My "built" thread

[nhopman]

This isn’t actually a build thread, more of a “built” thread, but Chuck asked me to do it, so here it is.

First a little background. I’ve had the Bronco for close to 20 years now, it was my daily driver for about 8 years, never did much off road, nothing more than rough gravel roads. It was cut with rear flares, but sat on a stock suspension and 31's. Had a lot of fun driving it, but I eventually got a second vehicle so it sat unused for almost 4 years until the first rebuild started in 2000. I had wanted to get the Bronco back on the road, but it wouldn’t start. Nothing electrical worked and we couldn’t figure it out. Looking at the mess the original harness was in I was surprised it hadn’t burned to the ground years before, so I figured I would just install a new one. When I started to remove the old wiring, I couldn’t help but think it would be nice not to have to look at the road through the floor and the drivers kick panel, and the paint was really bad, and there was more rust in places, so the major re-build began. It took me almost 2 years to tear it down and re-build it and finally get the new wiring installed, it was a great day to finally hear the engine running again. During the re-build, I replace any sheet metal that had significant rust in it, did a few upgrades and got the seats recovered.

At that time it was sporting 31’s stock gears, 4 barrel carb, stock exhaust manifolds and a cheap JC Whitney dual exhaust system. It now looked great and ran well, but I started to wheel it and soon realized I needed to go bigger.. Around 2004-2005 I started the 2nd build. This time it was new gears, new axles, lockers, lift kit and 33’s (the biggest tire I was going to ever run - yea right). It wheeled great, and I ran those 33’s for one season and bought the 36”s, and of course had to cut more sheet metal, add bigger flares, etc. Only real problems I had wheeling were with the carb. I went through a couple different ones and even changed intakes, but I just couldn’t get it to run the way I wanted. I had been collecting parts for about a year to convert to EFI and one winter afternoon in 09 I wanted to move the Bronco out of the garage and it wouldn’t start. Frustrated, I pulled the carb and intake that day and started the EFI install. Parts wise, I only needed a few things, the real work was with the wiring harness. I simply refused to spend the money on a new one so I set out on the task of converting a Mustang harness. The first wire I cut was the scariest, after that it got easier and with a good wiring diagram and a bit of time, I made it all work,. Best thing is that the engine fired the first time and there were no error codes, I was now fuel injected.

Since then there have been little upgrades done along the way. I eventually added a ram assist, did a rear disc brake conversion and added a hydroboost brake system. I re-did the exhaust and some other modifications last winter. I’m sure I will never call it “done” but right now it’s really close to being exactly what I want it to be, at least until the next latest and greatest upgrade comes along.

Here are the specs. I’ll try to get some pics posted of the mods soon.

1973 Ford Bronco Sport

Engine
Year - rebuild 1986 HO block bored .30 over RV type cam.
Converted to 1990 5.0 Ford Mustang EFI mass air flow
Cooling - 4 Core Copper Radiator, BC Broncos Radiator Guard, Toms Radiator shroud
Exhaust - Wild Horses Ceramic shorties with custom dual 2.5” pipes into a single Magnaflow muffler with 3” exit pipe.

Drive Train
Transmission - Beefed up C-4 Automatic
Transfer Case - Dana 20 - J-Shift with WH Twin Stick and Tera Low gearset
Front Axle - Dana 44 with Warn CM axles and Longfield U-Joints
Front Diff - 4.56 gears with Detroit EZ Locker
Hubs - Warn Premium
Rear Axle - Ford 9” with shaved housing, 31 spline Yukon CM Axles
Rear Diff - 4.56 gears with Detroit Locker

Suspension
Front – CAGE Offroad 3.5” coils
Shock Hoops – Protofab Shock Hoop Front - CAGE Offroad Rear Shock Mounts
Radius Arms - CAGE Offroad Long Arms
Shocks - CAGE Offorad for 3.5” lift
Trac Bar - Heim Jointed Adjustable
Rear - 3.5” Wild Horses 11 Pack Leaf Springs
Homemade rear traction/anti-wrap bar

Steering/Brakes
Gear Box - 1976 Power Steering tapped for Ram assist
AGR - Ram assist mounted to Drag Link
Steering Control - Heim jointed Over Knuckle System
Brakes - Hydroboost Ford Discs Front with ‘78 Thunderbird calipers, Rear disc conversion with Cadillac calipers with e-brake
Tires - 13.5”x36x15” Interco IROK
Wheels - Aluminum Eagle 589’s
Brake Hoses - Braded Stainless/Hard Tubing (No Rubber Lines)

Body
Flares - Gorilla Wareflares mounted as high as possible
Front Bumper - Homemade with Superwinch 9000lb winch wired for in-cab controlls
Rear Bumper - Homemade
Rock Protection - Homemade Rocker skids
Paint - Diamont 2000 Ford Denim Blue

Interior
Seats - PRP Daily Drivers with custom made mounts
Belts - 4pt harness
Gauges - Stock except added tach
Steering Wheel - removable/lockable Grant
Roll Bar - 6 point Protofab cage
Floors - Sprayed in SEM tintable Bedliner
Stereo - Amplifieer with wakeboard speaker pods with i-pod input.
CB - Cobra 19 CB radio

[SC74]

I've always liked this Bronco. It is very capable - not a "sleeper" but I have seen it go places that have stumped many other trucks. I rode with Nick one year at Fawl Crawl and was very impressed with the truck and his driving skills.

Let's see those pics Nick!

[broncosbybart]

2nd that! I'd like to see how it started out. I've only seen it in the finished state and it is one nice rig!

[blazinchuck]

i agree...need pics buddy!!!

[jollygrngiant]

I'm a visual learner. I need Pic's
:popc1::popc1:

[BucknEB]

This truck sounds awesome Nick. I have similar plans for my truck as well. The fact that you were able to get the EFI up and running without any codes on the first crank is inspiring, I can only hope for same luck in my upcoming EFI conversion. Oh yeah... PICS PLEASE!:popc1: :xyxthumbs:

[nhopman]

I'm working on the pics. I always have good intentions of taking them throughout the process, but then never do, so most will be after the fact. Bronco is sitting in the garage all dirty from URE so if I can get it out and give it a bath. I will crawl around it with the camera and get as many of the features as I can.

I did find some pics that I need to scan around the time I forst got it taken July 1988.

Nick

[nhopman]

Pics:


This is how I got it.




A few I found from the first re-build.


Wheeling on 33"s


Wheeling on 36"s


This is how it sits now (and it's usually dirty)


EFI, Hydroboost etc.


Front steering and Ram assist


Cage Long Arms


PRP Seats and some of the interior


Pretty basic dash


Rear Disc brakes


Shaved Rear End


T-case Skid Plate


Exhaust, trans pan


Rock Ski - gets used a bunch


X-mas present to myself - New shoes for the Bronco. Believe it or not the same size as what is on there. Also getting a set of beadlocks the end of January to mount them on.

[blazinchuck]

great pics nick, i love seeing how things change on the broncos from when we first get them. wow, new tires!!!! thats awesome. i like the shaved nine and tcase skid plate

[Bronco Biff]

Lookin' good, Nick! Yukon stocking stuffers to go with the shoes?