Wrecked bronco...the story continues.

[TwoDalesDad]

I am sorry to say...That Bronco is Used up, Sell/give the parts to someone whose passion and yard is full of broncos. I agree with that thing sitting where it's staring you in the face....You will not get over it. I can tell you from experience, You are lucky to be alive, view your second chance at life as sheer dumb luck, because your Angels have lost their wings, ..there is a wing sticking out from under that hood....Damn what a hunk of bent..

 

[mp]

I get and understand what has been said.

but heres the thing. I have merely $400 into this bronco.. so buying a new tub or paying to fix it would run me the same or less than buying a new one. The frame is NOT BENT. The engine IS FINE. I 'need' to replace the front clip and driver door, twisted rear quarters are merely visual for now. And if the same couldn't be straightened they could be replaced later.

I have a daily driver.


I would have sold the bronco by now had that been an option and was offered $2000 as sits.


It hit weird which makes it look more torn up than it is. When it hit the trees it tilted up against them, thus the smashed top. In doing so it took any pressure onto the top and left front fender-door-tire. That's why the frame is fine. NO its not a wise thing to rebuild, NO it wont be cheap.


But i'm going to do it. simply isn't much of an option.


so heres my question.


What decent parts do i need to rebuild to fix up my front and dash for now. Lets start with that.

swap ins from some trucks? cut up chop it? Welding and fabrication are not an issue at all. Have a commercial (old...) shop and machine shop in my tool belt.

First order of business will be designing and building a roll cage....



I get all the fatherly wisdom and apologize for evoking it. Yes you're all right. I have had the experience myself too now. I was belted in but my saving grace was the amount of pressure I put through my arms into that steering wheel. I broke the steering wheel using my arms as shock absorbers and punched out the driver side window which is where i kept my head to keep from being crushed.

Luck had nothing to do with it, im blessed and don't know how so much happened so fast.


Is any of this bronco addiction really worth it?

You make me want to punch babies.......

 

[broncodriver99]

I get and understand what has been said.
Apparently not.

but heres the thing. I have merely $400 into this bronco.. so buying a new tub or paying to fix it would run me the same or less than buying a new one. The frame is NOT BENT. The engine IS FINE. I 'need' to replace the front clip and driver door, twisted rear quarters are merely visual for now. And if the same couldn't be straightened they could be replaced later.
You have NO way of knowing that without putting it on a frame machine.

I have a daily driver.


I would have sold the bronco by now had that been an option and was offered $2000 as sits.
It's not worth $500 as it sits and you only paid what $800 for it. So you want a $1200 profit on something you wrecked? %)

It hit weird which makes it look more torn up than it is. When it hit the trees it tilted up against them, thus the smashed top. In doing so it took any pressure onto the top and left front fender-door-tire. That's why the frame is fine. NO its not a wise thing to rebuild, NO it wont be cheap.
It doesn't look more torn up than it is, it is torn up period.

But i'm going to do it. simply isn't much of an option.
Sure it is, you just choose not to see it.

so heres my question.


What decent parts do i need to rebuild to fix up my front and dash for now. Lets start with that.

A new tub.

swap ins from some trucks? cut up chop it? Welding and fabrication are not an issue at all. Have a commercial (old...) shop and machine shop in my tool belt.

First order of business will be designing and building a roll cage....



I get all the fatherly wisdom and apologize for evoking it. Yes you're all right. I have had the experience myself too now. I was belted in but my saving grace was the amount of pressure I put through my arms into that steering wheel. I broke the steering wheel using my arms as shock absorbers and punched out the driver side window which is where i kept my head to keep from being crushed.

Luck had nothing to do with it, im blessed and don't know how so much happened so fast.


Is any of this bronco addiction really worth it?

Comments in Red. You have been given sound advice over and over and over. That advice has come from people who are working on their own restorations as well as several professionals in the business. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM.

If a guy with free time, years of experience, the ability, and the money to take on a project like that tells you he wouldn't fix it that should tell you something. Several such people have told you that it is not fixable. If you want to throw all of your money into that black hole go for it, but stop asking how to fix something that you have been told isn't fixable.

When someone older, wiser, and more capable than you tells you to go a different direction and you choose not to listen that is on you.

 

[broncodriver99]

If you cut it off from side to side just in front of the striker posts it would make a cool trailer.

 

[Pops68]

Isaac:

You said your parents 'banned the sale'.....why don't you show them all the responses to all your posts since your accident??? They may then change their minds - after seeing what was said, especially if you can cut your losses NOW.

Broncodriver 99 is correct in his RED comments - I have been trying to say the same thing KINDLY to you.

99% of all comments seem to say 'forget it' but you still keep looking for that validation to do it. It MAY be a lost cause and a TOTAL waste of MONEY to continue. But as BD99 said it is up to you - do what you want!

SORRY, Pops

 

[67RT]

Panels will not line up. I am sure the frame is torqued. I paid 100 dollars at a dealership to have mine measured. It needed no pulling. You will pay dealer hourly body rate to pull. Metal fatigues when bent and stretched. If u were offered 2000 dollars you should have jumped all over it...

 

[bronconut73]

Comments in Red. You have been given sound advice over and over and over. That advice has come from people who are working on their own restorations as well as several professionals in the business. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM.

If a guy with free time, years of experience, the ability, and the money to take on a project like that tells you he wouldn't fix it that should tell you something. Several such people have told you that it is not fixable. If you want to throw all of your money into that black hole go for it, but stop asking how to fix something that you have been told isn't fixable.

When someone older, wiser, and more capable than you tells you to go a different direction and you choose not to listen that is on you.

Yup it is on him....sooooo.....why so mean?

Let him tear into it. He will probably learn alot.
It took me years and years to build my eb the way I wanted. With all the shit I have done to mine I probably should have started with a hunk of junk rather than an unmolested stocker.

So I say let him tinker with it. Some of the best lessons I learned in life were when my elders were telling me to stop doing something but I persevered......sometimes to my own demise sometimes to great victory.
So I say again....Let him tinker with it.

 

[enthusiast1977]

http://billings.craigslist.org/cto/4857879794.html

how about that?

I will spare you the "Your bronco is dead" talk because frankly you don't seem to want to listen. so you ask the question "how about that?"..... yes that one is perfect. If you can afford that one in Billings and you can keep your totaled bronco then I would say you have about 3/4 of a bronco and that is enough to get rolling.

I am taking you at your word... so if your bronco just needs to be tweaked then buy the billings rolling chassis and swap out the engine and Trans out of yours and go to town. if what you say is true and your bronco frame is straight then either way you are good to go because even if the frame is crap on the billings bronco you already have a spare. This is a no brainier. it will be your own personal frankenstein!

I am not an old guy and I have zero experience working on cars but I am elbow deep in my own project. learning as I go. The first piece of advice I got on here was make sure it is safe for the road.

what these guys are saying about priorities is sound advice but we all make our own way and our own decisions. so make some for yourself but don't insult anyone on here by saying your bronco is not totaled and your frame is straight until you have proof i.e. DOT proof it is not totaled. there is no way your original will be allowed on the road until it gets inspected. if you are willing to chance driving your original before having it inspected then you don't deserve any help from anyone because that is seriously irresponsible and could endanger others. Get some proof it is going to be safe and I will help you anyway I can.

I have shop manuals and assembly literature that will be invaluable to your project. Good luck and don't give up on the dream but do it safely.

 

[roundhouse]

I get and understand what has been said.

but heres the thing. I have merely $400 into this bronco.. so buying a new tub or paying to fix it would run me the same or less than buying a new one. The frame is NOT BENT. The engine IS FINE. I 'need' to replace the front clip and driver door, twisted rear quarters are merely visual for now. And if the same couldn't be straightened they could be replaced later.

I have a daily driver.


I would have sold the bronco by now had that been an option and was offered $2000 as sits.


It hit weird which makes it look more torn up than it is. When it hit the trees it tilted up against them, thus the smashed top. In doing so it took any pressure onto the top and left front fender-door-tire. That's why the frame is fine. NO its not a wise thing to rebuild, NO it wont be cheap.


But i'm going to do it. simply isn't much of an option.


so heres my question.


What decent parts do i need to rebuild to fix up my front and dash for now. Lets start with that.

swap ins from some trucks? cut up chop it? Welding and fabrication are not an issue at all. Have a commercial (old...) shop and machine shop in my tool belt.

First order of business will be designing and building a roll cage....



I get all the fatherly wisdom and apologize for evoking it. Yes you're all right. I have had the experience myself too now. I was belted in but my saving grace was the amount of pressure I put through my arms into that steering wheel. I broke the steering wheel using my arms as shock absorbers and punched out the driver side window which is where i kept my head to keep from being crushed.

Luck had nothing to do with it, im blessed and don't know how so much happened so fast.


Is any of this bronco addiction really worth it?

the frame is most likely bent,
after an impact like that

dude, you need EVERY part
because every part is smashed,
if you dont even know what parts you need to repair it, dont bother attempting to repair it.

and why waste time and money designing a roll cage?
there are dozens of well designed cages available from lots of vendors.
they have already done all the design and testing and bending, and some of em even do the welding.

lots of people on here have offered you good solid advice,
because YOU ASKED FOR IT !

so listen to em.

the body on your truck is scrap metal, its worth 7 cents a pound at the crusher, if you got offered 2 grand for your truck you should have taken the guys arm off grabbing the cash. there is no way its worth half that.

buy another truck and start over.
you are absolutly wasting your time doing anything other than getting another decent truck and starting over,

you may have a few unsmashed parts on yours, sell em and use it to fund the next one.

get a cage and be careful driving, if its below freezing, there may be ice on the road, a good driver always has a plan to deal with the unexpected,


Ive been thru the same thing,

my first car when I was 15 was a 66 Thunderbird

it got rolled, sideways and forward end over end

I salvaged the engine and interior.
bought another nice body with a blown engine and ratty interior and swapped em over.

 

[broncodriver99]

Yup it is on him....sooooo.....why so mean?

Let him tear into it. He will probably learn alot.
It took me years and years to build my eb the way I wanted. With all the shit I have done to mine I probably should have started with a hunk of junk rather than an unmolested stocker.

So I say let him tinker with it. Some of the best lessons I learned in life were when my elders were telling me to stop doing something but I persevered......sometimes to my own demise sometimes to great victory.
So I say again....Let him tinker with it.

Not being mean, I am being realistic. He has been given good advice many times. If you want to blow smoke up his ass and make him feel like he can fix it then go for it. Be ready to nurse him through years of repairs.

I don't disagree that he could learn from a teardown experience, but the lessen as a whole is lost on him as people who have been in the bronco and body game longer than you and I combined have weighed in and I for one wouldn't question them.

If that makes me an asshole then so be it. Repairing a lawn mower and rebuilding a vehicle are two different things. I think he may eventually have the skillset to do either but this project is beyond the want or ability of even the most experienced on this board so what exactly is a 16 year old kid supposed to do with it?

 

[broncodriver99]

Isaac:broncodriver 99 is correct in his RED comments - I have been trying to say the same thing KINDLY to you

Come on Pops are you backing up after you run me over with the bus? ;D ;D

That's just mean.

 

[76Broncofromhell]

I must be slipping in the "no sugar-coat department".

 

[broncodriver99]

I will spare you the "Your bronco is dead" talk because frankly you don't seem to want to listen. so you ask the question "how about that?"..... yes that one is perfect. If you can afford that one in Billings and you can keep your totaled bronco then I would say you have about 3/4 of a bronco and that is enough to get rolling.

I am taking you at your word... so if your bronco just needs to be tweaked then buy the billings rolling chassis and swap out the engine and Trans out of yours and go to town. if what you say is true and your bronco frame is straight then either way you are good to go because even if the frame is crap on the billings bronco you already have a spare. This is a no brainier. it will be your own personal frankenstein!

I am not an old guy and I have zero experience working on cars but I am elbow deep in my own project. learning as I go. The first piece of advice I got on here was make sure it is safe for the road.

what these guys are saying about priorities is sound advice but we all make our own way and our own decisions. so make some for yourself but don't insult anyone on here by saying your bronco is not totaled and your frame is straight until you have proof i.e. DOT proof it is not totaled. there is no way your original will be allowed on the road until it gets inspected. if you are willing to chance driving your original before having it inspected then you don't deserve any help from anyone because that is seriously irresponsible and could endanger others. Get some proof it is going to be safe and I will help you anyway I can.

I have shop manuals and assembly literature that will be invaluable to your project. Good luck and don't give up on the dream but do it safely.

Sound advice and quite tactfully said.

 

[bronconut73]

Well....
I have been building my eb since '83.
Many guys have started with just a frame.
I probably should have.
Anyway......get your frame checked and start from there.
If the frame is straight start there with your build. You will have a solid rolling chassis. Start looking for a good tub.
Try to get the old Stacey David Truck episodes where he built "Crazy Horse".
That was a major tear down/rebuild. It may provide some inspiration.
If you find your frame is bent and not worth straightening just start over with another eb.
That may end up being a tough pill to swallow when the time comes.
You are young and have plenty of time to get another eb if things with this one do not work out.
I got my eb when I was considerably younger than you (13).
I now wish I would have started with just a chassis and tub.
Good luck eb brother. Get that frame checked out before you spend too much money on other stuff.

 

[Wyflyer]

It's fixable but it's going to take some time and %%. There is nothing that is "unfixable". You are stubborn and resolved and have some sentimental value in it so that might be enough to get you through this.
Find another straight body and swap it out. Everyone does it, and if they didn't there wouldn't be many old broncos on the road.
Would I fix it?? No but it's not mine. But I do have one out back in the rotisserie that i'm restoring that will get attention to every part on it including sheet metal. In essense, it's getting the same treatment yours needs, just for a different reason and starting point.
You're going to get a lesson, and may not finish it but you'l never know unless you start. BEtter save your money because you'll spend about 10k minimum

 

[Millar]

You have been given great advice here. Either you use it or don't use. When I was young, I wish I would have not only listened to, but taken the advice of "the stove is hot, don't touch the stove". Live, learn and don't touch the stove. I am glad you're well and you will have another Bronco one day.

Millar

 

[m_m70]

Personally I wouldn't touch it. But, it seems like you're going to anyway.
So your question is what will you need?
My answer is you won't really know until you tear everything off that is bad. Seriously, with the pictures that are available to look at, the original question is a joke.
From the pictures you need a new tub period. I think once you pull off everything that is bent, crushed, tweaked etc. you're not going to have too much left. At that point you can get the frame checked.
If that is good and your driveline is good slap a complete tub, front clip, fenders and hood on it with a new windshield frame, all glass, doors and top and move forward.
If you can save your dash great (no pictures so can't give opinion on that). I wouldn't count on it though. Tailgate looks good if that helps. Again, if it was me, it would have been sold with the first offer. But you will do what you want and that's ok too.
Post some pics when you get into tearing it apart and you may get more supportive comments. Just too hard to see what you really need with the pics available.

 

[Rustytruck]

Well all of us Bronco owners are nuts and have been for the last 30 years or so. Ask any one, we all dump more money than makes sense in these trucks. Until the last year or so when value skyrocketed they were all looser's. If you really must jump into the abyss at least do so with a solid platform. Don't spend a dime on this rig until you know whats good and whats not. The only thing you should buy is the biggest white board and color markers you can find. Strip the body off the frame. Find the frame measurements and check it. Find out whats wrong. Start a list. As you remove the body you get a free look at every piece that is still good and what is bad or repairable. That gives you 3 lists. Now work your way up just as Ford did. Start with a straight frame and bolt on all the good parts. Now your stuck spending money replacing bad parts. When you get the whole chassis done now start thinking about the body. You can't rebuild the body with a bad frame as you have no foundation to assemble the shell.
I would not do this with this Bronco especially if someone offered me $2000 for it as is. But the experts here didn't become experts without jumping in and fixing stuff that a sane man wouldn't do.
Its just a big expensive puzzle and if you don't complete it you end up loosing 90% of what you spent and all the labor you have put in. Your already in the hole for the cost of the truck and the $2000 you turned down.
With no money but time this is all you can do. If you had the money you wont have the time. Been there and done that. Even if you really in all your heart want to save this rig life's to short to waste your youth spending all your money and time on this rig. Buy another and go play while you can. rebuilding junk is an old mans game. Mindless folly to pass the time and keep you out of other vices that will get you in trouble. Broncos are much cheaper than the other vices.
Good luck your gonna need it.

 

[DJs74]

Isaac, I remember your first posts here at CB.com and your enthusiasm for your first new to you Bronco. All I can say as that I'm glad I'm posting this "to you" and not just "about you"! I'm not even going to offer another opinion on the Bronco itself because in the end, advice is advice and you'll have to do whatever it is that is best for Isaac. You've been given sound, heartfelt, sincere advice and I hope you take the time to go back and re-read each post (maybe twice more) and pull every dotted "i" and every crossed "t" out of it. At the end of the day, I translate these posts are 99 percent about Isaac and 1 percent about mangled red Bronco.
Maybe your strong desire to continue on with the Bronco is sentimental, maybe you are driven by someone saying no or maybe you've struck a chord with this ole girl because she was part of the whole ordeal and took a worse beating out of it than you did??? It doesn't matter why or why not, what does matter is that you are still upright, can still think on your own and won't have to be spoon fed for the rest of your life because in this particular instance, it wasn't your time. You get a second chance and that's more than a large percent of kids your age get in modern equipment with all the safety bells and whistles... use it wisely and make the most of it.
There is no doubt about the nuts & bolts knowledge and experience this website offers, but more importantly, it's the care, concern and compassion that's offered for the man / woman behind the wheel and under the hood that makes it shine so bright in my eyes.

In whatever you decide, good luck and keep us posted and I'm sincerely glad you are OK

DJs74