1996 Bronco Not Planned Restoration

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johnnyreb

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Well so far i have done it all myself except for the sandblasting the frame and the motor work. I have restored several Broncos before, just not to the extent of this one. Nothing has been or will be half Azzed. The motor will be done by a well known motor company and so far the only major problems i've came upon is the dang body mount sleeves and broken seat bolts. I rarely depend on anyone but myself to do the work, but there are things i have never encountered which is why i'm on this forum.
I had a cousin(he passd away) that got (5) motors from Jasper. 4 were bad and it took the 5th one before he got a good one. With in a month. Re-building a reliable motor is not the hard to do and you will know what was done to it. These shops(some) will charge you for some work they never done. Good luck.
 

johnnyreb

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Latest update for those interested. Motor waiting to be rebuilt (not by me), frame sent off for sand blasting and to be painted with industrial Black paint. The truck came from up north so hopefully there’s still metal left afterwards. I gave up on trying to remove the body mount sleeves. Here’s my quote for the week, “Restoring a Bronco teaches a man to have a lot of patience’s, a thick wallet and a very understanding wife”
You have that right and a bound dertermination to not let it beat you.
 

Superduty 66

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Wise man. I know what you mean Johnnyreb. I had some beautiful first Gen mustangs that I regret selling and a 65 an 68 fastback Fairlane 500 I wish I still had. My broncos aren't as old but I'm holding on to them, no more regrets.
 

johnnyreb

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I haven't been posting on here because I've actually been reading everyone else's shared posts on their restorations and so now I'll share mine to make some of you feel better.

So I bought one of those "No Rust, No Dents, Almost perfect paint job" Broncos in January of this year and since then I've almost got a divorce because of the time and money I have spent on it already. Of course I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped to me and well, you know how that went. The Bronco looked great in the picture, but kind of like an ugly girl-( Good from Far but Far from Good). Anyway I am at that point where i have lost my mind on fixing or replacing everything that had a dent, scratch or tear, which is probably why I have already spent so much money and time on it. I have had 9 Broncos in the past and none of them have been as challenging as this one. Every seat bolt, seat belt bolt and rear seat latch bolts were so corroded that I had to drill them out (actually I'm stilling drilling them). The carpet was glued down for whatever reason with some form of Alien glue that made it a nightmare just to remove the carpet. The engine runs great but leaks oil like the Exxon Valdez. I have yet to tackle removing the bolts to replace the body bushings which I see it going the same way as the other bolts. I live in Texas and the Bronco came from Washington state which probably accounts for all the corrosion on the frame and bolts. Check out my pictures of where i am now. Also if anyone has some good sites on where to buy interior parts I would be interested in knowing.
Sorry to hear you got SCAMMED. Do you know . Whoever sold it to you. Could be held liable for fraud . When a vehicle is sold under fals pretense over the internet is a felony and the feds take a dim view n that. They arrested a man in Ohio awhile back. For trying to sale a car. He advertised it. Claiming it was a rare SS. You might want to check on it. Especial if you paid alot for it and see about getting all the money--including freight and the labor and money you have in it. Their is alot of scammers out their.Sorry it happened to you.
 

johnnyreb

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How funny, Well i just got married a few weeks ag, so i'm not that brave right now. My mom and dad have been happily married for 64 years now. When i got married my Dad told me there is a secret to staying married. He said always remember these two words, "Yes Dear"
Plus let her THINK. You always agree with her. I have a good habit of FORGETTING. If you know what I mean and remeber the song of K.T .Oslon--"What about me"? You have feelings too.
 
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i have my old 5.0 93 beater, i love my old bro, but she aint no show piece, custom, no power cept for the rear window...
 

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ablediver

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I can give you some sources for interior pieces. For carpet, Stock Interiors of Chatsworth, GA. It's all US sourced and made, by Americans. LEM Trucks has provided a lot of my interior products. They have what you need for interior pieces. Jeff's Bronco Graveyard can also have a lot of interior pieces as well. I'd be careful about eBay vendors, there's very little recourse with eBay if a vendor doesn't work out. Eastwood can provide things like ExMat for insulation and paint.

Here's my $.02 about finding a painter: I was doing a significant build back in the 80's (before the internet) before there forums like this. Put it this way, that vehicle had the drivetrain and frame in place when I started. I attended local car shows to get ideas. That's how I found a painter. I wanted IMRON, the top of the line at the time. I did a lot of the work on a fiberglass nose that the paint shop repaired. I had another guy weld in the floors. I hired a welder to come on site (my driveway) to make radiator mounts. And on and on. I think you get the picture. Your project looks the same. With the equipment that's available today, you can do those door jambs yourself. Just take your time and trial and error.

I'm the wrong guy for spousal advice, but I've lived through six built trucks, not including three dive boats that she never stepped foot on. I'm currently in the process of a 35K$ workshop build with my bride's acceptance. I said acceptance not agreement. A simple " Sure, OK" or like your Dad said, " Yes Dear". It really does work

Best of luck on the project, don't give up, ever

Just my humble $.02

AbleDiver out
 
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Broncosandpartsgarage

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I haven't been posting on here because I've actually been reading everyone else's shared posts on their restorations and so now I'll share mine to make some of you feel better.

So I bought one of those "No Rust, No Dents, Almost perfect paint job" Broncos in January of this year and since then I've almost got a divorce because of the time and money I have spent on it already. Of course I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped to me and well, you know how that went. The Bronco looked great in the picture, but kind of like an ugly girl-( Good from Far but Far from Good). Anyway I am at that point where i have lost my mind on fixing or replacing everything that had a dent, scratch or tear, which is probably why I have already spent so much money and time on it. I have had 9 Broncos in the past and none of them have been as challenging as this one. Every seat bolt, seat belt bolt and rear seat latch bolts were so corroded that I had to drill them out (actually I'm stilling drilling them). The carpet was glued down for whatever reason with some form of Alien glue that made it a nightmare just to remove the carpet. The engine runs great but leaks oil like the Exxon Valdez. I have yet to tackle removing the bolts to replace the body bushings which I see it going the same way as the other bolts. I live in Texas and the Bronco came from Washington state which probably accounts for all the corrosion on the frame and bolts. Check out my pictures of where i am now. Also if anyone has some good sites on where to buy interior parts I would be interested in knowing.
All i sell is used parts. [email protected]
 

ablediver

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Like, Johnnyreb sed, "call the state AG's office" . Do that that first. Second, call the local Federal Courthouse, Dept. Of Justice (DOJ). If the fraud occurred across state lines, it's a federal offense. There are people in the DOJ call-in centers at a Federal Courthouse who come into work at zero-dark-thirty to answer calls.
Ablediver out.
 
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RonnieW

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In my earlier post i was venting my frustrations with trying to remove the body bushings and trying to save the body mount sleeves, which aren't cheap btw. With research on Bronco Zone i used a longer bolt to thread into the bottom thread and used a BFH to hammer it down. It actually worked and i saved all but one body mount sleeve. Just a few pictures to help someone else with this.
 

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RonnieW

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The Frame was really rusted and i did not think sandblasting it would help a lot. However, blasting and putting a thick coat or two of paint sure made the difference
 

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RonnieW

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I haven't been posting on here because I've actually been reading everyone else's shared posts on their restorations and so now I'll share mine to make some of you feel better.

So I bought one of those "No Rust, No Dents, Almost perfect paint job" Broncos in January of this year and since then I've almost got a divorce because of the time and money I have spent on it already. Of course I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped to me and well, you know how that went. The Bronco looked great in the picture, but kind of like an ugly girl-( Good from Far but Far from Good). Anyway I am at that point where i have lost my mind on fixing or replacing everything that had a dent, scratch or tear, which is probably why I have already spent so much money and time on it. I have had 9 Broncos in the past and none of them have been as challenging as this one. Every seat bolt, seat belt bolt and rear seat latch bolts were so corroded that I had to drill them out (actually I'm stilling drilling them). The carpet was glued down for whatever reason with some form of Alien glue that made it a nightmare just to remove the carpet. The engine runs great but leaks oil like the Exxon Valdez. I have yet to tackle removing the bolts to replace the body bushings which I see it going the same way as the other bolts. I live in Texas and the Bronco came from Washington state which probably accounts for all the corrosion on the frame and bolts. Check out my pictures of where i am now. Also if anyone has some good sites on where to buy interior parts I would be interested in knowing.

IMG_4064.jpgBronco Rebuilding Pics (207).jpg
 

johnnyreb

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The Frame was really rusted and i did not think sandblasting it would help a lot. However, blasting and putting a thick coat or two of paint sure made the difference
Its looking good. While you are at it. Look over everything for cracks,bad bushing,sway bar links. If they are rusted off. I f went and got some stainless bolt and had them welded on. If you can fin new ones--they are high and will rust out again. Check the frame for cracks every place and behind the steering sector. Your doing a great job and it looks really nice. From on cv to another--you know the saying.NEVER GIVE UP. WELCOME BACK HOME AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM.
 
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RonnieW

RonnieW

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I'm way ahead of you. I bought all new bushings, bearings, brake lines, fuel line, gas tank, brake pads, rotors, drums, New steering sector, new steering pump, hoses, new everything. The only thing that will not be new will be the frame, the body and the interior which is why i bought this project, the interior was almost perfect, except for the drivers seat and i later found a new bottom for it. The headliner needed replacing too which none of them make it over a few years anyway.
Bronco~Rebuild   (9).jpgBronco~Rebuild   (11).jpgBronco~Rebuild   (12).jpg
 

johnnyreb

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Its looking good. While you are at it. Look over everything for cracks,bad bushing,sway bar links. If they are rusted off. I f went and got some stainless bolt and had them welded on. If you can fin new ones--they are high and will rust out again. Check the frame for cracks every place and behind the steering sector. Your doing a great job and it looks really nice. From on cv to another--you know the saying.NEVER GIVE UP. WELCOME BACK HOME AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM.
Find out where the rain goes to--at the wiper area. Follow it all the way. I don,t know anything about this year,but on the 78. The drain hole inside the big bulge has a real small drain. It plugs up over time with dirt and leaves and over time. The water builds up and over flows through the vet into the floor--especially during a heavy rain. Also along the drip rail and around the windshield.The roof sealer get old and will leak.
 
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RonnieW

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Contact your state attorney generals office. They have a 800 number. Its called fraud. When the lie to you. To get your money and make them pay for everything you have invested in it--includeing freight.
When you buy something site unseen you just take that chance, which i knew i was doing. But overall i wouldn't have been satisfied with any Bronco and i would have tore it down just like this one. I like things as close to perfect as i can get. Its really not fun doing it, but it sure is satisfying when things go right.
 

johnnyreb

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Find out where the rain goes to--at the wiper area. Follow it all the way. I don,t know anything about this year,but on the 78. The drain hole inside the big bulge has a real small drain. It plugs up over time with dirt and leaves and over time. The water builds up and over flows through the vet into the floor--especially during a heavy rain. Also along the drip rail and around the windshield.The roof sealer get old and will leak.
You have done a great job and it looks great.
 

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