Thanks guys

[MercuryMullet]

I currently offroad a baja bug and toyed with the idea of another 4wd something. I have used your forum to get ideas and decided on an explorer. I bought a 97 mercury mountaineer AWD v8. I just wanted to say thanks, I have been picking your posts for a few months while I made a decision. (first gen 4runner was the other choice) My buddy is going to build it, I'm not a great fab guy.

 

[SCB1904]

make sure you make a build thread. I'm only a 10 minutes from el cajon

 

[mounty71]

What are your plans for this truck? Being near SD and driving a baja bug, will it be built more as a prerunner/desert truck?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Welcome!

 

[MercuryMullet]

What are your plans for this truck? Being near SD and driving a baja bug, will it be built more as a prerunner/desert truck?

Freshin up the motor, run 4 bucket seats, cut and turn dana 44 out of a bronco in front, locked 8.8 in the rear, longer radius arms with 4" coils and bypass shocks, deavers in the rear, 4:56's, 33X12.50 on 8" steel, cage, and glass.
I want a mild family trail rig that can get opened up in the washes.

Plus my baja is forsale if anybody knows anybody looking.

 

[mounty71]

How much are you looking to get for it? I might know someone interested depending on what's done to it. Try posting it on dezertrangers.com if you haven't already.

And you're converting to a beamed front? That's awesome! Can't wait to see the build. The dixon bros. LT 4WD kit is pretty nice and i've heard only good things about it, but there's nothing like a well-put together TTB front end that can take abuse going fast AND slow. I would suggest converting to a 4WD transfer case too. This sounds like it's going to be my dream truck when it's done...beams, 4WD, V8, and 4 doors.

 

[MercuryMullet]

My buddy is actually going to marry the frames together. So I will have a bronco front and exploder rear. More room in the engine compartment, selectable tranfer case, and can buy cheap headers. The merc had gt40 heads, so any bronco header will fit. I really want a skinny, 4door bronco.

1966 Irs baja bug, fully caged, has baby seat (kinda cramped with it in the car is really a 2 seater), rack and pinion, bus trans raceprepped joints longer boxed arms rear, longer arms front, fox 2.0 all corners, disc brakes, full sized spare in trunk, good tires, knock off HIDs, cb, hyd clutch, 1700psi plate, 1915 044 heads, clip eliminators, moly push rods, weber progressive single carb, remote oil cooler with fan, remote oil filter, 23gallon fuel cell.

Street legal

Would also consider an electric trailer mover and/or small 50cc name brand quad as partial trade.

I have a 66 pontiac lemans with a 383 chevy stroker. Car is rusted out but has good trim and parts. Would trade for 65/66 lemans GTO, 67-72 chevelle, nova2 2door, 67-69 firebird, 67-69 camaro, 68-71 nova. I have motor/trans so engine doesn't matter. but the the car must be solid I have a rusted out POS don't need another. It was my first car but I can't justify fixing all the rust.

That was my craigslist ad. I am going on a night run in july and will repost it after that. I was trying to get 3300 If I keep the baby seat. It is low geared, not for highway and it has been a off road car. Doors are sticky, etc.

 

[mounty71]

Where is the frame going to be cut? Right in front of the motor mounts? Sounds like a really interesting project. Are the frame rails even close to the same width on the bronco as they are on the mountaineer? And who is doing the build, does your buddy own a shop that people would know of?

I have a lot of questions as you can see, maybe i should just be patient until you start the build.

 

[MercuryMullet]

The bronco frame starts wide and ends up skinny, the mountaineer starts skinny and ends up wide. There is a point in which they are the same width around the trans/transfer. He has a personal shop in washington state not a business yet. He is a ford nut. He built a coil suspension for his 97 diesel, he has married some frames before off of different things, he married a foxbody mustang and they are unibodies. It is going to take awhile since this is a side project for him, but the price is right. I have beat some of his frankenstein stuff before and it always drives good.

He gonna change some stuff while his is in there like the abs. It has screwed me already offroad. Luckly I don't have to smog it until I sell it, I am keeping the smog stuff on it, just 1 less headache with an offroad toy.

 

[Ford008]

Hey Guys, figured I should chime in here. I am the guy that is taking on this project. Mullet stated the basic plan...the details will be figure out as soon as I can get started on it. I pulled some rough measurements and it should be fairly straight forward.

I do plan on starting a build thread and I will appreciate any constructive criticism and/or input you all might have.

I am really looking forward to building this truck. It will be stepping stone and mobile billboard to opening my own fab shop. Hopefully it will be able to supplement my Military retirement in seven years or so. I love building cars and trucks, but the Boss says I have too many of my own, so what better way to feed my addiction, LOL!

 

[Ford008]

Just wanted to give you all an update:

Been busy trying to get some landscaping done this last fall. Had to put in a new driveway and redo the existing one. Dang rain made it difficult to do anything. I had knee surgery the end of October and was gearing up to get started on this build the first of the year. I was on my way to work on Jan 5th when a guy ran a stop sign doing 45mph and totaled my explorer. I was lucking I wasn't hurt too badly, just smashed my almost healed knee into the dash. I finally got the glass in two days later, LOL!

Anyways, between work, dealing with Insurance companies and trying to find a replacement DD, nothing has gotten done.

Picked up a 98 Ranger ext cab 4x4 with an 01 Ex 5.0 and trans already swapped in (4" superlift, 3" body lift and 33s). It was 'running' on a 97 ECU, so nothing was working correctly. I have the nasty excuse for an interior ripped out and am in the process of adding the PATS wiring (plus some other stuff) so I can use the stuff out of my old Explorer. I should have it all buttoned up this week, hopefully, then I will FINALLY be able to get started on this build.

 

[mounty71]

Wow, good to hear you're still going through with this project, I was actually wondering about it recently but had no idea where this thread went. Sorry to hear about the accident, but glad you're alright and things are looking up.

 

[MercuryMullet]

We're still going thru with it. We can't make this stuff up and he didn't even mention the fact that is house was finished 3 months late. That hurt pretty bad. The spot for the merc to get tore apart was a storage spot for the house. But hopefully its done and tested by next season. I haven't asked the wife to go on any desert trips other than the family ones (thanksgiving only) this year so she can't complain when I go to washington to pick up my toy.

I've followed Mounty71 and its came along great. I think our mercs will match up pretty good. I'll let you know when the beat in is.

 

[mounty71]

Sounds good. A capable 4x4 prerunner/crawler multipurpose truck is my ultimate dream, so maybe your build will be the inspiration for me to stick a D44 TTB under the front of my truck one day, in the VERY distant future.

 

[MercuryMullet]

Sounds good. A capable 4x4 prerunner/crawler multipurpose truck is my ultimate dream, so maybe your build will be the inspiration for me to stick a D44 TTB under the front of my truck one day, in the VERY distant future.

When your ready, I know a guy. Ivan and I already talked about making mine a platform for a "kit". Because the setup should work good. Atleast you could look at mine because the second one is always easier.

 

[Ford008]

Finally got some work in on this thing. I will start a build thread shortly and link it here. I will do my best to take pictures and write down measurements and what not.

Rear fiberglass is mounted, fronts are partially mounted, interior is partially stripped and the body and frame are separated.

Rolled the frame outside so I could pressure wash it and strip everything off it from the trans cross member back, except for the springs and axle. Have the fuel and brake lines left to pull. Engine and trans will stay on the front half for a while. It will be used for mock-up of the exhaust and fab the mounts, then tore down for an overhaul and a few upgrades.

I have the bronco frame in front of the other door with everything unbolted except the TTB and radius arms. Need to start grinding rivets to get the spring buckets, motor mounts and cab mounts off, then cut it and roll the front in the shop.

Right now it looks like I am going to stretch the wb a few inches to center the front tire in the wheel well.

 

[mounty71]

Awesome! Can't wait to hear/see more progress.