I am in hell!

[JHBronco]

I am new to the forum, but have been quietly reading for some time now. I purchased a 1968 off of ebay and the description of "nice with a little rust" was a serious understatement. I have the body ready to come off but at this point I am very discouraged. I do not see anything on the body that is salvagable. It is rusted everywhere. At some point the previous owner riveted in a bunch of aluminium to cover rust spots, which obviously trapped moisture and made it worse.

I guess my question is about options. I am ready to take the whole damn body to the junk yard. Who sells complete steel bodies and do i have other options. The frame and running gear is ok.

Current project is to build a reliable daily driver. 2 1/2 inch sus lift, 31 inch rubber, keep the manual 3 spd, 351 windsor, etc.... this was of course before I saw all the cancer on the body. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[brixter]

Dont get discouraged yet . I had a rust bucket and fixed her up pretty good without to much effort , and it was kind of a fun learning experience .
Pics would be great in helping you out

 

[ObscureMachine]

x2 on what Brixter said. It can be scary, but don't let the big picture overwhelm you. What helped me was to create "baby steps" (yeah, I know, it sounds stupid), small projects that I can finish and feel like I've done something. Like "my goal today is to weld in the new floor panels." You get that done, and it's a "little victory." Then next day, work on another project. Before you know it, you've got a ton done.

Sorry you got shafted on ebay. It happened to me. But I love my Bronco!

Good Luck!

 

[thegreatjustino]

Who sells complete steel bodies and do i have other options.

No one sells complete steel bodies. You can piece one together using the various available parts, but there is not a complete kit on the market.

Your other option would be to go fiberglass. Quite expensive to do so, but your rust worries would be over forever.

 

[JHBronco]

Thanks for the support, I guess I am in for a lot of cutting, grinding and welding. Will post some pics later. All I have is what i started with, but will try and take some more soon.

As for fiberglass, I thought about it, but i decided I wanted to stay steel. I own a large bus company in Jackson Hole Wyoming and have the resources and infratructure to do this project. Hope to have it completed by spring. I know it would be easier to start over with another donor vehicle, but I believe that the classic Bronco is just that, a classic, and as many as possible should be preserved and saved.

I am also a member of Donzi.net and a Donzi lover. It is amazing to see the lengths that some of the members have gone to preserve and restore the Donzi classics. I am glad the classic Broncos have such a strong following like the Donzi's do. Well, back to work on getting the body off.

 

[JHBronco]

Here are a couple of photos from when it arrived. I will try and post some of where I currently am tommorrow.

 

[Fishbone]

There is a complete steel body kit available from JBG part #14180 but it is completely unassembled, and cost $3999.00

I think I'd go fiberglass before I went with that.

I'm with the other guy's, a little at a time. I'm doing two right now, one with my boss, and one of my own. I don't think I'll do two at a time again, but at least they're pretty simple to work on.

 

[Bucky]

It Looks Better than mine did when I started! I've been working on it for about 5 years and have just began driving it again! It's worth it when you get it back out on the road!!

Here's a Link to some Pics:
http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/dwhite5528/

 

[cgbexec]

I started with a 1976 that was in better shape than your pictures show. I did have to replace the floors, both rockers and the hood, but that was it. Even with that little amount of metal work, it would have been cheaper for me to go with a complete fiberglass body. If you can do your own welding and body work, then that may not be the case. By the time I paid to the body stipped, primed, floors replaced and additional body work, I could have purchased a full fiberglass body. In the end, I am glad to have the original metal body. I wouldn't rule out a fiberglass bronco in the future if I decide to build another.

Chris B.

 

[Project_bronco]

Well, start looking at it positively. It might help. Your hard top looks good in the pictures, you have a roll bar, I can't really see them but your doors look OK, you've got a little bling with the diamond plate on the rocker panels, and you have nice looking wheels. ;D
I'm not being sarcastic or anything, I'm actually trying to help. I thought my project was a mess when I got into it four years ago. Then I started thinking positively. I made some lists that had to be done and enjoyed the stuff that was already done for me/not messed up. LOL
I also prayed...a lot. ;D
Heck, I'm still working on it even though I'm driving it. You can always find little things that need to be done.

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Heck, yours looks better than what I started with too. Half the fun is learning how to fix the problems. Mine is far from perfect, but it's mine. Looks like a fun project.

 

[brixter]

Way nicer than the POS i started with !!! Does yours reek of mouse piss ?? ;D

 

[br0nc0xrapt0r]

I am new to the forum, but have been quietly reading for some time now. I purchased a 1968 off of ebay and the description of "nice with a little rust" was a serious understatement. I have the body ready to come off but at this point I am very discouraged. I do not see anything on the body that is salvagable. It is rusted everywhere. At some point the previous owner riveted in a bunch of aluminium to cover rust spots, which obviously trapped moisture and made it worse.

I guess my question is about options. I am ready to take the whole damn body to the junk yard. Who sells complete steel bodies and do i have other options. The frame and running gear is ok.

Current project is to build a reliable daily driver. 2 1/2 inch sus lift, 31 inch rubber, keep the manual 3 spd, 351 windsor, etc.... this was of course before I saw all the cancer on the body. Any help would be appreciated.

don't feel bad I was just a dumb 16 year old kid when I did the same thing I got in way over my head in the end I dumped the tub fenders and all but the doors tailgate top and hood on my beloved 74, I picked up the pieces and now I am putting it back together as a super light fiberglass daily driver;D

 

[Project_bronco]

Does yours reek of mouse piss ?? ;D

That's just funny! LOL ;D
(But I really hate that smell).

 

[DBrown]

when I got mine you could se daylight threw the seams of the roof and it had pretty much no floor pans....oh wait it still does. it can't be that bad...if the out side looks that good.

 

[zombie66]

i have seen alot worse come out near perfect. there is alot you can do with por15 that will save you alot of time. definately dont get discouraged it will be worth it in the end. and you will have the pride to show your before and after pics. which do us a favor and make sure you take alot and post them cause we all live thru each other here! ha! ha!

 

[JHBronco]

Thanks for the support. I was going to throw in the towel until I read how many of you brought your own Bronco's back from the same condition mine is in. Although I believe everyone enjoys the smell of mouse piss on a nice winter morning, that is one smell I can probably do without!

I did get the body off yesterday. The frame and chassis and in remarkable good condition considering the shape of the body.

I have found some pieces that can be re-used. One front fender, both rear inner wheel wells, both rear fenders, doors, windshield frame. Everything from the front of the firewall foward is shot. Rear bed is shot. Both striker posts shot. There are baseball sized holes in both running boards. Transmission tunnel looks like hell do to a bad floor shift install. Tailgate and rocker panels done. Top is ok, has a little rust and looks like hell, but considering a replacement is very expensive, will try and bring it back.

Going to sand blast the chassis, replace all bushings, rebuild tranny and transfer, steering box rebuild, 2.5 lift with new leafs, coils, etc...

I do have one question, mine does not have a aux fuel tank. Will one just bolt into place? 12 gallons is pretty small, especially for a state like Wyoming where everything seems to be 3 hours away. Also, any pros or cons on the plastic tanks vs. steel?

I will try and take some pics today. Thanks everyone for your advice and support. I have seen some pics of some of your Bronco's and I am very jealous. Hopefully mine will turn out half as nice!

 

[SeaBiscuit68]

There are aftermarket tanks that will pretty much double the stock capacity. Do that and/or add the aux tank. The aux tanks were plastic but there is a skid plate for them.

 

[zombie66]

i have a '66 that didnt come with a side tank but i added one from a later bronco. no problem! just have to kick yourself on cutting another hole! ha! ha!
by the way. can a mouse piss enough to actually emit an odor??? just checking! ha! ha!

 

[brixter]

I added a axillary tank to mine . The hard part is finding a filler neck and as mentioned cutting another hole ( in the right spot) .
no big diff in my opinion about steel or plastic aux tanks , what ever you want but i would buy new instead of used .
For your main tank steel and I would look at BC Broncos tank . It is the most versatile for later modifications I think they are 23 gallons

Zombie66 you have no idea