JaxLax
Bronco Guru
[before I even start, no do not PM me for contact info. I left him a note asking about whether he'd mind if I shared his contact and I have not heard back yet]
Been looking for a while and I'm always willing to go look if it's within a hour or two.
Ended up getting in touch with someone with a complete 77 (not running) for a number in the low 4 digits
. We talked and he told me that he'd sell me that one and another [deep gulp sound] for spare parts. Great! I'm on my way.
I drove out yesterday and he didn't have 2. He had (by my count) ELEVEN Broncos (amongst a few other vehicles)! As we walked and talked at each one, my heart continued to sink deeper and deeper into my stomach. He'd had them and simply parked them back on his land where they'd been untouched for decades.
The general story/looks you hear about. Interior eaten. Rats nests in the engine bays. Tops and floors and corners with cancer holes as big as fists.
The drivers door on the 77 I was looking for FELL OFF when he was cleaning in anticipating my arrival
He did have 2 good rolling chassis' in a shop and a body under construction [he'd been working on for years, but his replacements were all flat steel rather than stock stamped] that were available to go with a body, but I'm not sure there was a single body out there that had more than 1 to 3 salvageable panels.
I spent two hours or so with him working in my mind trying to find/combine/build a solid bronco from the parts there, but it still felt like anything and everything was going to be 85% new metal/skinned/cut and replace on the bodies. It felt like throwing $6k at the kits/finding doors/top/hood/grille AND then painting and lining and etc just wasn't going to work no matter how I parsed it in my head.
As I said at the top, if he allows me, I'll post his info here. He does have a lot OF REALLY GOOD PARTS. Please don't let me dissuade you from that fact. If you need a frame/VIN/title, he's got a few for ones he knows will never get rebuilt. He's got multiple engines, transmissions, cases, axles, and the like that are in decent shape. He's got some panels and maybe smaller items (knobs, dashes, seats [need rebuild] and brackets, etc) that are salvageable if you are looking to complete a project.
Below is a taste of what I saw. At times I wanted to cry. When things sound too good to be true, they often are. Looks like I'll be headed to St Augustine to check out another one next week and the search continues.
Been looking for a while and I'm always willing to go look if it's within a hour or two.
Ended up getting in touch with someone with a complete 77 (not running) for a number in the low 4 digits
. We talked and he told me that he'd sell me that one and another [deep gulp sound] for spare parts. Great! I'm on my way. I drove out yesterday and he didn't have 2. He had (by my count) ELEVEN Broncos (amongst a few other vehicles)! As we walked and talked at each one, my heart continued to sink deeper and deeper into my stomach. He'd had them and simply parked them back on his land where they'd been untouched for decades.
The general story/looks you hear about. Interior eaten. Rats nests in the engine bays. Tops and floors and corners with cancer holes as big as fists.
The drivers door on the 77 I was looking for FELL OFF when he was cleaning in anticipating my arrival
He did have 2 good rolling chassis' in a shop and a body under construction [he'd been working on for years, but his replacements were all flat steel rather than stock stamped] that were available to go with a body, but I'm not sure there was a single body out there that had more than 1 to 3 salvageable panels.
I spent two hours or so with him working in my mind trying to find/combine/build a solid bronco from the parts there, but it still felt like anything and everything was going to be 85% new metal/skinned/cut and replace on the bodies. It felt like throwing $6k at the kits/finding doors/top/hood/grille AND then painting and lining and etc just wasn't going to work no matter how I parsed it in my head.
As I said at the top, if he allows me, I'll post his info here. He does have a lot OF REALLY GOOD PARTS. Please don't let me dissuade you from that fact. If you need a frame/VIN/title, he's got a few for ones he knows will never get rebuilt. He's got multiple engines, transmissions, cases, axles, and the like that are in decent shape. He's got some panels and maybe smaller items (knobs, dashes, seats [need rebuild] and brackets, etc) that are salvageable if you are looking to complete a project.
Below is a taste of what I saw. At times I wanted to cry. When things sound too good to be true, they often are. Looks like I'll be headed to St Augustine to check out another one next week and the search continues.
