• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

My DonNell build thread

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
I finally decided to not be so cheap and became a contributor so I can post some pics so I decided to start my build thread. Plus I got stuck working graveyard on Christmas Eve and work is super slow so it's giving me a chance to play some catch up.

A little bit of history to begin with;
My rig is a 73 named DonNell after my grandma who passed away last year. I bought the bronco from my grandpa a few years back when he was talking about selling it because he was tired of paying registration and insurance on it and never using it. My grandpa bought the truck brand new from Redding Ford, CA in December of 1972. It was a wonderful CA rig so came with all the lovely emission control equipment. My grandpa bypassed all the smog equipment probably the day he bought it(He was a mechanic by trade for 50 years) . He was a conspiracy theorist before it was cool to be one and to this day says the emission control stuff is just a way for the big car companies to hurt the little mechanic shops. He also said he always hated the way the rear quarters looked stock so he ordered rear fender flares for it the day he brought it home. It had factory A/T, power steering, j shifter, 4.10's, and the all the chrome trim options although as you can see a lot of the trim is missing.

Growing up I went hunting and fishing with my grandpa in the truck and obviously couldn't let him sell it to anyone but me. For the last 10 years or so before I bought it, it never left property and was definitely a work truck around his place. There is a great picture of him getting it stuck in his creek with the water coming up and over the hood, I will have to try and dig up and post it one of these days. It was very well used when it came to me so it needed a lot of work. Luckily somehow the rust was limited to just the front driver and passenger's floorboards. The body has dents, dings, and filler in every panel, but I love the rig.

The first car I bought myself was 69 Bronco when I was 18. I really had no idea what I was doing then and made a lot of mistakes with that build. I put in a very warmed up 351w the biggest and cheapest lift I could find on it and was running 36" tires on a dana 30 front small bearing rear with manual drum brakes all the way around and never bothered to change the gearing. So hopefully I got most of the mistakes out of the way with that one, I know I will not have gotten all the mistakes out of the way though.

This is one of the only pictures I can find as of now from before I started working on it.
 

Attachments

  • bronco 1.jpg
    bronco 1.jpg
    171.9 KB · Views: 255
Last edited:
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
So the plan has changed constantly over the last 3 years since I started the project, and I am probably doing things way out of order but oh well. So the current plan is refreshed original 302 with Explorer Serpentine, 4r70w with US Shift Quick 1, NP205, Front axel is a disk brake HP Dana 44 from a 77 with the wedges moved in 4.88 gears with a Eaton E-locker, rear 9" out of an 81 bronco with 4.88s and a Detroit. 4" suspension and 1" body lifts and 35" tires.

I probably started out right and began by tearing everything down to the frame. I got the body off and cleaned up the 1/2" thick caked on grease, dirt, rock, sand mixture that had been building up for 30+ years. By then end of the day I left the body at my grandpas and trailered the frame home.
 

Attachments

  • Frame.jpg
    Frame.jpg
    112 KB · Views: 166
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
I started off my build by with the frame and suspension. I added long travel front hoops, and had a local offroad shop, JC Performance, that specializes in broncos build me a set of custom from extended radius arms that turned out great. I also flipped the rear shackles and pushed the rear axle back 2.5" to compensate for my grandpa cutting the rear fender cut out so far back on the rig (See my first post above), and the front radius arms are adjustable so I may end up pushing my front axle forward about an inch but that will come later.

I ended up with about 4-4.5" of suspension lift using some WH front coils and an add a leaf to get my height right in the rear after the shackle flip. Eventually I will do a full new set of rear springs, but I got the add a leaf for free from JC Performance because they had it lying around. Eventually I will also add long travel shock mount for the rear, but I am waiting until I get my axles, tires, and wheel figured out to see what I have room for.

I prepped and painted the frame myself first did a Por15 base coat, then Por15 top coat, then added another top coat sealer. I just could't get myself to do the powdercoat option because I still have too many mods to make and I plan on using the bronco as a bronco.
 

Attachments

  • Broncoframe.jpg
    Broncoframe.jpg
    86.1 KB · Views: 146
  • Broncoframe2.jpg
    Broncoframe2.jpg
    89.5 KB · Views: 141
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
So I picked up a complete hp dana 44 from a 1977 F150 which gave me my disk brakes and I got a 9" out of an 81 bronco for free from my buddy who owns a tow yard(bronco was going to pick and pull so he let me have the axel for nothing, really good guy). I moved the wedges in on the dana 44 to EB width and added a trac bar riser from Ruff Stuff Specialties. Since I don't know anything about setting up ring and pinion set up I had Ring and Pinion Service in Sacramento install my 4.88s front and rear and set up the Eaton E-locker in the front and the detroit in the rear.

I rebuilt the dana 44 from the knuckles out and replaced all the brakes front and rear. I added my drop pitman arm and installed my 3/4' heim steering kit and heim trac bar kit from Ruff Stuff. I don't like stacking the tie rod and drag link so I am going add a saddle to my tie rod to mount the drag link but haven't gotten there yet. This is when the rig actually started feeling like I was accomplishing something. Somehow everything looks like it is lining up nicely.
 

Attachments

  • Suspension.jpg
    Suspension.jpg
    149.8 KB · Views: 144
  • suspension 2.jpg
    suspension 2.jpg
    179.5 KB · Views: 138
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Started compiling parts for the drivetrain next. I picked up a running 99 Explorer complete 5.0 and 4r70w off craigslist. I sent out the 4r70w to my grandpas long time transmission guy (Again he owned a shop for 50 years) to have it fully rebuilt. I wanted to do the full EFI conversion, but my grandpa started getting a little sentimental and is really against EFI in his classic cars. So I decided to refresh the original 302 that came in the bronco and I pulled serpentine system from the Explorer to add to my 302. I still have the 5.0 in storage waiting for a rainy day upgrade down the road. I also picked up a NP205 and a US Shift Quick 1 to control the transmission. My plan is to use the 205 as a place holder until I can afford an Atlas, just too many other things I could spend $2500 to get me up and running faster.

I am pretty handy, but a rebuild was over my head. My grandpa helped me do the rebuild which has been one of the coolest parts of the build so far. He gets all excited showing me how to do stuff. The block and cylinders looked good so we just decided to rebuild the heads and replace all the gaskets. I also go a 4 barrel intake and an Edelbrock Off-Road carb to top off the motor. I cracked the aluminum timing cover during the disassembly of the front dress on the 5.0 but luckily found a replacement for $40 bucks on ebay. It really sucks breaking a perfectly good part, feels like throwing money in the trash can.

So my grandpa lives 4 hours away and the motor is staying there during the rebuild since he has a large garage so I haven't had a chance to finish buttoning the motor back up, but everything fit on nicely. Decided to go classic Ford blue on the motor, doesn't really go with the bronco green but I guess I just think an old Ford motor should be blue. This is the only pick I took of the motor after I cleaned up the serpentine system and painted the block. Once I top it off I will take some more pics.
 

Attachments

  • Motor2.jpg
    Motor2.jpg
    142.6 KB · Views: 202
Last edited:
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Putting the body back on the frame was an adventure, did it with my 75 yo grandpa and a few different jacks and straps. Probably wasn't the safest day of my life, it only almost fell on my twice. But no harm no foul right. Body back sitting on the frame with a 1" body lift and wow it actually started looking like a bronco again.

Here she is on the trailer finally back at my own house. Still no motor or tranny in it, I already warned you I was probably doing things out of order.

I needed the body home where I could work on it and want to paint the engine bay so I figured why hook everything up if I am only going to have to take it apart again. But again I am probably way backwards.
 

Attachments

  • 20160916_063709.jpg
    20160916_063709.jpg
    126.7 KB · Views: 131
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Started stripping the paint and got some old 35" tires to roll her around on for now until she is up and running. Wow she is really starting to look like a bronco now. I'm really liking how the stance is turning out. In a few of these pics I have the front suspension compressed to what I estimate will be the ride height after the motor and winch bumper get thrown on the front.

I have gone back and forth on the color a hundred times, but I decided to keep her the original U code Medium Lime Green, but am going to give her black fender flares, a black hard top, and black bumpers. I'm not going fully blacked out the green and black combo is starting to grow on me.

***I have gotten just about as many comments on the old school gun rack in driver's side rear window as I have gotten about the bronco. I was going to take it out, but now I'm not so sure.***
 

Attachments

  • 20161104_162344.jpg
    20161104_162344.jpg
    169 KB · Views: 188
  • 20161104_162331.jpg
    20161104_162331.jpg
    122 KB · Views: 160
  • 20160922_164020.jpg
    20160922_164020.jpg
    82.8 KB · Views: 143
Last edited:
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Took a drive with my 2yo to Wild Horses and picked up my new Highlander hood and a set of 1/4 “ rocker guards. My son loves the bronco so he was in paradise at the store, he especially liked their roll cage and seat display. I am horrible with names so I can’t remember who I was dealing with, but he gave my son a free t-shirt which made his day. WH is really good people.

Got the hood installed and added the rear 35” even older tires. Welded up all the old chrome trim panel holes and the tire carrier rack holes. Really liking the smooth look.

With the help of a few black Friday and Christmas specials from our wonderful vendors(and a big hit to my bank account) I now have almost everything I need to re-assemble the truck, all new lights and lenses, weather stripping, seal kit, new wipers and arms, some interior parts. Now I am starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe not a lot of light, but at least a little.
 

Attachments

  • 20161123_160209.jpg
    20161123_160209.jpg
    109.4 KB · Views: 133
  • 20161123_161214.jpg
    20161123_161214.jpg
    120 KB · Views: 132
  • 20161123_161222.jpg
    20161123_161222.jpg
    124.7 KB · Views: 139
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
It's hard to tell in the older pics, but my original grill was pretty beat. There was a section of rust on the driver's side along with an area filled with over a 1/4" of bondo, plus small dents everywhere and holes in it from the chrome trim which was half missing and won't be going back on. I decided I just don't think it is worth it to try and save her, so I ordered one of the "Original Ford Tooling" replacement grills. It looks really pretty coming out of the box, but when I put it on the rig I am not so happy about it, looks like a lot of massaging to make it look right, and now having read some threads on here I find that I am not alone. I haven't decided if I am going to try and keep the new grill or try and find another option. It isn't fully bolted on, just attached with two of the center latch assembly bolts. Any ideas would be great on this obstacle.

Also got the hard top off for the 1st time since I have owned her. I think my grandpa said the last time the top was off was in the 80's. Only broke two bolts in the safety stakes trying to get it off. Weird it was the same bolt on both sides.

Then I spent an hour unbolting the passenger's side of the old roll bar. I sprayed the nuts and bolts and let them soak, I tried an impact gun, and the bolts were 2 big to snap. Finally ended up using a really big breaker bar and several bloody knuckles and profanities later it finally came out. Went to do the driver's side and they all came out like butter. No idea what caused the difference.

So this is where I'm at now. Motor, tranny, tcase all ready and standing by for paint. Almost finished stripping the old paint. Next up, body work and paint. Lucky for me my brother is in autobody and paint!!! Unlucky for me he is making me do all the grunt work.
 

Attachments

  • 20161221_142814.jpg
    20161221_142814.jpg
    126.2 KB · Views: 134
  • 20161221_142823.jpg
    20161221_142823.jpg
    147.1 KB · Views: 124

doghows72

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
2,036
Nice build you have going on there. Congrats on becoming a contributor, we all love to see pictures. Keep us posted and keep up the great work!
 

fatboy

Contributor
Glad to be here.
Joined
May 15, 2006
Messages
7,001
Loc.
New Hampshire
I am glad you got to buy it from grandpa and keep it in the family! Great story, I look forward to the build.
 

sprdv1

Contributor
REBEL
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
81,734
Good stuff man and great history. Look forward to the build
 
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
So great time today. Started stripping the paint on one of my last two panels and came across some wonderfull bond that was way too thick. Wow it makes a mess compared to paint when you are sanding it off. This will be my first attempt at body work so I had no prior experience with the stuff. Always love the surprises.
 
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Man I hate bondo. Went to strip the paint on the last panel today, the tailgate. It was like the whole exterior of the bumper was made out of bondo. I called up my grandpa and asked him what was up with it. He told me he had a boat attached to the bronco with the wrong size ball on his hitch and the boat trailer came from and put a whole through the tailgate. He told me he was going to replace it because of how bad it was, but then let a guy who was working for him practice some body work on it. He said it didn't look to bad after the body work so he just left re-used it since the truck was basically a country road/farm rig. Now after I spent several hours stripping it and welding up some holes in it today he tells me he forgot he has a spare tailgate for it sitting in his storage shed.

This rig has been ridden hard and put away wet way too many times. But I love it and keep repeating to myself Someday, someday.
 

Hopstr

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
144
Great story! Keep at it, and keep posting photos.
 

Bdhand

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
712
How are you stripping the paint off. Are you sanding or using sand blasting technique?
 
OP
OP
P

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
Sanding it off most of it with Norton Rapidstrip disc on an angle grinder. Trying to do as much on the truck myself as I can, and I don't have access to a sand blaster. I have used 4 discs to strip the whole truck so $45 in discs and it goes really fast.
 

Bdhand

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
712
Cool! I have to do the same thing so I was just wondering! I have access to a sandblaster but heard it got too hot on the metal!
 
Top