1971 Stroppe Bronco rebuild

[broncojack]

Last round of pre-disassembly pics with notes.

Those bolts are not original. That extra stud is not original too on top of the drivers inner fender.

 

[C_Man69EB]

Those bolts are not original. That extra stud is not original too on top of the drivers inner fender.

Excellent info. Thank you so much Jack!

 

[Skiddy]

wow that's quick work, it really looks to be in good shape. I hate overspray and people too lazy to take off bezels%) btw I have blue back seat in good shape in mine (74) if you want to trade it out

 

[C_Man69EB]

wow that's quick work, it really looks to be in good shape. I hate overspray and people too lazy to take off bezels%) btw I have blue back seat in good shape in mine (74) if you want to trade it out

Thanks skiddy! Yes I'm amazed that there isn't more rust. Especially since it was sold new in Gresham Oregon and likely spent a considerable amount of time up there where it's fairly moist. Looks like it's basically all the original sheet metal. I think it's had at least one Fender replaced at some point just because it looks too perfect and doesn't show any signs of age. More on that later since I got it apart. Amazingly the underside is unusually clean too. I wonder if it was just strangely low mileage? I've got what I think is the original cluster in a box. Curious.

Regarding the backseat, had a half-dozen inquiries and I have my seat listed in the parts for sale section as well. several have offered but not responded when I've PM'd them back. Got one local guy who can do the deal and spare shipping. Might do that. I'll let u know asap.

 

[C_Man69EB]

Back seat sold.

 

[Rustytruck]

you got a Stroppe Rustytruck? trying to get to know everyone with these crazy old rigs...

No I dont have a Stroppe. I wish but have to leave them to the guys that can afford them. Good fortune doesnt flow down my river. I just have had my Bronco for close to 40 years but try to learn something everyday. Stroppe made allot of advances before Ford made the changes but there is little information being shared on the actual conversions. He used an automatic transmission but actual years parts are not shared. Your truck is pretty stock so just seeing the the flat tranny pan means something. Stroppe didn't make the deep dish pan is news to me.

How was the frame cut for power steering and what powersteering was used and where the box came from means something.

The man made good decisions understand what and why to me is important.

 

[toddz69]

So this must've been a manual steering truck?

Todd Z.

 

[C_Man69EB]

So this must've been a manual steering truck?

Todd Z.

Hey Todd, yes the Marti is consistent and Andrew helped me understand that early. This truck was manual steering and manual brakes as originally configured and as it left Stroppe. Makes sense by looking at it too, this system doesn't look like a Stroppe fitted system to me. Steering link rubs the inner fender, dent to clear the rad support. Holes in the frame where the steering box is mounted aren't bad but appear owner drilled.

I'm actually going back all manual. I'm going to keep the parts on the shelf for now.

 

[BajaBronco]

Well, Stroppe had alot of pull with Ford and since they backed the BajaBronco he had to use Ford parts, new off the shelf.
The only piece he made was the adapter itself.

No I dont have a Stroppe. I wish but have to leave them to the guys that can afford them. Good fortune doesnt flow down my river. I just have had my Bronco for close to 40 years but try to learn something everyday. Stroppe made allot of advances before Ford made the changes but there is little information being shared on the actual conversions. He used an automatic transmission but actual years parts are not shared. Your truck is pretty stock so just seeing the the flat tranny pan means something. Stroppe didn't make the deep dish pan is news to me.

How was the frame cut for power steering and what powersteering was used and where the box came from means something.

The man made good decisions understand what and why to me is important.

 

[C_Man69EB]

Progress on 04/01

Progress last weekend on April fools day. How appropriate!

Trying hard to nail down a few things on the body for mystery holes and studs to determine if they are original or not. Not doing a perfect restoration but I want to leave all the original body configuration in place so it can be returned to 100% orig someday if I choose too.

And I need to install the windshield frame, (that's a funny story to tell)empty the doors and get ready for the paint work next week. That's this weekends mission! and pressure washing!

Cullen

 

[mp]

Looks like it had dual exhaust--down both sides. One of the vendors sells a Stroppe dual exhaust kit, copied after the original. Can't remember who.

 

[NGABronco]

Great pics and documentation!!! Thanks!!! Everything is looking good!!!
Thanks for posting!!!;D;D;D

 

[C_Man69EB]

Looks like it had dual exhaust--down both sides. One of the vendors sells a Stroppe dual exhaust kit, copied after the original. Can't remember who.

I saw that kit. Looks like CJ pony parts does make a kit patterned after the aftermarket duel exhaust kit that stroppe sold from their catalog. Don't think they were dual exhaust from Stroppe when new. I'm thinking that is actually just regular old EB?

 

[C_Man69EB]

Great pics and documentation!!! Thanks!!! Everything is looking good!!!
Thanks for posting!!!;D;D;D

Thank you so much! Doin my best.

 

[C_Man69EB]

Windshield frame and waitin for paintin

Guys, its been a couple weeks since I posted progress on 22491. I spent a weekend getting the windshield frame straightened out. Kinda a funny story. if you notice in my first pics, there was no windshield frame.

Previous owner tells the story - that he picked up the bronco from body shop in LA and either he or the body shop guys bolted the hardtop to the windshield frame...but NOT the bed. (you can start to see were this is going) and while hauling it home on the LA freeway, the top lifted, yanked the WS frame off at the hinge, and tossed the whole mess in the freeway. He says he didn't even stop to get it.

So when I got the truck, no top, no windshield frame. But he threw in a nice rust free WS frame. Only after starting to fit it, did I realize it was for vacuum wipers. UGH. so I weighed my options, do I source a correct OE frame or repop, or just convert this one. so I filled in all the holes with metal, welded them up, ground them down, and redrilled the holes to fit the electric setup, taking a template off a friends truck with elec wipers. Pics for progress.

Now the truck is basically ready for paint. I wasn't *planning* on painting the whole truck but it goes to body shop on Monday. It might wind up getting painted in full. We'll see.

 

[Rustytruck]

I find it very interesting on how the transmission dip stick tube is laid out.

 

[Lundski]

Now the truck is basically ready for paint. I wasn't *planning* on painting the whole truck but it goes to body shop on Monday. It might wind up getting painted in full. We'll see.

How did the paint turn out? Looking forward to seeing the progress

 

[C_Man69EB]

Hey Lundski!!! thank you for checking back. the paint shop *STILL* has my top, but its in white and looks great. Was told the blue on the lid would be done this week, but he hasn't called yet and here we are on Friday. UGH. But the truck itself is home and looks great for what I asked for.

All said and done, I had ALL the white done inside and out, the matte black hood, the red of the engine bay. I did not have the poppy red/ calypso corral done on the outside of the truck below the chrome. It was "good enough" to leave it as is. Just couldn't justify the cost of ripping it all out. Also, the interior poppy/calypso was original and not rusted, so I left it alone. Its mostly covered up with flooring anyway.

So... call it a partial repaint for economics and preservation.

Chassis is still going slow. Wife was giving me grief about some house things to get done, but I'm getting ready to hit the Stroppe chassis pretty hard.

btw, I did this huge research and asked all the best minds of the industry on the Stroppe Poppy Red paint code. Neither me or the painter could EVER find a code for "Poppy Red". Not even close. But I understand "Calypso Corral" is the correct color and that was easy to find. I just hear everyone call it Poppy Red, but I don't think that color actually exists.

 

[C_Man69EB]

Pics of 22491 body after the body shop.

 

[BajaBronco]

See, Man, That looks pretty good!!! Congrats