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I'm Keith from Madiaonville, Louisiana. I grew up in a family of blue collar highly skilled professionals in the automotive world. Primarily, my family owned an automotive machine shop since the early sixties that just closed with my last uncle finally retiring and calling it the end of a storied era. I began working there, as did most of my cousins and brothers, every day school was out since I was 8 years old. My dad and my uncles all were drag racers of both cars and boats, and the shop was a highly regarded place to get winning racing engines built. We did the usual stuff from outboards and tractors to every engine used in cars and big semi diesels to keep the usual money flowing regular. Over time I became a master machinist, a licensed drag racer up to Top Alcohol dragsters (no Funny seat time,) a motocross racer from the age of 5 riding my old Honda Elsinore 50, then an Elsinore 125 and 250. Once bikes got water cooling, more plastic, and monoshock rear suspensions, I raced 80 and 125 locally sponsored Yamaha YZs and Kawasaki KXs. I ran 250s a few times, but at 5'6" and weighing 107lbs, they were bigger and badder than I was to be competitive. I grew up helping do full mechanical restoration work on plenty of old Detroit steel, but never learned the art of being a paint and body finishing guy. I served in the Marines as a UH and AH-1 mechanic and Crew Chief, and later became a licensed aircraft airframe and powerplant mechanic. However, outside of the Marines, I never used that certification to pay the bills. I have owned and restored several Japanese 80s and early 90s 4x4s and currently have a 97 Nissan Hardbody 5spd King Cab as my daily driver, just sold a 1970 Honda CL350 Scrambler I fully restored, and am working on two other vintage Japanese bikes in progressive states of restoration, a 1970 Honda CB350 and a 1973 Yamaha DT250 Enduro. I am also slowly sorting a 1986 Toyota 1st Gen 4Runner 4x4 that is a solid complete no rust runner and driver that is also actively up for sale or trade to someone more interested in that than I am. Last week, I came across the one vehicle that both my wife and I dreamed to have but never did. Until now. I grabbed a 1984 Bronco II that is a runner, but not a driver as the factory 4spd crapped the bed and needs to be replaced. The seller has all brand new gearsets and shafts, new synchros, and a new clutch, but the empty trans case, the new guts, the bell housing, clutch, drive shafts, transfer case, and shift levers, etc are all neatly stacked in the cargo area of the truck since he is 17, no mechanic, took it all apart, ordered the new internals for the trans, but cannot recall how it all goes back together. The frame has areas of surface rust with very little to no concerning scaling. I spent a good bit of time tinking the entire frame, suspension mounts, floor pans, etc with the pointed end of a welding hammer and found no problem areas with the frame. The channels are internally still carrying factory finish with no internal rust areas found. The body skins have some areas of rust thru around the lower quarters front and back, and they have a local estimate from a body shop to reskin these areas and to do a full replay. I think I'd be more inclined to source new metal where I can and only repair what I cannot find good new or solid replacement parts for.in that regard. It is my favorite color combination two tone blue and white with blue interior. The interior needs attention in the form of a headliner, carpet, door cards, the drivers under dash knee pad, and some other details...a knob here or there...typical well loved and long used truck of that age. But, I am recently retired, have nothing but time, support for a planned project from my wife...primarily because it's a Bronco II, and it is a viable resto candidate truck worth the time and sweat. I am planning to keep the exterior and chassis original with possible changes to the diffs and transfer case as best needed as I am planning and researching doing a Hi-Po 289 or 302 and T5 swap to be able to use it as a more viable future daily and traveling and light and mild offloading now and then as we enjoy camping and just hitting the back highways seeing parts of this great Nation we were blessed to be born and live in that we have never seen before. I'm not always a purist in a total sense with resto projects, and am open to restomods all based on the condition, planned purpose of use, etc. This project will be a vehicle I plan to be my last that I own and drive till I get called home and it's my time for my flesh to take the dirt nap. So, I only plan to make the vehicle reliable, to have more power but just a stock or mild small block Ford to make keeping up with modern traffic easier, to make parts easier to find at a NAPA or usual parts place, and to be easier and more familiar to me to repair easily and efficiently. I am thinking of using an aftermarket carb mount EFI throttle body, like a Holly Sniper in concept, as well as a MSD shock box and electronic distributor based system to spin the oil pump and feed the lightning wires that light the fires. I was given some solid advice and swap parts needed and basic outline to plan for and some sources for parts such as the Ranger Station. Anyway, that's what brought me here, as obvious experienced people that have done what I hope to do also told me to make sure to get in here to find any answers to all of the mysterious puzzling challenges and questions I might find in this new world of restoring my first old smaller Ford 4x4. I'll mostly just read and listen and learn as I most likely have nothing expert or knowing to add here until I come to be an experienced fella that has lived it and learned some of it firsthand with my hands on that will begin soon. Just starting out, and just glad to be here.
