I bought myself a '83 last year. I'm gonna build a SN95 302 for it this year hopefully. It'll eventually get a 6" lift and 35" tires. Happy to be a member of the FTE!

 

welcome to FTE
good luck looks like a lot of work ahead

 

Definitely. It's a very solid vehicle and very complete.

 

If you are building an engine why go that route instead of a 351W? You will also need to change the gearing to at least 4.10 or lower. What transmission?

 

Get a 1983 EVTM for the truck
Those early ones had some latch trouble, door latches and handles sometimes
Fix one thing at a time, and do it right, or as good as you can do it
Ebay and NOS are your friends
You can find just about everything you need for a Bronco now days (NPD catalog)
Not having a processor will be a nice advantage for some things (like capacitor failure the rest of us with processors face)
You don't need to buy a NPD catalog, if you get online and buy 1 thing, they'll send you catalog after catalog

 

Everything you should need…

You didn’t ask where to get parts but Bronco Graveyard is another source. My profile picture is of the ‘87 with a Superlift 6” lift on 35’s

 

I purchased a set of the original dealer TSM's for my Bronco. I buy a set for every vehicle I own. It'll get the proper gearing, etc in the future. My plan is to get safe and legal for now. I don't wanna get into building it and end up with a endless project. I wouldn't mind a 351W. Just can't find what I want plus I got a great deal on the roller 5.0.

 

I recently went to the Ocala NPD for a new hood. Great store! I remember Jeff's from years ago. I'm thankful for the internet age and the smart phone.

 

I bought paper books for the 89 B2 from eBay(?) and for the 2001 Taurus I got them directly from Helm Publishing. Mom bought the car brand new and passed it on to me around ‘05? The car is long gone but I still have the service manuals. I should probably try to sell them. For the ‘89 F-150 I bought the manuals on USB. Easy to look up and print a page if needed.