Started another build...meet the ‘71 Spider

Muddy1966Bronco · Jul 15, 2019

So it’s never exactly the right time to buy, but I had to work things out when a friend cut me a good deal on another project. And boy do I mean project. I can call it a half cab when half the cab is missing, right?

Anyway, it was sinking in the woods behind his house. Got it pulled out with the tractor and we are looking it over when I see the biggest spider of my life walking behind my husband. Now I grew up in an area where wolf spiders grow to the size of your hand. It takes one about that big to get me riled up. This looked like a tarantula without hair and needless to say I was being very girly about it. My husband was even moving away from it. I look over at my friend, a big burly guy, sure to laugh and make fun of us...even he takes one look and says “that things gotta die.” And kills it with an eight foot pole, lmao!

So he trailers it to my house and I have to joke with him that I didn’t pay for any of his spiders. He says I bought them all and they can help hold the beers and drive me home if I need a DD.

I got to tearing it apart this past weekend (blowtorch handy just in case), and found a few little eight legged friends. Front end is rustier than I thought, but I’m pretty sure I can salvage all the pieces. It’s when my husband took the heads off the engine that I knew this one is going to be called Spider as long as it’s here...there’s webs IN the cylinders. Spark plugs were in. Dang things had to crawl down through the valves.

Spider is a 1971 U15. Dana 44 front, but not much else is special about it. We plan to restore it mostly stock and then sell it to start another project. Saving the worst of the worst from the grave is rewarding to my husband and I.

kylakekevin · Jul 16, 2019

Looks like you have a great starting point!

NGABronco · Jul 16, 2019

HaHa!!! I'd call that a "Project"!!! You may want to call Delconick about one of his tubs!!! Good Luck, keep us posted on the progress!!!;D;D;D

spap · Jul 16, 2019

Cool you saved it
When I bought my last bronco I was driving it home from lake castaic and all of these black widows where dropping down from behind the dash so I was driving and smashing spider for the hour drive home spider s were coming out of it for a week

1strodeo · Jul 17, 2019

cool story, I especially like the next-to-last pic, when my sandals (the part that goes between your toes) broke away from the soles they became my work sandals. I wear them for anything but drivetrain work, welding, CUTTING lol

just the other day my wife asked where my work sandals were...I was lugging around the old awkward transfer case so I said "yeah I don't think so" ;D

Muddy1966Bronco · Jul 17, 2019

1strodeo said:
cool story, I especially like the next-to-last pic, when my sandals (the part that goes between your toes) broke away from the soles they became my work sandals. I wear them for anything but drivetrain work, welding, CUTTING lol

just the other day my wife asked where my work sandals were...I was lugging around the old awkward transfer case so I said "yeah I don't think so" ;D

So you caught the sandals, haha. We were joking about our "proper" safety attire as we both ground off parts with shorts, flip flops and sleeveless shirts. Had the safety glasses on, so its all good.

And spap, wow. Just wow. Black widows??? I'll take the rat-sized mother of all wolf spiders over that.

Thanks everyone, we are really looking forward to turning this pile of rust into something worthwhile.

Chief Master Sergeant · Jul 17, 2019

Will definitely follow this. Can't wait to see the final product.

sprdv1 · Jul 17, 2019

congrats and good luck w/that build......

Muddy1966Bronco · Aug 1, 2019

Spider’s progression is slow. Flick seriously depleted the “fun” funds. But I’m working little by little. Got the body all cut apart and every salvageable piece stripped off. Metal from the grinder flew into the seat foam unbeknownst to me. I go to check on the kids and come back to a garage filled with smoke. Took a few years off my lungs pulling it out, but thankfully it didn’t light the garage.

I stripped one fender and probably shouldn’t have saved it...but I did. Welded a lot of repairs and used quite a bit of long haired bondo to strengthen pinholes in the metal and regular bondo to smooth dents and so many imperfections on the outside. I’m probably legitimately crazy to spend this much time on it. And I know I’m not perfect. But it’s better than a lot of Flick’s bodywork and I still get all the attention every time I’m driving that Bronco around.

I’ll be dragging out another piece to start soon.

Jedhead · Aug 1, 2019

That seat fire pic is crazy, glad you caught it in time. Kudos to the time spent on saving that front fender, put that much time and effort into the rest and you wil have a beauty when ur done! Good luck!

kylakekevin · Aug 2, 2019

The body work looks good to me, I like how you paused from putting the fire out long enough to get a pic of it.

Montoya · Aug 2, 2019

Good job, another one saved from the scrap pile!

hyghlndr · Aug 2, 2019

Good job, you are making me feel bad about my slow progress on mine.

I have a set of junky 66 doors if you feel ambitious.

svastano · Aug 2, 2019

Good that you can save another one! I am looking for a similar project Bronco.

Maggi · Aug 2, 2019

Any idea what the factory dash color was? I'm restoring a '71 and am to the point of paint. I've seen dashes in "Wimbledon white" and in the same color as the body, but haven't run across anything that states definitively what the factory dash color was. Any help is appreciated!

1strodeo · Aug 2, 2019

Maggi said:
Any idea what the factory dash color was? I'm restoring a '71 and am to the point of paint. I've seen dashes in "Wimbledon white" and in the same color as the body, but haven't run across anything that states definitively what the factory dash color was. Any help is appreciated!

here's an old thread you can sort through

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-214313.html

sykanr0ng · Aug 2, 2019

Maggi said:
Any idea what the factory dash color was? I'm restoring a '71 and am to the point of paint. I've seen dashes in "Wimbledon white" and in the same color as the body, but haven't run across anything that states definitively what the factory dash color was. Any help is appreciated!

Some trim levels had body color dashes, others came Wimbledon White.
Get a Marti report, that will tell you what trim level it was built as.

Muddy1966Bronco · Aug 4, 2019

Thanks everyone, it feels good making something out of almost nothing. The seat was moments shy of full fire. By the time I got it out and got the hose in hand, it was rollin smoke...and I had to pause a moment to get a pic. Should have done a selfie...next Instagram celebrity opportunity, haha.

And Maggi, the dash was white on this one.

Muddy1966Bronco · Aug 4, 2019

Pic of the dash. I’m considering redoing the pin striping on completion.

Maggi · Aug 7, 2019

Thanks

1strodeo said:
here's an old thread you can sort through

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-214313.html

Thank you!

Started another build...meet the ‘71 Spider

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