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Barn Find Restomod Build

AZ73

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Mar 28, 2012
Messages
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I'd first like to thank this site and everyone who's been so generous with sharing their experiences. You've ALL made my decision to do this project much easier. While I've restored many muscle cars in my day, I've ALWAYS wanted an EB ever since I saw one in the Clint Eastwood movie "The Eiger Sanction" Now that I'm older and my boys are offroaders I decided to finally take the plunge. I initially looked for a good shape rig that I could drive right away while slowly modifying it to my likes, but after months of looking and test driving many, many Broncos which were in rough shape but demanding top dollar I decided to look in the lower price ranges for a rig that needed work but priced where I could reasonably put the money into it. I was fortunate enough to find one locally that came with a twin, both being barn finds from Flagstaff. A local EB lover found a 73 and a 77 parked outside next to a building on a large property rotting away. He offered to buy the 77, but the owner said he had to take both. He loaded them up on a buddy's car hauler and dragged them down to Scottsdale where he pulled the spark plugs, squirted in some marvel mystery oil into the cylinders, put in some new spark plugs, changed the oil, put in a cheap battery, got some used tires, hooked up a new rubber gas line from the side tank and started it up for the first time since 1989. It ran great. He then put it up for sale as-is, and after some negotiation I brought it home. That's where this restomod story begins........
 

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Baja71

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Oct 16, 2004
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2,908
Good luck! Looking forward to this thread. And remember....
 

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OP
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AZ73

AZ73

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I didn't start this build thread until today, but in reality I'm about 2/5ths done with the project already. Postings will will show you the history for a while until I can get caught up here.

I realize that it might be blasphemy to take such an original Bronco (except with the cut fenders) and restomod it, but everything on this truck was a disaster when I started pulling it apart. Since I basically had to replace everything, I just decided to make it a vehicle I could safely drive every day on a regular basis while enjoying it. Sorry purists!

The EB is a 9/72 build so it was one of the first 73s which explains the "T" shift. My good fortune as this means it has the 2:46 gearing in the D20. Not a huge deal, but slightly better than the "J" 2:34s

So far rust appears to be at a minimum for this EB. Shocking since it sat outside for 22 years. Some surface rust on the underside/frame, but the carpets are still covering the floors. Check out the bushings (or lack of) on the radius arm. Just a little play when you step on the brake.
 

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73azbronco

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Nov 11, 2007
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See, folks are getting us confused, I have the 73 J shifter, proud of it, of course it's behind an NV4500.
 

73azbronco

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Nov 11, 2007
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I don't know, I'm warmingup to that paint job in the poster with Clint.
 

Baja71

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Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Messages
2,908
That's the truck that made me an addict!

Yup! I pulled a still of that off my DVR. Someone posted a site where you could make silly corporate style poster/pics so I made that. ;D Love that 'Baja'. Colors are: Poppy Red, Wimbleton White, and semi Black...if you go that way.
 

NicksTrix

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Messages
6,386
looks like a nice builder. i'd gladly buy up a few like that right now.
have fun making it your own!
 

broncnaz

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Joined
May 22, 2003
Messages
24,341
Looks like its the sister to my 73. Did it get a Ranger badge on the glove box door? My early build 73 also has the T shift but no Ranger badge. I have a badge I'm thinking about installing but not real sure I want to.
 
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AZ73

AZ73

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Looks like its the sister to my 73. Did it get a Ranger badge on the glove box door? My early build 73 also has the T shift but no Ranger badge. I have a badge I'm thinking about installing but not real sure I want to.

Sigh - No ranger badge on my glove box either.
 
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AZ73

AZ73

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So after sitting in the garage all night, went out the next morning and it reeked of gas. Pulled the side tank out and it was split all over. Cleaned the junk out of the inside, and it obviously had a guest for a while. Found its nest in the top, and its remains in the wiper cover. Pulled the carpets and the floors look great! A 1973 penny under there was a good luck sign also!
 

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broncoitis

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Jul 23, 2010
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4,449
Yeah, Got mine from AZ and rust was really minimal. Good luck with the build and don't throw stuff away thinking it is junk! Believe it or not alot of that so called JUNK is still better than some of the new stuff available

Looking forward to seeing what you add to it!
 
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AZ73

AZ73

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Stripped the doors, fenders, hood, and grill off and called it a night. Next time I worked on it I built the dolly to hold the body, and put eye bolts in the ceiling with some Harbor Freight rachet tie downs. I unbolted the top, slid some 2X4s under it, and racheted it up. Lesson: They only go up about 18 inches before they're at capacity because the winding of the belt won't fit in the rachet. You have to unhook them one at a time, let it out, then start racheting again. I folded the windshield down and it rolled out under the hanging top. I built a jig out of 3/16 3 inch angle iron (WAY overkill), bolted together at 90 degrees with a triangle brace. I bolted one to each side using washers to the door hinge hole and the top bolt holes on the rear quarters, then used another piece across the body and under these supports (where the seats were) as the lifting point. Then used an engine hoist to lift it off the frame. I rolled the chassis back into the garage and set the body down on the dolly. Then rolled the body back in for the night.
 

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half cab

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Man you got it goin on there for sure...like that body dolly!!
 

Baja71

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Oct 16, 2004
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Baja, I've learned a TON from your build. THANKS for posting all your work!

Me too! ;) Thanks! Your thread is giving me cold sweats it's so similar so far. I really enjoyed the speed of the disassembly stage, but not the grime.
 
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AZ73

AZ73

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Me too! ;) Thanks! Your thread is giving me cold sweats it's so similar so far. I really enjoyed the speed of the disassembly stage, but not the grime.

To this point in the thread the disassembly has taken about 3.5 full days plus a day to build the dolly and the lift jig. I skipped the messy details like removing the wiring, radiator, dash, steering column. It all came apart pretty easily, but I wasn't dealing with a ton of rust. The only bad bolts were a couple of body to frame and bumper bolts that needed the sawzall, and the upper fender to grill which were badly rusted. The grime is coming, although it's not quite as bad as I thought. The engine is covered in oil/grease, and the bell housing through the D20 is caked in dirt, but I'm sure that's just an outer layer covering grease. Plus I haven't started disassembly of the doors, hatch, or tailgate.
 
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