I have an '86 Bronco2 that's in need of a new body. I got nuts with the sawzall and loved it for a couple of weeks, but now it's starting to get old. You can see the ugly sucker here (http://apanthropy.nailed.org/pictures/cokemartbox/oilpit.jpg) - Body swap time! Problem is, not a lot of vehicles have a 94" wheelbase that I can get ahold of cheap - one that I can get dirt cheap is a pre-1990 Escort. (94.2" according to Carpoint)

Now that you're done laughing at me, what I really came here for is advice. I like the idea of the Escort because it's a ford made during the same era as my Bronco2 so I assume the brake master cyl. mount is vaguely similar, throttle cable could be similar (so my B2 cable could theoretically match to the escort "stupid pedal" easily) - I've also owned 3 escorts and for some reason I kinda like them, as POS as they are. A guy is currently in the process of mounting a VW Beetle body on a b2 frame... but that seems extra complex for engine location reasons...

The questions are:
What unique problems will I encounter because Escorts are unibody, when mounting on a frame?

What unique problems come up from body swaps in general?

Should I try to work with the original frame mounting points, or fab new points to match the body?

What will this license and insure as?

I'm a newbie here and expect to get a good reaming for that, although I'd like to avoid it. I don't usually hang out on this forum because the population here tends to be more advanced than I am so far and probably a bit more affluent so what you guys are doing is usually not something i can relate to. Well, like I said, i came here for advice and I can only hope I will get some of that too. Thanks.

One other favor I ask... please don't just tell me i'm stupid and not to do it without at least the courtesy of telling me why it shouldn't be done.

Eric

Are you kidding!!!

Chop off the rest of that B-Pillar, have a custom soft top madde (or modify an EB one) and that's a SWEET lookin' rig!!:beer:

Oh another thing, I can't imagine that an escort unibody (IE: frame and body) cost more than jsut a B2 body??? Buy hey I've never done the research.

I had thought about custom soft tops.... still am thinking about 'em. The pillar "stub" is there because the seatbelts are part of it, and I don't trailer this thing to the trails ;) If I keep the b2 body, those are coming off when the cage goes in - and the belts then get mounted to the cage :D

What kind of establishment would I visit, if I were looking to have a custom soft-top made? am I looking at $500? $1k? more?


Thanks for the advice, btw - and for not ripping my newbie arse http://www.plauder-smilies.de/poke2.gif

DUDE totally go with a full cage, tie the belts into it and HIT YOUR LOCAL TENT AND AWNING PLACE. it might be a bit pricey but they should be able to hook you up.

dude....

if you truely have your heart set on an escort lifted on a BII frame, go for it...

But if you truely want to do some wheeln and dealn' then a buggy cage is the only way to go, id say just make your own body/cage system/setup, totally custome!

just my thoughts :flipoff2:

WHY

Originally posted by SMART ASS
dude....

if you truely have your heart set on an escort lifted on a BII frame, go for it...


nah, heart's not set on it.

more than anything else, I am afraid that any construction I do for a roof will be ugly and poorly functional. Ugly's not so much of a problem... but function is pretty important http://www.plauder-smilies.de/happy/xyxthumbs.gif


Tent/awning place... hadn't thought of that! i asked around at boat shops, they just looked at me like http://www.plauder-smilies.de/vogel.gif -

OK now I am really gonna ask a dumb newbie question ... what's a cage gonna cost me? I am figuring, this would need a windshield hoop, a mid hoop, and a hoop to square-off the arse end, similar to the original roofline. then perhaps 4 spanners between each hoop (basicaly 4 full length spanners but notched flush with the center hoop) - and a pair of diagonals on the center hoop to prevent the domino effect from killing me.

Again, thanks for bearing with me. I've seen a lot of people ripped apart for being new and you guys have been supportive and helpful - that's worth a lot and shows great character. :)

http://www.geocities.com/od4wdc/marchpic.html

I can't say I'm sure what the purpose of that link was, there's only and small blurry pic of a B2 in there.

Anyway a FULL cage like you described would run about (I'm ball-parking here) $600.00-$800.00 Unless you can weld and have a welder then just get the tube bent for you and you could probably fly by with $300.00-$400.00 and if you have a bender (which I'm assuming you DON'T since you're asking the price) you'd be getting off really cheap; Under $250.00 depending on the size/type of tube you use.

Anyway; I figure I owe you this :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: NEWBIE ;) :beer:

stop and think for a minute. then ditch the whole setup and go grab something like a full size blazer and ram charger to replace the b2. by the time you fab everything together, i guarranty that you will have spent more than the 1200 dollars you can go buy these things for. you won't have the dana 28 ttb anymore, or the dinky little 7.5 rear. trust me, i had a b2 before, and the best thing i ever did was get rid of it. if you really want to, you could always put a b2 body on the full size later on, but you will be working on the b2 forever to get it ready and never get to wheel. ugghh, and that 2.8 or whatever it was v6 blew.

sometimes you have to cut your losses and reevalutate your situation. you will spend 100s of hours doing all that and end up with a escort with the sadest drivetrain i have EVER seen. samis are built stronger. an ESCORT, shesh. (on a side note, if you think 1200 dollars is too much, think about how much all the individual parts are at the junk yard, and how much you would make serving fries at mcdonalds for 100 hours, then think about what a 4wd escort would look like)
:flipoff2: good luck

Originally posted by aaronlosey
, but you will be working on the b2 forever to get it ready and never get to wheel. .

heheh... but I 'wheel 4-5 times a month, every month :p :flipoff2: , and I don't just mean dirt roads, either.

I agree, the TTB front end, the sheeite A4LD transmission, and a few other items of note are unimpressive on the B2 - but I get around.

My favorite thing to reflect upon is the guys in built trail rigs who make fun of me every time I go to Coke Ovens. They make fun of my hacked up truck and my tiny tires, my lack of a winch, my obvious low funds, or whatever they like to laugh at. What's funny is, that coke ovens is like a 3/10 trail. Why is it that I've never, ever seen one of these guys on Martinez Mine trail? I've run Martinez Mine 9 times since August in my bronco2, including 3 times alone. I have only seen 5 other vehicles on that trail, ever - and three of them were with me. Martinez Mine is closer to a 7/10 or so, certainly in a whole other league than Coke Ovens.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice - after all, it's why I came here!

I think what I'm going to do is have 2 hoops bent for me, notch and weld the rest for myself, and have a canvas top made for my existing bronco2 body. That sounds like the most solid idea. In the meantime, I'm keeping my eyes open for a good deal on an EB front axle and 8.8" rear

;) :D

go for it


you can do anything


Me and a buddie swaped a 62 International pickup body and box (short bed) on to a 78 Caddy cupedevill and it worked grate looked factory to and rode grate

have fun