So i unoffically started on the 76 this weekend, unofficially because I still have a 72 Fj40 that I have been doing a TBI conversion on and I need to get out of my garage before i can get the bronco in there. However since i was waiting on a radiator for the FJ and haven't had a chance to really look over the bronco since i bought her I did a few things..

So this is how I bought her:



First thing i did was remove the fugly front bumper and winch. I was lucky to talk to the original owner when I flew up to get the bronco and he still had the stock bumper, so I swapped it in. I swear the bronco raised up a few inches without all that weight on it...



Then I removed the mud flaps... they must be required in Montana, but not here and they look kinda weird on a little truck ;)

I noticed I have an aftermarket tow frame and electrical hookups, I think I will remove that as well, i really want to get the bronco down to the basics to track down my electrical gremlins and honestly dont' think I will ever tow anything.. i will keep the stuff around just in case.

Looking over the interior I decided to rip out he natty carpet and see what I had under there.. so started in the rear and worked my way forward.

Removed the rear carpet on the tailgate..


Gross carpet up front...



Ripped out the plastic covering in the back.. not too bad but pretty gross as well...



Rear seats out...



Hmmmmm not too bad so far.



rear floor carpet and rubber mat is out... doesn't look too bad...



Got the front seats out.. looking pretty good under there...



Looks like the build sheet if iam not mistaken? too bad its not in the rear like the later broncos.. might have been saved...





After a vacuum and a good wipedown the inside looks pretty good, found a few spots with what i hope is surface rust.. and ford went nutty on the glue ont he drivers side wheel well.. but other than that pretty happy so far...





















So thats where i left it last night.. I have a line on a new set of carpet and hold downs so thats great, however while i have the interior out I'm thinking i should have someone take a look at the little areas fo rust and see what they recommend. I'm really not a body guy and don't really know whats involved as far as rust areas and body work in particular so need some advice...

also I was thinking of using a wire wheel on the wheel wells to get the glue off but would hate to take the paint off in the process. Anyone have any idea on how i can dissolve the glue on there? since I'm covering it agian with carpet most likely does it really matter? should I look at other alternatives for covering the back?

I will probably take off the side panels since they are kinda hideous anyway and inspect the metal there however not sure what I will do with those side panels.. recover? replace? leave out?

The seats are in pretty good shape and honestly its not a high priority to have them recovered at this point but I dont think i want the original yellow paint staring at me in the face either, with the new carpet in i will still need to do something back there.. suggestions?

That is incredibly rust free. Is that green ranger interior code "AR" in the trim section of the VIN?

Damn that thing is a nice rust free start. If the rust isnt that bad I'd look into por15 to line the floors. Im gonna go with por15 after I finish patching then do like hecurliner. then cover that all up with a nice insulation and carpet.

Wow, I'm jealous. If you aren't going for a show truck & going to cover it up, use a POR 15 or Chassis Saver product. I can't speak for POR, but used Chassis Saver on my axles. Those products seal in remaining rust, supposedly sealing out oxygen, preventing any further rust. They have a heavy body and will fill & seal small holes. The Chassis Saver is ok to paint direct over scuffed metal & paint, POR may have a more complicated prep. I don't know, because I haven't used it. Our auto paint supplier sells the Chassis Saver, or you can buy direct on line, google Magnetic Paints.

Chad

Welcome Landshark !

that is one seriously rust free Bronco

SUPER NICE

Very nice!! Brings back good memories of my interior teardown:) Keep the pics comin.

Yup will do, I want to keep a good photo archive of everything I do. Can't wait to get this FJ40 out of my garage.. its not even mine.. tried to start it today but not getting fuel.... finishing up a TBI conversion on it and its a learning experience...

what are you plans for the winch and bumper? That's a factory winch bumper ain't it. or warn?

Ya i might replace the cheapo winch on my fullsize rig with it however think I have to redo the bolt plate... the warn is huge, i will ahve to look to see what model it is.

I will check and see what model # it is.. I might consider replacing the el cheapo winch on the front of my fullsize and move the cheapo one to the rear, however my fullsize weighs in at 6150 lbs and really need the 10,000 lbs help ;)

As ROX said, it's unmistakably a Warn 8274 and are known for their line speed and reliability. A great winch for a bronco or any vehicle of that size. It would probably do ok on your full size, but I would carry a snatch block and the hardware needed to set one up. Usually a tree saver and a clevis.

I agree with the PTO. I haven't seen one of those in use since my dad's neighbor had one on his old Willys wagon.

Both have their advantages. PTO's don't overheat and generally work well, that is if the vehicle is running. Granted, an electric winch won't last long on just battery, but it may get you out of the hole so you can fix the problem.

J.D.

I think the winch is a Warn 8375 which from my quick searching is identical to the 8274 without the freespool option..

In other news, got the Bronco in the garage yesterday, however had to push it in as I could not get it started.. it will start when i spray some starter fluid in the carb.. but wont stay started.

Mechanical fuel pump?

The carb looks tired and a bit gummy too, iam a total newbie when it comes to carbs.. never touched one except taking it off to put fuel injection on.. any good sites out there you guys have bookmarked for into to help me with this thing?

My first order of business was to replace all the suspension/bushing etc.. but I need to have this running as its a bit heavier than it looks when i have to push it around ;)

So I did a little more research on the Winch as i had a 8274 on the Fj40 right next to me and the winch off the bronco looked similar but different, turns out its a 8200 made for only 9 months right before the introduction of the 8274.

I even found some specs on it..
8000lb capacity, 150' of aircraft cable, 141 lbs (i can vouch for the weight.. it is HEAVY), includes automatic brake.

Ya i love researching things.. such a geek...

Cleaned the carb up yesterday, tracked down the fuel issue to the tank selector switch and finally got a good look under the truck. Looks like the underside of the truck was covered in a protector at one point thats now flaking off.. but saved the truck. didn't find one spec of rust under there, but holy cow is there a TON of build up from oil!

Iam going to replace the manual fuel selector with a electric one tied into the fuel gauge switch, anyone have any experiences with the electric switch?

Wow, learn something every day! Didn't know there was a predecessor for 8274.

So i figured I would post up a couple more pics as I go so the thread isn't so boring. Found a little rust in the engine bay.. both on the sides above the wheel well..





I will pull the fenders off here soon and patch them up...

typical rust spots. Simple patch when you get the front fenders off. Still jealous at how clean that bronco is.

ya i know.. i have seen some incredible restorations... iam just not a body guy so wanted to steer clear of as much body work as i could. I 'm actually headed down to the springs tomorrow to talk to a buddy of mine about takign care of all the rust spots and a few classic welding holes from the factory.. probably get the body sorted out before summer, then if money allows maybe even a paint job, or at least try to match the current paint for now..

weeee i got the truck registered.. so on sunday i will be pulling her into the garage and start getting the suspension, axles and underbody cleaned.. still haven't decided on my final plans.. but lots to do in the meantime...

Not the most interesting update but I decided to do something to the 76 and since i had the rear seat out i might as well see what condition the original covering was since the PO covered them in some swank 80's covers....

the back with the cover


with it off...



Bottom



removed...



and back together..



I was surprised that the vinyl was in as good condition as it is.. pretty happy about that as I think I have pretty much decided to return it to the original ranger paint scheme (Glen Green) and interior. I will enjoy your opinions on this over the next few weeks!

Looks great. cant wait to see it tomorrow at the breakfast. Or you gonna bring the fullsize?

bringing the 76..

Man, that rear seat looks awesome! Nice treasures we sometimes find under PO's work.

Based on the green interior I'm curious as to what the original color was since Ford had a few different shades of green back then. I know the light green metallic that I had on my original '74 is hard to find. Most everybody repainted them blue or red.