My 2021 updates on my 73 - long overdue - FINISHED

JWMcCrary · Feb 26, 2021

Permanently attached the overlay to the donor dash with some panel bond, this stuff is tough. The steering column cover had a very small gap at the bottom so I added a small piece of metal to fill the gap using the panel bond. tried to fill in a few minor gaps. It turned out pretty good. It's covered with primer, will need a little detail sanding before painting, for now it sits and waits.

JWMcCrary · Mar 7, 2021

Dash and cubby are painted and considered done. Except for wiring and install of course. A lot to do before that happens.

JWMcCrary · Mar 7, 2021

Got the tailgate off and stripped down, it's never opened and closed easy, rebuilding with all new parts except the gate itself. Did some repair and painted. Managed to get some grit in it so will need to wet sanding. But it's for the woods so will work on it some but not gong to worry with it being much better than it is..

73azbronco · Mar 7, 2021

Thank the PO of the 351 for using synthetic, thats what my 85,000 mile 5.0 looked like.

sprdv1 · Mar 8, 2021

JWMcCrary said:
Dash and cubby are painted and considered done. Except for wiring and install of course. A lot to do before that happens.

getting it done brother.. looks good

stout22 · Mar 9, 2021

I didn't realize you were doing a color change. Looking good.

NGABronco · Mar 9, 2021

Great work, looking good!!! I really like the storage table for your new dash!!!%)

%)

JWMcCrary · Mar 9, 2021

stout22 said:
I didn't realize you were doing a color change. Looking good.

Not intended to be a color change but it's not an exact match. Still green

JWMcCrary · Mar 9, 2021

NGABronco said:
I really like the storage table for your new dash!!!%)%)

That's the most use I have gotten out of that storage table in quite a while ;D

Scoop · Mar 9, 2021

Looks great. I like your dash layout. Simple and functional.

bronco217 · Mar 9, 2021

Is it me or do the pistons seem to be upside down in the original engine, valve reliefs seem to be on the wrong side?

svastano · Mar 9, 2021

Looks good!

JWMcCrary · Mar 10, 2021

bronco217 said:
Is it me or do the pistons seem to be upside down in the original engine, valve reliefs seem to be on the wrong side?

The original motor has Keith Black flat tops, will only work one way, and that's how they are.

JWMcCrary · Mar 12, 2021

Having some good weather so I got the Bronco back into the garage to get started and have managed to get it torn down to the point needed for the work I want to do. If this was real restoration and not a trail/fun rig it would need a lot of sheet metal, but for my purposes I am repairing. Rockers are toast so plan to cut them off and add sliders. There was grass behind one of the quarter guards, lol. I think it's cool that the original paint is still visible behind the dash and in decent shape. I plan to clean that up and leave it. AT the point now where I can start building back, which will be a slow process.

NGABronco · Mar 13, 2021

Hey boy, you're going down memory lane with that rig!!! Every scratch & dent!!! (and grass) Looking good, Get'er done!!!;D;D;D

sprdv1 · Mar 13, 2021

Nice brother.. and hopefully the weather continues to get better..

JWMcCrary said:
Having some good weather so I got the Bronco back into the garage to get started and have managed to get it torn down to the point needed for the work I want to do. If this was real restoration and not a trail/fun rig it would need a lot of sheet metal, but for my purposes I am repairing. Rockers are toast so plan to cut them off and add sliders. There was grass behind one of the quarter guards, lol. I think it's cool that the original paint is still visible behind the dash and in decent shape. I plan to clean that up and leave it. AT the point now where I can start building back, which will be a slow process.

JWMcCrary · Mar 15, 2021

Local retired Marine Veteran who still does glass work on the side helped me get the windshield out. I wanted to take all precautions to not break so I wouldn't loose my Deep Faith sticker. I bought a new gasket so we cut it out. All good and he will come back when it's time to go back in.

JWMcCrary · Mar 15, 2021

Goodbye gas fillers. Still need a little more work but that will get covered when I do the prep work for painting. My painting skills need all the prep and help they can get.

JWMcCrary · Mar 15, 2021

Got the Bilt Cool panels installed on the inner fenders. That was a chore. The passenger side inner fender was part of an old battery box repair from before my time, but it's still solid and holding up, SO, I had to modify the panel to fit.
The drivers side had been crumpled in the past before my time and took some massaging to get it on there. I still need to add a piece of metal on the front corner where I tried to panel bond it, it might hold but I doubt it since there's not much of an overlap for it grab. It looks unsquared but when you look at it from the tire side that's where it needed to be. The inner fender isn't exactly factory shape anymore, lol, but it will be ok. I would rather it look right from the tire side since after the motor is in it won't be noticeable in the engine bay.

JWMcCrary · Mar 15, 2021

Put a patch over the hole for the heater vent, deleting the heater as part of this work. I cutout the speaker grill from the old dash and using it on the passenger inner fender under my trans cooler, should allow it pull a little fresh air as opposed to pulling just air from the engine bay. When I installed the EFI back in 2013 I put the computer on a panel and and had it where the fresh air vent goes on the driver's side. It worked but was not easy to get to, so I'm moving the computer under the dash over where the heater box was located. That left me with the fresh air vent now cut out bigger than what it was originally so I made a panel to fit one of the storage boxes that they sell for that spot.
A lot of little things but they all add up and take time.

My 2021 updates on my 73 - long overdue - FINISHED

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