Dav_Daddy
New Member
- Joined
- November 16, 2008
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Mesa, AZ
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 88 Bronco II
This is basically a cut and paste job from my post in the registry and for that I apologize. Here is my little horse and my dilema.
I have had this Bronco II for about 5 or 6 years, it started out as a horribly depressed little thing that I would never be caught dead driving. It was quite simply not worthy of Dav.
In the beginning it was a side project that I wanted to take my time and really do it up the way I wanted. At the time I had my Mustang and my Taurus for me n the old lady to drive. At a local salvage yard I happened upon an almost identical Bronco II with a sweet 3'' chrome suspension lift. Before that I had sanded it down to metal fixed any dents and dings, pulled out the carpet the seats, etc, etc.
I managed to get all of the lift on accept the chrome leaf springs were cracked and broken so I had to use the hangers from the lift with the stock leaves so it sits a bit higher in the front than in the back atm. Truthfully I had my mechanic friend put the huge chrome coil springs on the front. They were far too large for the spring compressors that had to fit on tightly so when I started to compress them to install them they would start to bulge and creep around the outside of the spring. I had a vision of one of them shooting off taking my hand with it flying through the wall of the house and possibly decapitating one of my loved ones.
Next I went and spent about a grand on Rims and tires. Got a good deal on set of 33's, (thankfully the service writer talked me out of the 34's or 35's I first wanted.) During this time I began installing the stereo system of my dreams. 2 JBL 15's in a custom box my uncle made, pushed with a 2000 watt Fosgate Punch amp, I ran a set of matched Kenwood 3 way 6x9's & 3 way 5 1/2in mids ran in series by a pioneer 800 watt amp. Up front I had 2 tiny satellite Kenwood tweeters mounted in the headliner, and a pair of Fosgate horn tweets up under the dash, with a 200 watt Fosgate amp. Those Satellites screamed so loud it is almost impossible to describe with words the experience, and sheer head splitting agony those little speakers could inflict even with the gain all the way down on the amp, (stupid cheap crossover could only adjust the subs db lvl!) Each amp was on its own channel from my Optimus cross over, which was fed from my Clarion EQ, which came off of first my Kenwood tape deck and 12 disc changer, then after that got a short in it a Sony tape deck with 10 disc changer. My family thought that I was nuts and with hind sight I can admit that I got a little carried away putting a monster system in a truck that was months from hitting the road. Especially when I ruined 2 batteries and wound up paying like 200 something bucks for the biggest heavy equipment battery that checker sold.
Although I live in a decent neighborhood (mostly retirees) I was worried about the old lady next door retaliating after the day I shook one her little crystal figurines off her shelf. hehehe. So I went and bought this alarm system with 4 programmable auxiliary functions. I installed the alarm with the remote start, (which was a challenge to wire around the clutch position sensor in leu of a neutral safety switch. I honestly can't recall how I did it, but I think it involved the e-brake warning light.) With the extra functions I put in power windows so I could control those, I put a small motor on the door latch that I could use to open the doors with the alarm along with power locks so I could lock the doors as well, (I intended to shave the exterior door handles to have totally clean lines but with my habit of killing batteries was talked out of it.) The last 2 I ran and did the same with the rear window and hatch. I never got the motor on the hatch back latch to work right and pop the thing. I also put in the back a mount for a second battery in the rear with an exterior toggle intending to split my alternator with a solenoid so I could charge both batteries with out wrecking my alternator. I figured the heavy duty battery would do a good enough job of that.
Anyhow, by now I realized that I would have to shave the fenders or put on an additional lift. I had also started painting it a deep blue with 2 white lines going up the hood roof and down the back. Almost done with this in a moment of true brilliance I picked up the dash board to tighten down the horn tweets. It had totally slipped my mind that the receiver for the alarm secured to the under side of the dash! In one fell swoop I ripped the wires out of the bottom of the circuit board on the receiver box. I tried soldering it; I took it to a friend of mine who is hand with a soldering gun. Nothing, I took it to a man who works on such things for a living. Nothing, I finally wrote the company (can't recall the brand) and asked about a replacement. I waited for an order form, ordered a replacement for like $75 bucks and waited. In 8 weeks I received 2 more key chain alarm activators! I called them up and gave them a real piece of my mind, the apologized and promised to send the correct part. They were also kind enough to let me keep the extra activators they sent. Thanx! Another 8 weeks and I got a part that vaguely resembled mine except had a totally different pin configuration! After another heated discussion I learned that my alarm had been discontinued about two years before I got mine, they were showing that they still had a few of my receivers in stock but the warehouse could not find them, and no I could not cut the plug off and solder the wires into the receiver I had. They promised to search the warehouse and if they could find one I would receive it in 6 to 8 weeks, if not I would receive a full refund. Oh yeah and I could keep the worthless receiver they sent me... Gee with this policy I wonder where those missing receivers could have gone? Probably to some poor schmuck like me out there somewhere is swimming in the things and still waiting for his part.
Having spent about 4 months away from my project, also having sold the Stang and an unfortunate incident Taurus my time and money had to be deferred elsewhere. At some point I went out and ripped the alarm out of every electrical component on the truck. Was unable to wire it back having been gone so long from working on it and being that serious portions of the original wiring diagram were no longer valid, I removed my pet from the shed it had occupied for over a year. Much to the joy of the rest of the family, and it has rested since seemingly devouring an Oleander in my back yard.
Well currently I find myself some years later, and in a situation where I desperately need a vehicle. I intended to get some photos of my old project to place on craigslist and hope to get enough so that I can stop riding my bicycle and join the industrialized world once again. Well I'm now having serious second thoughts; I believe with some luck and a couple cases of automotive fuses I can probably rewire the truck. The more pressing issue is lifting this already top heavy truck another 3'' to 4''. I made a post in another section probably the wrong one (I am n00b!) asking advice. I'll update any significant developments..
I have had this Bronco II for about 5 or 6 years, it started out as a horribly depressed little thing that I would never be caught dead driving. It was quite simply not worthy of Dav.
In the beginning it was a side project that I wanted to take my time and really do it up the way I wanted. At the time I had my Mustang and my Taurus for me n the old lady to drive. At a local salvage yard I happened upon an almost identical Bronco II with a sweet 3'' chrome suspension lift. Before that I had sanded it down to metal fixed any dents and dings, pulled out the carpet the seats, etc, etc.
I managed to get all of the lift on accept the chrome leaf springs were cracked and broken so I had to use the hangers from the lift with the stock leaves so it sits a bit higher in the front than in the back atm. Truthfully I had my mechanic friend put the huge chrome coil springs on the front. They were far too large for the spring compressors that had to fit on tightly so when I started to compress them to install them they would start to bulge and creep around the outside of the spring. I had a vision of one of them shooting off taking my hand with it flying through the wall of the house and possibly decapitating one of my loved ones.
Next I went and spent about a grand on Rims and tires. Got a good deal on set of 33's, (thankfully the service writer talked me out of the 34's or 35's I first wanted.) During this time I began installing the stereo system of my dreams. 2 JBL 15's in a custom box my uncle made, pushed with a 2000 watt Fosgate Punch amp, I ran a set of matched Kenwood 3 way 6x9's & 3 way 5 1/2in mids ran in series by a pioneer 800 watt amp. Up front I had 2 tiny satellite Kenwood tweeters mounted in the headliner, and a pair of Fosgate horn tweets up under the dash, with a 200 watt Fosgate amp. Those Satellites screamed so loud it is almost impossible to describe with words the experience, and sheer head splitting agony those little speakers could inflict even with the gain all the way down on the amp, (stupid cheap crossover could only adjust the subs db lvl!) Each amp was on its own channel from my Optimus cross over, which was fed from my Clarion EQ, which came off of first my Kenwood tape deck and 12 disc changer, then after that got a short in it a Sony tape deck with 10 disc changer. My family thought that I was nuts and with hind sight I can admit that I got a little carried away putting a monster system in a truck that was months from hitting the road. Especially when I ruined 2 batteries and wound up paying like 200 something bucks for the biggest heavy equipment battery that checker sold.
Although I live in a decent neighborhood (mostly retirees) I was worried about the old lady next door retaliating after the day I shook one her little crystal figurines off her shelf. hehehe. So I went and bought this alarm system with 4 programmable auxiliary functions. I installed the alarm with the remote start, (which was a challenge to wire around the clutch position sensor in leu of a neutral safety switch. I honestly can't recall how I did it, but I think it involved the e-brake warning light.) With the extra functions I put in power windows so I could control those, I put a small motor on the door latch that I could use to open the doors with the alarm along with power locks so I could lock the doors as well, (I intended to shave the exterior door handles to have totally clean lines but with my habit of killing batteries was talked out of it.) The last 2 I ran and did the same with the rear window and hatch. I never got the motor on the hatch back latch to work right and pop the thing. I also put in the back a mount for a second battery in the rear with an exterior toggle intending to split my alternator with a solenoid so I could charge both batteries with out wrecking my alternator. I figured the heavy duty battery would do a good enough job of that.
Anyhow, by now I realized that I would have to shave the fenders or put on an additional lift. I had also started painting it a deep blue with 2 white lines going up the hood roof and down the back. Almost done with this in a moment of true brilliance I picked up the dash board to tighten down the horn tweets. It had totally slipped my mind that the receiver for the alarm secured to the under side of the dash! In one fell swoop I ripped the wires out of the bottom of the circuit board on the receiver box. I tried soldering it; I took it to a friend of mine who is hand with a soldering gun. Nothing, I took it to a man who works on such things for a living. Nothing, I finally wrote the company (can't recall the brand) and asked about a replacement. I waited for an order form, ordered a replacement for like $75 bucks and waited. In 8 weeks I received 2 more key chain alarm activators! I called them up and gave them a real piece of my mind, the apologized and promised to send the correct part. They were also kind enough to let me keep the extra activators they sent. Thanx! Another 8 weeks and I got a part that vaguely resembled mine except had a totally different pin configuration! After another heated discussion I learned that my alarm had been discontinued about two years before I got mine, they were showing that they still had a few of my receivers in stock but the warehouse could not find them, and no I could not cut the plug off and solder the wires into the receiver I had. They promised to search the warehouse and if they could find one I would receive it in 6 to 8 weeks, if not I would receive a full refund. Oh yeah and I could keep the worthless receiver they sent me... Gee with this policy I wonder where those missing receivers could have gone? Probably to some poor schmuck like me out there somewhere is swimming in the things and still waiting for his part.
Having spent about 4 months away from my project, also having sold the Stang and an unfortunate incident Taurus my time and money had to be deferred elsewhere. At some point I went out and ripped the alarm out of every electrical component on the truck. Was unable to wire it back having been gone so long from working on it and being that serious portions of the original wiring diagram were no longer valid, I removed my pet from the shed it had occupied for over a year. Much to the joy of the rest of the family, and it has rested since seemingly devouring an Oleander in my back yard.
Well currently I find myself some years later, and in a situation where I desperately need a vehicle. I intended to get some photos of my old project to place on craigslist and hope to get enough so that I can stop riding my bicycle and join the industrialized world once again. Well I'm now having serious second thoughts; I believe with some luck and a couple cases of automotive fuses I can probably rewire the truck. The more pressing issue is lifting this already top heavy truck another 3'' to 4''. I made a post in another section probably the wrong one (I am n00b!) asking advice. I'll update any significant developments..
