The Gearhead Garage

[EarlyBroncoGuy]

Some new additions to the shop:






Both are 2022, 2 door, Carbonized Gray, Sasquatches. One is a Base (small screen, cloth seats), the other is a Badlands. Yes, I bought them both. No, I didn't keep both of them. I couldn't resist getting a few photos of all of them together in the few days they shared a garage.

The Base is my original reservation/order from Day One. After waiting over 2 years for it, I got tired of waiting, went online, and finally found a Bronco that was exactly like I ordered - but better. It's a Badlands, with the large screen, leather seats, all kinds of bell and whistles I still haven't figured out yet.

Naturally, no sooner than I had bought the Badlands, I got the email from Ford that they were finally going to build my original Base order. So, I picked it up when it got to the dealer, and drove it around a little. But, I knew I wouldn't keep it. There was no point in keeping both, the wife likes the Badlands better, so I sold the Base to another local dealer, for more than I paid for it. Not a huge profit, but it was enough to pay for......THIS:



Brand new all steel Bronco body from Rust Belt Broncos. rear flared quarter panels, power steering core support and power brake inner fender. Haven't decided on a paint color yet. Do I paint it the same color all over (top and bottom), put undercoating/bedliner underneath and paint the top and interior, bedliner the interior....? So many choices.

 

[EarlyBroncoGuy]

Now that the new body showed up, I figured I'd start working on installing the engine.



Just kidding. Looks good, but that little V6 looks a bit lost in there, doesn't it? I built that SHO for another project, but sold the car. Now the engine is looking for a new home - know anybody that that wants an '89 Taurus SHO V6, complete and ready to go? Right now it's just mancave art.


Here, this should fit better:



Better, but an LS in an EB just isn't right - even if it is a 408 forged, supercharged, intercooled stroker. That's going in my "shop truck" - '01 GMC C3 that I've had for years.


Ok, time to quit playing and get back to work - dropped the new body onto the chassis to check fitment.





That 2" body lift may be a bit much - thought I might need it to clear the ZF trans and provide hood clearance for the 351W, Q-jet carb, and air cleaner. I'm switching to Holley EFI, so the Q-Jet and it's nearly 1" tall intake adapter are going away, which will let me drop the body down quite a bit. Still have to check tire clearance in the fenderwells, especially in the front, and full steering lock and suspension compression.


Brought the 2022 in to compare size:



Mocking up a new dash - centered gauge, relocated glovebox, four 2022 Bronco dash vents for the Vintage Air HVAC. You can see the areas in the floor I need to remove for the ZF shifter tower and the twin sticks for the T-case.





A little interior progress - shifter holes cut, stainless shifters from JB Fabrication installed, dash mocked up for test fit with new seats (Mercedes heated power leather).



Speaking of "test fit":




17" x 8", 8x6.5, forged aluminum, from a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. They have a much better offset than the 15" x 8" black steelies you've seen in the previous photos, plus provide a LOT more clearance for the 12" disk brakes, front and rear. Old tire on the mounted wheel is just for clearance checking - I'll probably go with 315/70/17's (same size as on my 2022 Bronco Sasquatch), or possibly 37" if they don't rub.

 

[zmotorsports]

Very nice.

 

[Mike65]

Nice trio of Bronco's. My wife has a 2021 Bronco Sport. My wife's old ride is a 99 Explorer Sport that is about the same size of an old bronco sitting behind her Bronco Sport in the attached pic.