Project Giddyup: Stretched Mega Bronco

[Flyerrider]

Silverslk: keep me posted on your powertrain. I am interested. My wife grew up in Tempe at the lakes and lived there until she was 13 before moving to Dana Point. I went to flight school in Phoenix and have a ton of friends that still live there. My aunt also lives is Parker 3 doors down from the WeatherMan in Miralest Shores.

Travis: Early on in my planning stages I strongly considered using a F-150 frame. After much thought, I decided the backhalf would be easier, have better cage geometry, and achieve better results for what I am trying to achieve. I have back halved a ranger before and I found it to be much easier than building off of a frame. Most of my recent experience has been with tube chassiss and this will likely be the only project I will ever use a frame for. When I originally started my planning I was strongly considering building a tube chassis and center mounted A-arm bronco. After realizing this would add 10k and an extra year to the project I quickly decided against that route. Also, I talked with Dunkin yesterday at your shop about all the glass. Nice guy.

RMC: So far I just have the frame. I have at least 6 months of work to do just on the frame and suspension so that's where I'm starting. By doing it this way it also saves me the time of tearing down a complete Bronco and the space of storing all the parts. My "storage area" is 90 miles away in Landers (north of Yucca valley) so by starting with the frame it makes it easier. Plus, I have $50 into the frame (my buddy Jeff paid $100 for all the suspension and I paid $50 for the frame), $20 in gas, and $30 into a U-Haul trailer. $100 is getting me pretty far in my project. I am always looking for a white '96 and once I find one I'll buy it.

Alright, back to the garage!

[Flyerrider]

Here's some buggy dork pictures of my last project to show some of my fabrication capabilities. 96" WB, 73" TW, 20" travel front and rear, and it's a TON of fun! Every inch was designed in CAD and there's probably more laser cutting in it than most trophy trucks.

[Flyerrider]

Mas

[ChaseTruck754]

Ok - finished reading and I am looking forward to this.

A side note - is your buddy's shop in the complex at 1760 Monrovia in CM?

And again - I'd LOOOOOOOVE to see the build of the TTB F-100 as it's something I've wanted to do for a long while but lacked the time. So if there's any way to get a build for that going, or even just a pic or 2 I'd love it!

Hi Steve. We actually met years ago when you had your turboed ranger. I'm buddies with Jon who works for your uncle. The shop is off of Baker and Fairview and should be done in a month. Right now he is dealing with the final inspection on the electrical.

I'll post pics of the progress on the F-100. We are still undecided as to what we will do on the crossmember. Most likely we will scab in a TTB crossmember from a bronco or F-150. That's looking like the easiest/simplest option. It will be powered by a GM 6.0 (and yes I shame him constantly about that). It should be a pretty cool truck once we convert it to a short bed.

Good deal! I was over at Greg's shop today saying hi to him and Jean as it's been a while since I'd been over there.

On the TTB F-100 note - no shame in the 6.0. What you are doing is what I have been longing to do = F100 type truck with TTB and a LQ4 with 4l80 trans.

When I was looking at that & taking measurements, etc. I decided it would be easiest to cut the cross member with beam mounts & steering box mount out of a bronco & dump it in the 70's frame. 70's frames are a couple inches narrower than the 90's stuff up front there, but that should make fitment easy.
If I was going all out trophy type status on the build I may do custom beam mounts, etc. Just depends on how much fab time your buddy wants.

Oh and nice buggy too. That thing looks like a blast!