, it will be a weekend driver, fully capible of a cross country trip at the drop of a hat.. The drivetrain will be from the '96 Explorer I just picked up a few weeks ago. It's a 5.0L w/ 4R70W and a 205 transfer case I got from a buddy.. This will also be an OBDII, emission compliant vehicle.. I've got some Chevy parts for the D44front brakes and Lincoln parts for the BB9" rear disc's, but have not quite decided how to power them yet, either hydro or vacuum.. I just put the 2" body lift on it and plan a 2.5 or 3.5 suspension lift with a 315 tire.. It wont be a rock crawler, but I'm not afraid to take my trucks off road..
I've got some pics, but need to scan some of my old ones to show what I'm starting with.. I'll add them later..
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