Last month my dad informed me that he knew a guy who was getting rid of his 4x4, that it needed work but was driveable, and was willing to let it go for cheap. "How much, whats wrong with it, and what kind of 4x4 are we talking about?", I asked. "What can you afford, who cares and who cares?", my dad replied. Two weeks later, I am the (somewhat) proud owner of a 1985 Ford Bronco 2.
It took awhile to get the paperwork in my name, mainly because of smog related issues. The PO didn't want to put money into it to sell, so my dad did me a favor and took it to a buddy who got it to pass. How it passed, I have no idea. Anyways, it's in my mom's garage until I sort out all the issues with the Bronco. I'm still not sure if I like my Bronco 2 yet, but it's growing on me. After I figure out where all the leaks are coming from, I'll feel comfortable driving it around town some. My last 4x4 was a Tj, so naturally am still somewhat partial to jeeps.
The Bronco's body is straight, with some of the paint chipped or peeling in sections. I plan to just touch up areas with spray paint for now. All of the glass is good, but the doors need new window channel felt because they rattle a bit. Also, I had to remove the headliner because it was completely unglued from the plastic board, and it was raining glue/foam dandruff down on me every time I drove it. I kinda like it without the head liner though. It gives me a place to stick decals on. Other than the headliner, the interior was in great shape, with just a minor rip on the drivers seat, which I'll sew shut. The rear cargo area carpet was also pulled, but I plan to rhino line that area.
Under the hood is a jumbled mess of hoses and wires, but the engine seems to work fine. I'm in the middle of cleaning it up a bit, and I might even re-paint some of the parts. Last weekend I finished the brakes, this weekend was concentrated on fixing the overheating problem. (Thermostat was stuck in closed position) Still have to locate that pesky engine oil leak.
Project 85 B2
Re: Project 85 B2
Not bad looking good! And be proud not just somewhat k?
Re: Project 85 B2
Lol, you're right. I think once I get her out of the garage & off road I'll be happy with the purchase.fnlucky wrote:Not bad looking good! And be proud not just somewhat k?
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Mud Addict
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- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:36 pm
- Location: Enumclaw, WA
Re: Project 85 B2
It looks like my $100 B2's twin 
Nice lil Bronco.
Nice lil Bronco.Re: Project 85 B2
To date I have spent around $350.00, and that includes the price of the B2, registration, repairs, plus gas to get it to my house! lolMud Addict wrote:It looks like my $100 B2's twin
I'm in the process of finding a house, so all my focus is on that right now. I only work on the BroncoII on some weekends. All my friends are waiting for me to unleash my customizing skills on the B2, but they'll have to wait a bit longer. My last 2 project vehicles turned out awesome:
2001 TJ Wrangler & a 1964 Baja Bug:
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Mud Addict
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:36 pm
- Location: Enumclaw, WA
Re: Project 85 B2
Nice toys 
Re: Project 85 B2
It took a few weeks due to other projects around the house, but finally finished the electric fan conversion. I chose a 2-speed out of a PicknPull 1995 Ford Taurus. The guy had just taken off the "Do not pull parts" off of the roof, so I was lucky enough to get it. I think I paid $17.00 for it. The relay for the low speed is a standard 40amp from my local car audio shop. For peace of mind I bought a 85amp continuous battery isolator relay that can handle 150+ amps for short bursts (fan startup), for the high speed side. The low speed I wired to a switch inside the Bronco II, while the high speed is switched on when the A/C compressor kicks in.
To make the install easy in/easy out, I cut the fan to fit within the original B2 fan shroud. I used brackets & rivets to hold it in place. Two bolts & lower clips hold it onto the radiator.
The mount I made is just a scrap piece of aluminum angle I had lying around. An extra piece was added to fit the larger relay under the heat shroud later. One bolt and the whole thing can be moved to access behind. The low speed (right in pic) has a standard 50amp circuit breaker, while the high speed has a larger 120amp. Both have reset capabilities. I mounted a spare relay just in case of a failure.
My new battery cables and terminals. Nothing worth noting here except I plan on making some changes to this area soon. Eventually I'll have a dual battery setup.
I did notice when running the high speed fan, it showed a significant voltage drop to the charging system. It held steady at around 12.6v, which seems pretty low to me. I think I'll add a voltmeter gauge on my list of things to get, for peace of mind. I was planning on getting a 160-200amp alternator anyways, so this should fix the problem. Now onto finishing the Cb mount, light bar & stereo upgrades...
To make the install easy in/easy out, I cut the fan to fit within the original B2 fan shroud. I used brackets & rivets to hold it in place. Two bolts & lower clips hold it onto the radiator.
The mount I made is just a scrap piece of aluminum angle I had lying around. An extra piece was added to fit the larger relay under the heat shroud later. One bolt and the whole thing can be moved to access behind. The low speed (right in pic) has a standard 50amp circuit breaker, while the high speed has a larger 120amp. Both have reset capabilities. I mounted a spare relay just in case of a failure.
My new battery cables and terminals. Nothing worth noting here except I plan on making some changes to this area soon. Eventually I'll have a dual battery setup.
I did notice when running the high speed fan, it showed a significant voltage drop to the charging system. It held steady at around 12.6v, which seems pretty low to me. I think I'll add a voltmeter gauge on my list of things to get, for peace of mind. I was planning on getting a 160-200amp alternator anyways, so this should fix the problem. Now onto finishing the Cb mount, light bar & stereo upgrades...