Big Blue Bronco: 70' Build thread.

Airmapper · May 4, 2012

Probably the biggest financial mistake I've ever made, but we've all done it, bought a Bronco, or in my case bought the second Bronco.

I wanted to name the build thread a few other things, but someone is already calling theirs a turd, rust bucket sounds insulting, and this is a family friendly board for the most part so that knocks out some other things I've called it. Big Blue cause it's Blue, Bigger than the '66 because of the lift / tires, and I'm a UK basketball fan, and they are referred to as the "Big Blue."

I got this to keep from totally screwing up the '66 with noob mistakes, and I wanted a wheeler. Modding a stock half cab '66 survivor just doesn't seem right, so this came up locally and I couldn't help myself. It's been so hacked up I can't possibly make it worse.

This is the photo album for it, lots more photos there and it is updated periodically, also in my signature: '70 Bronco Album

Here is what I started with:

Airmapper · May 4, 2012

I've done a million little projects to it, but as of yet the sum of the parts has not really given much change to the appearance of the whole as of yet, you may have to look close to see anything, but it's all slowly improving.

Major changes early on were the carb got a rebuild which actually brought the thing to life, then the "Alice" front signal mod, and a 3G alternator:

The wiring quickly became a repeat offender, no lights worked, so I didn't want to take it on the road. This brought about:

That can of worms took me into a bunch of sidetracked "while I'm in there" projects.

Airmapper · May 4, 2012

Finally this year some things start to get put back together:

Lots more in progress, working on, or already bought parts for. I have a NP-435 and door inserts that are yet to go on. It needs new tires, and a lot of little things.

Truth be told it needs an entire re-build, but I'm going to polish this turd enough so I can drive it some.

Hoping to have it "driveable" this year sometime. It needs a ton of stuff to be safer and better all around. Work will never stop on it I'm sure.

Thanks for looking. It will be a slow process but I'll update from time to time when I get more stuff done.

JGbronc · May 4, 2012

Nice improvements! Keep up the good work!

jn2630 · May 4, 2012

The point your at now is 100 steps ahead of me

G's Baja Bronco · May 4, 2012

looking Good

ryoungbronco · May 5, 2012

At least you will have minty breath while working on it. "Altoids cans"

Looking good. At least you know that buying a bronco is a financial disaster but isn't that the whole idea behind it.

miikee73 · May 5, 2012

ryoungbronco said:
At least you will have minty breath while working on it. "Altoids cans"

Looking good. At least you know that buying a bronco is a financial disaster but isn't that the whole idea behind it.

Funny the things we'll pick up in a pic...I like the USEABLE battery.
Have fun with it.I know how you feel about not screwing up the 66,the survivors have a place in history. I want to do the same as you,just haven't found the right #2.

Airmapper · May 5, 2012

Thanks guys. Now you know all my fasteners are "curiously strong." ;D

Airmapper · May 18, 2012

I didn't get pics, but yesterday evening was a big one. I pulled out of the shed for the first time this year! Gave it a quick wash to get all the dust off. I also got the ridiculous spare tire rack off, it's a tough rack but whoever made it put a support right in front of the tail light, that had to go.

Today I tidied up some more little things, got the fuel sending unit plug hooked up, bolted my temporary electric fan in a little better, and got several other things bolted down.

Funny thing happened, I took it out the driveway just cause I haven't driven it in so long I wanted to putt around a little. Just about got it stuck turning around. I eased over the ditch and went to swing around, it was uneven but it's a 4x4 right? Well I think I got to open up the hub lockers and lube them good, I got one not locking, and one of my rear tires is slick, so there I was one wheel spinning trying to get out of the grass. Regardless I'm supposed to have a LS on the front, it's not working I guess. I backed up and after a few tries I got it swung around enough I was going more downhill than up and got it back in the road.

I finally got my ClassicBronco.com stickers on, they look great, white on that blue really pops out. I need to get pics, got the small text on the windshield frame and the big sticker on the tailgate.

I got 2-3 things to fix before I can drive it, but at least it's not a shed queen for the moment, and I can pull it out in the yard to work on it.

Airmapper · May 20, 2012

Still got several things on it keeping me off the road, but I at least patched it up enough to ease it up to the pasture for some photos.

I particularly like the ClassicBroncos.com stickers, they turned out great. Only fitting as most of the work done on it was helped along by this board.

Airmapper · Dec 16, 2013

Guess I've done enough to update this, although I'm not done with the batch of upgrades yet. Winter has kind of put my progress to a halt, so time to catch up my build thread.

Looks like my new tires didn't make it in here. New BFG KM2's in 33x12.5x15

All this came out, dropped the Bell housing to D20 and everything in between:

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This was torn down and cleaned, painted, and generally refreshed to go in:

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And got this for it:

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I fixed this up, new drain plug welded in. Also a new rear main seal which I think is leaking anyway, I'm not sure.

1i0to5W08Avd4zNcAOFGiLrOKiK3842unBcwmW1-p24=w800-h600-no

And I rebuilt this with a little (okay, more than a little) help from the guys here. Added JB Fab twin sticks while I was at it.

qmmtB9CAXTDkvUSOAKkZj2YahebBmuhC_ePJlyKBYMY=w800-h600-no

Whats not in the photos is all that is back in. To sum it up the last summer was spent working on:

New flywheel and new LUK clutch

JB Fab stainless clutch rod and hiem joint linkages. WH EFI adapter for the bell housing linkages.

NP435 w/ WH Gear Banger, 1" aluminum plate adapter, WH ultimate rebuild kit for the D20, and JB Fab twin sticks.

And pending installation is:
1" WH body lift kit.
Tuffy glovebox.

I'm probably forgetting something, but that is enough for now. Just hope I can drive it soon. I still have some work to do to get the gear banger in, which has to wait for the body lift. Then maybe I can cover the big hole in my tunnel and actually go for a ride.

Airmapper · Mar 30, 2014

Finally getting something done, it's been a long winter. Got it out today and washed the dust off.

Installed the Tuffy glovebox. I also got all the white pin striping off, and added some stickers I've been hanging on to, Wild Horses, JB Fab, OBR, and added Broncitis FORD lettering decals to the tailgate. I also have the Bronco scripts to replace the emblems, but didn't install them today.

broncobsession · Mar 31, 2014

Looks great!

Airmapper · Jul 10, 2014

Here I was cleaning it up this spring, thinking I was going somewhere.

How did this happen?

How you like dem patch panels......damn PO. :-X

Big Blue Bronco: 70' Build thread.

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