I'm sorta-kinda bummed with my Flareside,....it's almost complete, all I need to do this year is "tidy up" little things,

Whats done:
Repair Frame
New shock mounts and shocks
New Gas tank and lines
All new brakes in 4 corners and master
all new brake lines (including rubber)
clean/paint frame.
Completely replace EVERY rubber piece in IFS from Radius arms forward
New ball joints tie rods
New NOS FORD hubs
clean/patch wiring
Install AC, cruise lariat cab
Install Power windows/locks,
install digital clock/ interval wipers
Re-build slider
Paint interior plastic parts with SEM interior paints
Dynamat floor
Install ZF-5 and hdy clutch lines
Shortened rear driveshaft
New OEM style wood bed floor
Body work (cut out rust) primer and paint body Medium Regatta blue
Install cab lights
Re condition rims, add trim
Install glass
add third brake light.
Registered and driving!

Need to do:
Undercoat cab floor/ bed wheel wells.
Install Duraspark system and trash the HEI one wire.
Red Head?
may add 2" suspension lift.

Now I'm bored.... Maybe pick up a basket case 1977 Bronco and start the aggrevation process all over?

 

Ron - I think it is time for the Bronco. Personally I've sorta implied I'd be interested in a Bronco - from someone on here who has too many projects.

But, as for Big Blue, here's what happened today:

• Aftermarket Gauges: Got the power, grounds, and lighting wires soldered, heat-shrunk, and tidied up. Further, the blue LED's came in today so I put three of those in, as shown below.
• Radio: Checked out the radio and discovered that it had been installed by someone with class. They'd used the factory wiring and soldered the Sony harness into it and put heat-shrink over the joints. But, as I was moving wires around to check things out I heard a snap and the courtesy lights went out. Turns out that their solder joint for constant power, which is on the same circuit as courtesy lights, had a sharp spot and it was poking through the tubing. A few turns of Super 33+ electrical tape and a covering of convolute ensured that won't happen again. Then I moved on to more testing and discovered that the radio didn't have power - maybe because there was no fuse in the fuse box for the radio. After replacing the blown fuse and installing a fuse in the radio spot everything works!
• Clock: I replaced the clock that couldn't be set with one that can.
• Cleaning: Got the yuk out of the driver's side A/C vents () and cleaned the glove box liner.

Here's are the aftermarket gauges with the same blue LED's that are going in the instrument cluster:





And, right in the middle of this pic you can see a brown/burned spot in the yellow tubing. Note to self: Ensure all soldered joints are smooth as sharp ones will certainly poke through tubing when it shrinks.

 

Those gauges look Sweet!

 

Thanks! I think I'm going to like the new blue LED's. Can't wait to get the needles painted, the LED's installed in the cluster, and put it all back together.

And, that shot wasn't easy. Given the limited amount of light it took 1.0 second with the lens fully open at f2.8 to get enough light. But, at anything over about 1/8 of a second things get quite blurry if hand held. In fact, I tried one by hand and wouldn't use it. So I had to set the camera in a portable vise, place the vise on the seat, and use the self timer.

 

[QUOTE=Gary Lewis;17062289]Ron - I think it is time for the Bronco. Personally I've sorta implied I'd be interested in a Bronco

Words I'll never hear from my wife!

 

My wife wouldn't say it either. However, I've already told her I may have found a Bronco. She knows it wouldn't be for me but for our son, and I've been talking about doing one for him for a long time. So, I think she would let me - assuming a lot of things line up.

 

Is it a 1977? The '77 is a 1-year specific model... this is what I am looking for.

 

No, it is an '87. Not my favorite as it really isn't a Bullnose, but if the price is right.....

 

IF you "wander" across the old box bronco.......

 

A '77? I'll watch for one.

 

Yep a '77, it's the only year of the first generation Broncos with Power brakes, Power steering AND gas doors.
in '77 Gas doors, no more exposed gas caps, were mandated by the Government.
So you can easily "pick off" a '77 from a distance 'cause of the gas filler doors.

 

Today's update: Finished tidying up the underhood wiring harnesses. Used convolute and Super 33+, and got it reasonably organized. But, until I have the new relays in and can put things back in their right places it doesn't look finished, so pics will have to wait.

Supposed to get the trailer connector and the needle paint tomorrow, so it'll be a few days before I can get everything buttoned up. But I'm anxious to get it back on the road.

 

[QUOTE=Gary Lewis;17062289]Ron - I think it is time for the Bronco. Personally I've sorta implied I'd be interested in a Bronco - from someone on here who has too many projects.

To another someone with too many projects?

 

[QUOTE=1986F150six;17066210]The discussion has ensued in the background.

 

Well, the alligators are certainly trying to prevent me from draining this swamp. Today I was supposed to glue the 4x4 lens back in the bezel, install the new LED's in the brake/tail light and backup light sockets, and get the gauges ready for painting as the Testor's Fluorescent Orange came in today. That included removing them, cleaning the cluster, and adding the blue LED's.

I did that, including powering the LED's up to make sure they were installed the right way 'round, and was about to start masking the gauges when I decided I'd take a break and install an LED in the dome/map light. And, as I started taking the light down I brushed the headliner - and got showered with "stuff". Turns out, the "tufting" was created by someone installing pins through the fabric and into the backing to hold the fabric up as it was completely loose from the backing. And the "stuff" was dead foam rubber that was falling off the backing like rain any time you touched it. So, I had to take the headliner out, which meant the dash pad came off, the A-pillar covers, and the metal trim. And when I got the headliner out and moved the steering wheel that had been sitting on the seat here's what I found.




Then, with the seat cleaned of the flaking foam I looked in the back corners of the cab. YUK! Here's what the right rear corner trim piece looked like.




So, I took a stiff nylon scrub brush to it and the "stuff" flew everywhere and gathered in the low spots.




I tried soaking the top one in this pic in the bathtub for an hour with hot water and Simple Green. But, it didn't really seem to help at all. So, with lots of elbow grease and various approaches I sanded the bottom one (which is the one in the pic above) to within an inch of its life. There precious little texture left, but just enough that whatever the "stuff" is the texture provides enough tooth for it to adhere. So, I'm going to leave that one there and work on the other one - tomorrow. But, for now I'm going to go nurse the bites I seem to be accruing.