Even if I start over every company I spoke to says I would need to buy a bronco to build so why sell the bronco I own just to pay for another one? My bronco is rust free and straight all the companies that have looked at it say it is a good bronco to start with.
Look, we're trying to help you, so let's look at what you want to do compared to your current bronco that you've paid money for already:
1) New engine, thus the engine you paid for when you bought your Bronco was wasted money.
2) Anti-lock brakes - thus the brakes you paid for when you bought your Bronco was wasted money.
Suspension, tires, bumpers, seats, gas tank, window seals, steering column, windshield frame and wipers, - You already paid for all this stuff when you bought your Bronco, but you'll need to toss it all. All wasted money when you bought yours. Not just wasted money on those parts, but now you have the ADDED cost of pulling all that stuff off, and putting on your replacement parts. And frankly, you're missing a ton of other things. With the lift and tires you want you'll need to have steering box mounting point reinforced, drop down pitman arms, trac bar brackets, brake line extensions, shifting linkage extensions. You'll most likely need a hydroboost steering pump. With the motor you'll need dual sets of fuel lines, new fuel pump. Then there's the new paint job because your windshield needs the welds cut and the new windshield frame put on. I would imagine your 40 year old electric wiring would need to be replaced too to support all the new electronics you want. Then there's the newer high amp alternator to power it all. And, of course, new drive shafts and axles to take the power of the engine. And with new 31+ spline axles, you'll need 2 new differentials. But you already paid for the ones you have on your Bronco. Now they have to be tossed and replaced.
The point is, you bought a nice Bronco, but you paid for a lot of stuff you are going to toss and replace anyway. Thus, that's wasted money, in parts and labor to remove, that could be better spent on the newer parts and labor to install on a blank canvas. As I pointed out earlier, you have to take EVERYTHING off the frame to powder coat it. That's a minimum of 50 hours right there. At $50, that's $2500 just to get at the frame. Then another $750 to blast and powder coat it, then another 100 hours minimum to put everything back on. So what do you REALLY have on your Bronco that's useful? A body shell, frame, transmission, axles, transfer case. You may be able to sell some of your old parts and make up some money, but not much. So why not start with a frame, transmission, axles transfer case, and body from a non-running Bronco that you can get a lot cheaper? OR start with a Bronco that someone's already done the frame and some other items, saving you the parts you're throwing out, and a lot of labor already. Only YOU can decide, but I can't imagine you'd get a lot of the parts and labor you're looking for done for $50,000. You can save a TON of money by giving up the motor. Get a crate 351 and put fuel injection on it for $5000. That saves you $10,000 right there. Put 4 wheel disc brakes on now, and wait for anti-lock system to come down in price. Give up the windshield until you're ready to repaint.
We're here to help you. But I think House is right. Think about what you can live with/without, then think about the labor costs to do things. What can be done when you do one thing to reduce the labor of another. For example when you do the suspension, they have to take the axles off anyway so upgrade those at the same time.
