Thinking about buying an Early

[Mattco]

Working out some details of a trade to get my hands on a torn down 74 Bronco. A few details:

- The tub/body is off and sitting on the ground so the floor pans are crap. Rockers looks and kicked ok so not sure how bad they are until I get it up in the air.

- Axles are off the frame and all of it looks like a lot of surface rust but not much rust through to be seen on first view.

- No engine but originally had a 302 in it with a 3 speed.

- Most of the stuff actually looks to be there but is boxed up and/or sitting on a pallet out in the weather.

My questions for the experts with much more knowledge than me: Where do you start with a project of this magnitude? I assume that you have to start with the frame, get it welded back up and protected from rust (Por 15 is what I am leaning toward)

I kind of plan on rebuilding both axles and the transfer case and coating all of that with Por 15 also. All of it will need a good sandblasting to see what is under the surface rust.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Fairlane514]

Buy the most complete Bronco you can find. You will nickel and dime yourself to death looking for parts.

 

[Mattco]

Buy the most complete Bronco you can find. You will nickel and dime yourself to death looking for parts.

So you would advise against it even if I can essentially trade for things I haven't used in years rendering the Bronco free to me?

 

[JSBX]

If you are not going to have much in it I would go for it. Having money in it will come later. A project like this will cost time and money but in the long run it will be well worth it. You must enjoy a challenge to take on a project like this though.

 

[Mattco]

If you are not going to have much in it I would go for it. Having money in it will come later. A project like this will cost time and money but in the long run it will be well worth it. You must enjoy a challenge to take on a project like this though.

The only way I would take on a project like this is without much money in it. I want to be able to get a rebuild kit for an axle and go work on it when I get a chance or go out and do some patching on the frame for a few hours and call it a day. If I sank a bunch of cash in up front I would feel obligated to work on it until it was done.

If I end up with it, what advice would you guys give on how to start?

 

[thegreatjustino]

Build up a rolling chassis first. If you need to work on the body, get it onto a rotisserie. When both are finished, put them together.

If you don't have access to a rotisserie, I'd still get the rolling chassis together and then set the body on it. I'd rather work on the body with it on the frame than with it sitting on the ground.

 

[ScanmanSteven]

I say go for it, you'll regret it later, lol. I did essentially the same thing with my own. Took it apart and 12-13 years later put it back together. Since I took it apart I knew a little about how to put it back. Lots of rusted parts, bolts, nuts and brackets. You can do it, this site is like having your own consulting team. I would start by getting the axles and brakes back on. The axles are extremely durable and may not even need a kit, just some fresh oil. Wire brush or blast the frame, paint it, then put the axles back on. If you plan on new suspension, now is the time to do it. Then check out the transfer case and transmission, install them and get your engine. Carbed or EFI, get the engine installed then move on to the body. Good luck.

 

[Mattco]

So I'm going ahead and getting it this weekend. I will start a rebuild thread with pictures of everything once I start sorting through it all. Trying to decide what engine I want to put in it. My buddy said that he has a 351 and several 302s I can get off him and a C6 tranny from him

 

[zonian]

Best of luck, looking fwd to the photos....

 

[Mattco]

In a strange turn of events, got a text this morning at 5:45 with the guy backing out of the trade so i am back on the market looking for an Early to play with/work on.

 

[Tram]

In a strange turn of events, got a text this morning at 5:45 with the guy backing out of the trade so i am back on the market looking for an Early to play with/work on.

I'd find the most "running Bronco" you can comfortably afford.

I started with a '66 in sound mechanical shape that just needed some TLC to get it on the road.. Well, I wanted a new wiring harness for it, so I started tearing into it.. 4 years later, it's still a work in progress, so much so, I had to buy a '74 to play with..

 

[lowbush]

So I'm going ahead and getting it this weekend. I will start a rebuild thread with pictures of everything once I start sorting through it all. Trying to decide what engine I want to put in it. My buddy said that he has a 351 and several 302s I can get off him and a C6 tranny from him

C6 is not a bolt in, and can be a pain to get in correctly, I ended up ripping one out of my Bronco that was not put into the chassie well. I would have left it in if I was not going to go to a 700R4 at some point but in my opinion unless you are planning on putting a big block in, a C4 is the easier choice.

If you plan is to tear it apart for a rebuild, find one already torn apart and that work has been done to, it's far cheaper to buy a basket case project, and you will get some of the labor already done and possibly some good parts that the owner has bought in preparation. You will save money buying a basket case as the market for disassembled vehicles is less than for running vehicles.

 

[sprdv1]

Don't think about it, do it.. Take that action

 

[dave67fd]

If you plan on sandblasting the frame you can go a different route then the POR. POR is designed to paint over rust not a clean frame. A good primer and paint will work just fine. I used Eastwood's Extreeme chassis black primer and paint.

Good luck with the build.

 

[Mattco]

Went an looked at one in Ft Walton last Saturday that was a turd at a laughable price. Lot of work to undo the crap that was done and the guy didn't even show up when he said he would. Going to look at one this Saturday that seems more promising