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project tetanus build thread.

mustanggarage

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
545
hello all. I am glad to find this place. So I will let this be my introduction and start of my build thread. I have loved Fords my whole life. my first vehicle was a 1970 f 100. as my user name implies, I have also spent some time wrenching on mustangs. I have always loved the lines of the early bronco and have lusted after one for years but could never find one I could afford. now afford is a stupid word for me. because if I would buy one nearly complete and finance it over 5 years I would spend less in the long run but I enjoy restomodding cars, which means that there would never be a bronco built just the way I wanted it so I decided to buy this one as a starting point.
I intend to replace most every part of it over time anyway so the title and the frame are all I really needed. so here she is in all her Glory introducing project Tetanus.

hAWHswi.jpg


I may have bitten off more than I can chew on this one, but we shall see.

now as to myself, my Dad was a mechanic he is retired and now lives in an assisted living facility nearby. I still occasionally get him over to help me, but he has very little stamina anymore, but working on cars and talking about them is what we have done my entire life. I inherited all of his tools when he moved to the nursing home, and I have spent my whole life collecting tools, so I have a really nice garage and place to hang out. but I know my limitations. I suck at body work. I can build engines, I have rebuilt a couple AOD transmissions. I have no problem with brakes or electrical etc. but body and paint, I have no real experience with it, and frankly I just don't like it.
here is my 65 mustang it was a gift from my parents for my 19th birthday. I learned most of what I know about wrenching working on this stang.
1bUM0Cv.jpg

BUx6gR7.jpg


this is not the first time I have done a ground up restomodification. this is the 67 mustang I built for my daughter.

zB4gNyj.jpg

4h3d5MM.jpg

BzkqQKJ.jpg



I also like 4 wheeling. I used to live in utah and got the offroad bug then, but even though I really wanted an early bronco I could not afford it so I got a jeep instead.

aOR2OBh.jpg

AVbyyTB.jpg


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I work in the medical field so my job is totally unrelated to cars. My Dad was a mechanic. he is retired now, lives in a nursing home nearby. still helps me occasionally, but he is getting to the point he can't do much anymore, but it is what we have always done together, and it is still what we talk about most of the time so I love working on projects.

I bought this bronco because I wanted a project. I work on cars for fun not to sell, and not because I expect them to be worth what I do to them. at the risk of sounding philosophical I guess I am more about the journey than the end product. I spend all my time and energy thinking about the current project. the ones that are basically done.. just sit, I like to drive whatever my current project is. I fix what is broken, I test it till I find what needs improved. once I get it to a state where I don't want to do anymore to it, well then I start looking for a new project. so this project I bought with the thought that it would likely last me till I retire. I plan to have it on the road long before then but it will need future modifications and tinkering. I should be able to milk this one until I am ready to retire, and maybe then I will be old enough I won't want to constantly be working on something. only time will tell I guess
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
545
I had looked off and on for years for a bronco. this one was only a couple hours away. I took a day off work, drove over and looked at it..... and my heart sank. it was a complete rust bucket. every panel looked like it needed work. I was about to just say sorry this is over my head when he said, well since you came all this way make me an offer. My wife was with me and she is my chief negotiatior. we offered half what he was asking because I knew this was beyond my abilities. and he accepted. I should have walked away anyway, but my wife said you can fix it can't you chad, so how could I say no.

you have to understand a bit of history to get why I am doing this build. when I bought that 67 mustang I originally bought it for my 11 year old son to do as a project with him. but he did not want it, so it sat in a storage shed for a couple years and I started working on. I told my son I would make it nice, but he decided he wanted a jeep instead. but my daughter when she saw me working on it said "you can fix it, can't you Dad", and she asked if she could have it. I told her only if she helped me and she did. my wife on the other hand thought it was a complete waste. she loves to tell that story every time we go to a show now.

So when she said I could fix this, I just couldn't let her down. so I bought it.

then the realization of what I did hit me when I started looking at it once I got it home. this is going to be a very long term project. but I like to document my builds on line. I have build threads for my other projects and It helps to be able to go back and look at them so I am going to start a build thread here. understand I am in way over my head on this project budget wise so it is going to be a slooowww build after the initial thrash is over.

so lets start with what I have to work with. this is a 1971 bronco originally a 6 cylinder. it has a running 302 with a holly 4 barrel, it has a shift on the floor 3 speed transmission, a j shift dana 20 transfer case, a dana 30 up front, and 9 inch in the back. it has a budget lift using 3 inch lift blocks in back and it is running on 32 inch tires. I like the way it looks. I like the stance. but the body is a wreck. here are some pictures.

the front fenders are fiberglass. the structure under the fenders is barely holding them on.
bqzpL75.jpg


XOozbzf.jpg


GJHJ9M5.jpg

hGSCqfa.jpg
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Aug 14, 2018
Messages
545
so after I had assessed how bad the body was it was obvious it was going to need a complete frame off restomodification. it was obviously not safe to drive so i immediately began tearing it down.

I got my wife and daughter to help with part of it.


















obvi



obviously there is some rust in the frame as well. I sent it off to be media blasted and the guy who does the blasting is also a metal fabricator and so I ordered some new body mounts and new rear shock mounts . once the frame is blasted and repaired it will be hot dip galvanized to prevent future rust. after that I hope to get it powder coated.
 
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sykanr0ng

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
5,363
I see that a previous owner has swapped in earlier front turn signals with clear lenses.

What kind of winch does it have?
Not many have a motor not in line with the drum.
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Aug 14, 2018
Messages
545
when I bought my bronco there were a lot of extra parts that came with it. most of it was just garbage that the previous owner wanted out of his garage. but there was some good stuff. as part of that I got an additional set of axles. this is a 71 model that originally had a 6 cylinder in it, and it has a dana 30 in the front, and of course the big bearing 9 inch in the rear. the second set was a dana 44 and another large bearing 9 inch. the extra 9 inch had a tag I could read and it shows it to be a 3.50 ls. I am assuming the dana 44 is a match. I will have to pull the cover tomorrow and see. I decided to see what gear was in the 9 inch that was on the bronco. so I started tearing it down, and it turns out is a 4.11 gear.





the original setup had a budget lift with 3 inch lift blocks in the rear and it was riding on 32 inch tires. I like the stance and the way it looked and I plan to keep a similar stance I am going to go with a wild horses 2.5 inch lift and 1 inch body lift. I want to use the dana 44 up front, but I want to keep the 4.11 gears so I guess I will have to regear the dana 44. that is going to have to be a project for the future however. in the mean time I cleaned up the axle housing and painted it and started cleaning up the diff. I will put new seals and bearings in it and eventually replace the brakes. I am going to keep the drum brakes in back as a token effort at keeping costs down lol and because they will work just fine for my purposes. and that is where I am at as of tonight. I think I will possibly pull the cover off that dana 44 and verify that it is a 3.50 gear set then start looking for a carrier for a 3.73 and up ring and pinion. I think I am just going to go with an open diff for the time being so I will hopefully be able to pick one up pretty cheap from someone who is putting a locker in.
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
545
I see that a previous owner has swapped in earlier front turn signals with clear lenses.

What kind of winch does it have?
Not many have a motor not in line with the drum.

that winch is a freaking monster lol it weighs a ton. it says desert on the front of it. it is probably going to the scrap heap the guy said it used to work but they lost the controller. it could be hard wired or I suppose you could get a new one for it, but I really prefer the look of the stock front bumper with no winch so I am not going to use it.
 

1strodeo

Squirrel Watcher
Joined
Sep 15, 2016
Messages
3,596
Loc.
Wisconsin
I spend all my time and energy thinking about the current project. the ones that are basically done.. just sit, I like to drive whatever my current project is. I fix what is broken, I test it till I find what needs improved. once I get it to a state where I don't want to do anymore to it, well then I start looking for a new project.

I think we are brothers ;D;) Welcome aboard, I'll be following your build -jeff
 

langester

Contributor
MASTER OF MADNESS
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
2,660
Welcome! By the looks of things you have a project for sure. You will not regret bringing one back to life, its a ton of work but in the end totally worth it!
Mine started out a lot like yours, I replaced almost everything. I was also wondering what I got myself into. Now I am like a kid at Christmas, can't wait to get this thing done!
From the pics of the Mustangs you have, I would say you got this made! I look forward to following the build.
Keep the pics coming as well, we love the pics!
Good luck with your project and Have a Good one!
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Messages
545
thanks. yes I am super excited about this build. I know I am going to have to slow it down. I have so many things I want to do to it. I just love the lines of the classic bronco. they are awesome looking. I really like my old jeep. but the bronco is a bit bigger so it will be more comfortable inside. and there is more cargo room so my dogs will fit better. I have a lot of plans for this truck. I like going to car shows. I have been to many with my other vehicles and I enjoy them because you get to talk to other people who are interested in these cars. since I can't do much travelling because of my work schedule, and I live in a small town so it is the main way I intereact with other car people. that and these forums of course. so I want to build this truck up to be something I can take and show. but I also want to be able to drive it anywhere I want to go. I want to make it look really nice but be able to put my dogs in there without worrying about them getting dirt and hair in my truck. I have no real interest in keeping it original. their is so little original left of it already that, that seems pointless so I plan to modify it to my taste. I have already spent too much on this rig for this year so once I get the stuff I have already ordered I will be basically letting it sit till I can afford the next round of parts. I imagine everyone can understand that.

I plan to keep this truck until I die or move to the nursing home lol. I really don't like selling my projects. when my Dad moved to the nursing home he had 2 94 mustangs, a coupe and a convertible. I bought them from him and fixed them up a bit. the coupe had been hit in the front by a deer and needed some paint and body work. I sold it a couple years ago. the convertible I spent a lot of time fixing up. I had it looking really nice.
5h66L8j.jpg

It was a nice car, but I did not want to do any more to it. I had fixed what I thought needed fixed and had fun with it, but I didn't need it and I needed space and a new project. I have 2 other mustangs if I want to work on them. I have my 65, and I also have an 89 lx foxbody convertible with a 331 stroker and vortech supercharger that I have done a LOT to.



so when I started really looking for my Bronco project I had to make some room. I had no place to park another vehicle, and I needed the money to buy my next project.

right now I have the 89, the 65, the jeep, my daily driver pickup, my daughters 67 mustang. my wifes MKX and since my daughter just decided to serve a mission for our church in paraguay for 18 months I have her jeep cherokee. so garage space is at a premium. fortunately I have our attached 2 car garage for my wife and daughters DD's and I have a haulmark enclosed trailer I will store her 67 in so with the sale of the 94 I have enough space to start working on the bronco.
 
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sprdv1

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REBEL
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
81,696
Welcome, Welcome... Nice looking stangs..

Glad you got some good help on the bronco
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Aug 14, 2018
Messages
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still waiting to get my frame back from the media blaster. lots of rust damage to the frame and so they are going to have to basically remanufacture it. so in the mean time I have been working on the axles. I ordered a bunch of parts. and several of them were wrong. I also have been having issues with getting the ball joints replaced. hopefully I will have the last parts I need to rebuild the dana 44 front axle this weekend. I finished the rear drum brakes
powder coated the parts that I re-used, and replaced the rest.




stripped both axles with a wire wheel.



then did the kbs system





I also bought another new tool.



stripped the radius arms, but forgot to take a picture.

then I powder coated them with my eastwood kit.






so after this weekend I should have both axles completely rebuilt and ready for install when the frame gets done.
 

Justafordguy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
6,253
Welcome and congrats on your new project. Looks like you're off to a great start.
 

NicksTrix

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Messages
6,386
So are you up todate on your tetanus shot?
Keep digging. One step at a time
 
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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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Messages
545
So are you up todate on your tetanus shot?
Keep digging. One step at a time

actually Nick, I intend to go with gamma globulin. more on that to come.;D;D



in the mean time I have got a little bit done since my last post.

I finished the rear axle. all new brakes, new seals, new bearings.

I also finished the ring and pinion and differential swap on the dana 44.

I got my Dad out of the nursing home for a few hours. he came over to check over my work and help with the final adjustments. this is the first time I have ever done a ring and pinion swap myself so it was definitely a learning experience. I bet I pulled that pinion gear out a hundred times before I was finally satisfied. My Dad could have done it in half the time of course, but there is really only one way to learn things like that so I struggled and messed up my first set of pinion bearings by not having enough pre load shims but I got it done.

My little 100 dollar harbor freight press definitely proved its worth again. and it is nice that I have all of my Dad's tools here as well. that monster 3/4 inch torque wrench and huge pipe wrench makes torquing that pinion nut, no big deal. I also bought myself a couple more new tools, a bearing and seal driving set, an inch drive torque wrench with dial and a new digital caliper my old one was not giving me accurate readings. I already had a good magnetic based dial indicator and everything else I needed. and even with the purchase of the new tools I am well ahead of what it would have cost to have someone else do it.
 

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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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I forgot to mention the first picture below, showing how I used the allthread trick to install the axle seals on the front axle.

I also stripped and powder coated the knuckles. and replaced the ball joints. that was a major pain because my knuckles were made in such a way that there was no way to put a snap ring on the lower ball joint. I asked questions on here, posted pictures and got some good advice. I ultimately ended up installing a set of napa premium ball joints with an upper snap ring groove, and installed the snap ring there.
 

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mustanggarage

mustanggarage

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now we will see if tomorrow I can get the axle shafts cleaned up and get the knuckles hubs and disk brake conversion on this axle. my frame is supposed to be back this week. then I need to get it over to the powder coater before it rusts again lol. then more sandblasting and cleaning old parts. I have asked Santa Claus for a wild horses 2.5 inch lift kit for christmas. if I am really good maybe I can have a rolling chassis by new years. fingers crossed
 

bronkenn

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Coming along nicely. That is great that you get your Dad involved with it. I know it has to be a good day for him to get out in the shop and piddle around. Ken
 
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