IDIBronco Introduction

[IDIBronco]

Hello all,

I decided after reading through several posts on the forums here and enjoying the information on Gary's Garagaemahal I had better sign up and become a contributor where I can for the assists I have gotten already.

Background.

I am currently work doing a little bit of everything in a small contracting business.  I do some hobby machinging/welding/fabrication/repair projects regularly.  I have an engineering background.  I am 38 years old, and have owned on the order of 70 vehicles since I was 14.  I have always worked on cars and fixed whatever junker I find and typically get them to dependable daily driver status before selling them for a marginal profit for the project fund.  There have been a few exceptions, but typically I stick to beater vehicles for myself.  I have had a lot of Mustangs, Rangers, some Bronco 2s, a couple full size Broncos, and various trucks and cars.  

Currently.

I plan to hold onto my current project possibly indefinitely.  I have a 1985 Bronco with a 1985 F250 engine, transmission, and various other parts swapped in.  It is a 6.9 IDI diesel with C6 transmission.  The rear axle is from the F250 (3.55, 10.25) and the front is a mix of Bronco and F250 parts.  The knuckles were modifed F250 units to fit the Bronco TTB beams.  I have always been a big fan of TTB and have a literal Pile of TTB axle parts laying around to go to towards the goal of a longer travel heavier front suspension with a mix of D50, D44 parts.  Eventually I may swap to a manual transmission and have started accumulating those parts to be ready (just lacking a pedal set).  At the time I acquired the Bronco it had a frame off restoration started.  The frame, and suspension had all been gone through, and the engine and transmission were already installed.  The previous owner had lost interest in the project after having to throw the body on and start driving the Bronco in short order due to some personal issues.  So the bronco had a body that looked rough, wiring that was tossed together in some places with an interior with LOTS left to the imagination on how it should be put together, and a NICE motor swapped in and transmission with a past record that was known.  Sounded like a vehicle that was perfect for me.  I was basically able to trade into the vehicle for maybe 1000 dollars of "Stuff" I didn't need around anymore.  I drove 2 hours to go look at it and drove it home the same day 2 hours without an issue (if you ignored the lack of turn signals, marker lights, soft brakes, zero HVAC anything, no gauges except tach, no interior lights, etc.)  I have since worked out a lot of the little issues (lights, gauges, brakes, charging system, HVAC, etc.) typically with improvements being done instead of a simple repair.  

Well I suppose that is enough of an introduction about myself and my bronco.  I look forward to being a part of this community and hearing from the members.


 

Bronco at time of acquisition.  It mostly looks the same yet except I put on some dog dish hub caps off of an F250 I used to own and a heavy rear tube bumber with reciever hitch.

[1986F150Six]

Welcome to the forum!

[Ford F834]

Welcome to the group! I’m glad you joined 🙂

I sent you an email with pics but it didn’t go through, probably because of the pics. I re-tried with smaller file size and I think it went this time 👍

[grumpin]

Welcome!

[Ferdinand]

Oh man, am I excited to watch your journey with your Bronco!

I have not been very active as of late. Too many other irons in the fire. My short story: still waiting on the court to issue me a title so I can actually get some road miles in for what I hope to be my "final tuning"

Welcome to the group!

[Rembrant]

Welcome aboard!

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome!  Glad you joined.  

Nice project.  I hope you will start a build thread so we can follow it.

Where's home?  We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map) and I'd be happy to add you.

[IDIBronco]

So far the work I have done has all been pretty lack luster in the documentation department.  Very little have I even felt the need to take pictures of because it has all been pretty run of the mill type work.  Brakes, lights, installed a 3G alternator when the original died (been covered by many others), repaired all the interior HVAC vacuum lines and installed a new blend door, replaced U joint that was broke when I got it, rob bolts and screws out of other parts trucks to fill all the missing items I can find, door hinges, got gauges working, trailer wiring, put on a rear bumper from an F250 I sold years ago (modified), side steps, tow eyes, etc.

Just basic maintenance type work to get it to where I can hop in and drive to work or go anywhere local anytime I want.  Things that had been ignored or missed previous to my ownership.  Probably the most interesting thing related to the bronco I have done is make a manual crank up rear window tailgate.  I got a rusty tailgate with glass given to me so I figured I had nothing to loose to take apart the regulator and remove the motor and rivet in the manual crank gear off of a ford door (I think I saw the idea in something Steve83 posted, a picture or something).  Really was simple.  I figure if my power window in the rear of the bronco gives me fits I will just drill the tailgate for the manual window crank and swap the regulator over.  Just use the rusty (rustier than the one on my bronco) tailgate as a template for location of hole.  The only issue with this plan is the window crank is on the OUTSIDE of the tailgate.  I think if I ever add my swing out rear tire carrier to the rear bumper it will block access to the handle in the closed locked position so no one will be able to open the window without first unlocking the tire carrier and swinging it away.  That or find a jeep or blazer crank handle with key built into it and making it match up.

I included a couple of current (taken today) photos of the bronco.


Overall view

Side step

Rear Bumper


I suppose once I get into the more involved aspects of fixing the ol' Bronco up I will start to document and make a build log.