1974 Beach Cruiser Bronco Is Ready To Roll

(Marc)>> You're watching Powernation.

(Brandon)>> Today on Music City Trucks...

(Marc)>> We're getting the Beach Cruiser Bronco ready to roll with some work on the fuel system and engine bay. Big moment.

(Brandon)>> Then a little install with some sheet metal...

(Marc)>> And a nifty finish job the spare tire carrier.

(Brandon)>> Which is all going to lead us...

(Marc)>> To a reveal of what this baby is going to look like when it finally rolls out of our shop.

(Brandon)>> Oh yeah! ♪ [engine revving] ♪

(Marc)>> Hey everybody! Welcome to Music City Trucks. As you can see, we're still working on our early Bronco project here. Now I'm not sure what heaven looks like, but I guarantee you, there's at least one of these there. Absolutely love these things. My first vehicle was an early Bronco, so this is kind of a passion project for me. And we're kind of over the hump with a lot the big items. Engine, transmission, transfer case are all in it. Thing's painted up. But we're getting down to the minutiae of all the really small things, the tedious jobs. Today, we're going to be tackling things like the fuel system. We're going to plumb the power steering and hydra boost systems. We've got to plumb the inner cooler. We actually have to mount that up here. It's going to fit in very tight behind the grill. And then before the show is over today, we want to get all of the sheet metal and shiny stuff on this thing, so we can make it look like the way it's going to look when it's all done. So that's very exciting. But first things first, that fuel system. Now when we started this project, we wanted to take the classic design and styling of the early Bronco, and couple it with modern components, that are available in the aftermarket today and this fuel system is no different. Now if you remember, we went to Dennis Carpenter for a lot of stuff. They gave us all of the sheet metal, to get the body assembled, as well as a bunch of restoration components like: door handles and mirrors and all the shiny stuff for the dash. And they also gave us some components for our fuel system here, let's start with the tank. This is an o-e style main fuel tank for an early Bronco. Now normally, this would be silver, but we did get it powder coated black. For no other reason other than we just wanted it to kind of disappear under the truck. And then everything else to get that installed, like the filler neck and the strap. Well, moving on from there, if you remember, we went to Classic Instruments for that really nice new gauge cluster, that they did for us. And we mentioned then, that they included all the senders to communicate with that cluster properly. And the fuel level sender is one of those. So, we need to get this thing installed. And then the rest of the fuel system, we got from Holley. The main piece is going to be this in tank retrofit fuel pump kit. It's called a retrofit kit because it's made to install in your original fuel tank. Which is done by drilling a hole in the top of the tank. And then, dropping in and tightening the hat. ♪ Brandon gets the filter regulator in and then it's time to get the tank strapped in. ♪ That looks good! All's well that ends well.

(Brandon)>> We're moving on to the plumbing of the fuel system, which starts at the filter regulator and of course, we're using a-n braided line. ♪

(Marc)>> One of the systems we really haven't touched on much is our braking system, specifically the hard brake lines. And that's because a while back, we made all of our line out of copper nickel. Now, this is what we use on most of the projects, here in the shop. This is really great for making brake line because it's easy to bend and it's easy to flare. But, if you're doing something like the Bronco, where it's a high-end build or a restoration or something like that, you want to use stainless brake line. So, what we did, all of the hard lines that we made, we sent those out to Classic Tube and they duplicated them with stainless steel. The reason why we did that, is because stainless steel tubing is very difficult to bend and to bend nicely. And it's even more difficult to flare properly. So, they did all the hard work for us. Took all the guess work out of it. They actually specialize is making custom brake lines, stainless steel brake lines, for your daily driver, your project car or a concourse restoration. Now, all we need to do is get these things installed. ♪ That looks nice! ♪ So, what we're using on this is DEI Fire Sleeve. We've got a couple different sizes here. This resists heat, direct heat up to 500 degrees. And intermittent heat up to 2,000 degrees. So, this is ideal for what we're using for here on our brake lines and fuel lines that run real close to the header here. You can use them on this type of line, or like transmission cooler lines or anything like that, that needs to be protected from the heat. ♪ This is that fancy tape that sticks to itself. ♪ I'll hold this in place. ♪ Alright, now it's all done. We just need to strap this up right here and that will be good to go.

(Brandon)>> You going to put a clamp? Man! That looks good. Sweet! We done under here pretty much?

(Marc)>> Yeah. Let's do...

(Brandon)>> Engine stuff? More top work?

(Marc)>> We've got... quite the list of things that need to be done. ♪

(Brandon)>> Up next... we plumb our heat exchanger, inner cooler system and a few other little goodies.

(Marc)>> One of the problems we've needing to solve under the hood here, that I've been kind of avoiding is our throttle body situation. Now the way that this throttle body comes on this Crate engine, it's bolted on just like this. The major problem with that for us is, because this is drive by wire, it's got this motor here that actuates the throttle plate. And our hood would actually contact that. So, this thing's got to at least get clocked. But if you try to clock it, it hits the radiator hose and even if we could do that, there's really not enough room for an elbow to get in here because the fan's so close. Everything's really tight under this hood as you can see. So, the solution would be to move the throttle body out here and clock this, where the connector faces down. The advantage to that also is... that give us a straight shot to our air intake. And we want a straight and long of a shot as possible between the mass air meter and the throttle body. So, we don't really mess with the tune too much. So, this will actually allow us to do that.

(Brandon)>> Well, since Marc's out of the way, I'm going to be working on the front of the truck. And that's going to be installing this heat exchanger. Now, one important thing is, you want to make sure it gets the coldest air possible. Which means, in front of the radiator. In front of the condenser. If you've got a trans cooler or an oil cooler, in front of that. So, we're going to mounting it on the front side of the core support, somewhere like that. Then I made these little tabs. Just bent out of sheet metal. ♪ I'm gonna mark our holes. [hammer tap] Oh! Right on that fresh paint. [hammer tap] Before I go drilling a hole through this core support, I'm gonna just take a piece of metal, that I wrapped in tape, stick it behind there, so I don't blow a hole through the radiator. First time around. [drill popping] I didn't really spend a lot of time engineering the brackets, but still want to make this install look nice. ♪ Oh yeah! Look at that! ♪ That'll do! ♪ Oh yeah! That's quality work right there. [hammer tapping] Next thing to install is this pump. ♪ One of the last components of this system is going to be this reservoir. I already drilled a hole. It's pretty simple, just one bolt. ♪ I think it's gonna work. ♪ That ain't too bad man!

(Marc)>> That looks good!

(Brandon)>> Like it?

(Marc)>> Yeah! That looks great! I don't know about the tape on there.

(Brandon)>> It's for cooling.

(Marc)>> Well, let me get this on here and we'll get an air cleaner on it.

(Brandon)>> Damn! That looks good!

(Marc)>> Like it was made for it. ♪ This is a good solution for our clearance problem and with the throttle body pointed in this direction, it will give a nice straight shot for our air intake. ♪ Well, this definitely solves a huge problem we had with that throttle body. Let's get this filter and map housing in here. I really like the way that looks. Definitely have to come back with some clamps and actually may even come in here and paint this tube black. Just to make it all match. What do you think?

(Brandon)>> Dude, I like it. I like it.

(Marc)>> Needs a little tweaking.

(Brandon)>> I think we need to start throwing some sheet metal on this thing though.

(Marc)>> That's just a little premature just being that we've got a lot still.

(Brandon)>> I know, but it doesn't hurt to start making this thing look like a truck.

(Marc)>> I'm ok with that. I definitely want to see what it looks like.

(Brandon)>> Let's grab some fenders.

(Marc)>> Alright! Let's do it.

(Brandon)>> You guys know we put a ton of miles on our work trucks, hauling projects to and from the shop. And one thing I don't like about these newer trucks is their throttle response. So, I'm going to be installing this SCT Burst throttle booster. It's a pretty simple setup. All you got to do is plug it in to the harness, unplug your pedal, plug it in here and plug this into your original harness. So, there's no cutting of your wires. You don't have to worry about warranty or anything like that. And this one's preset to 60 percent increase. But if you want to change that, on the fly, you can actually plug this in. You can go from zero all the way to 100 percent. And say you want to take this out because, you don't want it on the dash. You can actually set it to 75, unplug this, throw it in your glove box and you don't have to worry about wires hanging down or having them mounted under your dash somewhere. All I've really got to do is unplug the pedal and plug this thing in. ♪ ♪

(Marc)>> Up next... we put a face to the name of Beach Cruiser Bronco.

(Brandon)>> Alright! So, I'm getting a little antsy, a little anxious to see this thing look like a real Bronco. So, for now, we're going to be done with mechanical work and I want to start throwing some sheet metal on this thing.

(Marc)>> Of course, we've got all the painted sheet metal that's been waiting to be installed and we're adding all the shiny stuff here, that we got from Dennis Carpenter. Nice chrome bumper, all the lighting and trim that's going to go in the grill. And of course, fender emblems that declare that this is a Bronco. In case there was any doubt. So, what are going to do first?

(Brandon)>> I say fenders. I need to get some clips. ♪

(Marc)>> These are o-e style clips that we got from Dennis Carpenter, which came with stainless steel bolts. These prevent you from having to hold a nut on the backside of the panel just to get the fenders installed. ♪ This makes me nervous.

(Brandon)>> This is the delicate part of the process right here.

(Marc)>> I'll follow your lead.

(Brandon)>> Clicks in like legos.

(Marc)>> It's like this has been on here before.

(Brandon)>> Oh man! We're getting good at this.

(Marc)>> I'd rather not. Big moment. ♪

(Brandon)>> Let's see. Right... somewhere in there? You gonna push on it?

(Marc)>> Yeah! It needs a little...

(Brandon)>> A little persuasion?

(Marc)>> With the grill bolted in, we can go ahead and start dressing it up with all new everything. Buckets, lights, hardware and bezels. ♪ [hammer tap]

(Brandon)>> Some stuff takes finesse. And others take straight up brute force. [metal clicking] Dude!

(Marc)>> That looks good.

(Brandon)>> Dude!

(Marc)>> Dude!

(Brandon)>> Dude! Another big moment. ♪ Hey Scott?

(Scott)>> Huh?

(Brandon)>> Can you give us a hand? ♪

(Brandon)>> The beauty shot. Alright, you ready?

(Marc)>> Here we go. ♪ Oh! Look at that!

(Brandon)>> A couple more dudes?

(Marc)>> Dude... dude! For our Bronco's interior, we went with TMI Products. We picked up their Pro Low Back front bucket seats and replacement door panels. And went with a two-tone design using a premium, distressed brown vinyl and light tan suede center inserts with white contrast stitching to compliment the beach theme of the build. We love that all TMI interiors are hand crafted. Which gives us a perfect fit and finish. And of course, you'll see the rest of what we got from TMI, during our final install, which is happening soon. Well, when it's time to bleed your brakes, you need one of two things. You either need a buddy to pump the pedal for you or you need a really good tool to help you get the job done and that's exactly what this is. This is the Quick Flow brake bleeder from Matco Tools. Here's how it works. You hook up shop air to this port and then it creates a vacuum through this hose here, which is a 6.6-foot hose. So, you can leave the unit on the floor and hook this up to your brake bleeder. And once you crank it, well it just starts sucking the fluid through and all of the air as well. So, this tool is great for either replacing your old fluid with new fluid or getting all of the air out of the lines. So, if you're a professional mechanic and you know time is money. This is the perfect tool for you or if you're a d-i-y guy and you just want to save from having to call your buddy over to help you pump the pedal. This is the tool for you. ♪ ♪

(Brandon)>> Next... the finishing touches and we'll finally see how she looks.

(Jimmy)>> How we looking?

(Brandon)>> Slow on the roll cage.

(Marc)>> Well, we've move on to the rear of our Bronco here. We're trying to get this thing looking like a Bronco. I went ahead and did some modifications to the frame here. I actually had to notch it a little bit because we're going to install this spare tire carrier that we got from James Duff. The reason I had to modify the frame is because this thing actually sits inside between the frame rails and hides behind the bumper. It's pretty cool. Let me show you how this thing works. ♪ The bumper slides into the bracket and then the bumper and bracket, both get bolted to the horns of the frame. ♪ Then the carrier bolts to the bracket. ♪ And a couple of bumps stops and a latch. And we have ourselves... a spare tire carrier. ♪ Just needs a spare tire. ♪

(Brandon)>> Alright. Got to put the internals of the tailgate in. Now, I just went ahead and satin cleared these. I like them metal, the metal look. I don't really like when these are painted. Oh yeah that works. Just double checking. Put the rod on there. Slide it in. [metal clanging] ♪ Just going to assemble the latch here. ♪ Awesome! I'm going to have to adjust these once we get the tailgate on. Cables instead of the actual metal tailgate supports. ♪ That don't look too bad. Slow and steady wins the race. ♪

(Marc)>> Moment of truth. ♪ That's it.

(Brandon)>> It latched.

(Marc)>> Sweet!

(Brandon)>> Grab the top?

(Marc)>> Let's do it.

(Jimmy)>> How we looking?

(Brandon)>> Slow on the roll cage.

(Jeremy)>> Still good?

(Brandon)>> Yep! ♪

(Jeremy)>> And down?

(Brandon)>> Slow. Watch that corner on that door. ♪ Yeah! We're good.

(Jimmy)>> Nicely done.

(Marc)>> The contrast. That's a huge color change right there.

(Jimmy)>> That's nice.

(Marc)>> Well, we're at the point on our Bronco now where we're not completely finish with it yet, but it's pretty complete and we can get it pushed off to the side and work on something else. And we'll come back and finish all the little stuff later on. And if you're in our shoes and you're building something high end or if you've bought a nice high-end ride. Say something that you bring out of the garage once or twice a month to take out for a cruise or to a car show. You want to keep it protected when it's parked in your garage.

(Brandon)>> And we went to the car cover kings, Covercraft. They have a legacy of building premium outdoor and indoor car covers.

(Marc)>> This one in particular is called their Form Fit. It's their most luxurious indoor car cover. ♪

(Brandon)>> These car covers are tailored to your vehicle. They have elastic front and rear hems and the fabric follows the vehicle's contours. It's made of polyester knit with a spandex added to the yarns. It includes non-scratch grommets and is made of especially engineered fabric for all climates. ♪

(Marc)>> The inside is 100 percent cotton sheered to a fleece finish. There's a four-year warranty and they're available in six colors. And the super soft fabric pampers the paint, the chrome, anything the fabric touches. ♪

(Brandon)>> Plus, the highly breathable fabric prevents vapor and heat from becoming trapped underneath the cover. ♪ Finally, it's machine washable. The best car cover's a clean car cover. And this cover is easy to maintain in most front-load washer driers.

(Marc)>> And they'll even customize yours with your logo of choice, like they did ours.

(Brandon)>> Now that I feel comfortable that this thing's protected from any debris around the shop or dent or dings that someone might get in it...

(Marc)>> Yeah! People messing with it like a producer or videographer.

(Brandon)>> Yeah! I think it's time for a vacation. Get our heads straight so we can finish this build.

(Marc)>> Yeah! It's like the last 10 percent takes 90 percent of the time. Well, that's what they say anyways. I think that's a little exaggerated but it feels that way.

(Brandon)>> It definitely feels like that.

(Marc)>> I think this a good time for us to take a break, step away for a week and I think I'm going to go camping.

(Brandon)>> Camping? That sounds pretty good actually. I might do that as well.

(Marc)>> If you can't get enough of our Bronco, go to Powernation t-v dot com and check out our Beach Cruiser Bronco project page.

(Brandon)>> We have current build status, before and after pics, links to parts used and all the episodes right there on one page.