1968Bronc
New Member
OK, quick intro. I'm a first time EB owner from Alabama. I've owned 10 full size broncos and just parted with my prized '79 as the market has gotten hot on those for some reason. Whatever the case, it afforded me the opportunity to finally get a 1st gen bronco.
I went to look at a 1966 bronco outside of Atlanta on Friday and came home with a 1968. The owner listed it wrong. He also listed it has all new floors and rockers in it. What I found was a poor install job on the floors, half of them riveted and the rockers were some ugly patch panels installed over the original rotted ones. I think the owner was honest, he just didn't have a clue. However, the back end of the bronco was solid and the frame was beautiful. So, I bought it.
What I didn't realize until I got home was that the install of the floors and inner fenders was worse than realized. The passenger side door opening is 1/2" too wide. It's amazing how much you learn after making a bad decision. It's my first eb, so I'm expecting more of these things to bite me. However, I guess that's how you learn.
My question is (finally getting around to it): How should I attack this? I want to replace the rockers and the front floors. However, it's not like the original location of the sheet metal has been preserved, so I can't brace it and go for it. I'm going to have to cut everything loose and start again. I'm half tempted to buy one of the complete front floor weldments. How do they fit? Should I do the outer rockers first, or build the floors and then bring the cowl and frontend back into proper position? Just looking for some experienced individual on how to recover from such a botched job.
Looking back, I should have passed on the bronco. However, I'm in now and first rookie mistake out of the way.
Thanks!
Greg
I went to look at a 1966 bronco outside of Atlanta on Friday and came home with a 1968. The owner listed it wrong. He also listed it has all new floors and rockers in it. What I found was a poor install job on the floors, half of them riveted and the rockers were some ugly patch panels installed over the original rotted ones. I think the owner was honest, he just didn't have a clue. However, the back end of the bronco was solid and the frame was beautiful. So, I bought it.
What I didn't realize until I got home was that the install of the floors and inner fenders was worse than realized. The passenger side door opening is 1/2" too wide. It's amazing how much you learn after making a bad decision. It's my first eb, so I'm expecting more of these things to bite me. However, I guess that's how you learn.
My question is (finally getting around to it): How should I attack this? I want to replace the rockers and the front floors. However, it's not like the original location of the sheet metal has been preserved, so I can't brace it and go for it. I'm going to have to cut everything loose and start again. I'm half tempted to buy one of the complete front floor weldments. How do they fit? Should I do the outer rockers first, or build the floors and then bring the cowl and frontend back into proper position? Just looking for some experienced individual on how to recover from such a botched job.
Looking back, I should have passed on the bronco. However, I'm in now and first rookie mistake out of the way.
Thanks!
Greg