I'll give you guys a brief history on this Bronco. My folks have had a summer beachhouse on Carova Beach NC now for about 20 years. The past few on our way into the canals of the area I have noticed a 78/79 Bronco sittting in a yard. Never saw it on the roads or moved from its spot in the yard. One day I drove over to the house to asked the owner if he was interested in selling it. He wasn't there so I left a note including an offer to buy it for 200 bucks. From what I could tell it was in rough shape. Floors, hood,doors tailgate all rotted from a beach life I could trace back to 2001. Based on the last valid inspection sticker still on windshield. He called me back about two months later and we worked out a deal. It was now mine, now how do I get it home? It did not run, tires bald, no brakes and gas had a sweet smell. So I barrowed my inlaws bobcat trailer and on our third attempt with our fourth vehicle pulling it we got it home.
I haven't decided exactly how intense I am going to hit this thing rebuild wise. First thing I want to do is get it running and driveable. I have done some things to it thus far. Will provide details another time. Hope you guys enjoy and please feel free to comment. Whether its good, bad or indifferent.
AWESOME! I think I know the bronco you were talking about. Good to see someone rescued the Old Girl... Can't wait to see it when it is done and if ya need help I am only a few miles away!
Its a 1979 Custom AT,351m. From what I can tell prior to its beach transportation days it was a nice machine. Good bit of undercoating on frame and the carpet look to be original.
AWESOME! I think I know the bronco you were talking about. Good to see someone rescued the Old Girl... Can't wait to see it when it is done and if ya need help I am only a few miles away!
Cool deal. I work up there some times during the summer with Fire/EMS. That sand is terrible on vehicles. I have seen people take brand new vehicles and run them through the ocean waves. Glad to know that it is going to good home and get a 2nd chance at life.
yes sir, got some evil meats on her right now (Swampers). But the Fred Flintstone brake ain't gonna get it for long. Lots of other little things to figure out.
Rick, nice project. Looks like a well optioned Custom. Nice color scheme. Looks like it's missing the reacetrack trim?
Have you started it yet? I picked mine up from Newport News. It had been sitting since ~2002 and the gas had a bad smell. I drained the gas as good as I could and then added fresh, rebuilt the carb and started it. I got it running but I really should have dropped the tank and drained it dry of the old gas. Next time I started it it ran rouger and rougher. Ended up bending 3 push rods from stuck valves. Now I am rebuilding the entire engine! It needed it anyway but I am doing it sooner than I had planned! Good luck.
So I got it home and wanted to see if I could get it to start. It needed a battery, so I purchased one and attempted to start it. No luck, I checked all the wiring from battery to starter and altenator. I found a bad ground and bad positive terminal was the culprate. I examined the starter while I was there and saw a couple of teeth were chipped and was only being held in by one bolt. So new wires, starter, starter silinoid and new fuel hose to carb since current one was dry rotted. I poured some gas in carb and she fired up but I could not get it to stay running. I felt good about it starting and running off gas that I put in carb. Pics and more details to follow soon.
Here is a close up of what she looked like when I got her home.
Next one is a photo of the motor. Yep thats the heater hose come out of the block and going right back in. Its a beach truck guess it didn't need a heater core.
A shot of the lower front fender. Overall the rust doesn't look that bad.
Some photos of the doorsill and the floorboards. Yep thats that can you can buy just about anywhere. Its called 'Great Stuff", but I don't think they intended to use it like this. I have decided to designate a camera for rebuild photos. To much time editing what I have done.
it lives up to its name, with 1001 uses! wow, you got a steal on that one...too bad you couldn't repeat that one with the jerk that sold the green machine to you. anyway, you have quite the collection....seeing your herd makes me miss my 78.
it lives up to its name, with 1001 uses! wow, you got a steal on that one...too bad you couldn't repeat that one with the jerk that sold the green machine to you. anyway, you have quite the collection....seeing your herd makes me miss my 78.
Been kinda busy lately with the kids and wife. Have not had a lot of time to work on the old girl. Been thinking about how I am going to approach this project. I have come to the conclusion that I am going basically band-aid the exterior for now(rattle can paint job). While I work from the inside out. I got the brakes all new brake lines, new rear pads, gas tank in,carb rebuilt, new tailgate wired up, new hood, driver window track replaced (original rusted out). Over the past month have been working on the paint job. I found soe Rust-o-leum x2 coverage spray paint at the Home Depot. Cost was 3.47 a can. I got 10 blues and 8 whites semi-gloss. From about 20ft looks awesome IMO. Gonna get some new weather stripping for top and then I hit the interior. Oh after I get tires mounted and brakes bled. Looks to good just to sit under these trees. Okay enough blah blah blah.
Picture
EDIT: There is a huge gap in time between this post and the next. I lost several photos and will likely not put them back. But that is ok, its like a TV show this way, where all the sudden its done ( well they are never done but further )
The truck went from being a cheap $1200...
Well I’m finally starting my build thread. Of course, the name is indicative of the speed of my work. In any case I started over a year ago, so it thread will move a little faster until I catch up. After that, no guarantees. I expect this to take me at least two years to finish. When I was...
So I finally decided to commit and do the swap. This is my story.
Disclaimer: this original post is not yet complete. I'm still adding to it little by little as this build progresses.
Wot 'n tarnation?
Yes it's long, no one likes scrolling through walls of text, and I'm sorry. But hear me out-...
It was about time I started this thread. Now that the truck passed the Smog, I can safely start restoring this Bronco, which by the way I nicknamed "Bruce" in honor to Bruce Springsteen, I am a big fan :)
My intention is to restore it as close as possible to the original, with a few upgrades to...
I've been slacking hardcore. Ever since I started my new position at work about 1 1/2 years ago I've been wiped out during most of my time off when I'm at home during the day. 12-13 hour graveyard shifts suck bad. Anyway, I made some recent purchases for my Bronco to help motivate me to finish...
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