Clifford... Big Red Bronco

[904Bronco]

Don't know if when you went into debt at WH, spring plates was one of your purchases, but Tom's sells the heavy duty plates, and the hole for the spring pin nut is slotted about 3" for adjustability, instead of drilling new holes.

Thanks for sharing the info about Tom's spring plates, I due tend to look at everyone's parts, their pricing, and now shipping costs, trying to make that informed purchase....
As with anything, the cost of things continues to go up. I have been running spreadsheets from my previous builds, so I have cost info, part #'s and dates of purchases. I was buying parts in the beginning of 2022 for my last project "Betty White" a Wimbledon white 70. Some things have gone up a few dollars and others are up $20-$30 or more. I say going into Debt at WH's jokingly, in debt only until the CC bill shows up. But all of us see the price increases that have occurred since Covid hit.
Yes, I did buy the Extreme U-bolt kit from WH's and I have a drill press, with the appropriate sized drill bit to make the additional hole myself. I'm a lot cheaper and there is that satisfaction factor doing things myself.
We do plan to stop at Tom's Rock and Roll event in June on our way to see our oldest kid in the Portland area, and I have a shopping list started.
That no shipping and no sales tax definitely helps out.

 

[904Bronco]

Bedliner doesn't seem to be a very good insulator or noise damper. It does do both things, just not nearly as well as other products. The inside of the Wagon was lined with something that's not very thick and is going to be a mess to remove. It's not a great data point, most of my experience and observation is from the YJ from Hell which was Rhino-Lined. If the liner would adhere to something like LizardSkin I'd be really tempted to apply their thermal and noise products first, then apply the liner over them.

Before I did any of that I'd make sure that anything that needed to be welded to the underside had been done. Things like brackets for heat shields, etc. One of the YJ from Hell's most basic failings was that the floors up front got really hot. Hotter than they should given the air gap that existed. The Rhino-Liner was nearly useless for insulating against the exhaust heat. Had we more time I'd have been adding heat shields, but with the owner's passing his widow needed it together enough to be sold.

Agreed, Bed liner is its own nightmare.
It works great in a truck bed, but the immediate thought seems to be that you are hiding something by applying BL.
And everything needs to thought out and put into place before one applies it. The floor will still get warm from the exhaust unless there are heat shields.
I welded up so many holes in the 67 pictured above, that the Raptor liner smoothed things out so to speak.
In Clifford's case, I could just prime and paint just that section of the floor where the sheet metal pitting is and call it good. Or shoot just a little liner...

 

[eb-nutt1]

Thanks for sharing the info about Tom's spring plates, I due tend to look at everyone's parts, their pricing, and now shipping costs, trying to make that informed purchase....
As with anything, the cost of things continues to go up. I have been running spreadsheets from my previous builds, so I have cost info, part #'s and dates of purchases. I was buying parts in the beginning of 2022 for my last project "Betty White" a Wimbledon white 70. Some things have gone up a few dollars and others are up $20-$30 or more. I say going into Debt at WH's jokingly, in debt only until the CC bill shows up. But all of us see the price increases that have occurred since Covid hit.
Yes, I did buy the Extreme U-bolt kit from WH's and I have a drill press, with the appropriate sized drill bit to make the additional hole myself. I'm a lot cheaper and there is that satisfaction factor doing things myself.
We do plan to stop at Tom's Rock and Roll event in June on our way to see our oldest kid in the Portland area, and I have a shopping list started.
That no shipping and no sales tax definitely helps out.

I too price shop, but shipping is always the killer for me being in the SE...examples: ordered a 2.5" suspension kit from Tom's, because the shipping was only $99 flat rated, even though the kit was a little more expensive than the next competitors kit, but just the opposite on a disc brake kit, I ordered both the same day.
I bet your spread sheet has some interesting data. Wish I had thought to do that when I started building broncos back in the late 90's.

 

[904Bronco]

Frame and body are separated... Cleaning, scraping, grinding, and wire wheeling is well underway. Found both Vin stampings, no damage that I can find on the frame.
The bolts on the suspension are all loose, so when I will finish the top and sides I can remove the components and then flip the frame over to finish the cleaning on the bottom. The goal is to have all this cleaning done on the frame by the end of the weekend.

 

[ntsqd]

Then what, hot dip galvanizing? It's what all of the cool kids (with Land Rovers) are doing.

Quinn had the Bronc-up's frame done that way. It'll never rust, but any mods are a small problem. A friend turned me onto Re-Galv, which is a bonus when I do have to cut thru the plating.

 

[904Bronco]

Then what, hot dip galvanizing? It's what all of the cool kids (with Land Rovers) are doing.

Quinn had the Bronc-up's frame done that way. It'll never rust, but any mods are a small problem. A friend turned me onto Re-Galv, which is a bonus when I do have to cut thru the plating.

As I mentally prepare myself for what awaits for me today... Being on my knees (I have a knee pad) or bent over doing the work, I am at the point where I just want to take it to my local PC and have it done. Previous builds, have been PC and/or I have also used Eastwood products (paint) and done it myself. I used to have a buddy that had a mobile blaster, but he moved on from that, so that is another step to consider. Then there are the other neighbors who might be concerned about the paint smells coming from my shop and feel the need to make a phone call to a local official...

As we all age, there are reality checks that come with that. I am a firm believer of Clint Eastwood's philosophy of "Don't let the Old man in".
My 80 y/o neighbor comes by and checks in on my progress, he start telling me some years ago that "It is easier to write the check Doug". So we all have a budget with our projects, and so maybe this next step will be letting someone else apply the finish...

 

[ntsqd]

Someone we both know had a soon to be step-son-in-law who scraped and POR'd the underside of his Bronco. They both got a deal on that exchange.

These days I'd have it soda or dry ice blasted. Supposedly there's a shop in Santa Maria area that can do the soda blasting. Dry ice would be the best of the best I'd think, no residue.

 

[gnsteam]

As I mentally prepare myself for what awaits for me today... Being on my knees (I have a knee pad) or bent over doing the work, I am at the point where I just want to take it to my local PC and have it done. Previous builds, have been PC and/or I have also used Eastwood products (paint) and done it myself. I used to have a buddy that had a mobile blaster, but he moved on from that, so that is another step to consider. Then there are the other neighbors who might be concerned about the paint smells coming from my shop and feel the need to make a phone call to a local official...

As we all age, there are reality checks that come with that. I am a firm believer of Clint Eastwood's philosophy of "Don't let the Old man in".
My 80 y/o neighbor comes by and checks in on my progress, he start telling me some years ago that "It is easier to write the check Doug". So we all have a budget with our projects, and so maybe this next step will be letting someone else apply the finish...

Like you, I was going to refinish my frame myself. But as I neared finishing the frame repairs. I decided to have a PC shop do it. In the end, very pleased with the results. $1400 for the frame, axles and several suspensions parts. Well worth the money, no mess in the shop/driveway and happy neighbors.

 

[904Bronco]

Almost there....