Survivor Question and Heater Box pics

[BorderBronco]

Hey Everyone! A while back i posted pics of my 1970 and it was mentioned of keeping it a survivor. Forgive my ignorance but does that imply just getting it running and not doing any major cosmetic work.. i.e. paint, body work, upholstery? Just curious. As it stands now i have pulled the heater box and am working on pulling the fender to get to the rest of the heater intake box. Engine is awaiting a new header due to a broken old one. I would like to restore it but was interested in the "survivor" comment. Still thinking of a catchy project name too.. here are some pics of the heater box and its contents.. I was suprised by the condition of the bellows.. wasnt torn or in pieces.. huge collection of leaves though not sure if i need a new heater core or can get away with just the rebuild kit. Oh, I also have the original hubcaps for it!! Opinions appreciated

 

[shamu]

How about Wilma. She always laughs. Never changes in time, and is solid as a rock.

Nice ride and keep up the good work.

 

[Scoop]

Probably many opinions on "survivor" but I would say a survivor would need to be in very good orginal shape with only normal maintenance items being performed on it during it's lifetime. Original paint, original upholstery, original vinyl flooring or carpeting, and very minimal rust. Normal wear and tear, nicks, scratches, etc. are OK.

I have 74 Ranger which I consider a very good survivor. All orginal with the exceptions of the water pump, rebuilt carb, replaced fan belts, tires. It has some scratches and small dents and the only rust is on the inner fender wells in front of the fire wall.

I plan to pull and clean/detail the engine and engine compartment someday and probably fix the fender wells, but I hesitate to do any more than that - afraid it will lose its value as a survivor.

My suggestion is to leave yours as a survivor if you can. There are very few Bronco survivors left.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Hey Everyone! A while back i posted pics of my 1970 and it was mentioned of keeping it a survivor. Forgive my ignorance but does that imply just getting it running and not doing any major cosmetic work.. i.e. paint, body work, upholstery? Just curious.

To me that means leaving it at stock height with stock size tires, leaving it uncut, if you paint it, keep it the original color, upholstery can change color but should be original seats. Certain mechanical upgrades would be OK - stock power steering, disc brakes, power brakes.

I have an original '68 and this is the path I have taken with it. Even though power steering wasn't an option in '68, a stock EB system bolted right up and doing the chevy conversion to the Dana 30 was another good upgrade. I'm still going to leave it Springtime yellow, uncut, and keep the parchment interior. I do have a factory front bench seat I am thinking about installing, but again, since it is an original EB part, I'm OK with doing that.

 

[BorderBronco]

Same here Scoop. It has rust where the inner fender meets the firewall and few minor spots like in the tailgate along the bottom. The header and carb along with belts are the only things to have really been replaced or rebuilt. It does have what i believe to be the original floor mat with Bronco logo that covers the entire floor.

Justino - Mine has a bench seat.. Havent seen to many with that.. most are bucket seats. Was it an option in 70.. I'm trying to learn more everyday about it. Is Springtime Yellow the brighter yellow?

 

[Explorer]

Replace the heater core. That one looks like it may be leaking anyway and a perfect time to do it.

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

You should just sell it to me and you wouldn't need to name it. ;D It looks great!

I would go ahead and put a new heater core in there while you have it open. I would also consider doing the GM blower motor conversion, as the stock heater is terrible. There are plenty of writeups on the process and it really makes a huge difference. What a pain in the butt it is to get that heater box back in though. Enjoy!

 

[BorderBronco]

You should just sell it to me and you wouldn't need to name it. ;D It looks great!

What a pain in the butt it is to get that heater box back in though. Enjoy!

Believe me over the last 35 plus years my dad had lots of offers on it. Him allowing me to restore it and keep it in the family means a lot

It was a pain to get out and it looks like a real pain to put back in.. Im sure i will have lots of fun. Ordering the refurb kit and a new core today. I looked up the GM conversions on this site and also saw Toms sells an upgraded moter and blower too.. Thoughts?

 

[sprdv1]

Survivor = not cutting it, freshen up the interior, keep the original paint,

You can give the upholstery, flooring or carpeting a good once over if it's in good enuff shape.

 

[sprdv1]

How about Wilma. She always laughs. Never changes in time, and is solid as a rock.

Nice ride and keep up the good work.

Hmmm, think it needs a Boy name! Survivor = Rocky ??

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Believe me over the last 35 plus years my dad had lots of offers on it. Him allowing me to restore it and keep it in the family means a lot

It was a pain to get out and it looks like a real pain to put back in.. Im sure i will have lots of fun. Ordering the refurb kit and a new core today. I looked up the GM conversions on this site and also saw Toms sells an upgraded moter and blower too.. Thoughts?

The parts can be found locally for fairly cheap. I thought the upgrade was very easy. Like I said earlier, getting the box back in was the challenge...and hooking the cables back up. Ugh! I had to have my wife do it because my hands were to big to reach in there.

 

[BronCowie]

...What a pain in the butt it is to get that heater box back in though. Enjoy!

Be sure to connect the motor wires before hanging the box back in or you may end up doing it twice; don't ask me how I know this. :-X

 

[thegreatjustino]

Justino - Mine has a bench seat.. Havent seen to many with that.. most are bucket seats. Was it an option in 70.. I'm trying to learn more everyday about it. Is Springtime Yellow the brighter yellow?

The bench seats typically came with half cabs, but as far as I know, you could get them in any Bronco as a special order. Kind of like seeing a bulkhead without a half cab. I've never owned a Bronco that originally came with the front bench, but I have owned three of the seats over the years. They are definitely a unique thing.

Springtime yellow is a pastel yellow. Pics of my '68 here:

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=792243&postcount=13