77 Bronco - Buck

[bgott]

Wanted to share my truck with the forum as I am new.

Started on this truck about a year ago and it needed essentially everything. It belongs to my father and it had not run since 96 when a 351w was swapped in and never finished. I have made steady progress on it since then but it has been slow due to me living 2 hours away from my parents garage where I am keeping it at the moment.

Since then I have done the following.

1. Fuel Cell Installation and Electric Pump Install with Adjustable FPR and Gauge to Edelbrock carb on Torquer 2 Intake (Also cleaned lifter valley of sludge, motor was formerly in a police cruiser)
2. HEI Distributor Install
3. Serpentine Conversion and Saginaw Pump install from 89 Econoline including fabrication of custom adapters to clear factory steering box. PS Lines converted to -6AN.
4. Cooling System Complete Replacement (Waterpump, Radiator, T-Stat, Hoses, etc.)
5. Installed an Exhaust
6. Complete Renovation of Braking System (All new lines, wheel cylinders, calipers, rotors/drums, etc.)
7. New Windshield/Gasket Installed

My current status is right in the middle of a complete rewire. I have made all new cables and am essentially creating a custom harness to simplify circuits and provide a more robust distribution system than what would have been factory. Pictures of that to come.

The truck itself is a beat up old pile if I'm being honest. It's been rolled on more than one occasion and I don't think between the rust and the dents on every body panel the body is even worth saving, but maybe one day I'll buy a tub and do a proper restore. For now, this will be a dedicated trail rig to go off road with friends.

Some of the engine parts (IE the single plane intake and oversized carb) will get replaced with something more reasonable in the future, but I had them available to me for free and they were known quantities which is why they were used.

See the link for pictures of the old fellar and I look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you all!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eodeid305vm34bx/AACV7BaLRcSY0KVVZQdupdIda?dl=0

 

[Yeller]

Welcome to CB! We like questions, we like pics. Looking forward to your progress. Add a general location, you might find you have more resources than you ever imagined if that is shared, there are some VERY generous folks here

As a plug for the site please pay for contributor status, it helps admin keep the lights on for us and you can post pics directly to your threads.

 

[ared77]

Yes, Welcome!

 

[Pa PITT]

Welcome aboard . GET READY FOR A LONG RUN.
This is a good place for you to be. We're not very Discriminatory on here.
Some one on here many years ago .. Described us as even the Guy who has the Best Bronco will walk over & Give yours a good look over at a Bronco event .
... My 72 is a HALF CAB I built maybe 12 years ago . Now it's a 4BT Cummins & a Np435 4speed.T/C has twin sticks on it . & My exterior has a Plastic Camo Skin on it .. Every thing that's not CAMO is BLACKED OUT WITH Brush on Bed Liner.
. I don't catch any flack for all the changes I've done .. But most guys on here love to see your engineering .. & How you've done something .
& When you get it running find a trail ride trip to go to . That when the quality of this TEAM SHOW UP AT IT'S BEST.
....................
............
......Now I'll say try tour best to get it running & Drive it around the block at least once a week . I live in the country so I'd drive mine around one of my front pastures .
Getting to drive it even at 5 mph was the best thing I could do. . & I'd not tear down but one thing at a time . Just so I could fix something fast & drive it again .If even for only 10 minutes.
......GOOD LUCK & WELCOME TO THE ADDICTION.

 

[bgott]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y1585i4hdwtey83/AADgM4elyCb19yCf2zvaElrda?dl=0

More progress! I did the vehicular equivalent of giving your wife a ring and asked the truck to marry me with a new set of 33 x 12.5 x 15 Thunderer Trac Grip tires and also since the last time you saw it I've relocated it into my own garage from my dads for temporary to finish up some wiring and give my dad a bit of time to do some needed garage renovations.

Also pictured is a new installed radio and several switch panels that I have 3d printed to cover holes in the dash that have been cut out over the years. The radio backing plate not only covers the hole that I cut slightly too large but also provides two tabs that protrude into the dash to support the radio and truly bolt it into the dash.

To the far right is the ground disconnect installed in the factory Ashtray location. I actually CNC machined that adapter at work as a demo piece but it can also be 3d printed. Elsewhere just wrapping up wiring. Headlights (HI/LO beam) and front signals are all good to go, just need to attached the rear stop/turns and back up lights. Used an American Autowire 500148 for sorting this out and highly recommend it for sorting out the stop/turn light for anyone using a non factory column.

Will take some more pictures of the wiring to show some of the work that's happened there and method to the madness as I go from here. Excited to have it near roadworthy.

 

[sprdv1]

Welcome aboard.. you definitely found the right spot..

 

[bgott]

Lots of progress to report.

Recently I have

1. Completed Install of all new equus gauges in a custom designed plate that mounts in the factory location with minimal trimming.
2. Replaced the oil pump as my idle pressure was less than 10PSI. Regrettably even with pump replacement it is still barely above 10PSI and so the motor will likely be pulled/rebuilt this winter
3. Remounted the winch and wired it. At some point someone had attempted to steal this so I had to remove several broken bolts and reweld nuts onto the winch plate for mounting holes.
4. Installed a new oil cooler that still needs plumbed and a cage built around it. This mounts in the factory forward most gas tank position (I have a fuel cell I am running in the truck)
5. Registered the bronco for historical plates and insured it. Technically it is street legal at this point but I will likely change the mufflers before I drive it much. It's just too loud.

I also today signed up for contributor status, so hopefully I can post pictures directly soon to share. It's starting to really have a lot of character and even though its still junk its definitely starting to look like it's loved anyway. Excited to get to drive it soon and hopefully next spring it'll be a reliable roadworthy vehicle.

 

[bgott]

Trying this link for my gauge cluster

 

[Rustytruck]

looks like your just about ready for some fun. What does your dad think about the old steed risin from the dead. He'll probably want it back now.

 

[bgott]

looks like your just about ready for some fun. What does your dad think about the old steed risin from the dead. He'll probably want it back now.

dad has a sweet 67 Jeep J10 Pickup that we did together and a new heep as well. his days with the rust bucket are done but he has been giddy at my progress. cool to show the old man what I can do for sure.