General Restoration Questions

[crcala]

I am new to the realm of First Generation Bronco restoration and hoping those that have been around the block a bit can provide some guidance. I came across a 68 Bronco in the Central Valley for the right price and right condition and couldn't resist. It was originally Lunar Green and had been sitting in a sea container reportedly for 20 plus years. It was running (with a good deal of smoke) and had surface rust only in all the places that commonly are rusted through (driver/passenger floors where body attaches, wheel wells, rocker panels upper portion of rear quarter panels, top, etc..). Plenty of work to be done, but relatively minimal body/structural work.

Engine: As I understand engines are not matching numbers to chassis. Rather there are date stamps and some subtle differences that peg a particular engine to a model year. Vin decoding and inspection on my engine reveal a 289 engine with a casting stamp of C8AE indicating possibly a 302 block cast and assembled with a 289 bore. My question is whether or not it is worth the extra cost in terms of originality to rebuild this engine vs putting a C8 stamped 302 in. Essentially, what is the impact of original engine claim on value/perceived quality of restoration- especially since is doesn't seem that any 289/302 can really be guaranteed original.

Body: Reproduction rear quarter panels vs. patch panel to take back to original body appearance. I have seen complaint of poor fit with reproduction panels and not sure which way to go.

Items I'm being told to scrap for new even if working at the time of rebuild: Radiator, water pump. Any thoughts on additional items that are not worth running old is greatly appreciated.

Any further thoughts on best methods/practices and lessons learned to take this Bronco back to as original specs as possible and a daily driver condition are greatly appreciated. Apologize for the lengthy read and thanks in advance for the input.

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey there. Welcome to CB and the interesting (fun?) world of EB restoration!

Sounds like a fun project. As far as value goes, it's completely in the eye of the beholder. There was a time, not very long ago, that an all-original one wasn't worth any more, and very likely worth less, than a cleanly modified, well outfitted model.
About the only exceptions to that might have been a clean stock original '66 or '67.

Now though, with prices on the rise and the auctions all over them, the "claims" (often false) of originality and such, can now get a premium. It's all in the eye of the beholder still, but with enough of the original crowd to make a restoration more worthwhile.

Your C8 engine was indeed a '68 engine, so even though the "A" meant it came from the car lineup, instead of a "T" for truck line, it could still have been an original-to-the-Bronco 289 I would bet.

Other things to change no matter what are the fuel pump, and front wheel bearing grease.
How many miles on the rig? If over 100k, look to the rear wheel bearings as well (there were two sizes), but if less than 75k, they'd be worth inspecting and then driving on for awhile if they appear/feel good.

That's about all I can come up with for now. Post up some pics if you get the chance.

And again, welcome to CB. Hope you keep it for awhile for you and your family though. Instead of just as a quick turn-n-burn investment. They're a fun drive.

Paul

 

[jckkys]

Ford usually stamped the VIN or partial VIN on the back of the block above the bell housing. I had '70 428CJ that had the VIN on the block and the C6 bell housing.
Bronco people aren't as likely to care about this as a muscle car collector looking for a Ram Air 428CJ. In fact it's hard to find Bronco owners that keep perfectly good original parts, if they can buy a billet or chrome plate part that doesn't work as well. Because of this the supply of original or original looking Broncos is drying up. As the supply goes down the price will go up.

 

[crcala]

Thanks for the great feedback. Hoping to hold on to it and use as a daily driver. The milage believe it or not reads 39,504 and from the condition I'm wondering if it could be and original vs 139,504. Perhaps I'm crazy to think this could be an original miles truck at 40k as it easily could have rolled over and sat for 20 years. I guess further investigation into the engine condition and wear areas such as bearings will be indicative of having possibly rolled over. Let me know what you think from the pics.

As I understand it was a single owner truck from the greater LA area so would be interesting to investigate DMV records of ownership/registration if possible.

Any recommendations about best way forward with restoring the flare cutouts?

Thanks again.

https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#AC5qXGF1HTs22

 

[crcala]

would you recommend replacing starter, alternator, radiator etc.. if working? Truck drove in the garage, but again had been sitting for 20 + years all parts have plenty of grime and wear.

 

[BluebroncoNC]

Honestly, if you're not trying to build a museum bronco but a daily driver, I wouldn't worry to much about it at all (the whole matching numbers thing). There are no Bronco d'elegence or Bronco Concourse events that I'm aware of, Townsend included. Is there a place for a perfect stock truck, sure. But the beautiful thing about a Bronco is, you can do it up as you like, lift it, cut it, modify it, bigger tires, roll cage the sky is the limit.

Change outs have been suggested but I would also add a roll bar, tied into the frame especially if you're going to be driving it down the interstate and if you're going to lift it at all. OH, and a fire extinguisher. Doing any of the work yourself, a tetanus booster too.

Edit: If you want to check out my "restoration" thread its in my sig below, or there are plenty of build threads out there although, you don't see many "stock" build threads. Guys seem to keep that sort of thing to themselves, maybe because of trade secrets or maybe because they don't want some "expert" challenging something they're doing as "not stock", I don't know. Just don't see a lot of stock build threads.

 

[DirtDonk]

would you recommend replacing starter, alternator, radiator etc.. if working? Truck drove in the garage, but again had been sitting for 20 + years all parts have plenty of grime and wear.

Apologize ahead of time, but I'm going to go all vague and wishy-washy on you.

It's just hard to say for sure of course, but other than the items I mentioned already I would initially just say no, don't bother replacing unless there's an issue.
The starters and alternators are pretty robust, but do wear out too. Luckily they're not parts that typically wear out from just sitting. I say "typically", but of course if enough grime gets inside, or if they were ready to die when it was last run anyway, then you'll need new ones soon enough. But I would try them first and see what you get.
Frankly, the wiring wears out more often than the accessories do sometimes! And after this long, initial problems that might crop up can often be traced to bad wires or connection.

As for the radiator, same thing. Only reasons to replace one are:
1. overheating issues.
2. leaks you don't want to fix
3. want a "cooler" looking one to show off.

If it doesn't leak, it may not for quite some time. Then again, it might leak after driving the second hundred miles.

I guess what I'm trying to beat around the bush about is, as with any 40+ year old American truck/utility vehicle, you could turn the key and run it for years, or drive it around the block and have something fail almost every time.
Which means I guess, if you're trying to create a reliable family friendly weekend fun rig, you're probably better off literally replacing EVERYTHING that moves, conducts electricity, holds fluid, has anything to do with safety, or is considered a general service item.
Which is how restoration projects are born.

You have to decide how much you want to do for starters, or just drive it 10 miles or less for the first year until you know which parts are going to work fine, and which are going to go the way of the dodo bird.

If you look at posts here from every person that bought a used EB over the last twenty years, you'd see that some just run 'em, some can't ever get them to run, and some just dive right in and pull them completely apart the first day home.

For a short list of things you could do as a middle-of-the-road restoration to get back on the road, I would say the following is a start.

1. Carburetor.
2. Battery/starter cables
3. Water pump.
4. Fuel pump
5. All fuel lines. Rubber AND the plastic ones
6. Fuel selector valve if you have two tanks.
7. Ignition switch (although the originals were better quality, a new one is just, well, "new"
8. Check all light sockets for rust and dirt. Clean and replace only if necessary.
9. Distributor. It's probably fine, but check it anyway. We're talking about all possibilities, so if in doubt, just put a new one in and be done with it. Preferrably with a points conversion to electronic if it hasn't been done already.
10. Add a headlight relay kit to brighten up the headlights and take the load off of the old switch.
11. Heater motor (upgrade preferred, but even a new stock one would work better. Easy enough to tell if the old one is sluggish. If not, it's not an emergency to use the old one for awhile.
12. ALL FLUIDS!!!!
13. Tires. Unless yours are 5 years old or less, old truck tires could cause trouble. Yes, they might be fine for years, but they might blow out on the highway with the family in tow, so why take the chance?
14. If it leaks, seal it.
15. Rotate the brake fluid! In other words, flush it and change it for new.
16. Did I mention brakes? No? Just put all new in. The drums are just barely adequate. If small tires, you could keep it that way. But a front disc upgrade is arguably the best modification you can make to an Early Bronco.
17. Radiator? See above. If it's in good visual shape, but you're not sure about what you want to do, for $100 or so you could just take it in and have it cleaned, checked and re-sealed to work for the next several years.
18. Timing chain. If you're going to replace the water pump, you might as well do the timing chain too. Extra work, extra expense, but still "cheap insurance" in my book.
19. Depending on the mileage, a valve job could be indicated. Mine were shot at 90k miles, but many last 150k and more. If they've never been done, you'll need to use a lead additive to your fill-ups, just run it till it drops, or have a valve job performed and hardened exhaust seats added. Ford heads were induction-hardened from the factory I hear, but the longevity since unleaded was mandated still has it's way with most heads.
20. ZINC in the OIL! Don't use normal engine oil in your engine. Either use a zinc additive each oil change, or simply use oil for older engines that has zinc in it to protect the cam. New engines are roller cammed, so don't need it. Even your old long-ago-broken-in cam can still benefit from having more zinc in the oil.
21- Probably fifty other things I'm not mentioning, which is exactly why these things often turn into a full blown restoration project.

Oh, and 22 through 99 are: Have fun!

Paul

 

[BluebroncoNC]

Oh, I like the way DirtDonk put it. Wish we had "like" buttons on this forum.

 

[Firedog67]

Hit like

 

[73azbronco]

Most Bronco 302 motors I have seen match block numbers to Ford Torino's. I don't know why but a Torino block is what you usually see, and it has no effect on value. Heck, I wager one of the most rare items on a bronco is the one barrel 6 cylinder carbs. Very hard to find an OEM original for the 170ci.

Whatever you do, never start to replace the oil pan gasket
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[Fireball05]

I guess what I'm trying to beat around the bush about is, as with any 40+ year old American truck/utility vehicle, you could turn the key and run it for years, or drive it around the block and have something fail almost every time.
Which means I guess, if you're trying to create a reliable family friendly weekend fun rig, you're probably better off literally replacing EVERYTHING that moves, conducts electricity, holds fluid, has anything to do with safety, or is considered a general service item.
Which is how restoration projects are born.

Paul says it well! This is exactly what happened to me. Bought something that ran and drove pretty darned well, looked OK and then slowly disassembled and rebuild/replaced/restored 95% of it. I put a ton of time and money into mine, still less than some of the true frame off restorations, but a big chunk of change nonetheless. It's never let me down, always starts, always runs well. Knock on wood it continues to do so, but even after all that there are no guarantees.

I think Paul's final comment of having fun is probably most appropriate. I really enjoyed planning and executing the build. Others may just enjoy turning the key and driving. You may fall somewhere in the middle!

 

[Buckeye Rob]

Paul, someone should put your response in the FAQ section too. What a fantastic priority list for someone new to Broncos. Sounds like my experience.

 

[John Marinan]

There were 289s cast in 68, I believe they all had 63cc heads, large for the time.

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks guys. Hoped that could help.
And most of it was plagiarized from YOUR experiences! ;D

In your case too crc, since you're wondering about the actual mileage on the engine, inspecting the timing chain would probably tell the tale. If it's just slightly loose, you've got 39k or a chain that has been replaced at some point. If it's toast, all floppy like, then you're likely looking at 139k miles instead.

Several things can give you indications of an engines true life, but that's probably one of the better ones.

Paul

 

[crcala]

Thanks for all the insight and great advice!

 

[Rustytruck]

Thanks guys. Hoped that could help.
And most of it was plagiarized from YOUR experiences! ;D

In your case too crc, since you're wondering about the actual mileage on the engine, inspecting the timing chain would probably tell the tale. If it's just slightly loose, you've got 39k or a chain that has been replaced at some point. If it's toast, all floppy like, then you're likely looking at 139k miles instead.

Several things can give you indications of an engines true life, but that's probably one of the better ones.

Paul

Look at the brake peddle pad a 39,000 mile brake peddle pad looks vastly different that a 139,000 mile brake peddle pad.