Ok, so here we go! This thread is a long time coming but I’m excited to get it going. Much of what will be listed here has been a goal since I joined this forum (can’t believe it was 2004…). I’ll be using this space to document progress both for myself and others. There are tons of amazing threads that have served as inspiration and guidance, so a big thanks to those that have cleared the path.
Quick intro
So I’m lucky enough to have a bronco that has been in my family since it was new. I was with my dad in 1994 when we picked it up from the dealer (it replaced a blue ’88 with a 302), so I know its history 100%. I learned to drive in it (along with a manual civic), drove it in high school, took it to college, and used it as my DD for a few years after college. Since 2008 or so, it’s been driven less and less. As it stands today, it only has 131,100 miles and is driven maybe a few hundred miles each year.
Due to general age, and I think in some ways due to lack of use, its condition has become a little rough.
Again, I’m lucky as this truck has spent a significant portion of its life parked in a garage, which I’m sure is the reason that the rust is not terribly bad. It does have some of the typically bad spots (quarter panel, lower tailgate), but it appears fixable without having to do major surgery, although I could be wrong there. The under carriage and frame are pretty rough looking as well, but I’m hopeful that it’s mostly just surface rust and can be cleaned and coated.
Goal
I of course reserve the right to change my mind as I go along (I’m sure I will), but I think I’ve settled on at least a general goal for where I’m trying to go with this project. In my mind I picture a bit of an OEM+ build. In other words keeping it stock in many forms, but improve areas that are known weak points, or areas where I want different performance/looks. I won’t be doing any serious trails with this vehicle and anticipate it being driven for occasional weekend use around town and for camping trips. I’d love to have the interior look as it did when it was brand new, all the way down to the tape deck. For the most part this seems achievable as carpets are available and seats can be reupholstered. I do worry about finding fresh dash parts that aren’t replicas, but that’s an issue for another day.
For the “+” part, I do want to keep a lift kit on it (full suspension, 4 inches) and 33’s for tires. I like this look and it still fits nicely in my garage. I’m also planning to go with aftermarket bumpers front and rear. I’m not decided on driveline related questions. As I mentioned, I don’t plan to doing any heavy wheeling or towing, so the stock engine and driveline seem to work fine for that purpose, although I would like everything refreshed.
I’d like to do as much of the work on my own as possible, but I imagine I’ll be outsourcing a few tasks. I have no body work experience and that’s something I’d like to look as perfect as possible, so I think that’s probably worth the money. I’m totally comfortable working on suspension, brakes, and most engine items, so I look forward to digging into that. Most of my experience has been with my track car, which in some ways is easier to work on since it’s close to the ground. For the Bronco, I’m going to need to invest in some new tools as well. For starters I know I’ll need a bigger jack (do they even make jacks that can get to the frame and lift?), big stands, and more non-metric tools. I have a link to my other cars journal in my sig if anyone is interested.
I’m sure this will be a looong term project, but I’ll try to keep a record of everything I do here.
Cheers :beer
Quick intro
So I’m lucky enough to have a bronco that has been in my family since it was new. I was with my dad in 1994 when we picked it up from the dealer (it replaced a blue ’88 with a 302), so I know its history 100%. I learned to drive in it (along with a manual civic), drove it in high school, took it to college, and used it as my DD for a few years after college. Since 2008 or so, it’s been driven less and less. As it stands today, it only has 131,100 miles and is driven maybe a few hundred miles each year.
Due to general age, and I think in some ways due to lack of use, its condition has become a little rough.
Again, I’m lucky as this truck has spent a significant portion of its life parked in a garage, which I’m sure is the reason that the rust is not terribly bad. It does have some of the typically bad spots (quarter panel, lower tailgate), but it appears fixable without having to do major surgery, although I could be wrong there. The under carriage and frame are pretty rough looking as well, but I’m hopeful that it’s mostly just surface rust and can be cleaned and coated.
Goal
I of course reserve the right to change my mind as I go along (I’m sure I will), but I think I’ve settled on at least a general goal for where I’m trying to go with this project. In my mind I picture a bit of an OEM+ build. In other words keeping it stock in many forms, but improve areas that are known weak points, or areas where I want different performance/looks. I won’t be doing any serious trails with this vehicle and anticipate it being driven for occasional weekend use around town and for camping trips. I’d love to have the interior look as it did when it was brand new, all the way down to the tape deck. For the most part this seems achievable as carpets are available and seats can be reupholstered. I do worry about finding fresh dash parts that aren’t replicas, but that’s an issue for another day.
For the “+” part, I do want to keep a lift kit on it (full suspension, 4 inches) and 33’s for tires. I like this look and it still fits nicely in my garage. I’m also planning to go with aftermarket bumpers front and rear. I’m not decided on driveline related questions. As I mentioned, I don’t plan to doing any heavy wheeling or towing, so the stock engine and driveline seem to work fine for that purpose, although I would like everything refreshed.
I’d like to do as much of the work on my own as possible, but I imagine I’ll be outsourcing a few tasks. I have no body work experience and that’s something I’d like to look as perfect as possible, so I think that’s probably worth the money. I’m totally comfortable working on suspension, brakes, and most engine items, so I look forward to digging into that. Most of my experience has been with my track car, which in some ways is easier to work on since it’s close to the ground. For the Bronco, I’m going to need to invest in some new tools as well. For starters I know I’ll need a bigger jack (do they even make jacks that can get to the frame and lift?), big stands, and more non-metric tools. I have a link to my other cars journal in my sig if anyone is interested.
I’m sure this will be a looong term project, but I’ll try to keep a record of everything I do here.
Cheers :beer