1982 Bronco 351 4x4 - Code name Esperanza

[Gary Lewis]

I like the cover!  

[Gsmblue]

The company is called "Sparecover" https://www.sparecover.com 

I ordered through Amazon. The 32" cover is a snug fit on my 31x15x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tire. cost was $65 delivered, not cheap but it is a nice quality item.

[Gary Lewis]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.  That one looks good, and you say it is a quality item, so is worth the $65.

[grumpin]

Gsmblue wrote

The company is called "Sparecover" https://www.sparecover.com 

I ordered through Amazon. The 32" cover is a snug fit on my 31x15x10.5 Goodyear Wrangle Duratrac tire. cost was $65 delivered, not cheap but it is a nice quality item.

Thanks for the link! I got some heavy duty sewing needles and thread from a fabric/hobby store and fixed the top part where the thread was coming loose. But it has seen better days. I'll have to get one sooner or later.

[Gsmblue]

Ok, so small progress update.

1. As you may have seen I have stripped and started painting the roof... Needs a lot more rattle cans!




2. I have painted up some interior panels - the rear ones, the ones above the shoulder where the seat belt top is and the bits that cover the roof bolts when the roof is on. My god I am tired today, describing things is hard.

I guess a picture speaks a thousands words here:



With a bit of luck the roof will be painted tonight and I can assemble tomorrow... Well, maybe a lot of luck...

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, I’ll wish you a LOT of luck. Hope you get painted tonight and assembled tomorrow - long before the rain descends. 👍

[Gsmblue]

Cheers Gary!  I am optimistic ...

[Gsmblue]

So i got the panels in. And some how the fuse on the clock cicuit/dome lights blew! I must have put a screw through something!!

Here are thr after pics, I didn’t get and before pics!

[Ferdinand]

Man those look great!

[Gary Lewis]

They certainly do look great!  Well done.  

As for the fuse, it may not be a screw through a wire - you may have pinched a wire over a sharp piece of metal.

[Gsmblue]

Cheers!

I am really happy with how they turned out. I figured it is a screw pinch somewhere.. gonna take time to work this one out...

Oh, and the wife drove 2 miles with the parking brake on.....🤦‍♂️

[Gary Lewis]

Perhaps your parking brake needs adjusted?  Or "needed" adjusted, as it almost surely does now.  I adjust the parking brake until the truck won't move with it on, and when I put it on I put it ON.  No way the truck is going to be driven, much less two miles.

Why do I do that?  Because I once drove my father's car a mile with the park brake on.  

[Steve83]

The rear brakes self-adjust primarily when the truck is stopped sharply in REVERSE; not so much in forward.



That's one reason (I think) so many people have trouble with the e-brake, which depends on the drums being properly (self-)adjusted.  Cleaning & lubrication of the drum mechanisms is another...

Once the drums are right, the e-brake cables have to work AND RELEASE smoothly.

The last thing is the manual adjustment of the cable under the driver's door.  But stomping the pedal isn't a good idea on pre-'92 trucks because there's a tension limiter built into the cable adjuster/equalizer.





Applying the pedal too hard will make the limiter bend, and you'll lose the manual adjustment (you'll HAVE to press the pedal that far again, until another manual adjustment).  Eventually, the limiter will run out of travel, and you'll run the risk of stretching the cables, damaging the pedal mechanism, or bending the levers inside the drums.

If you just keep the drums clean & lubed, and brake sharply in reverse occasionally, the e-brake should work without a lot of effort.

[Gsmblue]

Cheers! I had put new slaves, shoes, springs and adjusters on a couple f months ago. I will look at the brakes tomorrow... maybe!

Big news today, I got the roof on! It looks silly, so white!  The interior trim looks great!

As you can, no windows in... the chrome strips arrive during the week, gives me time to clean up the seals and the glass.

The glass has a golden tint to it... not sure if I should strip it off or not. I do want tint to keep it cool, but thinking silver would be more of a match to the vehicle...

Shoot, no exterior photo... will have to wait till tomorrow..

[Gsmblue]

Here is the side shot. The rear angle show the color difference the best/worst..

[Gary Lewis]

Espy is looking really, REALLY good!  I'm jealous.  

[Gsmblue]

Cheers Gary!

I am so happy I chanced that initial $900 on her. But I must be in for nearly $4k total now! Tire and wheels were $1500 alone.

I feel like I have saved her from the scrap yard!

My neighbor came up to the fence today and commented on how good Espy was looking, she has seen me out there all summer and noted the progress. I was taken aback that she noticed, felt really good

There are some mechanical gremlins I will need to tackle next year... there is some kind of oil leak up front and the rear diff needs some tlc as it is leaking fluid too... nothing unexpected but may be beyond my capabilities... may have to trust a mechanic!

Every now and then I come back and read this thread as motivation. Not just for working on Espy, but general life motivation, thank you for this website and forum.

[Gary Lewis]

It was $900 well spent.  It, and the remainder, is an investment in fun and life.

As for the forum, I'm certainly glad that I set it up.  What a nice group of folks!  The kindness toward each other, the offers for help, and the trips to the salvage to help each other is such a blessing.  

[Gsmblue]

Ok, windows in! See the roof thread in the main forum for details!

[Gary Lewis]

I think your dog has a new home.  

Anyway, job well done.  Now it is time to drive it?