Hoopdee 94.0 Bronco
- Thread starter Brett_408
- Start date
Daily Update: Finished the rear window lacing, C-pillar side gussets and lower door bar tubes. Waiting on seats from PRP to start setting seat mounts up. This weekend I'll work on the dash tube and tying into the existing engine cage.
Update: I got the dash tube fitted in and all 4 tie ins from the existing engine cage to the dash tube. This ended up being a royal pain in the ass. The center tubes are sleeve with slugs so those where pretty strait forward. The outer edge tubes ended up getting but welded into the engine cage with a partition plate in the center. ( it was the only way to actually get them into place) I will add additional gusseting around that node. Then got the A pillar to frame tie in's done. The cage kit only come with the small tube going from the A pillar to the side of the frame I added the extra tube going back to the radius arm mounts. The single tube seemed pretty mickey mouse IMO.
Finished up the dash intrusion tubes aka the "A" in the windshield. Also added an additional tie in for the rear C pillar to the leaf spring hanger. The rear C pillar tube runs across the back and bolts to the 2 rear most body bolts so these outer tubes are just an additional point of contact not included with the kit.
Also side note in the last picture you can see some horrendous mig welds. I cheaped out a bought the amazon special "Blue Demon" Chinese bullshit weld wire and my god it welds awful!!! DO NOT BUY IT. Back to the expensive Lincoln L-56 wire.
Also side note in the last picture you can see some horrendous mig welds. I cheaped out a bought the amazon special "Blue Demon" Chinese bullshit weld wire and my god it welds awful!!! DO NOT BUY IT. Back to the expensive Lincoln L-56 wire.
Funny you say that I was just about to post and update about the dash. Stand by.
Update: I have patched the holes in the floor using 14 GA cold rolled. Patched the holes behind the dash on the firewall using sound deadener material (its behind the dash and it will work). I got the B pillar tie in plates welded in these come with the kit and are kind of the Harris Built staple to his cages. I like them saves me from building it. I'll be adding additional cab to cage tie in's throughout. Lastly I fit the stock dash into place and boy let me tell you that is one of the worst things I've ever had to do when building a vehicle. It came out like dog shit and I have no hopes it will actually last longer then 1 season!! Hats off to the guys that can fit a dash and not completely butcher the cut outs.
The dash looks great to me. Impressed you got it back in place in one piece. I pulled mine for the cage and to paint it black, but ended up putting it back in place before the cage. Didn't think I could get it in afterwards. It was still a pain. Of course it was only an option because my Solo cage has no dash or intrusion bars.
Tree trunk
Well-known member
Did all your factory AC ducting go back in place?
Ajones880
Active member
Looks Killer, Dude!! I'll have to remember to invite you on our Bronco desert trips, once I get the unicorn back up and running.
UR_Mawm69
Well-known member
dude. how you tied the C/D pillar into the rear hangers................
MUY PERFECTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MUY PERFECTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
No It pretty much all got gutted. So down the road I'm thinking either Vintage AC or make custom round ducting for the stock AC. Have some ideas floating in my head. Im in kind of a time crunch for a multi day "pretender" trip in September so that's one of the things I'll be revisiting.
That would be very cool please do. I'd like to check your bronco out in person and pick your brain about some motor and wiring things. I'v followed your build for a while even back on GFB.
95_Bluwhale
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2022
- Messages
- 229
Vintage air was planning on an obs setup but I don’t think it ever came out gfb had a post about it
Not surprised. That duct system is huge on these 5th gens. My son and favorite cage welder had the great idea to heat that big ABS duct box with a torch just to get the passenger A pillar bar to clear and basically mold to it. It's tight plus the dash that used to flop around like crazy now is wedged in there and rock solid. Any future dash changes will involve a Sawzall.
A big upside of your gut job is you can lose the fan motor and box in the passenger wheel well. Probably not a problem with 35s but I've kissed the corner with 37s. My ghetto solution that actually worked well is black plumber's ABS cement and a piece of ABS plastic to reshape that corner.
With my current 35's I had to trim the corner of the AC box just slightly. I do plan on going 37's in the near future so you're correct now i'll probably just ditch the entire system all together and patch the firewall.
