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"The Beast" - Explorer 5.0/ZF/NP203/NP205 is ALIVE!

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
"The Beast" - Soon to Be a 6 Seater!!! Big Bear or Bust!!!

Well I pulled the trigger on another one, thought it was a good deal, will do some work to it and either resell this one or more likely sell the half cab. Anyways, it looks pretty solid, havent seen it in person yet but got lots of pics and details. If the owner can get his hands on a trailer tomorrow morning I will have it tomorrow night. Anybody on here down in the Grants Pass area with a trailor??? Anyways it is a 70 wagon that was stretched 12in behind the door post, spooled 9 rear 44 up front, running 33 boggers, fairly strong 302, 3 on the tree (I do miss it) and Duff 3.5 lift. All in all seems like a real promising truck. The stretch is pretty darn clean on the frame and the tub as the pictures have shown. I will post up detailed pics tomorrow but here is a teaser. In the bed there is a compartment built into the bed behind the bulkhead for chains or tools. I'll make a top for it.
 

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rellimgneb

Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
476
Loc.
Reno, Nv
Nice rig. I saw it on ebay and would have loved to pick it up but need to finnish my current project first.
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
Alright, picked it up this morning, got it home and spent the evening cleaning out completely stuffed fenders, frame, and suspension of Southern Oregon Red Clay. I spent about 2 hours and have somewhat made a dent, got the door posts clear to inspect but still have the frame to go.
The door posts are spotless, I have yet to find any rust on this thing at all, even those damn front fender skirts are spotless.
Runs real well, sounds like a Bronco should but I have discovered what I need to upgrade first!!! My arms are sore already from trying to turn those damn boggers with manual steering, ugh!!! I need to do the 4x4x2 box conversion.
Anybody got a spare p.s. pump and bracket on em????
Anyways, I really do like it and am happy with the purchase, this thing I can feel already will go just about anywhere.

As for the name of this new adventure...I shall name it "The Big 10 inch" since it has been stretched 10 inches. I will post up some pics tomorrow, just got too damn dark already.
 

crawln68

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
3,045
Man, that is nice to find one that is already stretched! Nice score! So it's at 102 inch wheel base? Throw some FW axles under there and you've got yourself a darn nice wheeler!! More pics!
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
Yup thats the plan, debating between using a set from a 79 Bronco I found or 3/4 ton out of an f250. I plan to run Cage arms with either setup. Just gotta figure out the steering situation. What steering setup do you have on yours?
I am also going to get a custom softop made by Saddleup for it as well as an extended Crab cage. I have a couple hardtops I am going to mesh in my spare time to make an extended hard top, let me know if you think of anything cool I could do to the hard top to make it even more custom.
 

SACHEM

Back From the Dead
Joined
Nov 29, 2001
Messages
2,457
I was watching this rig but it was just to far from me and I don't really need a third one. Please get some pictures soon. I really like this one.
 

crawln68

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
3,045
PDXBronco said:
Yup thats the plan, debating between using a set from a 79 Bronco I found or 3/4 ton out of an f250. I plan to run Cage arms with either setup. Just gotta figure out the steering situation. What steering setup do you have on yours?
I am also going to get a custom softop made by Saddleup for it as well as an extended Crab cage. I have a couple hardtops I am going to mesh in my spare time to make an extended hard top, let me know if you think of anything cool I could do to the hard top to make it even more custom.


I have the 4x4x2 box that I had WTO rebuild and tap for hyro assist steering. Then I bought their Redneck Ram set up. I am running the Stone Crusher Steering and trac bar. One nice feature of the F-250 axles that you are looking at is they have the flat top knuckles! The drivers side comes milled, drilled and tapped from the factory. I sent my passenger side knuckle to Parts Mike for him to mill, drill and tap for me. Then I mounted my tie rod on the high steer arms. :p
 

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SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
Josh. If you want to see one up close that's runing the 78/79 Big Bronco axles let me know. That's what my brother has under his.

Are you going to build this up as a trail rig? If so will it be ready to run the weekend after Thanksgiving? I think we are going to try to get a day of trail riding in the Saturday after Thanksgiving and your welcome to join us. (It will depend on how many I can drum up to go since my brother is probably going to sit this one out)

That looks like a factory bulkhead? If so I would like to verify my measurements before I start work on the half cab skin. Maybe I'll grab that seal for you and run it over in the next day or so.
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
I'll get some pics today between rain drops, I am debating between the 2 sets of axles, kinda leaning toward the 79 Bronco cause I can get the steering box from the guy too, probably thrown in. Still not sure though, gotta do some more research.

This will be set up as a pretty good trail rig, I gotta get some power steering on this before I take it too far but I might be able to get that modded by then, if so, I am all in baby! Cant wait to spin those boggers. The rear is spooled up and the front is a posi so I can get around fairly well. Let me know the details. Are we go for the weekend before Thanksgiving on the meet and greet? Just want to verify. Also, yup factory bulkhead, come by anytime to measure it up, besides, gonna need you to see if you can make me a top for it. :)
 

crawln68

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
3,045
So how did they stretch it? Did they cut the frame and add 10 inches of new frame right behind the door post? And then cut the body in the same place and welded in a 10 inch body piece from a donor body?
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
I am still trying to figure it all out, getting the yard of clay from behind the fenders was the first step.
So far I have found the following...Passenger side has a seam about where I would expect it, there was an extra section welded about a foot past the door post, (inner and outer fenders) basically just used an extra body like you said. The Driver side, I am still not sure on, havent found a seam yet, wonder if they could have possibly used an f100 section? Not sure on the exact dimensions of their body lines. The inner fender was sectioned just like the pass side and some extra hose was used to get over to the aux tank.
As far as the frame is concerned, I still have to get some more mud off, it looks pretty clean though (fab work). It has been wheeled pretty good over the past year so apparrently it is good and strong, I will try to get some pics when the boys go down for a nap today. It seems like it would be a real undertaking to do all of that work, thats why I got it (dont have that much time). I plan to wheel it pretty well, eventual goal is to put in a 4BT with nv3500, full widths (pick those up Sat) - went with Big Bronco axles out of a 79, Cage arms, lengthened hard and soft tops, not sure what gear ratio yet, I will run the 3.50's till I am ready to put in lockers and get my tires. Going to run 5.5 Cage or BC lift with 39.5's and a 3" body lift to fit the deisel. I will go a stage at a time since I already have 1 frame off in the process and want a runner.
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
It looks to me like there was 2 frames possibly used for the stretch, just like the body. The mid body mounts are exactly where they should be in a stock EB so it was stretched behind there The rear ones are where they should be according to the body. Not sure exactly what they did but I can see where they did it. The front leaf spring mount has been dropped so it appears that it must have been done somewhat between them. I'm still pretty confused about the stretch even with the yards of mud that I took out of the thing.

Body is pretty good, driver side taillight panel needs some work, there was apparently some damage along the lines and the bondo is cracking out, they also filled the quarter to tailpost seam smooth which needs to be redone. The bondo is also cracking on the pass side where the sheetmetal work was done, when it was welded together it needed some smoothing and that plastic is cracking. Floors look real good from underneath, door posts are very good, only surface rust, quarter seem is good. All in all very little rust and nothing beyond surface.

Looks like a real nice flowmaster exhaust system on it, it must be aluminum or higher end uluminized cause there is no rust on the exhaust. Full Duff 3.5 lift system, fairly fresh, all the wiring is good and stuff works.

Plan is to put some power steering on it first. I have a setup that will go on the wife's eventually (off my 76) that I might use till I get my 4x4x2 box set up with ram assist and my full widths on there. Picking up my FW axles Sat, hopefully and my Cage long arms on Monday.

Anyways, here are a couple pics, it is still raining so they kinda suck but here they are...
 

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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
You know looking at it now, that pic#4 is actually where the front spring perch was...I have no idea where it was stretched. They just didnt cut off all the old weld from the old perch.
That metal you see in pic 4 behind the floor drop (pass side floor) is a box that was put into the rear bed for storage.
 

DRBRONCO69

Chicago Mike
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
2,146
Loc.
Chicago, Illinois
First glance at the last set of pics and I thought you had it painted already. Just leave it wet all the time.;D I love the truck man. Cool project!
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
That would be great, they have the wet look spray for tires, they need it for paint too huh? Oh I guess thats new gloss paint isnt it ;) I'll do some quick paint and body coming up, nothing real nice, one of those 10 footer paint jobs. Going lime green with black trim. I grew up with the BFG poster over my bed and have wanted it ever since. Just going to do black trim instead of monochrome green.
 

DRBRONCO69

Chicago Mike
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
2,146
Loc.
Chicago, Illinois
PDXBronco said:
That would be great, they have the wet look spray for tires, they need it for paint too huh? Oh I guess thats new gloss paint isnt it ;) I'll do some quick paint and body coming up, nothing real nice, one of those 10 footer paint jobs. Going lime green with black trim. I grew up with the BFG poster over my bed and have wanted it ever since. Just going to do black trim instead of monochrome green.

It just so happens that I still have that issue of four wheeler with that pic. The pic now resides on the back wall of my garage in front of mine.;D
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
There is someone on ebay that sells reprints for like $7, they arent full size but are like 11x16 or something like that. I got one, its nice. I have my original poster somewhere in my baseball card boxes, still gotta find it.
 
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Tito

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
Well I went out today to actually do some measuring as I am having a roll cage and top made for this in the next couple months and I have grown 2 inches overnight!!! Heh, the guy I bought it from said it was a 10 in extention but it is actually a 12 inch (11 7/8" exactly) extention according to my measurements. Dont we all wish we could have an extra 2 inches overnight??? ;D :cool: :eek:
 
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