First Ford/My intro/My build thread- current: Test drive/MPG figured/pictures

Hello! My name is Andrew, I live in Tucson Arizona, am married to my high school sweetheart Deangela and have 2 kids, Laurel 5 and Caiden 4. I have my own business www.flytrapshop.com where I sell Carnivorous plants and I also run www.terraforums.com, one of the largest discussion boards on the topic. I have a "real" job too that takes up 40hrs of my week and helps pay the bills and afford my hobbies.

For a while now my wife and I have been playing around on our street legal buggy with a 1/4L. single cylinder motor and CVT transmission. It's been fun, but is only 2 seats, really unsafe, and really has ran its course for me. It's time to get something bigger that the kids can ride in too.





We looked at lots of things, Manx style buggies, older CJ5s and CJ7s, International Scouts, K5 blazers etc etc... When we came across this vehicle, for the price VS. others in much worse condition it was kinda no brainer. Sure it needs some stuff but hey, I have no problem having a project vehicle! Especially one that is working pretty much just fine for now and I can do stuff as I go.

I've already done the brakes all the way around, the rears were completely dry from a leaking wheel cylinder and the fronts were cracked from over heating, I've done some electrical work to get the headlights working properly (they would cut off and on as you drove) and got seat belts in the back so I could get the kids' seats in there. The list of stuff to do is growing steadily but most of it is fairly small stuff (well, maybe expensive but simple- like tires) the hardest thing on the list I think is rewiring the whole thing... There is quite a bit of electrical stuff I don't care for. Anyway, here it is!

1973 Ford Bronco 302 V8 3 speed auto with B&M slap shifter and a shift kit of some kind. I was looking for my toy to be a manual but this combination it is dang close to that!









My other vehicle is a 2003 Dodge Dakota quad cab 4x4 which I've dome some stuff on. You can see some time line stuff for both on my cardomain site: http://www.cardomain.com/id/adnedarn

See ya around!
Andrew

Oh, and here is a video I took for the fellahs on the truck forum. Just a walk around/under and start/idle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5isjeIqYJk
Andrew

That's a nice looking rig you got there! Congratulations and welcome to the forums. Sounds like you enjoy the slapshift? I'll be starting my build sometime in October and haven't quite figured out what I'll do with the tranny, if anything.

Welcome Andrew. Come join us on some of the local runs.
http://www.azbronco.org/events.htm
And plan on going the the Stampede.
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158981

Hi Andrew, and Welcome!!!

Yay!! Another AZ Bronco!!!

Just a suggestion, Andrew... Since the kids are such a priority, as they should be... Consider extended the roll cage both to the front, around the windshield, and especially to the rear, family cage style. As is, the cage will not protect the kids in the rear seat. Wild Horses (see add at top of page) sells a kit to add the front section http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/San_Felipe_Weld_In_Cage_Kit/Early_Bronco_Roll_Bars
The back may have to be custom made.

Congrats & Welcome!!! Good looking rig you got there!

X2 on a Family Cage being the #1 priority before the kids or their mother ride in it. And good Seat Belts / Harnes. Great rig to start with, has lots of nice things already there.
Welcome.

very nice.a lot of fun to be had there.O don't run around so fast with the camera.some on here like to drool.but do slow down!!!welcome aboard...

Thanks everyone for the welcome!

sm9ke: Yes, I enjoy the slapshifter- not sure if it would be as much fun without the harsh shiftkit though... When I manually shift it, it engages very hard. If it was some soft slush of a shift, the fun wouldn't be there I'm sure.

trlblazr: Thanks for the invite, it definitely has some work before I take it anywhere too far from my house. So far it's pretty much just been test drives within a 5-10 miles of the house. Once it's ready though, I'll have to check it out!

A family cage is definitely top of the list, I've been quoted by a local fabrication pace to put in a family 6 point cage for about $1200. I also need to have a mount replaced for the passenger rear leaf spring, it's cracked. The other major thing is tires, these are cupped really bad- so I need to check and see if I can find if there is something wrong with the Bronco that caused that.
Here is my current "To do" list (along with notes to self).

-bucket seats/kids
-family roll cage
-passenger rear front leaf spring mount/weld cracked
-new tires (32x11.50? or resolve rubbing on tight left turn) (33x12.60r15 now?)
-complete wiring kit
-license plate light
-remove aftermarket trans. cooler
-Steering not centered? (drivers wheel rubs at full lock on one side)
-steering wheel install kit (horn kit?)
-speedo gear (Each tooth on the speedo gear adjusts speedo by about 5%. + a tooth reduces the speedo reading. - a tooth increases the speedo reading.) The percent difference is (30-13)/30 = 57% stock-19teeth 17.56-18.11 (33-32” tire) Speedometer Gear Teeth = (Drive Teeth(7?) * Rear End Ratio(4.10?) * 20.2) / Tire Height 17.56 teeth for a 33" tire and 18.11 teeth for a 32" tire
-fix windshield wipers?
-antifreeze over flow bottle
-heater core leaking
-blower motor
-different/better speakers (and location)
-some body work/paint

Click to expand...

Edit: Oh and the video, like I said I had taken that for the guys on my Dakota/Durango site so I tried to keep it fairly short/quick since I doubt the really wanted for it to go on too long. haha

adnedarn said:

A family cage is definitely top of the list, I've been quoted by a local fabrication pace to put in a family 6 point cage for about $1200. short/quick since I doubt the really wanted for it to go on too long.

Click to expand...

You may want to consider a cage from Protofab (what I have!). They are a first quality fabrication shop, who's products are resold by most of the Bronco parts vendors. They're located about an hour north of Phoenix, in Cordes Lakes. Depending on options, they may be a bit cheaper than your fabricator.
http://www.protofab4x4.com/products.php?ID=00&ID2=47

Very good! Thank you much, I will check them out. Do you have the family cage? Any pics? The complete one (minus seat mounts) looks like about what we're talking about so pending shipping... The price seems pretty close.
Thanks!
Andrew

adnedarn said:

Do you have the family cage? Any pics? The complete one (minus seat mounts) looks like about what we're talking about so pending shipping... The price seems pretty close.

Click to expand...

I've got what they're calling the Basic 6-point cage, since I have no back seat, with a couple options. Used to be called a Sport cage. I've got a couple pics, but on the home computer. I'll see if I can remember to post when I get home.

My thought was that you could make a road trip, and just drive the Bronco up and get it. That's what I did, although, being in North Phoenix, it was only an hour drive for me. I pulled the top off, and removed the passengers seat, then drove up to their shop. They set it in place and I used a couple ratchet straps to keep it in place 'till I got home.

If that's not practical, check with your fabricator on a price to weld up Protofabs cage. They will ship as an unwelded kit. Much cheaper!!

I guess this will be my build topic too ;D I've been wondering about the back seat, it just seemed so... flemsy/floppy/crappy. After looking around, I managed to find a real rear seat, and that only made me wonder more about what was in there! So yesterday, I started ripping it out- here is what I found.

The seat installed


How it mounted on the side/front


How it mounted to the ground, the pole went over the mount and that little bolt through it.


And, how that bracket mounted to the ground %)


So, removing that bracket showed me the liner the PO had in here was thin, and crap... so I started ripping it out. You also see the factory seat I picked up sitting in there.


Andrew

So I got the whole inside stripped down, panels removed, drivers door fixed (opens from outside now), installed an adjustable trac bar but will surely need to readjust it once a few more things are done. We put the hard top on it yesterday to take it down and have a roll cage built. (Just had the seats sitting in it, that made for a fun drive!) Then today went out and bought new front and rear Corbeau seats. Moving along =)
Andrew

Sounding good! Keep us updated!

This is kinda late, but welcome to CB and the Bronco world!

I was called out today to check out the current look before anything is made permanent and talk about seat placement and upper bars... We like how it looks so this is it after the upper bars, the rear seat mount, a mount for the shifter, and front seat harness bar (I think is all that's left) are added.
Andrew

Looks good. Any overhead spreaders? Guess they arent totally necessary. Looks like you found an even nicer-than-stock- rear seat.

Are you going to bed-liner the inside of the tub? What product? Keep us posted.

Have fun.

John

Thanks!
When I said "Upper bars" I mean the spreaders.. yes, two in front, two in rear. Then the other things I mentioned still need to be put in and all the welds finalized. I'm going to have the tub Line-x'd as soon as they're done fitting the cage. Then take it back and have the cage mounted in. I think the rear seat looks awesome, even better once it is on the cage mounts so it isn't on the ground, although it's not a fold in tumble of any kind like a lot of people have.
Andrew

Spray liner got finished today and I started putting the panels back on. It goes back Monday to have the cage installed which is good... I don't like driving it with no cage, no seat belt, and the seat just sitting in there! haha Also, ordered the soft top today. Then get the soft top on, and new tires, and finish adjusting the adjustable trac bar... Then it's set to drive and I'll keep doing things as I go. But this stuff was the most important.
Andrew

bronco is looking good man, gives me motivation to work on mine