David's little mule

alpinejd3 · Post by **alpinejd3** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:32 pm

David nice to see your working on the bronco again. When you get into the beams I'll have to stop by and check it out.

John-

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 10:10 pm

Sounds good John.

I just picked up a Eaton Limited Slip Differential for the Bronco front end. The cool thing I like about it is no friction clutches to wear out and no special additive to deal with. I am running a Detroit locker in the rear, so it will be a good combo. Now I need to get my 4.88 gears.

David...

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 10:19 pm

I will probably be putting up for sale my 31 spline Detroit locker and stock width 31 spline semi floater axles for a 9" rear end. Along with my 4.11 gears by the end of the summer.

David...

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 11:52 pm

So I am contenplating my shock tuning. I have a Fox 2.5x16 coil over and a non bypass 2.5x16 second shock for each corner up front. My factory AC and factory brake vacuum booster is gone, so no issue with space to kick them back a little to cycle.

My thoughts are to set the coil over for rebound and second shock for dampening to help keep them cooler.

Or

Set the two 50/50 with rebound and compression but less dampening then what a single shock would need. Not sure if they would work the way I am thinking.

I am just brain farting out loud my shock setup. And I also have Fox 2.0x4.0 bump stops. I have done prep and rebuild for shocks on race vehicles, but when it comes to a new shock strategy on my own, it is a first.

What do you think guys?

David...

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 12:00 am

I got a good find on ebay the other day. I picked up a Dana 44 front 3rd member with the bolt on passenger side axle. Now I just need to get a rebuild kit and 4:88 gears. Making a little progress.

David...

1Hondalover · Post by **1Hondalover** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:49 am

Good score David. I had to go buy an 81 Bronco in Big Bear and trailer it home to get mine.

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:33 am

Jim, that's how I got the stuff to do the 351w swap for my Bronco from the 302. I paid $400 and ended up making $600 some dollars off the parts I did not need. Then another $300 for the body, frame and my old fiberglass she'll at the scrap yard. I even saved the doors for mine. Good deal and me and some friends had it fully stripped and on the trailer in 4 hours. Now days I would have saved more of it and passed it along to guys on here the need parts.

David...

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:42 pm

Woohoo, my bolt on axle third member came in today.
So now I have 3 dana 44 third members sitting around. I will probably put up the one I have with stock gears and an open diff for sale.

If anyone has a good set of 4.88 gears for the Dana 44 ttb or a Ford 9" they want to sell or trade, let me know. Also, I will be looking for a 35 SPLINE Detroit locker for 4.88 gears. I can trade 110 watt Kenwood race radios the 44ttb third or a set of Camburg Radius arms. Just the arms, no brackets or hiem joints.

A Good friend passed away last weekend, so It has made me want to get back to work on my Pepe. He helped me get a bunch of my go fast parts, taught me a lot about prepping and racing off road and I want to finish it as a reminder of all the fun times.

I was looking forward to the 50th Baja Mil in what ever my friend wanted to race, but those plans have changed. I can't imagine not having my friend in Baja with me. Even when I was running check points or pitting for Honda JCR, we would have each others back in Baja or the US. Somehow I would always end up with a spare tire and gas can for him if needed. [WHITE SMILING FACE]

David...

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:34 pm

Ok, it has been a long time since I've updated this page in a while.

Over the past few years Pepe has been a trailer toy and has not got out much. So I've been waiting to do something different with the Bronco and next year I will turn 50 in August. So I have a little more than a year. For my birthday present to myself, I want to rebody my little Mule Pepe from the 92 body style to a 1971 body style, the year I was born.

I got the Idea and inspiration from Chris Wilson and Glen Straightiff and their Race Bronco with a 1990 fullsize Chassis.

In many ways I want to do the front fenders, good and rear quarter panels the same as Glen did, but I want to put a removable metal hardtop on it.
With full doors, rear tailgate and it will be a 4 seater. Oh, and mine will have a windshield.

I even got the dual Peterbuilt Headlight can's. I got lucky and found a set of new old stock metal ones on eBay for cheap.

I am going to plan the layout the same as Glen did with some changes to the way the body mounts to the frame. I am not sure yet, but I may use delrin bushings to mount the body. I want to give some isolation between the body and frame, but I don't want to run poly or solid. Also, I can custom turn anything I need here at the house out of raw black delrin rod. I want to do floor bars like Glen did, but I plan to us bushing's to attach to the frame. When I work out the design, I will post pictures.

The deal will be, if I do use Delrin, I am going to use it on everything, including body, motor mounts, trans, transfer case and suspension.

Of course I will have to modify the body to fit the 1986 Chassis. Fortunately I already have all the GoFast parts like coilovers and stuff for long travel. I've done cagework a bunch of times, so no worries there.

I have several motor, transfer cases and transmission options around the house and I and still thinking of what to do. At first the C6, Np205 and 408w, but I was thinking of sending out my AOD to be built by Culhane to handle the 408w, so I could have a overdrive. We will see.

On my old school Early Bronco. The outside is going to be semi classic, old-school side mirrors, simple roof rack, simple tire carrier rear bumper. Simple front bumper. Hella HID LIGHT BAR above windshield that is adjustable with a electric linear actuator.

In a few weeks I will be starting the teardown of the old body.
I want to see if I can use the rear area floor behind the front seats with the Early Bronco body. It will also help give me body reference points when setting up the new body. We shall see.

Stay tuned

My own last big project.
My little Mule Pepe goes
Old School, as I just get OLD

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tcm glx · Post by **tcm glx** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:51 am

Can’t wait to see this!!

Pickuptrucker · Post by **Pickuptrucker** » Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:27 pm

cant wait to see progress!

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:53 am

I am going to look at a 1973 Parts Bronco today for among other things like a special new Glove Box Door with a Plate on it

. Thus would be the true start to the Old school transformation. We shall see.

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funinthesun95 · Post by **funinthesun95** » Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:55 pm

nice!

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 7:23 pm

Ok, it is official, I have completed the paperwork and paid for my new 1972 Ford Bronco. It is the perfect junker for me. The frame upfront is bent and the floor has rust holes. Needs fender, but it only cost $2750. I got is from a dealer in PA with a Clean Vin history, so I can get it Titled in California, Can't beat that. The down side, shipping was $2000, upside, it is on a transport to my driveway directly. I don't have to go get it from a shipping terminal. I could have saved a couple hundred dollars, but hey, Happy Birthday to me.

So I will have early Bronco Axles for sale in a couple months.

So, do I have to move to the Early Bronco Area of the Website or Other,

Now the to do list can be written on the wall. You know what they say, the writing is on the wall about Pepe

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ChaseTruck754 · Post by **ChaseTruck754** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:23 am

Seems like a pretty good deal given the crazy price on these old broncos these days! Lets get this party started!!

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:32 am

ChaseTruck754 wrote:Seems like a pretty good deal given the crazy price on these old broncos these days! Lets get this party started!!

I know, It is crazy what people want for Early Bronco's. Even ones in this condition here in California and AZ. I have been looking for a while and people wanted $5k for a rusty tub, no top, gutted with no title.

Now, I can move forward. Once it gets here in California is to get it Titled in California in my name and registered. Then the work really begins.

I want to see how much of the 1986 floor and inside tub I can retain from the 1986 Bronco in the rear area because it is all good stuff. I will change the wheel wells to the Early Bronco one's for looks. I am definitely going to the 72 tailgate, so I will have to widen that and the Hardtop. Something Chris Wilson did not have to deal with.

The hardtop is going to be widened and stretched. I have not decided if I am going to use stock glass in the hardtop by centering the glass in the mid point of the stretched metal fabricated area's or get custom glass and do the stretched top that way. I was not a big fan of Paul Wilson's Bronco with the long shell window on the stretched Bronco Glen built for him, but I loved the Bronco overall.

Once I get to that point, I will mock it up with cardboard and see what I like better. I know if I use stock glass, it would make life easier in the future for replacement.

The windshield is another thing that will have to be widened. I will not be able to get around it, so that will have to be a custom cut piece of glass. Fortunately, I have a friend who works for a Autoglass company and I can get the right glass and size from her. I am going to keep the stock style Early Bronco windshield frame that can be folded down. I have a couple upgrade Ideas for it to make it stronger and more durable, but I want to be as close to stock looking as I can.

Part's I need right now are 66-77 metal front fenders, hood and grille.

I could make some trades. I am going to have parts for sale soon from the 86 Bronco, like the Doors and tailgate. Then I have a set of white doors and tailgate from a 1989 Bronco and a Dark Green 1992-96 oem hood.

I will have some race Radio's put together for sale also, Kenwood 110 watt, TK730H and TK790H Radio's with or without remotely mounted head kits. I would be willing to trade for Early Bronco Body Parts.

I will post in the for sale area when I get more organized and get pictures.

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ChaseTruck754 · Post by **ChaseTruck754** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:26 pm

Interesting comments on Paul's bronco - I had the same opinion. Love the bronco, but not a lover of the long window for some reason. I like your trial by cardboard to figure it out. Luckily for you all the glass on this thing should be flat I think = easy to find and relatively speaking, cheap. Hot rod guys do custom glass all the time.

I'm looking forward to see how you widen the body and make things fit etc., but mostly I'm totally looking forward to the more "stock" look of a top on this.
I love Chris Wilson's bronco, but I'm not a fan of the "thing" on top haha. It's a GREAT homage to it's inspiration, but I never liked the thing on the Big Oly either.

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:01 am

The 1972 Bronco is on it's way to San Diego from PA.

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Pickuptrucker · Post by **Pickuptrucker** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:30 pm

Nice!

Wrightracing.net · Post by **Wrightracing.net** » Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:22 pm

I have a new/old pony in the stable. It just got delivered this afternoon. I even got Keys

. I was surprised it has a lot more good parts on it than I expected

. I am was not expecting this for what I paid for it. It usually the other way, you get less than you expected. I had low expectations

. It's that living in California mentality, never expect to get much for you money. Good thing I didn't get it in CA.

It even has the all sought after, holy grail, glove box Vin plate

So, Pepe is going Old School. No turning back now!!!

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