Josh's Bronco II Body Restoration Thread

[wildbill23c]

The quality of your work looks excellent.

I keep seeing trucks online that have those visors installed over the windshield. I never see any trucks on the road here in Colorado that have those. What purpose do they serve? Keep the sun out of your eyes? One thing I love about my BII is the big, big windows, great for checking out scenery on road trips. I feel like those visor things would encroach on that a bit. Not a criticism, the truck looks great.

My 84 B2 had one of those visors on it at some point in time, PO removed it, but I think now looking at it, that possibly is where my roof leak is coming from those holes from those bolts. If I take the bolts out, what should I get to fill the holes so it stops leaking, probably also the cause of the computer issue I had, as its running right down that side where the computer is.

 

[88B2EB]

The quality of your work looks excellent.

I keep seeing trucks online that have those visors installed over the windshield. I never see any trucks on the road here in Colorado that have those. What purpose do they serve? Keep the sun out of your eyes? One thing I love about my BII is the big, big windows, great for checking out scenery on road trips. I feel like those visor things would encroach on that a bit. Not a criticism, the truck looks great.

Thanks man! On the visors, I wish I could give you some profound reason for having one but really I just think they look cool. Ever since I went to Silver Lake Sand Dunes and saw them on those 1970's lifted trucks I've wanted one. On a side note though my visors are broken (the PO put snaps on the ends so they're always up) so this visor should help some with the sun.

 

[88B2EB]

My 84 B2 had one of those visors on it at some point in time, PO removed it, but I think now looking at it, that possibly is where my roof leak is coming from those holes from those bolts. If I take the bolts out, what should I get to fill the holes so it stops leaking, probably also the cause of the computer issue I had, as its running right down that side where the computer is.

Yeah that seems to make sense. I would think you could go to the local hardware store and find some caulk that closely matches your paint color.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yeah that seems to make sense. I would think you could go to the local hardware store and find some caulk that closely matches your paint color.

I think I will just remove the bolts and use some clear caulk for now until I can afford to do a restoration as you have done, some day it will get fixed properly but until then I'll do with what I have. I just hate the water on the floorboards when it rains or snows LOL. Must have been the reason the PO removed the carpet.

Your B2 looks awesome. I'm sure that took a lot of very hard work, but the ending sure pays off. You did an excellent job really makes me envious. I try to do what I can myself but the damage on mine is far worse so panels need to be replaced for sure.

 

[88B2EB]

Man that B2 looks awesome after the repaint. I really wish I could afford to get mine back to original condition or at least close to.

Well I'm not so sure it was a steal, but it does run awesome now. With work and the cold weather and no warm dry place to work on it, I have been letting a kid I know in high school use it as a shop project, he dialed in the carburetor since it wouldn't even run at idle and was very erratic running on all accounts its running awesome, I disconnected the computer on it and well the next project is all the rust on the passenger side which I know for a fact is completely out of my scale of being able to DIY this one.

It runs and drives pretty well, got a few other issues to take care of, tires and matching wheels for sure, a small leak in the cab somewhere that's running down the passenger side and onto the floor boards. Then the interior needs gone through as the PO removed the carpet, and from the leak in the roof destroyed the headliner. Plus I have to weld in a new floor pan on the driver's side and a couple of issues with the driver's seat. Other than that for being a run around town and goto the hills truck I still don't think $975 was really too bad especially given the lady I bought it from let me make payments on it.

I had a fuel leak on it when I picked it up but 5 seconds of tightening down a fuel line clamp fixed that. The alternator wasn't charging, PO didn't hook up the wiring properly, fixed that in a few hours and the help of some fellow TRS members.

My boss at works calls my B2 a bumble bee, so maybe I should repaint it the same color, but I don't know I kind of like red or blue myself.

I also have the Bronco Horse emblems, are those standard on all models? I'm missing a Bronco II emblem on the passenger side so I need to find one to replace it. The Bronco Horse emblems have me scratching my head though because I don't see them in any pictures of others' bronco 2's on here though.

I appreciate the compliment:icon_thumby:

Sounds like a win-win having that student work on it for you and I'm glad to hear it's running better.

For tires you might try a junkyard if you're looking for a deal. I tried that recently and got a set of matching tires for about $15 each and they probably had 75% tread left. Can't beat the price. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you with some of those other things. The body on yours does seem to be a bit farther gone than mine was when I started. If mine was any worse there's no way I could have done it. Needing patch panels would be the achilles heel for me putting the job out of my reach.

I still think you got a great price for the truck.

All-yellow would be the easiest and might save you repainting the doorjambs and engine compartment. You could even put the Transformers emblem on the back and make it the real 'bumblebee':icon_twisted: It's your truck though and you're the one putting in the time so do what you want.

I think the horse emblems were standard in the early years but have never seen them on one newer than '86.

Is this what you need? Just send me a PM with your address and they're yours.:icon_thumby:

Josh

 

[wildbill23c]

I have the pain non-chrome emblem on the driver's side but PM sent.

 

[dieseldane]

My 84 B2 had one of those visors on it at some point in time, PO removed it, but I think now looking at it, that possibly is where my roof leak is coming from those holes from those bolts. If I take the bolts out, what should I get to fill the holes so it stops leaking, probably also the cause of the computer issue I had, as its running right down that side where the computer is.

If you don't wan't to have the holes welded up and primed over, what I might do is use a closed end blind rivet or closed end pop rivet (same thing, different name) but make sure it is a closed end either way.

It should look like this:

Not this:

Coat the rivet in some thread sealer or silicone, or even loctite, and use it to plug the hole for now, and then when you want to fix it right you can just grind or drill them out.

 

[wildbill23c]

Either way I'm gonna have to do something its snowing now but as soon as it starts melting I'll have a puddle on the floorboard again. May try the rivet idea for now.

 

[PetesPonies]

Bill, is your intent to repaint the area where the bolts where? and make it look as if they were never there?

 

[wildbill23c]

Eventually yes, I plan on having the truck painted, its a long ways down the road as the whole repair process will be slow going due to lack of funds. In the passenger side picture a few posts above you can see the bolts on the passenger side roof and on the pillar next to the windshield. And of course all of the damage on the side I have to get fixed ASAP.

 

[88B2EB]

Just got back from the junkyard. They only had 1 Bronco II in the whole place. Not sure what happened to the other 2 they had but luckily this one had everything I needed. Radio wiring harness, OEM jack and jack cover. I was also able to find some parts for the wife's Taurus.

Plenty of Rangers though.

Wonder how many times this things been a-rockin.

An old Pontiac, maybe the oldest car in the place.

Right now I'm in the house trying to thaw out. Will probably work on putting the new wiper switch in the Taurus if the snow lets up.

Hope everybody had a merry Christmas.

 

[dieseldane]

That VW camper is sweet! Wish I could find one of those worth fixing up!

 

[88B2EB]

That VW camper is sweet! Wish I could find one of those worth fixing up!

I could see that being a lot of fun on a road trip. The Henry Ford Museum has one in mint condition in their 'campers' display. Definately don't see em like that anymore.

 

[88B2EB]

The trailer wiring has been soldered, shrink-wrapped and all buttoned up.

Here's with the bumper installed. The connector seen over the bumper will make taking it off much easier than last time in case I need to in the future. That goes to the (what I think is stock) round connector mounted in the bumper itself then a plug-in adapter for my trailer connector.

I pulled the Pioneer deck out of the Ranger to be put in the Bronco. Somehow "This is for your own good" just didn't seem fitting and I felt a little sad stripping parts from the truck that's been so dependable for me over the past 11 years. It will get its original AM/FM radio back.

The stock radio connectors from the junkyard are in the Bronco ready for everything to be put back together. I wish I would have known that Ford used different colored wires for Premium vs regular sound systems. I must have grabbed the wrong one at the junkyard because nothing matched up and it took about an hour with the wiring diagrams and ohm meter to get it all sorted out.

To be concluded. I'll have pictures up soon.

 

[88B2EB]

All finished!!!

I want to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone who posted for all of your constructive advice (both good & bad) and encouragement. Without TRS there's no way this project would have been possible. :icon_thumby:

 

[wildbill23c]

Wow, that looks amazing. Great job.

 

[88B2EB]

Wow, that looks amazing. Great job.

Thanks Bill. I heard about your head gasket issue. That's too bad. Hopefully your contacts at the shop class can get it sorted out. Those emblems are all packaged up, I just have to get to the post office.

Josh

 

[PetesPonies]

Looks like a new truck!! And although I hate snow . . it looks good sitting out there in it, congrats

 

[wildbill23c]

Thanks Bill. I heard about your head gasket issue. That's too bad. Hopefully your contacts at the shop class can get it sorted out. Those emblems are all packaged up, I just have to get to the post office.

Josh

The lady I bought it from had said in one of her initial emails that it needed head gaskets and the oil pan gasket replaced. So I wasn't completely alarmed when I found the coolant in the oil, I was just happy that I caught it pretty quick and quit driving it except down to the kid who's taking it in tomorrow to start tearing into it.

No big hurry on the emblems, PM me a price and I'll send you some $$ for them. I'm going to take it in once I get it back from the head gasket repair and find out what the local body shop would charge to just get the rusted panels fixed or replaced. Then I plan on working on stripping everything down and eventually repainting it, and I think I'm going to stick with the original yellow/cream color seems pretty rare of a color combination so I think I'll leave it LOL.

Your restore of your B2 just makes me want to tear into mine and make mine look like new, its in pretty sad condition right now but it does run and drive so I think it wasn't a bad deal for $975, did come with a rebuilt carburetor and the left the old one in the back for parts, plus a starter which I'm thinking about having tested to see if its good or not. Tires are my next definite to do list, then the whole exhaust system needs replaced as well the muffler is clear up under the passenger front seat, as they ripped out the Catalytic Converter at some point, so everything will be put back to factory slowly as I get the money to do things on it. Right now I will drive it daily after the head gaskets are fixed, as it gets better gas mileage than my full size truck.

 

[dieseldane]

Great job man, that thing looks amazing!