Newbie needs help getting educated | new build

[Bad137]

Hi everyone,

I’m a newbie that needs some help getting smarter on Broncos before my wife and I buy our first one. She’s wanted one since 2011 (should have bought then!) and I have Bronco fever now too. We’ve been able to save up enough to hopefully start a build. We know what we want in the big picture, but not the details that you all are experienced in. As I said, I’m a newbie and we have never even driven a Bronco. Here’s what we are looking for:

1. Safety
2. Reliability
3. New(ish) fit and finish

Fore safety, we have two boys (7 & 4) that would go in the back, so a family roll bar and 4-point rear seatbelts. 3-point seat belts up front. Power steering and brakes, ideally 4 disk.

I’d like a worry-free drive train for almost daily street driving. Does that lean towards fuel injection, or are modern carbs OK? Other than a 302 or 352 Windsor, I don’t know what other specifics for the motor. Should I do crate, or is a quality rebuild just the same? We’d like an automatic transmission optimized for street use (that’s the depth of my knowledge here). Nothing more than stock on the axles. The only off-roading we think we’ll do is sand on the beach or light trails. A new wiring harness sounds like something I do not want to pass up. Rubberized coating on the inside throughout, and ideally underneath as well. I have a feeling what I’m looking for is going to drive a frame-off build.

For the “new” fit and finish: new upholstery, new or refinished hardware, etc. We live in the Florida panhandle and pop-up thunderstorms can be an everyday surprise. I would like to have an easy-to-use soft top, but also have the interior able to handle an accidental rain exposure. I’d like to keep the dash stock, so one of the vintage radios (Hamilton?) I’m trying to convince my wife she does not need A/C, but am not successful so far. Any thoughts on hard top? If money and storage are not an object (they are), I don’t see why not to get one. We like the look of a 3-inch lift and stock steel wheels.

We keep things for a long time, so we want a long-term quality truck: doors that close properly, not a lot of body repairs, bad rust, etc. I do not want painted over problems will reappear in 5 years, but a Bronco that has a lot of life left in it.

I read some of this forum when I first started getting serious. I contacted both Rocky Roads and Build A Bronco about builds. Nice guys, but I have some sticker shock. After coming back to these boards and reading more, I know I need to tap your collective knowledge and experience to refine what we want and to find the right people to build the Bronco my wife and I have been wanting.

Thank you for taking the time to read this long post, and I appreciate any inputs/recommendations you guys have regarding our build expectations, or recommended places to get it done.

Thanks,

Brett

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey there. Welcome to classicbroncos there bad137.
You're not asking for much! Haha!

A lot (a REAL LOT!) is going to depend on what condition and quality of work the one you buy is initially. There is a lot of crap being pawned off on the unsuspecting public as "semi-restored" and (a favorite around here) "rust free". That last being almost an oxymoron with Early Broncos.

Aside from what any of us put in here, you'll have a lot of reading in your future, so I hope you have some extra computer time in your day, along with good eye sight!

All of the items on your initial list are achievable. But they're also "relative" relatively speaking.
Safety? Sure, as much as a big tall short wheelbase utility vehicle with zero crumple zone, zero body reinforcement and ill handling (compared to a modern car that is) can offer.
You can add safety items that will help to protect you and your family, but the biggest safety item is going to be you. There... Did I sound daddy-ish or nanny-ish enough?%)

Reliability? Sure, as long as you don't mind frequent maintenance compared to a newer car. We used to call it "periodic maintenance" but that was when it was expected you had to work on what you drove. Nowadays with 100k tuneups, 10k oil changes and 150k wheel bearing replacements, what we used to consider normal is now considered kind of exotic and troublesome.

Newish fit and finish? Hmm, not so sure on this one. Would like to say "it ain't gonna happen" but would add to that the rider "unless you make it happen or pay a lot of money" to get it.
That said, here again it falls on you to buy one that's still in fairly straight factory condition. Otherwise getting door gaps straight, hood alignment and tailgate working up to modern standards takes a crap ton of work. My '71 is near perfect, but mainly because it was that way when I bought it and I've kept it like that. Most EB's have been used and abused and put away wet for most of their lives.

So all negative-Nelly aside, they're still very cool and fun vehicles to drive. Especially if you enjoy being the center of attention and being waved at by various and sundry passers-by. And being delayed at the gas station every time (often) you stop and people start to come up to you to compliment you on your coolness. Assuming it's a clean Bronco.
It's a ton-o-fun frankly.

So that's the basics. I'm sure lots of little details will come out as this thread progresses, but definitely read around. Like the "Show off your LUBR" thread with pics and descriptions of what people have done to their stock-looking Broncos.
Do you know how you want it to look yet? Big and beefy, or modest and stock-ish still?

Give us some more details.
Tons of good Bronco folks in FL these days. You might even be able to stop by and check out the details of what's been or being build by your neighbors.

Good luck!

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Oh, and thanks for listing your location right off the bat. Really helps to know where we all are in case the discussion falls to seeing who's around that can check out your rig, or who's rigs you can check out.

Hope you find one you're happy with.

Paul

 

[doghows72]

Send a PM to Bajafresh75. He's always got a few fine Broncos around and you won't pay 100k for them. He's up in TN I believe.

 

[Galt72]

A frame off build is going to cost you 5x what you think and you'll be lucky to have it running before your kids are out of high school ;D JMHO
Try to buy one that runs, has all its parts, and drive it and have fun. Slowly pick through your upgrades so it's only down a week or two at a time.

 

[Bad137]

Paul, Thanks for the reply.

Forum reading: absolutely. I collect M1 Garands and the amount I learned from forums over 15 years is incredible.

Safety: tracking, and understand it’s relative. My wife and I talked about this and know it’s not new car safe, we want it Bronco safe.

Reliability: no problem with routine maintenance. I want to avoid unexpected maintenance/breakdowns and be able to drive it worry free.

Newness: To me a good restoration takes care of much of this if done well. I want to avoid a junky old speedo mounted into a freshly painted dash, make sense? And new seats, not saggy or torn. An not just interior, but a clean truck under the hood and underneath too.

As far as “fit” I’m not looking for modern standards, but want what all you guys do, doors that work, etc. I’ve seen how you can buy a whole new body ($15kish?) and have wondered if that is a road I want to go down. Since I do not currently have a Bronco, I am not sentimentally attached to one. Since we are buying this as a long-term vehicle, why not start with a fresh body and avoid many “old truck” problems? (Unless the quality is not there).

Look: stock, with a small lift. Not big and beefy. We have a picture of a Bronco that says “that’s it” as far as the look to us. I’ll start another thread later on asking you guys what you think is contributing to the stance as far as wheel/tire/lift size.

And I’ve seen you mention to state location to new people in previous threads, so I’m already listening!

Doghows, thanks for the reference for Bajafresh.

Galt, Yes, we have thought of that too, just buy one that is not really what we want for an end state, but use it to better learn what we want. Even then, I still don’t think I’d be buying a $7k fixer upper, but want something good enough that my wife is comfortable driving 5 days a week.

Thanks,

Brett

 

[Bad137]

I just found the picture that we like is an owner here: KDML

3.5" suspension lift and 1" body lift with 31x10.5's on stock rims

http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showgallery.php?ppuser=13912

 

[jw0747]

To me these factors are important and need to be answered when buying a Bronco.

- How much of the work are you going to do yourself?
- How soon do you want it to be in the condition you outlined in your post#1 and on the road?
- How much money are you willing to pay to buy it.

If you pay a lower purchase price it will probably require lots of work before it's in the condition you want.
If you don't want one that needs lots of work and is road worthy soon after you buy it you'll pay more.
Should you decide to buy one ready to go I'd recommend these guys as opposed to the two you contacted.

-http://www.nickstrix.com/

-http://store.bcbroncos.com/

 

[Bad137]

jw0747,

- Minimal/none.
- On the road once I get it, but I know the build process is not quick.
- Not a nickel more than I need to! haha

I do not have the time to do a build right now, but that is certainly a retirement dream! I finished building a wooden kayak last year, and since then my work hours have increased so much that I'm not able to devote that much time to a project and still spend good time with my kids. Like everything, I know this is a time vs. money proposition. I want to best refine what we want, then find the right people who do quality work for an appropriate price.

Thank you for the two references.

 

[69broncofun]

Hello and welcome. I am fairly new to Broncos as well. I was lucky to have my Bronco passed on to me from family friend. I have been on here a few months and have looked into parts places/companies that rebuild broncos. Do not have any experience in restoration places for broncos as of yet just what I have read on here and there are some places you want to run from. I don't want to bad mouth anyone on here so I you want to know more Pm me. I know for me I am gonna try to do most of the work myself and the stuff I do not know how to do leave that to the pros. Try to save some money because it can get $$$$. Good luck and would love to see what you get.

 

[Rustytruck]

Buy a 1976-77 from Arizona or southern California. On this site look at all the rust repair projects so you learn where the serious rust resides. And make sure the truck has clean title and frame stamps match the title. Just a glove box tag is normally not good enough. Check the frame.

 

[sprdv1]

Welcome aboard. Patience, patience, patience when searching then buying the right one

 

[englewoodcowboy]

Welcome aboard Bad137. Well you are starting in the right spot, this is a great community and a wealth of knowledge is shared here. If you want a bronco built, I would like to discuss it with you. Having one built is not for the faint of heart and depending on the level of build you want varies the cost as well. I will send you a PM for further details.

 

[Crawdad]

Welcome to the site! But be warned of eBay. It has its place with a lot of guys on here but there are some chitty builders on there as well. Buying a bronco in one state may not transfer to another. The stamped vin on the frame has already been brought up earlier but it's important. If the seller can't prove to you a picture of the stamped VIN and it's matching title I would keep looking. It's the official VIN whereas the glovebox VIN is not. Some states take the glovebox VIN at their DMV but not all states. Don't be a sucker spending tens of thousands of dollars and you can't transfer the title in your name. If you start out right with a stamped VIN on frame with its matching title you can sell it to anyone in any state if times become hard for you or your family.
I'm helping a fella locally find his first bronco. I bet he is tired of me saying "it's way over priced" or "dont buy a bronco with bedliner on the inside". It burns me when someone spends $20 in spray paint and makes the undercarriage look brand new, then turn around and list their bronco for $25k. If you have a bronco in mind we can do a good job of tearing it apart as far as it's worth. Most members on here that list their Broncos for sale usually have a build thread. That allows you to review how well it may have been built. Usually on eBay you won't get that type of history. There are some great builders on here but they bring great money so be prepared for the shock. I've seen Englewoodcowboy and NickTrix build their bronco and they are top notch. There are flippers out there too. Baja is one that comes to mind that many hold in high regards. I'd definitely ask around before emptying your 401.
I personally like 76-77 Broncos for the mere fact they come with a lot of factory installed goodies. Yes you can add lots of upgrades to the 66-75 models but I love factory installed options. Keep in mind that opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one. Don't hesitate to PM anyone of us. We are happy to help!
Matt

 

[Bad137]

Thanks Matt. I'm watching the for sale forum here now, lots of great Broncos have sold there!

More praise for Nick's Trix and Lick Creek, that's good. Appreciate everyone taking time to make inputs.

Any thoughts on specifics for drivetrain? I like 302 Windsor with automatic. I say "optimized for street" but I don't know what that gearing is.

 

[WASP1971]

Where are y'all located? You could come take a look at mine to get a feel for them.

 

[Bad137]

Oh dear, that is even the color she is leaning towards! We are around the corner in Niceville, I work at Hurlburt. I bet we've seen you driving and my wife my wife gets green with envy. Haha.

 

[Weevil]

Take the EBay warning seriously. My brother Shamu has
unscrewed several of these rigs that looked great but were
death traps. . Go to events and look . More than likely if you go to a off road
Event someone will have a open seat .
My brother books mine in advance . I kid you not

 

[AK-47]

Hey Bad,

I would echo all these comments about taking your time on this project. I was in a similar situation where I fell in love w/ the Bronco, didn't want to do the work myself and paid an "expert" to build my dream car. Do your dude-diligence on these "restoration shops" and make sure that you spec out every little detail, down to the type of tire/rim. B/c if your not specific, there's a lot of room in the numbers (margins for them) for cheap parts. Take it from me...I got had by one of these guys and learned my lesson the hard way. I'm not saying that all resto shops are like this, just the one I used. So word to the wise...think w/ your head and not your heart...in the end I had to dump in a bunch more money just to correct the mistakes made by a guy who has no business building Broncos. Try and get references from these forums...they're the best resource we have!

 

[DirtDonk]

Just to bring this up and add to what AK said, it's literally shocking to us that have been around these rigs for so long, just how many pro shops have no clue about older trucks.
They might do good work, and be willing to take care of their customers for the most part, but there are so many even honest mistakes made by these shops on our older rigs that it really makes you wonder if they're doing it on purpose or just clueless and don't want to lose the job.
Simple things (to us) like wheel bearing adjustment, seal replacement with the correct parts, knowing the subtle differences between years (that's specialized knowledge though, and nothing you can hold against a non-Bronco specific shop) and willingness to take extra time (ie losing money) to do the small things that go along with any job.
In many cases it's not their bad attitude that starts the problem. It's the stacking problems that create the bad attitude.
But "bad" kind of starts with them when they fail to admit they've fallen down a well of things they don't know, but still don't tell the customer they're over their head. When they just keep plugging away and billing the customer for work half done, it's all on them.
But you still pay...

Most 4-wheel drive shops that have been around for more than twenty years, or have older mechanics, will often be the smallest, dirtiest, and maybe even unfriendliest spots in town. But they may also know the most about our kinds of trucks.
Assuming any of them are still in business in your area, after the little hiccup of 2007/8.?:?

Unfortunately, most of them don't really do restorations that include more than adding suspension parts and basic maintenance anyway. For that you still have to dig deeper.

Keep up the search! Something will usually show up still. How much longer we'll be able to say that is anyone's guess at this point though.

Paul