Finally got a Bronco II

[MeanMark87]

I already had a thread semi-about this but now I have pictures!

But yes I bought a B2. I've had my 1988 Ranger a while now and when the opportunity to get a companion '88 Bronco 2 (Eddie Bauer no less...) came up I couldn't resist.

It's definitely far from its finished form but even the David started out as a chunk of rock. This thing's got a lot going for it though to start out:

- All electric options, and they all work (windows, locks, a/c, cruise). Only non-electric thing is the T-case and that's just fine by me.
- 4x4 works.
- Interior isn't ripped, stained, or nonfunctional. Needs a good vacuum but definitely will clean up really nice.
- Aftermarket HD radio with CD/mp3/satellite ready
Engine in pretty good working order, runs smooth and got 23 mpg driving it back from Iowa to MN. Not leaking and not using any fluids.

Now the bad...

- Needs a muffler. Had ear plugs in just to drive it home. Some folks like that throaty rumble but not on the interstate for 300 miles.
- Needs front end/steering work. Loose steering and a rattle in the column on bumps.
- Needs door mirrors, a headlight knob, a trunk release pull, and a tailgate mechanism spacer
- Rust work. Someone previously tried to fix a lot of the rust on it but now it just looks like a mess. Far as I can tell the original color was a charcoal/black/gray color with Eddie Bauer tan trim on the bottom. Now it's 3 different shades of gray.

So it's a project, but that's what it was bought for.

Now the pictures!

Spot the elusive Ranger in the background. What does that one guy's sig say...."the Ranger watches the Bronco move on past....it'll have to wait its turn."

 

[wildbill23c]

Awesome. Definitely shows its age, but hey if it runs and drives who cares IMO.

 

[B2 Addict]

It's always nice to see a B2 saved... keep us updated man.

:icon_cheers:
B2

 

[The Fonz]

She needs some loving but nice find! Love that brown and tan eddie bauer

 

[wildbill23c]

Well the interior of your B2 is in much better condition than mine. Your exterior is in about the same condition though LOL. Good luck with repairs hopefully you are better at it than I am.

 

[SierraCanine]

Looks great. Nothing a little paint and some tlc can't handle.

 

[adsm08]

Looks great. Nothing a little paint and some tlc can't handle.

And Bondo. Needs Bondo.

 

[MeanMark87]

Well the interior of your B2 is in much better condition than mine. Your exterior is in about the same condition though LOL. Good luck with repairs hopefully you are better at it than I am.

Haha yeah, it sounds like from the posts in the other thread you and I are in similar spots with our Broncos so I'm sure there will be some mutual assistance. I'm no great shakes as a mechanic myself....I've worked on cars since I was a kid, but it's usually a lot of trial and error and learning crap the hard way with me. And like I said in my other thread this is my first 4x4 vehicle so there's a lot of new learning to be done.

 

[wildbill23c]

Haha yeah, it sounds like from the posts in the other thread you and I are in similar spots with our Broncos so I'm sure there will be some mutual assistance. I'm no great shakes as a mechanic myself....I've worked on cars since I was a kid, but it's usually a lot of trial and error and learning crap the hard way with me. And like I said in my other thread this is my first 4x4 vehicle so there's a lot of new learning to be done.

Yeah, my B2 was severely neglected by its previous owner, and unfortunately I have to figure out how to put things back together on a $700 a month income. I know a bit about mechanics, its the electrical stuff that gets me screwed up. My B2 needs a lot of body work done to get rid of rust, but it will have to wait until body panels can be purchased and installed, I will not put any bondo on any vehicle I own. Do it right or don't do it at all.

As for the 4WD stuff, under no circumstances should you be shifting into and out of 4WD while at highway speeds, I don't know who come up with the shift on the fly stuff, but sudden torque changes to parts that aren't moving = BROKEN EXPENSIVE PARTS. I always stop or am doing under 20mph when shifting into or out of 4WD on any vehicles, I still would rather be completely stopped though, less chance to break things. Also, if you have the manual t-case and manual hubs, make sure you engage the 4WD system once in a while to keep everything lubricated properly a lot of people forget about this until they go to use it and find out the hard way that their 4WD system isn't working. Also, don't leave the hubs engaged unless you are using 4WD a lot. Disengaging the hubs will help a little bit with fuel economy as there's a lot less parts turning with the hubs disengaged.

 

[MeanMark87]

Yeah, my B2 was severely neglected by its previous owner, and unfortunately I have to figure out how to put things back together on a $700 a month income. I know a bit about mechanics, its the electrical stuff that gets me screwed up. My B2 needs a lot of body work done to get rid of rust, but it will have to wait until body panels can be purchased and installed, I will not put any bondo on any vehicle I own. Do it right or don't do it at all.

As for the 4WD stuff, under no circumstances should you be shifting into and out of 4WD while at highway speeds, I don't know who come up with the shift on the fly stuff, but sudden torque changes to parts that aren't moving = BROKEN EXPENSIVE PARTS. I always stop or am doing under 20mph when shifting into or out of 4WD on any vehicles, I still would rather be completely stopped though, less chance to break things. Also, if you have the manual t-case and manual hubs, make sure you engage the 4WD system once in a while to keep everything lubricated properly a lot of people forget about this until they go to use it and find out the hard way that their 4WD system isn't working. Also, don't leave the hubs engaged unless you are using 4WD a lot. Disengaging the hubs will help a little bit with fuel economy as there's a lot less parts turning with the hubs disengaged.

Yeah, I should have clarified....I have a lot of experience driving 4x4's I just have never owned one. All my work trucks have been 4 wheel drive so I've got almost a decade under my belt of half, 3/4, 1, and 2 ton work trucks with all kinds of 4 wheel systems. I just never had to learn how to wrench on a personal vehicle with 4 wheel drive till now.

I will agree, shift-on-the-fly is stupid. As a general rule I do it at a standstill and with the tranny in neutral.

I hear ya about the application of bondo....I don't want to do it, but if I try and wait to just buy body panels and install them this thing's never gonna get fixed up. Body work is one area I have literally done NONE of so that's going to be an interesting project. I'm going to start with the less affected areas and work my way up.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yeah, I should have clarified....I have a lot of experience driving 4x4's I just have never owned one. All my work trucks have been 4 wheel drive so I've got almost a decade under my belt of half, 3/4, 1, and 2 ton work trucks with all kinds of 4 wheel systems. I just never had to learn how to wrench on a personal vehicle with 4 wheel drive till now.

I will agree, shift-on-the-fly is stupid. As a general rule I do it at a standstill and with the tranny in neutral.

I hear ya about the application of bondo....I don't want to do it, but if I try and wait to just buy body panels and install them this thing's never gonna get fixed up. Body work is one area I have literally done NONE of so that's going to be an interesting project. I'm going to start with the less affected areas and work my way up.

I've never done any body work either, all I know is the body panels on my B2 need rust repair and dent repair so its like I may as well replace them which is 2 body panels and then a few parts here and there on the others. My local body shop said it would be over $1,000 just to do the passenger side body panel replacement without painting it at all. I need to find someone who has done body work before that could help out in the welding and cutting department when I get the parts. I think once I can get the rust taken care of and the vehicle re-painted I'll be much happier, but then comes my fun of redoing the interior LOL.

 

[MeanMark87]

I've never done any body work either, all I know is the body panels on my B2 need rust repair and dent repair so its like I may as well replace them which is 2 body panels and then a few parts here and there on the others. My local body shop said it would be over $1,000 just to do the passenger side body panel replacement without painting it at all. I need to find someone who has done body work before that could help out in the welding and cutting department when I get the parts. I think once I can get the rust taken care of and the vehicle re-painted I'll be much happier, but then comes my fun of redoing the interior LOL.

The part that makes me really nervous is cutting the rear fenders. I'm going to have to do it since the rust has eaten away at them pretty bad. But it's one of those things where you get one shot at it and I want to A) make sure they actually don't look goofy when I'm done and B) make sure both sides look the same.

 

[PetesPonies]

Don't think bondo is bad. It is not a bad word and it is used in high quality restorations. There is a correct way to use it and when . . . You can't make a judgement call like that when it seems you don't know when and how it should be used. Just want to keep the facts straight here.

 

[wildbill23c]

I will not use it on any of my vehicles period end of story, what you do with your vehicles fine, but I won't use it on mine, and it would take a few hundred gallons to fix my B2 in the first place.

 

[PetesPonies]

I do professional restorations and I think I understand materials well. You obviously do not understand the proper way to use the material, hence your short sited answers. But hey, we all can't know everything, right?

 

[wildbill23c]

No, I refuse to use non-metal stuff on metal components. Every application both self installed and professionally installed Bondo will fail eventually. If you are going to do a restoration either do it properly or don't touch it. I've seen several Bondo restores and the outcome is horrible after a few years.

So since you are a professional, how's this bondo "professionally" applied so it never fails. A professional would know to use the proper tools, equipment, and parts to do a professional job, not play with play-do on someones vehicle.

Even the local body shops where I live will absolutely not use bondo on any of their repairs.

 

[PetesPonies]

Properly applied filler WILL NOT fail and will last as long if not longer than leaded seams. I will not go any longer on the subject to save the rest of the people here from this strife . . but you truly are incorrect. Sorry that you feel "filler" is a bad word. The hillbillies and flash in the pants guys might use it incorrectly, but it is a good material. I have metal working skills that allow me to remove small dents with no filler. And when that is best, thats great. But there are many times with some properly applier filler is needed and is the best choice. And . . ummm, it's used on new cars too, you know . Or maybe you didn't? But I'm done, I don't teach anymore so I shouldn't try to here either.

 

[wildbill23c]

Properly applied filler WILL NOT fail and will last as long if not longer than leaded seams. I will not go any longer on the subject to save the rest of the people here from this strife . . but you truly are incorrect. Sorry that you feel "filler" is a bad word. The hillbillies and flash in the pants guys might use it incorrectly, but it is a good material. I have metal working skills that allow me to remove small dents with no filler. And when that is best, thats great. But there are many times with some properly applier filler is needed and is the best choice. And . . ummm, it's used on new cars too, you know . Or maybe you didn't? But I'm done, I don't teach anymore so I shouldn't try to here either.

I've never been around any body shops, I just see the crap falling off vehicles around town.

How's the stuff work anyhow? Do you mix it up like paint, or is it like a putty that you apply and it just hardens? I've heard there's actually a new bondo product out that you use a mesh type material kind of like patching a hole in a wall, then apply the bondo and the mesh strengthens the repair. All I see are vehicles running around where its falling off, flaking, etc. Is there a special process you have to use? Any videos out there you know of that shows how to use it? Is it something that I could cut out rust areas and fill in? As far as I can tell my Bronco 2 is past being able to easily fill in with Bondo anyhow.

Below is a picture of the worst of my problem. In your opinion is it really something to waste money on bondo, because I've been told to do it, it would take new body panel pieces in those areas, that bondo wouldn't work due to the areas that are affected by the rust.

 

[PetesPonies]

You are making such bold statements about filler and you don't know anything about it?? Bill . . . . . . . . . I don't have time right now, but I'll be back to inform you.

 

[wildbill23c]

Sounds to me like you don't have a clue, after asking how it works more than once you can't seem to answer, you can't simply state that which leads me to believe you don't have a clue either. All I know is from first hand seeing the results of bondo falling off, cracking, breaking apart, etc. How the hell would you know if I know anything about it or not? From the results I've seen I won't touch the stuff. And given how you have answered me on this I don't think you have a clue either.