Classic Bronco

[Matt.H]

I'm tall and would be looking at the top of the windshield frame.
M

Adjust your tire size until you can see clearly out the windshield. Best of luck.

 

[Regcabguy]

Adjust your tire size until you can see clearly out the windshield. Best of luck.

Yeah,maybe some lower rider seats would do it.
In the early 70's I'd see dialed in Broncos of that era in Baja. Suckers would go fast and smooth.

 

[chilliwak]

Any pics of the Bronco Lt1fire? Those first gen Broncos sure look a lot better than the second gen ones do. They also have solid axels which make them a much more capable 4x4 than the second gens with those crap I beam axels. It makes you wonder if erveryone at Fruad got high on LSD when the took such a nice truck like the first gen Broncos and then replaced it with something as bad as the second gen ones. Good luck on your purchase and lets see some pics. Cheers, Chilli....

 

[Begz]

Funny thread to run across this morning.

I just bought a 71 two weeks ago. Is it going to be an “expo” vehicle? Not sure. I think everyone, including myself, and especially on this site gets obsessed with the perfect vehicle and the perfect setup. I read an article about the perfect overland vehicle once, and after going through all these scenarios, the last sentence was basically, the one you already own.

I’m a car guy first, and have a passion for cool cars, regardless of what they’re for.

I had a JK, and currently still have a K5 I’ve been turning into a classic go anywhere camp truck. The K5 will be for sale soon.

So far I’ve been extremely impressed with the Bronco. It’s so simple, which I love. If you’re mechanically inclined, you can fix anything on this rig. That makes it a great trail vehicle. Mine’s pretty set up and brand new mechanically, 351 w fitech self learning, ax15 overdrive, lockers, etc. it drives about as well as my 2008 JK, seriously. I’m going to set it up a little better for camp trips and overnight wheeling.

As said previously, it’s the same size as a 2 door Jeep, or FJ. That just changes the way you pack and where you go. The Bronco will be great for overnights and short weekend trips. I have an F150 supercrew with a topper for longer trips. I might even try flat towing or trailering the Bronco for long trips to Moab or Colorado.

I’m having a lot of fun with it so far and I know you will too. It’s an expo vehicle if you make it one. A hardtop and some rack storage will help. That’s hopefully in the future after I sell my K5.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[toddz69]

Any pics of the Bronco Lt1fire? Those first gen Broncos sure look a lot better than the second gen ones do. They also have solid axels which make them a much more capable 4x4 than the second gens with those crap I beam axels. It makes you wonder if erveryone at Fruad got high on LSD when the took such a nice truck like the first gen Broncos and then replaced it with something as bad as the second gen ones. Good luck on your purchase and lets see some pics. Cheers, Chilli....

I don't think they were high on LSD, but they did have a lot of fun! I spoke again last night to the Chief Engineer on the 78-79 Bronco project who also happened to be the inventor of the Twin-Traction Beam front end. I'm mostly a first-gen guy myself too but I like them all.

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

I just bought a 71 two weeks ago. Is it going to be an “expo” vehicle? Not sure. I think everyone, including myself, and especially on this site gets obsessed with the perfect vehicle and the perfect setup. I read an article about the perfect overland vehicle once, and after going through all these scenarios, the last sentence was basically, the one you already own.

I’m a car guy first, and have a passion for cool cars, regardless of what they’re for.

So far I’ve been extremely impressed with the Bronco. It’s so simple, which I love. If you’re mechanically inclined, you can fix anything on this rig. That makes it a great trail vehicle. Mine’s pretty set up and brand new mechanically, 351 w fitech self learning, ax15 overdrive, lockers, etc. it drives about as well as my 2008 JK, seriously. I’m going to set it up a little better for camp trips and overnight wheeling.

As said previously, it’s the same size as a 2 door Jeep, or FJ. That just changes the way you pack and where you go. The Bronco will be great for overnights and short weekend trips. I have an F150 supercrew with a topper for longer trips. I might even try flat towing or trailering the Bronco for long trips to Moab or Colorado.

I’m having a lot of fun with it so far and I know you will too. It’s an expo vehicle if you make it one. A hardtop and some rack storage will help. That’s hopefully in the future after I sell my K5.

Welcome aboard! You have the right attitude about your truck and know its strengths and weaknesses. Mine isn't "ideal" either but it's the one I have and I love it so it does the job. Be sure to check out classicbroncos.com as well if you haven't been there yet. Lots of great resources there for any questions you might have.

Todd Z.

 

[lt1fire]

Any pics of the Bronco Lt1fire? Those first gen Broncos sure look a lot better than the second gen ones do. They also have solid axels which make them a much more capable 4x4 than the second gens with those crap I beam axels. It makes you wonder if erveryone at Fruad got high on LSD when the took such a nice truck like the first gen Broncos and then replaced it with something as bad as the second gen ones. Good luck on your purchase and lets see some pics. Cheers, Chilli....

sorry about that I thought I had posted up some pics.

its no where near what i'd call an expo vehicle, whole point of the thread was to see other first gens that have been "expod" to see if putting a new body on it was worth it.... for now it is staying as is and going to rough the elements in it.

 

[VroomSIX]

I don't think they were high on LSD, but they did have a lot of fun! I spoke again last night to the Chief Engineer on the 78-79 Bronco project who also happened to be the inventor of the Twin-Traction Beam front end. I'm mostly a first-gen guy myself too but I like them all.

Todd Z.

Wow, that sounds like a conversation I would've loved to hear! Does he have any insights or stories he told that you'd like to share? It's always fascinating to hear from the people behind the designs of these wonderful machines.

 

[Sixty8broncosport]

I'm tall and would be looking at the top of the windshield frame.
M

I lowered the floor in my 68, using the space from the removed aux tank and fit a full size seat in. I now look straight out the middle of the windshield. I'm 6'1"

 

[Sixty8broncosport]

Let me know if this is the wrong spot for this, but I'm looking to build a custom hard top for my Bronco. I've built an FJ40 in the past and love the look of the Defender 90/110, so am inspired by those two designs, along with a similar design created for a JK.

My goal:

• Integrate removable panels above the driver/passenger (like the Jeep Freedom top)
• Removable side and rear panels so can run open air, with just the top section on
• Hardtop roof that can support my weight and then some (inspired by the Gobi rack I have on my 4runner, for a rooftop tent.
• Gain a small amount of height and modifying the current lift/tailgate to a barn style door similar to the Land Rover, but retaining the Bronco look.

My concerns:

• Leaks: Since the Bronco tops notoriously have leak issues, I'm concerned about the high likelihood of leaks at the flange between the removable sections
• To address this problem, I'm thinking about scavenging a Jeep Freedom top and mating it to another top, like the Land Rover (which has Alpine windows) to make up for the length and width.
• If I went that route I can get my hands on some land rover side pieces and rear door hardware, so I can utilize the flip open side windows accessory offered on the Land Rovers

I'd rather weld than do fiberglass work, but can do both if needed. I don't have access to a garage and need to start driving my Bronco as soon as I finish my Coyote engine swap, since it is too cold to continue to ride my motorcycle in the East Coast winters.

I'm in Northern Virginia if anyone knows of a shop out this way that does good metal or fiberglass work. Otherwise, I would love to hear any other thoughts of a different route to take to achieve the look and utility on your Safari top would be greatly appreciated or a direction I can go to scavenge from other vehicles to create a more robust roof section, with removable side panels and driver/passenger roof panels, I would appreciate the advice.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[jscherb]

Let me know if this is the wrong spot for this, but I'm looking to build a custom hard top for my Bronco. I've built an FJ40 in the past and love the look of the Defender 90/110, so am inspired by those two designs, along with a similar design created for a JK.

My goal:

• Integrate removable panels above the driver/passenger (like the Jeep Freedom top)
• Removable side and rear panels so can run open air, with just the top section on
• Hardtop roof that can support my weight and then some (inspired by the Gobi rack I have on my 4runner, for a rooftop tent.
• Gain a small amount of height and modifying the current lift/tailgate to a barn style door similar to the Land Rover, but retaining the Bronco look.

My concerns:

• Leaks: Since the Bronco tops notoriously have leak issues, I'm concerned about the high likelihood of leaks at the flange between the removable sections
• To address this problem, I'm thinking about scavenging a Jeep Freedom top and mating it to another top, like the Land Rover (which has Alpine windows) to make up for the length and width.
• If I went that route I can get my hands on some land rover side pieces and rear door hardware, so I can utilize the flip open side windows accessory offered on the Land Rovers

I'd rather weld than do fiberglass work, but can do both if needed. I don't have access to a garage and need to start driving my Bronco as soon as I finish my Coyote engine swap, since it is too cold to continue to ride my motorcycle in the East Coast winters.

I'm in Northern Virginia if anyone knows of a shop out this way that does good metal or fiberglass work. Otherwise, I would love to hear any other thoughts of a different route to take to achieve the look and utility on your Safari top would be greatly appreciated or a direction I can go to scavenge from other vehicles to create a more robust roof section, with removable side panels and driver/passenger roof panels, I would appreciate the advice.

Thanks,
Brian

You posted in one of my threads in the Jeep section that you were thinking of using either Defender or FJ40 parts to construct your top, this image has all three to the same scale, which may help you in your design work.

In this one I pasted a D90 hardtop on a Bronco. It looks like the D90 top is too short and too narrow, so all of it's components would have to lengthened/widened.

It may be that some of the LJ/TJ Safari Cab fiberglass parts could be adapted, although the Jeep I believe is narrower than the Bronco. This is a photo of a complete set of parts just out of the molds.

The LJ/TJ Safari Cab is available from Gr8Tops (www.gr8tops.com), so you may be able to buy parts from them. The LJ/TJ Safari Cab isn't designed for Alpine windows though, which I think is something you're trying to have on your top. The JKU version of the Safari Cab is designed for Alpine windows, but that top isn't currently available commercially and anyway none of the other parts of it would be easily compatible with a Bronco..

 

[Sixty8broncosport]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the thorough information. I was going to sit down and modify some drawings, but you beat me to it. I appreciate it. Seeing the visual is definitely helpful. I kind of like the rear view and think I can make some modifications to keep it looking like a Bronco, for the most part. I would definitely try to change the lines of the side profile, which looks off to me on a Bronco. I think my current plan is to purchase the side pieces from a Land Rover top, modify them for the proper height and width and then either fabricate a roof out of metal, which would be the most straightforward for me. I'd really like the adaptability of mating the freedom top, so I can pop off those panels over the driver/passenger, but have to think about the amount of work that will be. Is your Safari top rigid enough to support a significant amount of weight? If so, what thickness of material do you need in order to obtain that frigidity? Not working with fiberglass on a regular basis, I don't know how to find that balance between rigidity and keeping the overall weight low.

The second pic is really what I am looking for, which I think can be modified in width by cutting down the middle and adding a filler piece, without affecting the lines too significantly. The length would be a little more tricky, but if needed I could cut in between the two windows and add a filler piece.

I'll have to sit with my options and decide how brave I'm feeling versus how important certain attributes in the top are to me, based on skill level and time.

 

[jscherb]

Hi Jeff,
... Is your Safari top rigid enough to support a significant amount of weight? If so, what thickness of material do you need in order to obtain that frigidity? Not working with fiberglass on a regular basis, I don't know how to find that balance between rigidity and keeping the overall weight low.

Depends on what you define as a significant amount of weight. I use a roof-top tent on mine and sleep two people in it; that's more weight than a typical unreinforced fiberglass roof can handle. It is possible to build almost any amount of strength into a fiberglass roof, but it starts getting heavy and the structure can be bulky on the inside depending on how it's done. To keep the weight of my roof panels down but at the same time able to support the roof-top tent and occupants, mine has brackets that transfer the load on the roof rack to the roll bar. The rear brackets in my JKU Safari Cab are visible in this photo taken through the back barn door, the bolts for the roof rack rails go through the fiberglass roof panel and into the brackets; the brackets are bolted to the roll bar. There are similar brackets in the front.

If you plan to build the top in a modular way so the side panels are removable like mine, roll-bar supports are really necessary if you plan to also carry weight up top.

If you wanted to build a fiberglass hardtop to support weight without relying on brackets to the roll bar like I did, take a look at boat construction - things like flying bridges are build strong enough to take a load. They're probably heavier than you'd want on a vehicle but that's where to look for design details for a fiberglass-only weight-supporting roof.

 

[fireball]

One of these is good for going a few miles down the road to get ice cream.

One is good at hauling the family across the country on various adventures.

I’ll let you guess which is which

 

[Sixty8broncosport]

I run a roof top tent on my 4Runner and want to use it on my Bronco and while building a flying bridge would be fun to due from a design standpoint, I think brackets attached to my roll cage is the better choice for this project, which I was planning on doing anyway.

I'm starting to look into how to make a large plug. I'm trying to decide between using wood (balsa wood for the curves) or closed cell foam and a CNC router to cut out the shape for the mold. Been watching videos and reading articles.

Also found these roll cage mounts, that I will probably use for mounting the roof panel to my roll cage. Threads go the wrong direction, as I would want the flat side up, but the concept is what I'm looking for.


Otherwise I can just make them out of a solid piece of aluminum, similar to this, though probably over kill for strength: