The metamorphasis of Hidalgo

[Clydesdale]

(mods if this needs another forum, move freely,.. but I am an IDI.....)


Well... here it is.

Start point Crew Cab IDI factory turbo ZF5 truck.

Dana 60/Sterling 10.25 Limited slip rear.

End point:
(somewhere on this damned computer I have a virtual spank bank of em, over a hundred, but this is one of my favorites)

You must be registered for see images attach

so.. too date, I have reskinned the 93 to an 81 look...

You must be registered for see images attach

set my axle in place....

You must be registered for see images attach

Sorta did the math off on that, wanted 140".. ended up with 141...

set the tub, my Blackberry doesn't seem to want to talk to the computer, and the wifes ate the pics today.. so no pics till tomorrow... but tub is set,(avatar gives you a good idear)

Well I have this one, I guess....

You must be registered for see images attach

Axle is un attached... and I am sitting at 65" to the top of the tub, 46" to top of wheel well opening... and I am on 285 16 roller tires.

Original goal for this, was FJ80 style reliability, 60's off the get go, benefits of the diesel for mpg, and torque, w/o the axle snapping HP/TQ of a D-max, Cummins..., I flat like my truck, and room for 7/8/9 (seating configuration is up in the air...) plus my damn dog, I stole her look for my screen name, the rigs I drive are more hers than mine... only makes sense to build something big enough to seat her.

Any one of you FJ80 series guys fit a 70# lab behind the third seat?....

And the top is not removable on a Bourbon...

Wanted 37-39" tires, subtle shackle flip in the ****, and.. 2" body lift, Lock the front, popright, and ... run a divorced 205.

Cheap, capable... should be a good time, plus it is already Limited slip in the rear, so a true 3.5 wheel drive:flipoff:, 80:1 crawl ratio or so, give or take 10 points on the first number.......

Now I am thinking I am gonna end up tall enough just because of the shackle flip in the rear, and the repositioning of the axle, that I am gonna look goofy on 39's, picture an 81 toy pickup on 6" suspension, and 3" body with 235/75/15's....

Yeah, 'bout like that.

Found Rockwells..(complete M35A1...)...Found 52's, on wheels.......And put my one tons up for sale.

Am totally unsure what direction to go here....

?

 

[riotwarrior]

I like it and am giving serious consideration to droppin my Bronco and changing to a Centurion 4Dr Bronco. You making one is quite interesting.

Good luck with the project

 

[Clydesdale]

When I get pics uploaded, pay careful attention to floor mods I had to do on Bronc tub....

Maybe if I had done my cut on the first seam in the second set of doors, I would have been okay, but... the frame on a Bronc has a longer seating area than a standard cab, a crew is curved like a standard, only further back. My guess is a Bronc cab has more of an extra cab style frame platform for the main seating area....

 

[hesutton]

Wow!.... That is a very, very cool project. I'd love to see that thing in person! Please keep us up to date on the progress. How about a webshots gallery with all the photos?

Heath

 

[Clydesdale]

Somebody with mad skills wanna fix that first pic? hotlinked them all from the same site, got the img tags correct.. could just be this machine.. but it is not showing for me.

 

[Clydesdale]

middle shots of a complete 2 tone Bronc, is desired color scheme, final shot of a police horse, is the one that didn't show for me that I wanted fixed....

Web Album

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Looks like a great project! Keep us posted on it. It is pretty rare that anyone takes a 93 and reskins it with an 81 What dash are you using?

I love the Centurions, I have one on the lot right now:

http://www.dandlautosales.com/vehicledetails.aspx?VID=96568102

 

[Clydesdale]

post it up on 4doorbronco dot com.. always people looking, from what I saw from your link, good price, great condition.
93 dash, probably Aerostar Eddie Bauer seats, like the little pine trees, tired of the grey so there will be some paint work on my plastic that is left, and door panels to match, color will be in the neighborhood of the coppery mahogany found on say a 2006 King Ranch, with the appropiate Gold for trim, bought the gallon for $11.
(and if I could find a second Rover, it would go Connolly interior... local u pull it just got in a County nice saddle tan leather, 75 for all seats, buckets $40 per pair, and bench $35 for the bench)

Desire to reskin, was, well, 80-86 has different wheel well openings, donor pony was an 81.. wanted to keep that continuity. I think I am gonna end up doing my own Bushwhacker style flares, so that is proving to be irrelevant, and I have equal amounts of love hate for every Ford nose form 76-96.. so 81, 93, 90 it all boils down to final "look" for me, not: composite, or not composite lights, flat hood line, curvy hood line.... irrelevant.

Plus very few cents in the 80-86 era. so.. will sorta be unique.

 

[riotwarrior]

I WANT IT!!!

OMG thats like a dream come true, where u located again? What about shipping to Zip 98844?

 

[h2odrx]

Looks like a great project! Keep us posted on it. It is pretty rare that anyone takes a 93 and reskins it with an 81 What dash are you using?

I love the Centurions, I have one on the lot right now:

http://www.dandlautosales.com/vehicledetails.aspx?VID=96568102

Darrin can you take some pictures of that center counsel and maybe some measurements?

 

[david85]

Darrin, that Centurion sure is nice but that 7.5L has got to go!

 

[Clydesdale]

Well, I got the donor Bronc cut uop today, and loaded intot he back of the 1973 efftoofiddy... pics tomorrow. 9" was already claimed, and no trailer.. so little pieces to the crusher.. be nice to have more of my driveway back.

Buddy showed up, and he suggested stopping where I am and splicing frame ala Centrurion... Might make some of the sh#$ I need to do easier, and would drop it's height back down to the real world.

Oh and got the "Chuck Norris" (wifes pet name for it) Bumper mounted today.. solid beef, I tell ya! Pics of that also tomorrow...

 

[Clydesdale]

Pro's to chopping frame, keep factory axle placement, keep factory arch over axle, no drilling of new holes required, and I don't have to plate out the factory indent to keep my springs from dovetailing in the rea, and I keep my suspension geometry factory correct, I lose some of the insane lift the laws of geometry and axle change have given me, and I maintain the "arch" in the frame rail above the axle......

All debatable points

Con's to chopping frame, integrity is threatened, lacking 220v welder to fish my own plate in, entire build is focused around what I have, and can acquire my self to do myself... and I am sorta back to square one, and.. I have to recreate suspension geometry that works.

Pics to support/explain my points at the bottom.

Before I do anything else underneath though, Body is getting seamed together, and I will use that as a base point, before that happens, 2 door carcass has to go, that can't happen till Mama is done rototilling, have to use her pick up to transport rototiller.... SO this will be web debatable til sometime next week, as I seam the body parts together in the evening next week.


This si the front spring hanger from the Bronc, the one on the one ton is identical, except 6 bolts to attach to frame, not four. I f I shave the upper two bolts off leaving 4 and I could add two more if I wanted...

You must be registered for see images attach

I could eliminate the interference with this part of the Bronco tub... the drilled hole on the right is in the middle of the one ton bracket. that would drop it to clear, with out changing my pinion angle.

I could also shave that flimsy body support, as the truck will be caged, and that should enhance integrity to the point where I won't notice it missing...

You must be registered for see images attach

This shows the indent, hard to see in pictorial format, but I will have to plate out here. A guy could set it up in such a manner that the hanger was bolted through it, and it was tacked in place (110v Mig)(the plating to make up the width change) that the rig was driveable to a fellow wheelers house to 220 the plating in place...

This pic also shows the factory frame arch over the center of the axle, Ford placement.

You must be registered for see images attach

These are the axle blocks I have to work with 4-5" is one ton, and 1.5" or so is Bronco.. IF I keep the frame the way it is, w/o shortening it, I can take out the one ton blocks, and replace them with the Bronco blocks... that will drop some of the height out.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Side view of the one ton spring pack, I think I am taking the top overload off, and the small plate under it...

You must be registered for see images attach

Couple more shots of the bumper....
(bought a dented factory bumper from Jalopy for $11, and traded it....score!)

You must be registered for see images attach

will fiunish these thoughts later, rototiller is done...

 

[Clydesdale]

So... scrapped that, traded some of its parts for an Eddie Bauer 2 door (avatar shot) and then...

Traded the EB for a 1990 Centurion...

Finish these thoughts later, have oil burning questions for y'all.