buildabronco.com

[rlm18]

I have not used buildabronco and do not know the person who started this thread:

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200635

but some interesting reading all the same.

Wow. definetely was.

 

[mtfit]

If you got friends with the skills I think you would be better off letting them help you out. a full resto can get vary expensive real quick labor is the biggest coast. and doing it your self I would think you would appreciate it that much more. been working on mine that last two summers the undercarriage is almost new and soon rebuilding motor n D-20 t-case installing a nv3550. then i'll enjoy it till i save the body and paint funds been lots of fun for me and my dad and we don't have a garage.

this is always a interesting topic to me, take it from someone who doesnt wrench, build, etc on his rigs. I like to drive mine period! funny, these guys are working on their rigs forever, I drive mine ALL the time, its not in pieces in my garage, and I have NO skills and further get NO enjoyment out of working on my Bronco! IF YOU can afford too, pay experts to do the work and its done right.

 

[mtfit]

another great option is buy one already done, plenty of motivated sellers. much cheaper by the way.

 

[JohnJohn]

Buying one done can save money and time. But…

One big difference is ask the guy who paid someone to fly him to the top of Everest if he had the same experience as the guy who worked and trained for years and climbed to the top on his own.
It’s not the destination it’s the journey.
Building this truck taught me so much more about myself. It’s a Zen thing that money can't buy.

 

[Bronco717274]

Well said john john, same here!!!

 

[Justafordguy]

Well said indeed. Building/working on a Bronco is half the fun.;D

 

[half cab]

this is always a interesting topic to me, take it from someone who doesnt wrench, build, etc on his rigs. I like to drive mine period! funny, these guys are working on their rigs forever, I drive mine ALL the time, its not in pieces in my garage, and I have NO skills and further get NO enjoyment out of working on my Bronco! IF YOU can afford too, pay experts to do the work and its done right.

I like to wrench Myself.;D

 

[RyanITV]

this is always a interesting topic to me, take it from someone who doesnt wrench, build, etc on his rigs. I like to drive mine period! funny, these guys are working on their rigs forever, I drive mine ALL the time, its not in pieces in my garage, and I have NO skills and further get NO enjoyment out of working on my Bronco! IF YOU can afford too, pay experts to do the work and its done right.

Funny - two years ago, I would have disagreed. Then I completely disassembled and stripped one, taking up 2/3rds of my garage in the process. I spent hours upon hours working, and always ended up being short a small part or needing some other tool (or doing dumb shit like wedging the roll cage between the rig and the garage door). I'm no stranger to working on my race bikes, or jet skis but this is a much larger project than any of those and I got in over my head.

I even tried paying a premium and ordering entire replacement parts (rebuilt axles, used doors, used frame) from some outfits, and just got rusted garbage - or what wasn't rusted looked like it had been painted with a $2 brush while sitting in the front lawn.

Now - I'm with you. Since I turned the build over to them, I've been integrally involved with every aspect EXCEPT turning the wrenches. Reviewing the status and plans, browsing build threads for research and ideas, looking over catalogs to see what plays nice together, sourcing the parts from various vendors, figuring out the tech behind what's needed, coming up with the overall build scheme and direction... it's been a blast. Even the dumb details that no one would ever realize - like using HK semi-gloss black Duracoat on the windshield hinge because it holds up to damn near anything.

The result is far superior to anything I could have done myself. Ultimately, like just about everyone else, my time is worth money, too. In the end, I've had less frustration and even ended up further ahead financially by working on paying work while letting them do it. Plus, that means more free time with my wife and daughter.

When the dust settles, I'm ending up with a really unique rig that started with an idea/vision I had and has evolved into the pics I've posted. Personally, I think it's outdoes the Icon build - from all the crazy electronics, to the custom frame and so on - yet it's nowhere near what they charge for those (or that crazy purple and chrome one with the wild stereo a month or two back). Is it built right? Pretty damn sure it is - I've picked out most of the parts myself and have got hundreds upon hundreds of pictures, videos, emails, phone calls, text messages and other updates as it's gone down.

So while the scars on my hands are *not* from busting my knuckles on my rig, I'm more than comfortable talking about the details. At some point, soon, I'll end up at some events, and look forward to shooting the shit about my build and others.

Just my $0.02... and I've got nothing but admiration for the guys that *can* do it themselves. Without their knowledge and posts here on stuff like the 4R70W, AtlasII, EFI swaps, suspension and other resto-mods - dunno what I'd have done.

Ryan

 

[Tedster100]

Well said indeed. Building/working on a Bronco is half the fun.;D

It doesn't matter how hard you work for your money, building a rig yourself gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment that you just can't buy, no matter how much you spend.

 

[kb5ynf]

another great option is buy one already done, plenty of motivated sellers. much cheaper by the way.

I'm with mtfit, if you have the budget and you don't already have a bronco, I'd suggest you weigh your options. If it were me and I had the money, I'd get one in the best shape I could afford within my budget. For what you'll pay someone else to build a bronco for you, you can buy one in excellent condition, ready to drive. And since you've already admitted to not being skilled in this area, I would think this would be the best path for you. You can pick up mechanic skills along the way as you maintain and improve your new ride.

But of course, in the end, you have to make your own decision.

 

[jim3326]

The biggest problem with paying someone else to do the work is you don't know if all the hidden problems were taken care of or just "painted over". It's all those little nitpicky details that don't show up for a year or two and if not taken care of they can elevate to bigger problems.

When I was tearing down mine I found rust in places I would bet would just be given a coat of paint instead of cut out and replaced with good sheetmetal or welded up and ground down. The thing about rust is it doesn't sleep. I could have just bondoed, sanded and repainted my rockers but the first time it got bumped it would be in pieces. It would be a real nice looking rig until the rust started bubbling the paint.

I really like putting my own touches on my rebuild because no one else cares as much as I do, same reason I fired my financial advisor and started doing it myself, I cared more about my money than they did.

Jim W.

 

[RV77]

It doesn't matter how hard you work for your money, building a rig yourself gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment that you just can't buy, no matter how much you spend.

Right said Ted !!!

 

[buildabronco.com]

Hey Ryan, even though you didnt "turn the wrenches" on project "Raptor" I would like an estimate on how many hours you personally have sourcing and researching parts.

 

[RyanITV]

Hey Ryan, even though you didnt "turn the wrenches" on project "Raptor" I would like an estimate on how many hours you personally have sourcing and researching parts.

Hell - easily, I've got to hundreds of hours doing that part of it. I've picked out just about every part, reviewed every picture that's been sent over and been consulted on every bit of it.

Just working out the adapters, parts, etc with the Atlas II and 4R70W was a whole weekend. Brian and I had something ridiculous like 25 emails in 2 days discussing it, with links to build threads, parts, and so on.

The shocks alone, between doing research, talking to Bilstein then finding the best price was about 6 hours. Then when they needed to that fitting changed when 2 of the fronts hit the body, another 2 hours researching and finding a factory service center that would do the work but keep things warrantied.

I probably spend a good 5-10 hours a week on it, whether it's sourcing parts, discussing the status, planning or doing research... was never "here's a check, call me when it's done".

Ryan

 

[Devin]

The biggest problem with paying someone else to do the work is you don't know if all the hidden problems were taken care of or just "painted over". It's all those little nitpicky details that don't show up for a year or two and if not taken care of they can elevate to bigger problems.

When I was tearing down mine I found rust in places I would bet would just be given a coat of paint instead of cut out and replaced with good sheetmetal or welded up and ground down. The thing about rust is it doesn't sleep. I could have just bondoed, sanded and repainted my rockers but the first time it got bumped it would be in pieces. It would be a real nice looking rig until the rust started bubbling the paint.

I really like putting my own touches on my rebuild because no one else cares as much as I do, same reason I fired my financial advisor and started doing it myself, I cared more about my money than they did.

Jim W.

Exactly.

The other thing is doing it your self forces you to truly "learn" your rig. I can go out and drive/wheel and if something breaks - I know how to fix it. I know how it went together. I know a ton about this vehicle. Couldn't get that by paying someone else.

And Ryan, if you sum up your initial purchases and money spent on your first attempts and combine that with how much your current build is costing - I can't imagine that you are "that much" cheaper than an ICON. Maybe cheaper - but you have to be at least in the parking lot of the same ball park. I know how much it cost to build mine, and I have seen build sheets for rigs that are similar in quality to your current build. Stuff isn't cheap at all.

So, if I had the coin to have someone else build my Bronco, would I? No. It was a journey (and still is) and that was the fun of it (although at times it didn't seem any fun at all). If I had that kind of coin, I go and get me a ridiculously fast car. ;D

 

[DonaldDouchebag]

Hey Ryan, even though you didnt "turn the wrenches" on project "Raptor" I would like an estimate on how many hours you personally have sourcing and researching parts.

Hey buddy, I hope you're getting your sh*t in order.

 

[buildabronco.com]

Hey buddy, I hope you're getting your sh*t in order.

Its all in order. "buddy" Dont worry.

 

[ilovemaui]

Planning often turns out to be more fun than actually doing the work. Rarely do things go according to plan and budgets are rarely correct. My problem is that once I replace one part I see how crappy the old stuff looks and end up replacing everything.

 

[stupidboy]

Planning often turns out to be more fun than actually doing the work. Rarely do things go according to plan and budgets are rarely correct. My problem is that once I replace one part I see how crappy the old stuff looks and end up replacing everything.

That happens to everyone!!!!!;D

 

[Tedster100]

Planning often turns out to be more fun than actually doing the work. Rarely do things go according to plan and budgets are rarely correct. My problem is that once I replace one part I see how crappy the old stuff looks and end up replacing everything.

I agree, planning and researching what you want and how you want to build is a lot of fun. The builds do seem to snowball when you see all the other things that you didn't see before.. kind of like the carpet and drapes, once you replace the carpet then the wife decides the drapes need to go, then it's the couch and by the time you are done you've put new windows in, hung new wall paper and textured the ceiling!