- Joined
- Jun 17, 2004
- Messages
- 360
Well since CB lists that I have been here since 2004, I figured it was about time to finally start a build thread. And to be honest I am only now to the point where I can actually say I am going to build my White Top Ford!
For a bit of back story I purchased my first 1975 Bronco in 2006. Upon getting it, I drove it for a week, and after feeling like I would die if I drove it anymore, I tore it right down. Body was braced and came off, axles pulled out from under it, motor and tranny taken out, and the bare frame was sand blasted. I picked up a 351 roller block and set to work making it an efi machine that would fit under the hood. Back in those days, a lightning lower was easy to come by on the internet and I picked one up and made friends with a local engine builder. He took me under his wing and let me hang out in his shop learning from him and rebuilding my motor when the time came. I definitely learned a lot from him and was super stoked to keep going. I decided on a M5OD and bought the advanced adapter kit for a ZF since it was just being said that these would work. There was not much info on the tranny but I had a F350 with a ZF in it an knew I didn't want my bronco to shift like that. I much preferred my F150 with the M5OD. As a nice guy, I put an add up for the old C4 that was in it, offering it for free to any Bronco brother that needed a tranny. It took about 3 hours before it was gone! Keeping a long story short, work transferred me in 2009 just after I finished the engine build and the Bronco came with me to a new house with an even larger garage, but by then kids happened and the Bronco sat untouched for a few years (first pic under snow). Then the divorce happened. The Bronco became a target for no reason other than it was something I loved. When all the dust settled, I managed to keep the rolling frame and (craftily I might add) the glove box door. Title remained in my name.
Post divorce transfer with work again and the Bronco now went to my parents property where it sat for five years (2014-2019) under a tarp. 351 got the occasional bit of love in the way of spinning the oil pump and turning the crank over a few turns, but really not enough. One thing I can say is that the POR 15 that I sprayed on the frame held up like a champ! The occasional spot of surface rust, but other than that not nearly as much rust as one would expect for a bronco frame sitting in a field!
Fast forward to more recent times. I met my new wife, who loved that I had a dream of building my own Bronco for us to roll around in in the summer months. The idea of me needing space to work on one was a key factor in us looking for a new house together. She made it clear that the new house had to have a shop for me to work on my Bronco (and enough room for her horses). And we eventually found that just outside the city we worked in. Problem being that as we looked for our new home, all I had was a rolling frame with a motor that had not run in many years and was probably a boat anchor. Then it happened.
One day while she was on Facebook, she brought her phone to me to show me something. Not only was it something, but it was a 1974 that was for sale about 10 hours away from me. I had always been looking, but every Bronco that I found to this point was not for sale, no matter how long it had been sitting and rusting away. By that weekend I was off with a rented car trailer to pick up a 1974 that was in need of some work (understatement of the year)!
I picked up my blue 74 and we had to push it up on the trailer. It came with a steel washtub of parts that used to be on it and brand new tires! At this point I was just happy to have another Bronco. Now we had not taken possession of the new house yet, so again this one went to my parent property to hide under a tarp till we could bring it home, but thankfully it was not too long. We moved in in the late fall, and although the shop is never big enough, I now had my very own 30x40 quonset shop that was going to be where the adventure begins...
OK that is long enough. I already a bit into the tear down and rebuild of the Bronco so I will b posting the progress pics that I took along the way till we get caught back up to where we are today (it's not that far... yet)
For a bit of back story I purchased my first 1975 Bronco in 2006. Upon getting it, I drove it for a week, and after feeling like I would die if I drove it anymore, I tore it right down. Body was braced and came off, axles pulled out from under it, motor and tranny taken out, and the bare frame was sand blasted. I picked up a 351 roller block and set to work making it an efi machine that would fit under the hood. Back in those days, a lightning lower was easy to come by on the internet and I picked one up and made friends with a local engine builder. He took me under his wing and let me hang out in his shop learning from him and rebuilding my motor when the time came. I definitely learned a lot from him and was super stoked to keep going. I decided on a M5OD and bought the advanced adapter kit for a ZF since it was just being said that these would work. There was not much info on the tranny but I had a F350 with a ZF in it an knew I didn't want my bronco to shift like that. I much preferred my F150 with the M5OD. As a nice guy, I put an add up for the old C4 that was in it, offering it for free to any Bronco brother that needed a tranny. It took about 3 hours before it was gone! Keeping a long story short, work transferred me in 2009 just after I finished the engine build and the Bronco came with me to a new house with an even larger garage, but by then kids happened and the Bronco sat untouched for a few years (first pic under snow). Then the divorce happened. The Bronco became a target for no reason other than it was something I loved. When all the dust settled, I managed to keep the rolling frame and (craftily I might add) the glove box door. Title remained in my name.
Post divorce transfer with work again and the Bronco now went to my parents property where it sat for five years (2014-2019) under a tarp. 351 got the occasional bit of love in the way of spinning the oil pump and turning the crank over a few turns, but really not enough. One thing I can say is that the POR 15 that I sprayed on the frame held up like a champ! The occasional spot of surface rust, but other than that not nearly as much rust as one would expect for a bronco frame sitting in a field!
Fast forward to more recent times. I met my new wife, who loved that I had a dream of building my own Bronco for us to roll around in in the summer months. The idea of me needing space to work on one was a key factor in us looking for a new house together. She made it clear that the new house had to have a shop for me to work on my Bronco (and enough room for her horses). And we eventually found that just outside the city we worked in. Problem being that as we looked for our new home, all I had was a rolling frame with a motor that had not run in many years and was probably a boat anchor. Then it happened.
One day while she was on Facebook, she brought her phone to me to show me something. Not only was it something, but it was a 1974 that was for sale about 10 hours away from me. I had always been looking, but every Bronco that I found to this point was not for sale, no matter how long it had been sitting and rusting away. By that weekend I was off with a rented car trailer to pick up a 1974 that was in need of some work (understatement of the year)!
I picked up my blue 74 and we had to push it up on the trailer. It came with a steel washtub of parts that used to be on it and brand new tires! At this point I was just happy to have another Bronco. Now we had not taken possession of the new house yet, so again this one went to my parent property to hide under a tarp till we could bring it home, but thankfully it was not too long. We moved in in the late fall, and although the shop is never big enough, I now had my very own 30x40 quonset shop that was going to be where the adventure begins...
OK that is long enough. I already a bit into the tear down and rebuild of the Bronco so I will b posting the progress pics that I took along the way till we get caught back up to where we are today (it's not that far... yet)
Attachments
Last edited:
