Share your treasures that previous owners left

[BroncoMarc]

Someone replaced the rocker panels on one of my parts Broncos. They should have used a shorter drill bit. The aux gas tank has matching holes and plugs.

 

[mountain14er]

Just say no to chaulk. I mean come on, if the metal needs fixing, fix the metal. Right now, the e-brake cable is sanwiched between the stock floor and another piece of metal. All riveted together and glued with - guess what - silicone chaulk.

 

[broncotime]

Someone replaced the rocker panels on one of my parts Broncos. They should have used a shorter drill bit. The aux gas tank has matching holes and plugs.

That's funny, my previous owner did the same thing. First time I filled it up I had about four streams of gas flowing out the side! Mine also had floor panels welded in without any access holes for the body bolts!

 

[Big D]

When I bought my Bronc, it looked clean, sharp, you name it. It looked really straight. New paint, new pinstriping, flares, even bumpers. After about a year I started to notice a few little bubbles in and around the rockers. I really didn't think much of it, until one day at the car wash I was using one of those do it yourself pressure washers. Apparently the pressure from the water had got in one of the bubbles, and all of a sudden there was an explosion of bondo chunks and pieces!!!!! One piece was as big as my hand!!!! Turned out the bubbles in my paint were caused from some aluminum rivets the PO had used when he patched the rockers with a piece of aluminum sheet metal. I almost cried right then. If it wasn't for people nearby, I would have for sure been balling my eyes out.

Big D

 

[lonesouth]

The PO Installed a Heep bikini on mine. My roll cage has the normal main hoop and then a rear hoop sweeping at about 45 fromt he wheel wells. This WAS conected to the main hoop by a 2" piece of tubing on either side. However, those pesky connecting tubes got in the way of his nice and shiny (read POS) Heep top.

 

[crawln68]

My PO had covered up the cowl with some window screen and black roofing tar. I wish that I would have taken a picture of the screen and tar before I started digging it all out. It was quite an impressive sculpting job. This is what the cowl looked like after I dug it all out.

 

[tooqk4u22]

My PO had covered up the cowl with some window screen and black roofing tar. I wish that I would have taken a picture of the screen and tar before I started digging it all out. It was quite an impressive sculpting job. This is what the cowl looked like after I dug it all out.

Mine had a similar job, except it used aluminum siding secured with roofing tar. How did you replace the cowl?

 

[fwilder]

I wish I would have had a picture of the custom rear suspenion on my 75. It was coils and leafs. Sweeeeet.

 

[72_EB]

ICE CUBE tape stuck in the tape deck of my '72

A pile of dozen (at least) parking tickets

Strange black and white mug shot of some dude ala coin operated mall photo picture booth

22, 38, 44, and 30-6 shells

Cool ball point pen from Wyoming

Absolutely terrifying steering, lift, and electrical setups! (before digital - really glad I don't have pictures though)

Stroppe parts...long gone. If only I knew then, what I knew now...

The '72 Explorer Sport I should have held onto.

Lots of blood loss, 9 stitches, and dirty fingernails later...here I am...forever bleeding Ford blue. ;D

 

[crawln68]

Mine had a similar job, except it used aluminum siding secured with roofing tar. How did you replace the cowl?

I ordered a new cowl and windshield support from JBG and started cutting, grinding and spot welding. It was actually pretty easy to do, just takes time.

 

[KevinT70]

Hard to complain too much about my PO's since they sold me a solid Bronco that's NEVER let me down, but they did:

--Spray paint the hood flat-black because of the sun's glare off the hood during commute hour
--Replace the rear glass with a hard, clear plastic sheet that was about 4" too short, so they covered the remaining gap with duct tape
--With gold, mail-box style, letters, put the word "Bonanza" on the tailgate

Of course, I don't feel so bad after looking at the previous posts!

 

[Tito]

Got any pics of ol' Bonanza??? I'd love to see that!

 

[KevinT70]

Got any pics of ol' Bonanza??? I'd love to see that!

No pics of the actual "Bonanza" letters. I recall unpeeling them was my first "upgrade!" My gallery has a pic of which shows the black hood. I drove it that way for 20 years!

 

[Revelation]

Let's see
the 72 I had, after I got it home I was cleaning out the glovebox and found the original warranty card, window sticker ( I paid 2500, sold new for 1780) and all the receipts from all work done to it, including oil changes. I should have never sold that one.
The 77, well the preachers son forgot to get his box (48 I think) of Condoms from under the drivers seat.

My 74 (current Project) when I took the shocks loose, it lifted 2 inches. Inspecting the coil springs they had an extra 2 coils welded on. Rear springs lost a leaf on each when I pulled them, Broke at the pin. Now I know why they had duct tape around them.

 

[Smokeater11]

Well where do I start? My PO decide that it would be a good idea to put leaf spring suspension under the front. If he had done a decent job it might have been OK but he made his mounts out of 1/4 inch plate and had cut them with a torch. The spring that he installed are completely flat if not bowed downward. Two of the bolts he used to go through the mounts are 5 inches too long and have no nuts on them. He cut out the spring buckets and welded a plate incert into the shock towers so he didn't have to but taller shocks. He had the NP 435 in it and undtead of cutting a hole just large enough for it to shift be started at the base of the firewall and cut the entire tranny tunnel out. I too had street signs in the floorboards and they were fiberglassed at the edges. And to top it all off he cut out the cross member so he didn't have to change the oil pan on the 351W, cut out the tranny mounts and the t-case mounts and was using a piece of channel as the tranny brace and bolted the t-case directly to the frame. He also has a 6 inch lifting block welded diectly to the rearend for the lift. Basically I'm having to do a frame off restoration just to be able to fix all the frame problems. Thankfully the body is in great shape except for the front floor area.

 

[broncoswede61]

Bench seat from a Buick mounted on 4x4s,empty buck knife sheath under said seat,and the worst job ever cutting a hole for floor shifter(the cut line was 1/4 drill holes one after another).

 

[Tito]

I gotta tell you, I am loving this thread, keep it rolling guys!

 

[Salgood]

Here are some pics of rust in the floor pans that the previous owner glued new metal on top of......plus he cut out the main floor support to make room for the tranny....still trying to figure out what I am going to do there!!

 

[Smokeater11]

Salgood you have the NP tranny, you have to cut out that brace to be able to use that tranny. As far as I know it doesn't cause any problems. Mine is the same way.

 

[Past_Miner]

Bench seat from a Buick mounted on 4x4s,empty buck knife sheath under said seat,and the worst job ever cutting a hole for floor shifter(the cut line was 1/4 drill holes one after another).

LOL. Was it something like this? I was shocked, this hole was for a three speed shifter. I think the PO had a depth (and length and width) perception problem.