Todd Z.'s Mods
By Todd Zuercher
Here are some pictures and descriptions of a few of the modifications on my '69 Bronco. I like to find cheap parts in the junkyards and adapt them to use in my truck. I jokingly like to say that my truck has a certain "cosmopolitan" feel to it thanks to all the pieces from imported vehicles on it.
Figure 1: These definitely aren't junkyard pieces, but instead 8" travel Bilstein 7100 series gas-charged shocks. The shocks are nickel-plated and feature heim joints on each end. The shocks are a mono-tube shock with a floating piston design. Shraeder valves near the top allow pressurization(180-300 psi typical) of the shock to eliminate cavitation and foaming of the shock oil. These shocks will soon find a home on a revised C.I.T.I. Motorsports inboard shock mount on the rear of my truck.
Figure 2: Here's a shot of one of my grab handles. I found them on early-mid '90's Honda Accords, '93 or '94 if I remember correctly. They attach cleanly to the cage and are spring loaded to flip up out of the way so no one bumps their head on them. I have one on each side of the family cage for the rear passengers and one on the passenger's side of the front cage structure.
Figure 3: Here are my front seats-Beard Super Seats. Since I'm tall(6'4"), I ordered the Xtra-Tall(2" taller) versions. The passenger's side seat is mounted on a modified early Bronco II seat bracket which allows the seat to flip forward and allow easier access to the rear seats as shown in Figure 4. Also seen in this shot is my Art Carr floor shifter for my automatic transmission. This shifter is also available for less money from Winters Performance.
Figure 4: This shot shows how the Beard seat flips forward to allow access to the rear seats. The Bronco II brackets took very little modification for this installation. If you look closely at the dash you can see a black sheetmetal cover which covers my windshield wiper linkage(wipers mounted on the bottom of the windshield).
Figure 5: This is a rear shot of the "baby" Beards that I use for rear seats in my truck. Note the two quick-release ball-lock pins in the seat framework at the bottom of the seats. When you pull the pins, the rear seats and the subframe they're mounted to come off in seconds. It makes for a very quick and easy removal/installation of the rear seats.
Figure 6: A front view of the low back Beards. I had Ed and Barbara make these 1" narrower than stock to fit inside the fenderwells. They are far more comfortable and supportive than the stock bench seat. I found matching Ford blue seatbelts at a junkyard for a few dollars. You can see the front of the seat subframe that was detailed in Figure 5's description. The rollcage has been powdercoated and the subframe is still old dirty white paint(obvious in this shot.
Figure 7: This not-so-clear picture shows my sunvisors-out of a '91 Toyota 2WD truck(which by coincidence happens to be my daily driver). I found these at a local Toyota junkyard for $10/pair. They're attached via nutzerts to a tab on my rollcage. They swivel over to block the sun from the side as well. You can also see one of my wiper arms in this photo.
Figure 8: Another shot of the sunvisor, flipped up this time. Note that the crossbar on the rollcage can be positioned much closer to the windshield frame when you don't have wipers in the way! You can also see my Volvo rear view mirror that's attached to a tab welded to my rollcage-no more headaches dealing with rear view mirrors getting knocked off the windshield!
Figure 9: Here's a photo showing my bottle jack mount at the rear corner of the cage. You'll have to excuse the unsano method of attaching the jack handles at this time. I have since revised it! You can also see my rear diff breather attached to the cage. My theory with having a jack onboard is to have the ability to change a flat tire at all times without carrying a huge toolbox all the time. I have had my tools and parts stolen once from my truck and I don't want to deal with it again. Bottle jacks are cheap to replace if they're stolen.
Figure 10: A view of my Hi-Lift jack mount on the passenger's side. I still have a few modifications to make to this to completely rid it of rattles(I knew this would be needed). Also, you can see the rear seat subframe and structure in this shot(seats tilted forward).
Figure 11: My lug nut wrench mounted on the cage. This will eventually involve a spring loaded method of retention but for the current time works well with friction retaining everything nicely. Again, part of my theory of hauling enough tools to change a flat anytime on the road.
Figure 12: This picture shows several items of interest in the "command center" of the truck. First, another shot of the Bronco II seat bracket as detailed above. The seat belt stalks are for my Nissan seatbelts. Also visible is the Art Carr shifter. Note how close it is to the driver's seat-makes a handy resting spot for your right hand while driving. The ignition switch is from an early '70's Ford truck and allows the use of the double-sided Ford ignition keys that I like. The transfer case shifter is a Protofab-built t-style shifter with a '66 knob on it. This replaces the '80's vintage twin stick setup I had previously(Dad-fabbed). The twin-stick didn't fit correctly with my automatic tranny conversion. The e-brake lever is from an early Fox-bodied Mustang while the boot covering it comes from an early '80s 5-Series BMW. The small black box to the right of the e-brake lever is a cupholder that opens up. It's from a Mercedes 560.
