The Owyhee Mustang - Idaho Adventure Bronco

[madmatt1]

Good interior panels are the business!! Highly recommend watching some of ACC's youtube videos on carpet installation, even if you've done it before. They had some nice tips and tricks that would have made my life a lot easier when doing my carpet.

I couldn't agree more! One thing I absolutely cannot stand is looking at and listening to broken (or missing) interior trim! There are definitely a fair deal of these vehicles in salvage yards, but at least in my area, places that let you pick your parts are pretty much non-existent. To make matters worse, if you call a place up, looking for trim panels for a 90's vehicle, they're basically going to suggest that you piss off. It's definitely getting tough to get that kind of stuff these days! It'd be super cool if someone started making reproductions. Maybe one day!

I definitely did watch all of the ACC Youtube videos I could find before the installation, and yes they are super helpful! All in all, I was super happy with the product and really didn't run into any issues. I don't usually have as good of luck with that type of stuff as I did in this circumstance!

[madmatt1]

Steering wheel is awesome! I've never seen a kit like that at O'Reilly's. Interior came out clean and good choice on colors for the seats.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Thank you!
The steering wheel covers are called SuperSkin, they're made by Superior Automotive. Here's a link to their website... http://www.sup-auto.com/superskin.html
They take a little practice for sure, but the end result beats the hell out of anything that slips on, and they're reasonably cheap. I'm actually looking forward to doing my F150 to see if I can show myself up
I contemplated what kind of seats to get for the longest time. Totally stressed myself out over it. I almost went with PRP, as you can customize the colors and fabrics to your wildest imagination. However, knowing how comfortable the Baja RS is, I decided they matched well enough. I also have a wholesale account with 4 Wheel Parts at work, and got a great price on them!

[ChaseTruck754]

PRP's are nice. Mastercrafts are next level though! I'm sure you'll be plenty happy with your purchase.

And for future, any color you can get on PRP's you should also be able to do on any beard or mastercraft (And Neri Stlye and Twisted stitch, etc.) seat as well.

[Becks_Bronco]

What did you do with the carpet where the front piece goes up the hump, and the carbo piece hangs down over it? Did you have to trim at all, and what did you use to get it to lay flat and nice? That's the only part i haven't tackled yet.

[BDKW1]

What, no picks of the tank sludge?

[madmatt1]

What did you do with the carpet where the front piece goes up the hump, and the carbo piece hangs down over it? Did you have to trim at all, and what did you use to get it to lay flat and nice? That's the only part i haven't tackled yet.

I tucked the ends of the cargo mat underneath the quarter panel trim. Then, I folded it over the hump, and put weight up against it to help it conform and stay folded over. I didn't have to trim anything, the weights will really get the carpet to do what you want it to do. The longer you can let it sit like that, the better. If you have any of those portable tool boxes, those work well as long as they're heavy enough. (That's where I keep my little tool boxes normally anways) The carpet will also soften and conform much more over time, I've noticed. Mine has been in about a year now, and it really just hangs right over that hump like it's supposed to. I'll take a picture of that area for you-

[madmatt1]

What, no picks of the tank sludge?

No, unfortunately I don't have any of that headache.... I don't think at that point I figured I'd ever be doing a build thread, I was just trying to make it a driveable vehicle!
The tank wasn't necessarily sludged up, it was full of big flakes of rust. I can only assume it got a bunch of water in it at some point, and sat that way for a long time. At any rate, I ended up having to replace the tank, and the fuel injectors. Had one (or many / all) hanging open, and it would start really hard when it was warm. The previous owner had rigged up a couple of clamped on hoses so the filter could be changed without the "special tools". Luckily, he didn't cut the fittings off or do anything stupid like that.

Here's a video of me blowing into the fuel filter it came with, this should provide you with some shock and horror!

https://www.facebook.com/10000185347142 ... 218300404/

[madmatt1]

PRP's are nice. Mastercrafts are next level though! I'm sure you'll be plenty happy with your purchase.

And for future, any color you can get on PRP's you should also be able to do on any beard or mastercraft (And Neri Stlye and Twisted stitch, etc.) seat as well.

I couldn't find anything / anywhere that said you could get any custom options on the Mastercraft seats.
At some point, way down the road, I'll be wanting to put some in my F150, I guess I'll do more research then. I've had these seats in the Bronco since late summer, I'd guess I've put a few thousand miles on it since then, as I drive it every day. The seats are amazing. The combination of support and comfort is close to perfect! At some point in time, I'd like to install some heater kits in them. I'm a big fan of heated seats. Thankfully, this winter was a cakewalk and I really didn't suffer without them

[Pickuptrucker]

Looking really good so far!

[madmatt1]

Looking really good so far!

Thank you!

[madmatt1]

The next mechanical malady to deal with was the cooling system. Initially, it was full of this rust / sewer water mixture. After 2 thorough flushes, it started looking a little better. About at this point in time, the radiator starting leaking at the seams. I'm sure it had been previously sealed with a barrier of goop and rust. Now was the time to upgrade to an all-aluminum radiator... I've had excellent luck with Champion radiators in the past, and they're plenty affordable, so that's what she got!
Over the following months, I changed the hoses, (the lower one going to the oil cooler is little bit of a bastard) and flushed the cooling system at least 2 more times. These days it's finally circulating clean coolant again...
Sure takes a long time to undo the damage crappy coolant (or maybe it was water??) can cause!

[madmatt1]

The 90's styled aftermarket wheels and little car-tread value line tires were the next thing to go. They were driving me nuts to look at, and certainly did not lend a helping hand when I wanted to make camping trips to the mountains. I borrowed the wheels and tires off of my F150 for a while, until I decided what I was going to really do for wheels and tires on the Bronco. These are Pro Comp Extreme MT's, and Ion Alloys. Just 31x10.50R15's, but they were a major improvement in the meantime!
The Bronco had some issues with the drip rails and the roof corners, as so many Broncos do. The cracks were just enough to let water in a couple different places if it rained hard enough. This became apparent in the spring. Southwest Idaho gets pretty much zero rain in the summer, so I waited until summer was underway to pull the top for body work. (Of course, I replaced all of the top seals while it was off.) It was pretty fun driving her around topless for a while! Probably isn't going to happen again anytime soon, though...

[Becks_Bronco]

What, no picks of the tank sludge?

No, unfortunately I don't have any of that headache.... I don't think at that point I figured I'd ever be doing a build thread, I was just trying to make it a driveable vehicle!
The tank wasn't necessarily sludged up, it was full of big flakes of rust. I can only assume it got a bunch of water in it at some point, and sat that way for a long time. At any rate, I ended up having to replace the tank, and the fuel injectors. Had one (or many / all) hanging open, and it would start really hard when it was warm. The previous owner had rigged up a couple of clamped on hoses so the filter could be changed without the "special tools". Luckily, he didn't cut the fittings off or do anything stupid like that.

Here's a video of me blowing into the fuel filter it came with, this should provide you with some shock and horror!

https://www.facebook.com/10000185347142 ... 218300404/

Haha, that chuckle at the end says it all!

I'll give the carpet trick a try. The longer it sits, the smoother everything seems to get, especially if it's sitting in the sun with all the windows up.

[madmatt1]

What, no picks of the tank sludge?

No, unfortunately I don't have any of that headache.... I don't think at that point I figured I'd ever be doing a build thread, I was just trying to make it a driveable vehicle!
The tank wasn't necessarily sludged up, it was full of big flakes of rust. I can only assume it got a bunch of water in it at some point, and sat that way for a long time. At any rate, I ended up having to replace the tank, and the fuel injectors. Had one (or many / all) hanging open, and it would start really hard when it was warm. The previous owner had rigged up a couple of clamped on hoses so the filter could be changed without the "special tools". Luckily, he didn't cut the fittings off or do anything stupid like that.

Here's a video of me blowing into the fuel filter it came with, this should provide you with some shock and horror!

https://www.facebook.com/10000185347142 ... 218300404/

Haha, that chuckle at the end says it all!

I'll give the carpet trick a try. The longer it sits, the smoother everything seems to get, especially if it's sitting in the sun with all the windows up.

Sometimes all you can do is laugh! I think it amazed me that the truck was able to be driven after so many years of neglect! Another thing I forgot to mention is that in the first days of driving the Bronco, I noticed it leaving little puddles of ATF every time I'd park it. So the first thing I had to do was pull the transfer case and see what was going on, as it was leaking from between the two. Lo and behold, there was no gasket in between them! I just don't understand how people "just deal" with things like that, let alone do it in the first place.

Yep, you'll be surprised how that carpet will change over time, temperature, and use. It'll grow out of this "awkward phase"...

[madmatt1]

A little over a year ago, these 17" Method NV305's were on Amazon for about $120.00 each. The problem was that they only had 3. Needless to say, I bought them, and over the next several months I kept my eyes open for any other deals I could find. Never found any that cheap again, but I wound up buying 2 more on Ebay eventually for $150.00 each or somewhere around there. All in all, not too terrible!

[madmatt1]

.... Or MR305 NV... or whatever...

[madmatt1]

Since I bought the wheels, I've been seeing them on Broncos more and more, so eventually I want to powdercoat them and assert my Bronco's unique identity.
I have a few ideas rolling around in my head. I'm normally a pretty reserved person when it comes to these things, but I think something "weird" might be in the future... blue and white or something. I dunno...

[madmatt1]

A short while after I had collected a whole set of wheels, 4 Wheel Parts had a "buy 3 get one free" sale on tires. I am a pretty devout Pro Comp MT guy, and naturally, those were on the menu. I went with the 315/70R17. It didn't take long after I had this stack of wheels and stack of tires that I had to put them on something... My 1989 F150 sits on stock suspension, other than a set of 2WD F250 springs up front for about 1.5" of lift or so. JUST enough to clear 35's. I put a set of 1 1/2" wheel spacers on it to get them away from the radius arms. The gas mileage went from pathetic to abysmal, but it looks pretty bad ass and rides a lot nicer!
Now I just needed to start piecing together suspension for the Bronco....

[madmatt1]

What did you do with the carpet where the front piece goes up the hump, and the carbo piece hangs down over it? Did you have to trim at all, and what did you use to get it to lay flat and nice? That's the only part i haven't tackled yet.

I tucked the ends of the cargo mat underneath the quarter panel trim. Then, I folded it over the hump, and put weight up against it to help it conform and stay folded over. I didn't have to trim anything, the weights will really get the carpet to do what you want it to do. The longer you can let it sit like that, the better. If you have any of those portable tool boxes, those work well as long as they're heavy enough. (That's where I keep my little tool boxes normally anways) The carpet will also soften and conform much more over time, I've noticed. Mine has been in about a year now, and it really just hangs right over that hump like it's supposed to. I'll take a picture of that area for you-

Backtracking a couple posts.... Today all the stars aligned and it was sunny, and I took a lunch break. Here's the photos of the cargo area carpet I said I would take...
Hope that helps!

[madmatt1]

One of the worst things about having a bench seat is not having an accessible place to stash stuff, and hold your drink. After installing the new seats, I drove around without a console for a while and the football field sized area of open floor was really begging for some sort of addition. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for for Desolate Motorsports to decide to start selling a console kit! As you'd expect, the quality and fit is top notch. The only unexpected and minor thing I ran into, was that the left side panel had to be trimmed a little for the 4WD shifter. Here's how the console turned out....