Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

70 Sport resto/mod

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • 70 Sport resto/mod

    Since you all have made me feel welcome I've decided to make this forum home to the progress log of my Bronco buildup.

    Something happened to my original linked-inline pictures so I've re-worded my inaugural posting here. All pictures are now down in the attachment section.
    The first picture is my 1970 Bronco Sport the day I picked it up down in Santa Cruz. This was by far the cleanest, straightest and most unmolested Bronco I found after searching for 6 months or so. I was looking for a later model with a D44 but after looking at many, many beaters (for higher prices I might add) I could not pass it up. It was the PO's daily driver for 11 years and for what it was, it drove pretty well. It still had the original 302, 3-on-the-tree tranny, seats, top, doors, etc.

    The body is incredibly straight and (was seemingly) rust free. The second picture shows the Bronco loaded up for the ride home. This is no trailer queen - I'd have driven it home but it had a fuel leak at the carb and I didn't want to set my new baby on fire coming over Hwy 17 before I even got it registered in my name... Aside from the color I think I did pretty well with this find.

    Initially I planned to drive it around stock for a while just to get a feel for the truck, but after driving it for less than 30 miles around town, the bugs started to become more apparent. The plan was to gut the (seemingly clean) interior (pic #3) and get Line-X sprayed in, but I soon found problem #1. The floorboards were toast up front (pic #4)

    This was hidden (somewhat cleverly I might add) by a previous owner who put down a rubber floor on top of a layer of 3/4" felt padding, on top of a layer of 30-year composition roofing shingles, glued gravel side down to the entire sheet metal floor up front. Call it poor man's dynamat I guess.

    Not being one to go into things in a small way, teardown began. Knowing that I wanted to put in a granny tranny and that the engine at least needed head work, the Engine/Trans/T-Case came out and that project began. Picture #5 shows my NP435, with my rebuilt D20 transfer case attached, and with my sweet D44 axle in the background. The D44 is used but is set up nice - it's got an ARB, chromoly shafts, chevy disks, and relatively new components throughout.

    Picture #6 shows the WH floor repair panel in place, welded and bondo'd after much "coaxing" into shape.

    Picture #7 shows the stock D30 ripped out along with much of the suspension up front. This has made it so much easier to get up into the wheel wells and give things a good scrub down. I plan to hit the inner fenders with a rubberized undercoat and por-15 the whole frame.

    I used to be a project manager by trade... To use terms from my professional line of work, this project is experiencing "scope creep". Next on the agenda is a brake booster and figuring out which steering box I want to go with. I may rebuild the box that is there but it's awfully sloppy - 6-7 turns lock to lock. Of course suspension is not far off either.

    I'll keep posting updates... I have hundreds of pictures of this thing already and I've only had it since October of 2006!

    Tony
    Attached Files
    Last edited by CityHick; 10-19-2007, 05:10 PM. Reason: Inline linked pictures no longer seem to work.
    1970 Bronco
    My build thread

  • #2
    Good start! Good thing they make patch pannels.

    My rig has no rust but the sheet metal is a lot wavy. I am a retired body man so it is just a little work.
    1974EB 302v8, NP435, dana 20 twinstick, dana 44, 9 inch Detriot Locker's, 4.88 gears, front disk, Rockbox, wild horses 4.5 inch lift, 4 wheel Warn Full Floater, 35 Super Swamp Bogers.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for posting the pics and "blow by blow". That was a great find you've got there! You are making some good progress too. You'll have her back on the road before you know it. So what is the long term goal here? Hard core crawler? Street machine? Mixed use?

      Comment


      • #4
        Define hard-core... In short I want a mixed-use trail rig - something more capable than my stock Z71 but still streetable. I want to run the Rubicon but I don't mind taking the bypasses around the truly crazy stuff. Does this make sense? I've been through the Rubicon and a few other trails as a passenger and this is how my friends who are in the hobby approach it.
        1970 Bronco
        My build thread

        Comment


        • #5
          Sweet Bronco! What are the seven tick marks on the side? Pedestrians? Scouts? lol
          Mine looks exactly like yours right now with the front end ripped out if it.
          You ought to throw a set of CAGE arms under it right now while you have half of the work behind you...

          Comment


          • #6
            First off House - your Bronco looks awesome. I love the color and may have to copy you or do something similar when the time comes. Been thinking about orange for a while now.

            Cage arms may be on the list soon. I guess that's not the most recent pic - I have the arms off now too (what a biatch that was - the castle nuts did not want to come off the rear). I'm still trying to decide which route to go with suspension and I'll likely get the arms from the same vendor as the rest of the suspension. How are cage springs/shocks? Better/worse than WH, Deavers, etc?

            As for those seven tick marks... Those were the PO's attempt at customization. He said they gave it that "World War II bomber look" and that seven was his lucky number. He was a cool dude just not really into the Bronco scene. He did get a picture of it into Bronco Driver magazine for whatever that's worth.

            Tony
            1970 Bronco
            My build thread

            Comment


            • #7
              How are cage springs/shocks? Better/worse than WH, Deavers, etc?
              I haven't had the experience of them on my Bronco, but based on feedback from those running them I would say they are as good as WH, Deaver, and the other reputable vendors. I run WH stuff because they are local and fairly priced. In hind site I would go for the cage or JD arms instead of the WH arms even though they cost much more.
              69, 342 EFI, C4, NP203, D20, 4.5" SL, 2" BL, 4.88 9" 35 spline ARB, 4.88 HP D44, WAH, ARB, CTM's, front disc , 37 x 14.50 Toyo MT, Ram Assist, and rear 4-link

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by CityHick
                First off House - your Bronco looks awesome. I love the color and may have to copy you or do something similar when the time comes. Been thinking about orange for a while now.
                Thanks Tony! Hard to tell in the pics, but it is a very odd color that looks like orange, copper, and kinda red, probably from all the pearls in it. If I were to do it again I would probably do a basic Competition Orange like the General Lee...
                I also like my BC Deaver springs, but would probably give CAGE products a shot. Seems like they are getting pretty good reviews lately.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I'm finally feeling like I'm back to normal (whatever the hell that cold was, it wasn't fun) so I think tomorrow will be a good work day on the Bronco. The wheelwells up front are looking pretty clean so it may be time to try my hand at spraying this "3M Body Schutz" undercoating stuff I have. With there being new sheet metal in a few spots, I want to seal it up good to hold the rust off for another 37 years if I can!

                  Who knows, I may turn wrenches on something or do a test fit of the D44. I'll figure this stuff out in the morning...

                  Tony
                  1970 Bronco
                  My build thread

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    After attending today's meeting I'm very motivated to get my Bronco going. I have made some progress on it but today my fire got lit. My engine bay is getting closer to being ready and I'm pretty sure I'll be making the trek up to WH to buy my suspension in the next week or two.

                    I'm certainly not going full-points show car here but it already looks better than it did a couple of months ago. My main goal is to clean my rig up as I make the various improvements. I'm well on my way. I've decided to keep it as simple as possible for now - vaccuum booster, stock PS, freshen up the 302 with new heads (freebies), seals and gaskets and spend the money on suspension for starters. I think one of the next things that needs attention is the factory wiring. May be time for a Painless harness soon.

                    Thanks again guys, I've got lots of new ideas from today's meeting.

                    Tony
                    Attached Files
                    1970 Bronco
                    My build thread

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Check out Ebay for Cage's kit or Cage themselves for your suspension kit.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I'm buying my 5.5" WH suspension on Friday of this week! I'm Debating between the System 5 and the System 16 kits. Leaning towards System 5 for dual shocks as I plan to drive my Bronco to the trail so I want it to handle reasonably well on the street.
                        I've got everything basically cleaned up and I've painted most of what needs to be painted underneath and on the frame.

                        Here's the current list of things I still need:

                        *Suspension lift (see above)
                        *2" body lift (sitting in the garage ready to install)
                        *Cut the tranny tunnel for the NP435 shifter, install tranny/t-case.
                        *New heads for my 302 are on the way - otherwise its new gaskets, paint and misc. hardware. I may do a cam and intake while I am at it.
                        *Roll cage. A Crab cage would sure be nice
                        *Vacuum brake booster conversion
                        *Line-x interior
                        *On-board air (primarily needed for the ARB and tire inflation, not sure which way to go here)
                        *Looks like I'll need to enlarge my front fender opening a little. We'll see.
                        *Still need to buy wheels/tires.
                        *Exhaust
                        *Miscellaneous interior sheetmetal work (a few random holes to fill from the PO's stereo, etc)
                        *Steering - looking at having my stock box rebuilt by AGR - 3.1 turns lock to lock.
                        *Need a new drag link and possibly tie rod. Have a heim'd tie-rod that's bent, and a line on some super high quality heims (freebies) that I may use to make my own drag link with some DOM.

                        And the list goes on... I will feel pretty good once the suspension is done, at least it will be a rolling project again!

                        Tony
                        1970 Bronco
                        My build thread

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I bought my suspension from WH on Friday, I decided on the 5.5" system 5 after much discussion with the guys working behind the counter. This sounded like the best solution for my purpose and I can always add more trick goodies later should I decide this system needs to be improved upon. Thinking about buying a pair of Cage arms pretty soon too.

                          I was out of town over the weekend, and with the weather the way it is, I likely won't get started bolting and welding until next weekend (my EB is outside until my Mustang sells). With my annual bonus less than a month away and a decent tax refund coming soon, my Bronco may actually start coming together this spring!

                          Tony
                          1970 Bronco
                          My build thread

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            What Mustang are you selling? 67 Fastback? That's gonna be my next project.
                            Jeff
                            Vacaville, Ca
                            67 EB - D44, BB 9" (4:56's), front discs, Wristed arm, 5.5" + 2" BL, 37" MTR's on Hellcats, 302/NP435/D20, Bilsteins, Mastercraft Rubicons w/4pt's

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Tony,

                              I bought my Cage arms last summer/fall, and J & M Off road had the best price I could find. Here's their Ebay Store, $675 and $50 for shipping, I haven't seen them cheaper. I think the guy's name was Mike, and he's real nice. Since you've got the front end out of it, now would be a good time to put those arms in.

                              Galen
                              Originally posted by 71BRONCO71 at Buck Island 6/25/11
                              I can do that so much better myself..........1, 2, 3 GOODNIGHT!!!

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X