New member checking in. 1974 Project

Nemisus · Aug 14, 2016

Good evening classic broncos!

For nearly 21 years I have been wishing for an early bronco. One thing or another lead to that never happening...

last Thursday I changed that by pulling the trigger on a local sale of a 1974 Bronco. It's rough and should be viewed with an open mind. I have a lot of work ahead of me and many years of restoration. Fortunately this is the project I want so, like many others I have had (Vintage Porsche's) that sat and took up space this is one I wont mind having to look at for as long as it take.

That being said here is my recent purchase:

This is how she looks today:

This is how she looked when I brought it home. Remember its rough and needs a caring touch! ;D

When I picked it up the seller mentioned that the engine had been previously EFI and then returned to carburated... I wasn't sure what year 302 was in it so took a picture of the block number:

If I understand it correctly its a 1971 302 from the Fairlane or Torino family... can I assume by this info that its not the 302 that came with it when new?

Since the engine was EFI as some point the OEM throttle Bell Crank was removed. I have located a replacement but have the issue of this oval hole... anyone got any advice on how to get this bell crank re-attached?

Well before I bombard the site with the million questions I am sure to have I'll leave it with this short intro.

I look forward to what I can learn from the experts.

Thank you in advance!

Cheers

Nemi

doghows72 · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome, you have found the best site in the world for the early Broncos. You will definitely find you answers here.
Bronco looks like a great starting point for a project. We've seen worse as I don't see a to of rust in the usual spots. As for your oval hole a patch panel will be needed to close it up. Or if you want a temporary fix you could attach an oversized oval over the hole and get it running for a bit that way.
Good luck and as always keep us posted and lots of pictures are great.

Vin218 · Aug 15, 2016

Hi and welcome to cb, the paint may be rough but it actually looks like a pretty solid rig to start with. Not sure about your engine question but I'm sure others will chime in on that. What do you have planned for this new project?

hankjr · Aug 15, 2016

welcome aboard and congrats. some fuzzy dice and a summit racing bumper sticker and you are good to send it as is!!! Where are you located?

i have to say that everything i now know about EB's came from this site, and the connections this site made possible. My advice is to network and learn how to search using google. there is a ton of great information already here, and if you cant find it, your answers are generally just a post away.

regarding your oval hole, you will need to fab a small patch the the attachment points for the bell crank. i would advise holding it in place with sheet metal screws and then hooking up the linkages and make sure it all works before welding it in place. you can get a plethora of photos of what the attachment point should look like. post the request when you are ready for the information.

Hank

bronconut73 · Aug 15, 2016

That's pretty solid Bud.

Welcome to the best Damn site on the net!

CopperRanger · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome and congrats on your purchase. I have a 74 also and can post a picture of my carb linkage and crank later when I get home from work, if somebody doesn't beat me to it.

markw · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome! Nice solid EB to restore. Have fun!

sprdv1 · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome aboard, that's not a bad place to start. It'll buff out man

patterdale · Aug 15, 2016

Check out Elise in our garage if you think yours is rough. One guy on here even said it looked like I bought a Vin number. Rough is relevant. I hope you know what disease you have succumbed to and the severity of it. Welcome.

kens bronco · Aug 15, 2016

welcome aboard, I bought my 72 last Sept. I had to supply the tires and wheels, and stop by Home Depot for ratchet straps to hold the body on for the trip home.
You have a great start.
Kenny

JAFO · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome. Your rig is much better than what I started with.

D = 1970
1 = 1 (which makes it 1971)
O = Torino/Fairlane block
E = Engine
6015 = engine block
AA = 302

Decode the casting number...

http://www.mustangtek.com/FordDecode.html

70_Steve · Aug 15, 2016

Welcome and congrats on the new-to-you Bronco.

Ditch the throttle bellcrank and install a throttle cable. You will be much happier!!!

bronconut73 · Aug 15, 2016

70_Steve said:
Welcome and congrats on the new-to-you Bronco.

Ditch the throttle bellcrank and install a throttle cable. You will be much happier!!!

This/\/\/\

blamejane · Aug 15, 2016

Congrats on the long awaited purchase of a bronco. Looks like it's a great place to start and will only get better! Also welcome to ClassicBroncos, the BEST forum ever for bronco enthusiasts. Good luck with your build, and be sure post some progress pics along the way.

Teal68 · Aug 15, 2016

Congrat's! While that may look rough it actually appears very solid!

Justafordguy · Aug 15, 2016

Congrats on what looks like a great foundation for your project. Be sure to keep the pictures coming as you make any progress.

Nemisus · Aug 15, 2016

Wow! I don't even know what to say about all the incredible fast responses?

I very much look forward to getting this project started. I do want to take it slow and not rush though... as much as I'd like be driving it. I really have waited a long time for this to come and now I need to be patient.

One thing that has been weighing on my mind is the wiring of this Bronco has been sliced in so many ways I can't make any sense of it. Has anyone had any experience with the Painless kits? It seems like a great place to start when it comes to wiring... just a tough purchase given how much it cost.

Since I am doing a body off frame restoration it only makes sense to start fresh with everything.

Vin218

I think a solid restoration with a few personal touches is what I currently have in mind... 3.5" lift with 33s or maybe a 5.5" lift with some 35s. I haven't decided? I converted an 87 Bronco II into a Solid Axle Swap using a Full Width High Pinion D44 and Full Width Ford 9"! The Bronco II featured 5:13 gearing, James Duff 5.5" EB suspension with Long arms, ARB Lockers front and rear, and I even dropped a 4.0 out of an explorer in it for more power. Thing was a beast!

One can say that the Ford Bronco is in my DNA. In fact my very first vehicle was a 1984 Bronco II. I have owned 2 others since, an 88 that I custom chopped and made a soft top, and an 86 that I gave to my best friend who is currently working on an SAS!

Hankjr

I am just a few hours north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Rincon Valley (Santa Rosa).

Thanks again for the warm welcomes and I am very excited to be here.

Cheers

Nemi

Nemisus · Aug 15, 2016

Interesting,

I was working on a follow up to all the wonderful replies and when I posted my response disappeared...

is that common?

Anyhow, I will post follow up's to all the questions asked. Thanks again for the welcomes!

Cheers

Nemi

admin · Aug 15, 2016

Nemisus said:
I was working on a follow up to all the wonderful replies and when I posted my response disappeared...

Nemi,

It's just an anti-spam feature. Since you posted photos (links) in your very first post it automatically puts you in the moderation queue for me to review. (because spammers always post links immediately)

But you're good to go now and it won't happen again now that you've got some posts under your belt.

Welcome to the site! Nice project you've got there.

warthog6x6 · Aug 16, 2016

Hey Nemi,
Welcome aboard!! As one of the members put it in a "build thread" that I read, drag that thing over to the shade tree and get out your best cardboard creeper and lets get busy. I'm new to the forum also but have been reading and learning at a fast pace. I am in the tear-down phase on my truck and have just placed a large order for parts. The forum has a lot of information and it takes time to sift through everything. A great place to start is looking at the "build threads". The link for them is at the top of the Bronco Chat section. Those are threads that show bronco builds from the start (like you and me) to the finish. I'm still going through them. I'll attach a quick photo of my truck. Looking forward to comparing notes with you as our builds progress.

Wart

New member checking in. 1974 Project

New Member

Attachments

Bronco Guru

Full Member

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

REBEL

Bronco Guru

Jr. Member

Bronco Guru

Old Guy

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

Bronco Guru

New Member

Attachments

New Member

Just your friendly, neighborhood webmaster...

New Member

Attachments

Similar threads