1970 Ford Bronco 302 - Build Thread

[tonytony9]

September 2025 - December 2025 - Been awhile since I updated. I was able to fix my "bucking" issue by upgrading to a Pertronix II w/ Flamethrower coil. Runs like a dream, starts on a dime. Went ahead and checked over all wiring. New voltage regulator. New Optima Yellow Top Battery. 10 degrees already this month and no issues starting or idling. Dialed in timing.

 

[tonytony9]

Page 2 of the Build Thread Starts Here

Windshield Frame Cowl, Upper Cowl Replacement (February 2026-God Knows) - After some weird clutch pedal flexing and getting tired of wet, rust covered feet, I dove into some body work for the first time. This is a long journey, about two months in and will be updating as I go along. My goal is to have the Bronco back on the road to enjoy the summer.

-February 2026

*Windshield piano hinge inspection. Original gasket was still fully in place. Pretty good shape.

-March 2026

*Removed the hood for better access. Tried various methos to remove spot welds. Spot weld bit (easy in some areas). Air belt sander (have not got the hang of this tool yet). Dremel (yeah, I like this one best). Upper cowl coming off.

*Fresh air box came off in near perfect shape, even the gaskets.

*Windshield frame cowl valley (piece that runs underneath upper valley, where pedal assembly bolts to, was in bad shape. Cut it out.

*Front Fenders are off. Inspecting apron and A-pillars.


-April 2026

*Does anyone have a link to a thread which identifies the spot welds on the windshield frame cowl end caps?

-June 2026

*Windshield frame piano hinge was removed from the windshield cowl (riser). The spot welds are randomly placed. Tip is to look under the dash, use pry or wedge from the engine bay, and gently pry up after each couple spot welds. This technique will help you locate each by the pinch point (where the hinge is "stuck" to the cowl).
*Appears I will be able to reuse the piano hinge.

 

[stout22]

Good luck with the rust repair.
Keep the pictures coming

 

[tonytony9]

April 2026 - Flat cowl piece fully removed. Can anyone send me a link or pictures to where the spot welds are located on the Windshield Frame End Cap pieces? Pictures above.

 

[Jetfixr320]

April 2026 - Flat cowl piece fully removed. Can anyone send me a link or pictures to where the spot welds are located on the Windshield Frame End Cap pieces? Pictures above.

I haven't taken one apart yet and I'm not sure exactly of the area you are asking about. I've seen spot welds over lapping each other on my falcon and fairlane and it made it hard to find them.

 

[kman67]

Is this what your looking for?
Kyle

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[Wedgebolt]

Hey a me to movement. Pulled my 289 out of my 68. Yesterday looking for gt 40 heads or just porting. Trying to get More Power has headers and 2 barrel. Any suggestions

 

[gnpenning]

Hey a me to movement. Pulled my 289 out of my 68. Yesterday looking for gt 40 heads or just porting. Trying to get More Power has headers and 2 barrel. Any suggestions

I would encourage you to start a thread of your own. You will get more help depending on how you word your header. Be prepared for a wide range of opinions. Please provide what you plan to do with it. Transmission, tire size and rpm you like to run are you opening up the bottom end? Keep in mind sbf can sound like they are running higher rpm than they really are. A tach really helps with this.

I might have missed a couple expected questions. Just realize, to give you decent information we need more details on YOUR intended use. Some on here think everyone needs as much motor as can fit while others are content to just put around with everything in-between. It's what works for you that is important.

 

[kevscj5]

I'm keeping notes on your body resto. Will be tackling that on my '69, eventually.

Looking good.

 

[Wedgebolt]

I would encourage you to start a thread of your own. You will get more help depending on how you word your header. Be prepared for a wide range of opinions. Please provide what you plan to do with it. Transmission, tire size and rpm you like to run are you opening up the bottom end? Keep in mind sbf can sound like they are running higher rpm than they really are. A tach really helps with this.

I might have missed a couple expected questions. Just realize, to give you decent information we need more details on YOUR intended use. Some on here think everyone needs as much motor as can fit while others are content to just put around with everything in-between. It's what works for you that is important.

Thanks

 

[tonytony9]

Is this what your looking for?
Kyle

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This is extremely helpful! Thank you!!

The circled area is where I was looking for the spot welds on driver and passenger side. Sold, thank you.

The arrow are the end caps I will be keeping and mounting my new windshield cowl (riser cowl) to. This way I do not have to guess on adjustment angles. I am under the impression that keeping the stock end caps (arrow pointing to them) keeps alignment mostly in place?

It appears on my horizontal (flat) cowl replacement panel, this lip that sits on top of the kick panel is apart of the cowl. While, on stock, maybe it was another piece?

 

[kman67]

I also had take off that old lip piece so the new piece would fit. Here is a pic with the old lip off and new one in place

Kyle


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[tonytony9]

I also had take off that old lip piece so the new piece would fit. Here is a pic with the old lip off and new one in place

Kyle


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My old lip piece is shot. I was planning to remove it at the top of the kick flush across. It looks like you spot weld the new piece. What did you spot weld the new lip to if you removed the old lip?

 

[kman67]

Looking back at my pics, it wasn’t the lip that I had to remove. There was a Z shaped piece between the lip and the top flat cowl piece that I had to remove because the new cowl piece had that built into it.

Kyle


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[tonytony9]

Looking back at my pics, it wasn’t the lip that I had to remove. There was a Z shaped piece between the lip and the top flat cowl piece that I had to remove because the new cowl piece had that built into it.

Kyle


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Thanks Kyle this helps a lot. So, it looks like you replaced the PS kick. I wasnt planning on replacing my kicks, maybe a little bit of patch work down below by the inner rocker. But the door pillars are solid, thankfully I caught this right before the point on "no return." Do you think its possible to cut the kick lip off, bend some sheet metal and butt weld it on top of the kick.

Any tips here?

 

[EPB72]

sure You can patch the kickpanel..as ou describe I did, I also had to make that Z shaped filler as when I did my cowl the replacment panel wasnt made the way yours is ,,

 

[tonytony9]

sure You can patch the kickpanel..as ou describe I did, I also had to make that Z shaped filler as when I did my cowl the replacment panel wasnt made the way yours is ,,

I am having a hard time identifying the Z shaped filler in your pictures. Where is this?

 

[EPB72]

I am having a hard time identifying the Z shaped filler in your pictures. Where is this?

the z filler is on the drivers side , cowl end originall the cowl was cut flat, and there was a seperate piece that did the step down to inner fender/kick panel transition ,, seems the new cowl panels are made with this bent in

 

[tonytony9]

@EPB72 @kman67 @kevscj5 and anyone else, do you know the location of the spot welds on the passenger side, cowl mounted windshield piano hinge? Doing my best to not mangle this thing with the idea that I can keep the hinge mounted to the windshield frame, and reuse the hinge by bolting it to my new windshield frame cowl (riser cowl).

I fear if I start drilling out the spot welds on the windshield frame, I will open another rust bucket and end up needing to buy a new windshield frame NOW versus in the future when this thing enviably rots completely out. Which is why I am opting for the bolt approach. @delconick sells the new windshields with a hinge already attached so that'll be my play in the future.

Striking out with locating the spot welds at the end of the hinge on the passenger side

 

[stout22]

There is no rhyme or reason to where the spot welds are on the windshield frame hinge. You have to remove all the paint and hopefully you can locate them.
I think the guy on the assembly line that was put the hinge on was the least experieced and got a lot of practice in when welding these on.