Owner: Matthew Wood
Location: Hertfordshire United Kingdom
Model: 1985 Bronco XLT
Engine: 351W Nothing special, just spruced up by myself!
Driveline: C6, D44, 9" Limited slip
Upgrades: Both the 351 and the C6 are fresh rebuilds, I have a rough country 4 inch lift and the rest is stock!
Story: The truck was purchased back in '84 as a work horse in Albuquerque NM and wasn't registered until the mid 90's from my research it spent its time working from jan 85 to 95 before it got licence plates at which point it was used as a work truck again within the same family. I have reason to believe that it sat in a barn in NM from the early 2000's until it was sold out of that family in 2015, it was owned by a mechanic in that family who again used it as a work truck for a couple of years before moving to NY (which he drove the truck from NM to NY with no issues) before later selling it to a guy in mid long island who used it daily until the engine finally gave in (this is likely why it left the family after 30 years!) It was then sold to the owner who I purchased it from who put a new engine and trans in it as well as had all the replaceable parts changed (bushings, seals, breaks ect...) His family circumstances finally forced him to sell it (reluctantly). this is when I saw it online and just knew it was the one for me! I emailed and spoke on the phone with the guy for about 2 months before I could fly over to meet him and buy the truck. The trip over was an experience I will never forget, I visited so many speed shops and met so many people with so many amazing cars, everyone was so inviting to show me their private projects and tell me the stories, I think that's what made the trip as amazing as it was. I packed the truck up full of parts and had it shipped over to the uk. Unfortunately during its sit in the NY winter as it was awaiting shipping a seal deteriorated in the engine and it started to smoke as soon as it came off the boat.... nightmare! I was very in over my head at this point as this was my first classic vehicle and i didnt have a lot of experience, luckily the guy had purchased the engine and had a company fit it so i had a warranty! although its caveat was that it was only covered in the US... I must say that they were incredibly helpful and nothing was too much trouble, even though i was outside the US their goal was to have the engine fixed locally and they would cover the cost! after completing all the tests that they suggested to try and figure the problem they ended up suggesting they would just send me another new engine! I was shocked! They flew the freshly built long block from their facility over to me in about 5 days which is incredible for such a large pallet. I have since painted and restored all the engine components (brackets, pulleys, covers, wiring ect..) and installed the engine myself which has given me countless amounts of experience and confidence to do it again! Since that point I have completely stripped and tucked all the wiring ready to show off the amazing work I have done under the hood. While the engine was out I took the time to paint the fire wall and have recently painted the inner fenders to complete the engine bay transformation. I have also stripped the interior completely and painted the floor and the dash frame to make it the show truck I'd like it to be, I also painted the frame while the engine was out and am slowly working my way backwards restoring everything that I can!
I am no way an experienced mechanic when it comes to anything bronco but the things i have learnt while restoring my truck will last me a life time and i plan on resto modding a similar age flareside to make it my daily vehicle with a completely modern drivetrain and braking system! however this will be a few years down the line once the bronco is complete.
The video below is of the first time moving under its own steam after the engine swap, & you can see the joy on my face!
Location: Hertfordshire United Kingdom
Model: 1985 Bronco XLT
Engine: 351W Nothing special, just spruced up by myself!
Driveline: C6, D44, 9" Limited slip
Upgrades: Both the 351 and the C6 are fresh rebuilds, I have a rough country 4 inch lift and the rest is stock!
Story: The truck was purchased back in '84 as a work horse in Albuquerque NM and wasn't registered until the mid 90's from my research it spent its time working from jan 85 to 95 before it got licence plates at which point it was used as a work truck again within the same family. I have reason to believe that it sat in a barn in NM from the early 2000's until it was sold out of that family in 2015, it was owned by a mechanic in that family who again used it as a work truck for a couple of years before moving to NY (which he drove the truck from NM to NY with no issues) before later selling it to a guy in mid long island who used it daily until the engine finally gave in (this is likely why it left the family after 30 years!) It was then sold to the owner who I purchased it from who put a new engine and trans in it as well as had all the replaceable parts changed (bushings, seals, breaks ect...) His family circumstances finally forced him to sell it (reluctantly). this is when I saw it online and just knew it was the one for me! I emailed and spoke on the phone with the guy for about 2 months before I could fly over to meet him and buy the truck. The trip over was an experience I will never forget, I visited so many speed shops and met so many people with so many amazing cars, everyone was so inviting to show me their private projects and tell me the stories, I think that's what made the trip as amazing as it was. I packed the truck up full of parts and had it shipped over to the uk. Unfortunately during its sit in the NY winter as it was awaiting shipping a seal deteriorated in the engine and it started to smoke as soon as it came off the boat.... nightmare! I was very in over my head at this point as this was my first classic vehicle and i didnt have a lot of experience, luckily the guy had purchased the engine and had a company fit it so i had a warranty! although its caveat was that it was only covered in the US... I must say that they were incredibly helpful and nothing was too much trouble, even though i was outside the US their goal was to have the engine fixed locally and they would cover the cost! after completing all the tests that they suggested to try and figure the problem they ended up suggesting they would just send me another new engine! I was shocked! They flew the freshly built long block from their facility over to me in about 5 days which is incredible for such a large pallet. I have since painted and restored all the engine components (brackets, pulleys, covers, wiring ect..) and installed the engine myself which has given me countless amounts of experience and confidence to do it again! Since that point I have completely stripped and tucked all the wiring ready to show off the amazing work I have done under the hood. While the engine was out I took the time to paint the fire wall and have recently painted the inner fenders to complete the engine bay transformation. I have also stripped the interior completely and painted the floor and the dash frame to make it the show truck I'd like it to be, I also painted the frame while the engine was out and am slowly working my way backwards restoring everything that I can!
I am no way an experienced mechanic when it comes to anything bronco but the things i have learnt while restoring my truck will last me a life time and i plan on resto modding a similar age flareside to make it my daily vehicle with a completely modern drivetrain and braking system! however this will be a few years down the line once the bronco is complete.
The video below is of the first time moving under its own steam after the engine swap, & you can see the joy on my face!
