Chopped Top B2 on Wagoneer chassis

[crisd]

I've set a Bronco II on a shortened Wagoneer chassis. Also, cut the top off the rear and welded on a Ranger rear. Does anyone care to read how I did it? Here are some random pics during the build.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sure!

Kind of amusing, there is a channel on youtube I kinda follow where they grafted the front of a TTB F-150 frame onto a Wagoneer frame (with the wagoneer body still on it)

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Yep, I'm always interested in swaps.

 

[Blmpkn]

Awesome!

 

[crisd]

I wasn't sure if anyone was interested in a cut up Bronco II on a Jeep chassis since it's kind of Frankenstein. So a little back ground... I wanted to upgrade my Wagoneer's three speed automatic to a five speed manual, a stronger transfer case, and better brakes. After a lot of research and number crunching I found it was cheaper to swap the Wagoneer onto a chassis that already had everything I wanted. No shit. A lot more work... but cheaper. In the end, it came out better than I expected. https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=21401
After that was done, I had a left over perfectly good Wagoneer chassis and drivetrain and my sister's Bronco II wasn't running... sooo... frame swap number two.

 

[19Walt93]

That looks like a lot of work. Did you just use the Jeep chassis because you had it? I haven't seen a Wagoneer in decades, Rambler/AMC steel is soluble in road salt and NH makes sure to use plenty.

 

[crisd]

I'll have to dig up the actual number of inches I had to shorten the frame but it was about 16" inches I think. I cut the sections from just in front of the rear wheels then used the sections I cut out as the plates I used to hold the two frame sections together. I drilled holes in the plate and bolted it together. Once I was sure the frame was straight I welded it up. I had to cut out sections in the fire wall to make room for the V8 banks and then welded up new covers to fill the holes.
I bought a non-running Ford Ranger for $150, an 1989 model year I think, and cut off the rear of the bed and welded it to the rear of the Bronco that had the upper portion and rear section of the rear cut off. I welded steel sheet to the bed rails and up around on the newly removed roof. The rear fender wells were cut and narrowed to give more usable bed width. A much better aluminum radiator was fitted which required trimming around the radiator supports along with lowering the top of the lower support. The radiator is for a Ford Explorer, I'll have to look up the model year. Here are a few pics that are on my computer, I'll have to load some more later from my phone and take a few more as well.

 

[crisd]

19Walt93, I convinced my sister to do the swap because of a couple of reasons. One, she had installed a 4" body lift so she could fit bigger tires and I hate body lifts, friends don't let friends install body lifts. Two, the tiny underpowered 2.9 V6 stopped running and I didn't want to waste my time making that dingy anchor run. Three, the Waggy already had a proper suspension lift, bigger rims and tires, and a big V8 with much stronger Dana 44 axles just begging to be used.

 

[crisd]

A few more pics.
This is where I cut the frame in two.

 

[crisd]

I had to notch the lower support to clear the wagoneer steering gear box.

 

[crisd]

Top removed and inside view of bed. The raw cuts were capped with steel sheet.

 

[crisd]

Radiator support

 

[crisd]

Firewall pushed back about 2" to clear V8

 

[crisd]

Interior pics

 

[crisd]

There is a seam about six inches in from the end of the bed. I cut the Bronco and the Ranger at this seam.