Early Bronco Build

#1
So this weekend I started a new project. I've been thinking about what to do with the set of one ton axles I picked up recently. They were originally gonna go in my Bronco II but I think this is a better plan. This is a 1973 Bronco that my dad bought in 1994, it's really the Bronco that got me into Fords and four wheeling. When I was in middle school this was our farm truck and every once in a while we'd take it offroading. It was a V8, automatic, power steering truck. Back then it had 33's with no lift and the sweet square tube roll bar that's still on it. Some where along the line my dad and uncle decided to put some long tube headers on it, later that day my dad was driving down a dirt road, a spark plug wire got caught in the throttle linkage and held it wide open. He shut it off but it just had manual drum brakes so it pulled him to the side and he ended up rolling it. After that he parked it, eventually it became a parts donor. This is where I got the axles for my Bronco II from. It's been sitting in a field behind my mom's house for atleast the last ten years.

The plan is to build an ultimate adventure style truck. Superduty axles, probably 37's, 5-speed, with a fuel injected small block ford. Stock it has a 92" wheelbase, I'm going to stretch it but I'm not sure how much I can do yet. I'm only going to do the bare minimum to the body to fix the rust but I probably won't worry about all the dents.

This is what it looks like now:
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#4
Hell ya man. I've always loved those EB's. Saw a halfcab bronco at Carlton customs the other day in Greenville that looked pretty good.


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#6
Yep, the square roll bar held up well. You see much worse being restored all the time.
Yeah the roll bar probably saved him, the good thing about early Broncos is that you can pretty much build one from nothing. You can buy every sheet metal part for the body and even a new frame.
 
#10
More pictures. I got it cleaned up last weekend and ordered the first parts for it, all new floor pans for the front. Its fairly solid except everywhere carpet was. There are a few small rust holes in the top of the cowl and corners of the bed. Overall its about what you'd expect. Seems like it's had a rough life, the doors and passenger fender were originally yellow and the hood looks like it was originally white. The front core support looks like it's been crunched atleast a couple times so I might end up replacing it. For now I'm just gonna start cutting it up and making measurements to check how straight the frame is.

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#14
I had a bronco years and years ago and at one point it was built really good... but i ended up with the shotgun blast rotted out sheetmetal, no bushings, blown front end version. But i still miss it :)
 
#20
Didn't know there was another EB owner in the Columbia area. I'm restoring a 77 in Rosewood. Things have come to a standstill with young kids around. My frame is currently up in a rotisserie and the tub and all other parts are in Newberry. It has a decent core support for a six cylinder. With the right cuts it can work for you. You can have it if you help cut it off. I plan to buy a new one that's setup for a V8 and PS. I've got a set of decent doors too, and an ok hardtop.
 
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