Building a Hot Rod Bronco

[earlybronco]

I am interested in building a hot rod Bronco. I have seen one picture before of a guy that lowered his and tubbed the rear tires into the bed. it was a greenish color half cab. Any one else seen anything like this? If I did this it would be a street rig only. I would consider converting it to 2 wheel drive I know I would not want 4 wheel. Is there a way to put a 2 wheel drive front half on a bronco? I was also planning on running a BIG block. 427, 460 maybe. Any one seen this or ever considered it?

 

[wildbill]

If you go back to the 60's there was one that they draged was in some of the hot rod book's late 60's. And to do the front would be easy as our race one has a leaf spring axle in front and all you would need is a axle and good to go. All you will need is a lot of money and some time have fun and good luck. %) %) %) Bill %)

 

[Broncobowsher]

Been done a few times. Never seen one in person.
You are about the only one on this board that would ever consider doing a 2WD conversion. Except the few of us who would like to make a Big Oly copy ;D .

Big blocks don't fit under the hood very well. Core support to firewall is very short. Usually have to cut out the firewall to set the engine back. This would also be need to get some rear weight for a chance to get it to hook up.

 

[TexasBronco]

heres a nice pic of one...i chopped the top a little in paint....if you aren't too tall you NEED to chop the top. As for 2wd I believe this guy swap the suspension from a ranger under it? They made the Blazer on Monster Garage 2wd by doing the same method.

 

[2badrotties]

For front suspension you go find a Pinto or Mustang II and cut the front crossmember out of it. . Cut the cross member out of the Bronco frame and install the front from the pinto/mustangII. When finished you wind up with a nice light front end with minimal work. You also get rack and pinion steering. Rotors to convert to 5 lug are a piece of cake, any street rod shop can hook you up. The pinto/mustangII is VERY POPULAR swap for any street rod or custom build up. Lucky guys find front ends for around $200 with the rack and pinion included. It is really a pretty simple swap even though it may sound a little complicated.

I'm a drag racer and I have always wanted to build another Bronco for that purpose. Go out to a junk yard and have a look around for the subframe I'm talking about. You will understand a little better once you see the parts I'm talking about. Good luck and have fun

 

[tabascom16]

My dads is sort of like a hot rod. He did not lower it, and I begged him to leave it stock height but he put a 2.5" lift on it but I guess it looks ok. It gets a lot of comments. The doors have been taken off and inserts put in, the top has been removed and all the holes filled in, the tailgait has been removed and a chromoly rollcage that even goes around the engine has been put in and welded to the frame. It has a 351W stroked out to something (my dad did this back in 1978 so he cant remember if it was just a off ground 351 crank or a 400M crank). The engine puts out over 500HP and is probalby approaching more like 600 which was pretty good back in 1978 when all the great aftermarket parts like today were nonexistent. . He cannot find what he ever did with the dyno papers but a 304/314 advertised duration solid lifter cam should to produce great torque at high rpms It has a close-ratio toploader and 4.57 gears. For being as heavy as it is it accelerates pretty good.

 

[2badrotties]

I did a Google search for you and found these... Some of this aftermarket stuff is big bucks but the Ford stuff works just as good and is pretty cheap. Check these...
http://images.google.com/images?q=mustang+II+front+suspension&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images ;D

 

[broncomanbrad]

I think there was a red one in one of the later Bronco Drivers. I'm thinking #10-13.

 

[73stallion]

i heard of a guy puting F-150 I beams under the front of one.

 

[broncolove]

Heres the original Bronco Drag racer, Doug Nashs 66. Raced it for severl years and did very well.

 

[j.r.nice]

The easiest way to take one back to 2wd (I am considering doing one later on - so I did some research). These suggestions are for a low budget conversion. They are not as neat as the Mustang II conversion but will get by

1) Find an original 2wd EB (not easy)

2) Go back to a vintage boneyard and find an early 1970's (?) mail truck. Look underneath and see if you don't see an EB chassis!! (I have one lined up)

I dont know if I would go big block but to each his own. It would be adding back a lot of weight. There are a lot of small block combinations that put out plenty of hp.

I have seriously considered converting mine to 2wd just to see how quick it would be. There would be a decent weight savings by dumping the front axle driveshaft and transfer case. The biggest benefit would be losing the 2 front tires and wheels (150lb+). I know it hooks up better i(asphalt) in 4wd compared to 2wd when you stomp it.

There is a local guy here who has a 92 fsb, with a stroked small block, turbo charged. He took out the transfer case and gutted the front axle. He put back a GM powerslide transmission with an aftermarket overdrive unit. I think he said he expected it to run 12s.

 

[admin]

I am interested in building a hot rod Bronco. I have seen one picture before of a guy that lowered his and tubbed the rear tires into the bed. it was a greenish color half cab.

Was it this one?
http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1802
http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1803
http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1804

 

[ford67bronco]

I thought about doing something like it years ago but decided I like 'em lifted and 4WD better.

 

[mtkawboy]

Was there ever an original 2wd early Bronco? First Ive ever heard of it? Id like to see a picture of one if there was.

 

[j.r.nice]

here's another .......had a Chevy engine....got crashed. I think it looks pretty neat......(except for the engine!!)

 

[73stallion]

I thought about doing something like it years ago but decided I like 'em lifted and 4WD better.

i think joe monroe built that one.

 

[SACHEM]

2) Go back to a vintage boneyard and find an early 1970's (?) mail truck. Look underneath and see if you don't see an EB chassis!! (I have one lined up)

The postal van is a G-100. It's left hand drive. I noticed the bronco buster appeard to be left hand drive as well. I wonder if the Bronco Buster used this same front axle?

 

[Mono]

Was there ever an original 2wd early Bronco? First Ive ever heard of it? Id like to see a picture of one if there was.

I'm not a historian, but I would guess that no 2wd Bronco was made for "production"......But, if you look at the 1973 sales catalog, there are two Broncos around a campfire, One has the lockouts sticking out of the stock hubcaps, and the one behind the fire that seems very holo and dark where a hub should be........and it has passenger car tires. Hmmmmmm? take a look if you are crazy like me and happen to have a stash of sales catalogs on hand.

JohnMonahan

 

[j.r.nice]

I dont know positively that they made them......I never saw one. I just remember thinking.......who would buy one of those.

 

[67ster]

I recall that Doug Nash's Bronco Buster was a pro built chassis and used an aluminum tube rollcage which didn't fly with the NHRA tech people . It used a 671 blown 289 and was out powered by most the so called "Factory Experimental" FX creations of the day . The FX class evolved into what became the funny car in later days . Although 4 wheel drive sounded like a great traction idea for the drag strip it soon proved otherwise as weight transfer would allow the front end to get loose , as with TV Tommy Ivo's 4 engine 4wd dragster , "The Showboat" or George Hurst's Hairy Olds Toronado. Both were engineering marvels of their day but ended up as exposition tire smokers .