Beginning of My EB Ownership & Restoration

[NC_Pinz]

So I'm hitting this thread a bit early, but I'm getting excited. A bit of background.

My step-father is blessing me this spring with his original owner 1975 Ranger EB. I remember when it was purchased, and remember walking around in it when I was a little one. It was the first non-tractor, non-equipment vehicle that I drove on my grandfather's farm. Just scoot the seat all the way up, drop it in drive, and try not to push the skinny pedal too hard. Later when we returned from living overseas, he and I did some needed work on it so that I could drive it as a senior in high school. He took it back over as a daily driver once I went to college and I had a CJ7.

The EB is mostly original with a few exceptions.

1. Cut fenders. Both the front and the back with period fiberglass extensions.
2. Auto to manual conversion. The original C4 got cooked, and it now has a 3-speed with Hurst shifter.
3. Smog equipment and converter have been removed. The cat got so hot that the original muffler swelled and split. Once removed, my step-father got a letter telling him of a recall. He never took it in.

The block has never been out of the frame. We did a quick freshening of the engine at one point that included new rings, bearings, and gaskets. However, we left the block in place.

I'm still developing my plans. It will most likely be a resto-mod. The first on the list is a front disc conversion with brake booster, along with refurb of the rear drums and all new hoses. It has been sitting for a couple of years so brakes are a must. After that, I'll take on bite size chunks to control cost because I have a son going into college soon.

 

[NC_Pinz]

Image as of a year ago and it hasn't moved since.

 

[NC_Pinz]

The original window sticker. We also have the original owner's manual and drive off tag.

Regarding the price, it was purchased for $5800 in lieu of the almost $6800 shown. The reason is that it was hit either in transit or on the lot before it was sold. You can see the evidence in the picture...look at the passenger door.

 

[fatboy]

Very cool and a lucky guy. I would fix the "need now" stuff like brakes etc. first and just enjoy it, then pick stuff off one at a time (sounds like this is your plan). Good luck, she looks pretty damn sharp as is.

 

[Wyflyer]

Congratulations! THAT is a beautiful machine! As clean as that Bronco looks in the pic, i'd recommend leaving it as original as possible, especially the exterior.
You can resto-mod the heck of out of it without altering the appearance.

 

[mp]

I bet that door dent will mostly pop out if you take apart the door and check it out.

 

[NC_Pinz]

I bet that door dent will mostly pop out if you take apart the door and check it out.

Its actually not a dent. It was damage that the original dealership fixed. The door is smooth but the paint has variations in it. As the original paint has faded, the dealership fix is becoming more apparent.

 

[NC_Pinz]

Congratulations! THAT is a beautiful machine! As clean as that Bronco looks in the pic, i'd recommend leaving it as original as possible, especially the exterior.
You can resto-mod the heck of out of it without altering the appearance.

Thanks. I'm thinking of keeping it mostly stock in appearance. I've got new rims for it (my stepfather has a 1953 F100 he wants to use them on), and they are a little larger. I'm thinking a small lift and a 1" body lift. There are a few small rust spots to cut out and the original paint is getting rough on top. I'm thinking fix the rust, go back with the original midnight blue and white top. Not sure if I want to go back with the white rockers and the sport stripes.

The interior will stay original with a few exceptions. Headrests added to the original seats. New carpet and clean up the headliner. The original dash is uncut and pristine. Add AC. I may add a roll bar for safety...no off roading any more for this rig.

 

[Wyflyer]

That's a good way to start as your plan becomes more clear. New body mounts are mandatory before doing any sheet metal work, to keep the body aligned. If you repaint the exterior early on, you could lose value. Original patina is highly valued at the moment, and yours appears to be in great shape on the exterior.
We tend to work on them from the outside in, when we should work from the inside out. When we start working on rust it becomes difficult to know where to quit. A quick resto mod turns into a 2 to 10 year garage project;(

Again, welcome to the site. Any question you have, or any challenge you discover has already been covered somewhere in this site or in the archives by a previous member, so use the search tool heavily.

 

[chuckyb]

Welcome, nice ride! I am also the lucky recipient of a family Bronco hand-me-down. Good luck!

 

[NC_Pinz]

My first purchase for the EB was a couple of weeks ago. With my stepfather wanting to keep the tires and rims already on it, I had to figure out a reasonable solution. My son's 4Runner needed tires that gave better traction in the rain and snow, so I bought him new tires and will reuse his on the EB. The downside is that I had a fixed tire size to work with.

I got 17" slot mags from Wild Horses and mounted the Nitto 285-70s. The tires have a good 60% tread remaining. So they are 33" tall on 17" rims. They good fine. I'd rather see a 35" tire on a 17" rim. I'm not sure I want to go that tall on the EB. I figured they will serve me well for a few years.

 

[NC_Pinz]

That's a good way to start as your plan becomes more clear. New body mounts are mandatory before doing any sheet metal work, to keep the body aligned. If you repaint the exterior early on, you could lose value. Original patina is highly valued at the moment, and yours appears to be in great shape on the exterior.
We tend to work on them from the outside in, when we should work from the inside out. When we start working on rust it becomes difficult to know where to quit. A quick resto mod turns into a 2 to 10 year garage project;(

Again, welcome to the site. Any question you have, or any challenge you discover has already been covered somewhere in this site or in the archives by a previous member, so use the search tool heavily.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm actually predisposed to working on mechanical and interior work before sheetmetal. I have almost no experience with sheetmetal other than replacing the entire body with a new steel one on my CJ years ago. The EB has around 160k on it. My stepfather has rebuilt the original carb and will have it running when it arrives.

I figure with brakes and general maintenance it may get on the road and taggable. I'd like to plan the resto-mod so that I do digestible chunks to minimize taking it off the road for too long. I've owned a fair number of 'extra' or 'fun' vehicles. I've always been aware that you have to drive your equipment if you want it to say operational.

 

[Blue Bastard]

Those wheels look great on EB good choice


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doghows72]

Very nice rig and great story! Congrats!
Those wheels and tires are perfect for a street truck. I'm very close to that size on mine. I'm running steel dodge wheels that are 17"x7" with a 265x75x17" tire. Roughly measures out to a 32x10x17. I think they are perfect. A bit less sidewall makes for a smoother street ride!
Keep the pics and details coming.

 

[NC_Pinz]

Update:

It is alive!!! After a long time idle, it is now running. The fuel tank was thankfully drained before it was put up. 5 gallons of fresh fuel yielded nothing out of the pump. Note it was disconnected from the fresh carb rebuild (thankfully).

A little compressed air on the tank yielded a thick sludge out of the fuel line. Alcohol was used to gradually dissolve the sludge with compressed air used to clear out the line until clear fuel came running out.

A new fuel pump was installed because it most likely had the sludge as well, and a vacuum advance was dropped in because the old was shot. Around 8-10 revolutions yielded a running engine. No smoke and a smooth idle with just a little tweaking of the carb. Yes, my step-father is that good at getting things running.

Brake fluid was flushed, but a full rebuild will be needed. However, at least we have brakes to help move it around. Next will be loading it on a trailer for delivery to my garage.

 

[Berky]

Congratulations on getting her running. You will have a blast once its on the road.

 

[RPM289]

Awesome story!! I remember a Black 66 my Dad restored back in 77 loved it and I was 6 then! Wanted one since that day!

 

[NC_Pinz]

Update - It is here and running. I even drove it around the block, granted in 1st and little bit of 2nd gear.

The engine is running alright. Did have a fouled plug and we checked compression while it was out (around 120 psi). The fuel in the tank has an excessive amount of fuel cleaner in it, so I'm thinking new plugs and fuel filter once I get to a clean tank of fuel.

Brakes are only good enough to move it around. Assembling the list of parts for a refresh including all hoses at the axles and the corroded ones from the MC.

A few spare parts are in the back. A C4 that needs a rebuild. Even have the smog pump and most of the hoses and crap that goes with it. Not sure there is a market for that so it may go in the recycle pile.

There are a few items that I'll pick up at Christmas time. There is a Nardi steering wheel that I had on a Jeep that I want to track down to add in the EB. Also, my step-father still has the original spare tire and rim that I want. I'll replace the tire, but want the gray steel rim.

 

[sprdv1]

A drive is a drive man.. congrats on the first of many...

 

[LUBr LuvR]

Update - It is here and running. I even drove it around the block, granted in 1st and little bit of 2nd gear.

The engine is running alright. Did have a fouled plug and we checked compression while it was out (around 120 psi). The fuel in the tank has an excessive amount of fuel cleaner in it, so I'm thinking new plugs and fuel filter once I get to a clean tank of fuel.

Brakes are only good enough to move it around. Assembling the list of parts for a refresh including all hoses at the axles and the corroded ones from the MC.

A few spare parts are in the back. A C4 that needs a rebuild. Even have the smog pump and most of the hoses and crap that goes with it. Not sure there is a market for that so it may go in the recycle pile.

Congrats on getting her running, gotta be a great feeling! I think you should hang onto the smog parts and post it up in the classifieds here. Lots of folks out in CA are required to have all the original smog equipment and I’m sure someone out there would be happy to buy it from you.