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69 Bronco story and restoration

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
Second Owner, same family...

Back in July of 1969 my uncle in Colorado purchased a U15 Wagon with the color of cordova. It was a 3 speed with a bench seat and that was about it. He had the dealer install a PTO winch and cut the fender flairs before he brought it home (still have the original paperwork from the dealer). Over the next 25 years he traversed Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah over the summers. The Bronco amassed over 100k miles in that time. He was never married and was the crazy uncle we all dreamed about. He brought all his nieces and nephews on his adventures across the Rockies and desert. In 1995 he died of a hear attack. The bronco at that time had almost as much aluminum flashing holding the body together as it did steel. The bench seat springs were fill in with boat throw cushions, but everything worked. He had the engine replaced about 80k miles, the body panels and hood had cracks/fractures (not rust). in the early 2000's I finally got my hands on the bronco, but putting my 3 daughters through college put the bronco on the back burner.

Fast forward to February of this year, I sold my house and property and retired to Florida. I brought the bronco with me as I found a shop that is willing to work with me on my restoration. With the bronco disassembled and the body off the frame, I decided to replace the body as time was not kind to it. It will not be stock as I will be doing some of the normal mods, power steering and disc front brakes, new seats (thinking 350z buckets), not too enthused about boat cushions! Installing a crate 302 and full roll cage. It has 411 gears, gonna kill me in gas, but I think I will keep that along with the dash, the 3 on the tree, PTO winch and cut fenders. He added an altimeter and thermometer to the dash keeping those too! Going with a soft top. Keeping the color the same, but may go metallic!

I will be asking a lot of questions for the build as the experts live here! The shop I am working with is small but does quality work and will let me keep my fingers in the build to save money and I know it will be $$$. I will be needing advise on purchasing the smalls needed to complete. I have what I think is a very good list of items needed as I worked with the shop on this and they have done quite a few other builds, but not sure from whom to purchase as the shop deals mostly with LMC on their truck rebuilds.

I hate and love this forum as I keep finding things I want to do! Thanks in advance for all the advice, feed back and criticism!

Will post photos as it goes along!
 

904Bronco

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
5,749
Loc.
San Martin, CA
Welcome to Classic!

Your 69 has great History and will be a fine edition to your Family for years to come. We look forward to the pictures, and the stories that will continue as it is restored and gets back on the road.
 

half cab

Contributor
Guru Bronco
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
16,306
Surly you got some classic pictures of the Bronco in it's hay day with your uncle?

Good luck with ur build.
 

spap

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Messages
2,457
That is very cool. See if you can dig up some of your uncles pictures of his travels
 
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Remos69

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
Bench was already spoken for, the brackets at the base of the seats were cracked n crushed and the cross frame was bent, but it was easy to get rid of!
 

sprdv1

Contributor
REBEL
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
81,734
Congrats on the new to you Rig.. Look forward to the pics.

Speaking of pics....





Feel free to vote for CB as top 4x4 site daily as well Bottom link on the page.
 

chuckyb

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2016
Messages
941
Great history and welcome! Mine is also one family / second owner. Looking forward to seeing some old family pictures and some pictures of the restoration too!
 
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Remos69

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
So it starts.... Frame was sandblasted and painted last week.
 

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englewoodcowboy

Lick Creek Restorations
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
4,200
Welcome to the board, you are now living in my home town but I moved away in 08. This is a great place for info your build. I will tell you that worrying about gas mileage is an oxymoron when dealing with broncos, they just don't go together. I have a few different builds I have done for customers, my personal bronco included and we tend to get about 12 - 15 mpg out of them. Gearing is paramount on these, for example, I am running 35's with 4.88 gears and an AOD overdrive. I cruise at 70mph and can squeeze out 14mpg on long trips, around town not so much. It doesn't help that I have a very healthy 347 stroker and playing with the skinny pedal is a lot of fun. I have similar builds with fresh 306 (a 302 bored .030 over becomes 306) and it is running 4.30 gears, 31x10.50-15 with a NV3550 5 speed over drive and it gets about 15mpg at 70 mph. At 85 my customer has reported it drops to 12, I don't recommend running them that fast but they can be built to handle well and my customer that has that particular bronco drives the hell out of it. Ive done another 306 with stock 3.50 gears and 32x11.50-15 and it gets about 14 mpg though it is not as peppy due to its stock gearing and C4 3 speed. Gears will really wake them up and make them a blast to drive if done correctly. Just curious as to whose shop you are using for the rebuild?
 

FRANKO289

Contributor
Bronco enthusiast
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Messages
6,807
WELCOME ...

bunch of early broncos and restorers in Ft Myers.
 

Cortez

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
1,193
Couple of us forum guys here in Sarasota and up in Tampa...post up if you need something, would love to see the Bronco.
 
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Remos69

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
Englewoodcowboy, just moved down here in August from Fredericksburg VA. My family roots are from a bit east of you in Franklin and Patrick counties. My plans for the bronco are to make a couple of trips to VA every year, so I just want a vehicle that can run on the interstate at around 65. Along with running around Florida. This will be a driver, gears are factory 4.11's and I hope to be running 31x10.5x15s when I get it on the road.

As for my bronco buddies just north and south, I will be seeing you around and asking a few questions!
 
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Remos69

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
Long time, no post! Just restarted on the build due to a 7 month detour! (Head injury, purchased a new house, moved, and first ever AFib attack).

Installed the front disks, pulled the transmission over the last 2 weeks.

Do have a question - Going to go with a 351w with a FITECH, I was going with a 1 inch body lift, do I need to go higher with the FITECH install? Trying to keep the profile of the build a stock lift look
 

Cortez

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
1,193
Hey Remos69, glad you are back at it. I’ve got that setup, 351w with fitech and it fit under the hood fine. It may depend on the intake you have...my stock intake fit and I used a low profile air cleaner. Now I am going to an Edelbrock performer intake and may have to get a different air cleaner such as the stock style that moves the filter off the top of the intake and relocates it to the side - I have been told this will give another step in better clearance if needed. Others have advised me it should fit even with the new intake...but I would guess if you go with a hi rise intake it may be too high for a stock hood.
 
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Remos69

Remos69

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
660
Loc.
SW Florida
Restart!

The fun restarted today! New suspension installed today, new engine delivered today, new fuel tank and body lift came in Friday. Next few weeks will be all frame work. Ordered more bushings I missed on first order.
 

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