Inauguration Event
September 23-24, 2000

Dixie Chapter Inauguration Event - AL

Overview

The biggest thing I found wrong was the carburetor, the original Holley Motorcraft.  It had just been rebuilt, but had already again blown its power valve.  The man who did the rebuild suggested I get an Edelbrock and said he would adjust it for me once installed.  The Edelbrock 1406 proved to be just what the doctor ordered.  It didn't need any adjustments as determined by the carburetor mechanic (West Carburetor in Savannah).

That began a series of what I would call 'upgrades' on the Bronco, from a term I have frequently applied to my computer.  One of the biggest and most expensive was the addition of 4 gorgeous AR39 15x10 wheels and a set of33x12.5x15 BFG ATs.

Around the end of July, during the week of the Broncofest 2000, I discovered Big Broncos.com.  That has led to countless emails to and from this location concerning my rig.  I started emailing Scott Johnson about the Dixie Chapter of 2 Big Broncos 4x4 Club.

Participants

1. Rick Wojo
2. Scott, Stephanie Johnson
3. Jim, Adam Westcot
4. Brad Miller

The Details . . .

Also, the Bronco has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of quality time with one of my children.  Adam is my youngest, age 18. Adam has been there at least a couple of times helping me to work on the Bronco.  He lives about an hour away from me.  The Sunday before the Dixie Event he helped me remove the old leaky manifolds from the 351W and installed one of the new shorty headers.

Adam, Me, and Bronco makes for fun!

The second one was found to not line up w/ the y-pipe, so I had to cut it off to make room for the header.  The day I drove it to work to then take it to Meineke for repairs was a real experience, a TOTAL ROAR! No one dared to pass me!  If they tried, I would just floor it, the tranny would downshift, and the noise would make them give up!  There were 2 sleepless nights the week before the Dixie Event, the second being Thursday night.  That night a really weird thing happened. I lost my fuel gauge to a loose, or floating ground.  We're still trying to get to the bottom of that one, thanks again to the help from Bob Ouellette.  We finally decided to use my trip-o-meter as a gas gauge, and refill when the mileage indicated a need.

Adam and I got as far as Anniston, AL on Friday night.  We then drove to Huntsville to meet up with the group Saturday morning.  The whole trip from Savannah to Huntsville had been rainy, and the trip up the mountain was no different, rainy and foggy.

The only breakdown we experienced during the event itself was a vent tube dry rotting off of the 8.8 rear end.  We tried reattaching it several times, but it kept breaking off again and again.  Later, when I removed the fitting, clogged with dried mud, I discovered that the actual vent hole is just a pin hole in the fitting.  The opening is not nearly as wide as the fitting.  Ford had a better idea there.  That saved me from getting a 'milk shake' in my rear end when we went through all those puddles on the way up and down the mountain.

At the Dixie Event staging area

Baptized Bronco with MUD

Stopped at cemetery at halfway point

Brad, a driver of one of the other Broncos, experienced a breakdown onthe way up the mountain.  The cover on his power steering pump got loose, and he proved that mud does not make a very good lubricant in a power steering pump.  The pump finally started working again the next day on the way down the mountain after several attempts at getting it to accept some fresh fluid.

We stopped on the way up the mountain at the half-way point.  This was an old cemetery, called the Moon cemetery.  Since no ghosts came out to greet us, we were soon on our way again.

Jim's Bronco before the mud

Rick at the cabin

Rick enjoying the autumn colors

Our stay at the top of the mountain was at Rick's cabin, a rustic but very comfortable place.  I was amazed at what all it had in it, since everything had been hauled up the mountain through mud and narrow trails.  There was no running water or electricity, but there was a propane stove, refrigerator, and propane lamps.  The beds Adam and I slept in were as comfortable as any I've ever been in.  Thanks to Rick for that.

Rick's cabin in the woods

Gathering at the fire pit

I was also amazed at what all the Bronco could do and where all it could go without the least sign of getting stuck.  This was my first of many 4x4events.  My previous experiences have been 2wd.  I could not have begun to climb that mountain in 2wd.  At one point, we nearly got stuck, but once the metal stop in the way was pulled out, the Bronco popped right back onto the trail.

Brad with his Bronco at the cabin	Scott & Steph setting up camp	Scott's Bronco at the cabin
We've got mud, yes we do...	We've got more..	We've got the most!

When we got to the bottom of the mountain, there was the sheriff waiting for us.  A cabin near the cemetery had been broken into a couple of times, so the sheriff was trying to see who was coming and going and if the gate was always kept locked.  We all thought we were under arrest when he walked up on us at the gate.

Rick's cabin had been broken into before, so his father and he had devised some bars welded for each door and window.  They looked like class III hitches.  There was no way to get past them!!  Speaking of Rick's father, he also was in the area while we were up there.  Adam and I very much enjoyed meeting him.  He was staying at a cabin nearby and dropped in more than once.  He offered some expert mechanical advice to those in need, such as Brad.  I can see where many of Rick's attributes come from.

This was the type of driving I had bought the Bronco for in the first place, because in southeast GA, there is a lot of deer hunting done by having to drive through mud.  The Bronco proved to be a real champ!  It's really One Tough Truck.  Too bad there wasn't enough of a serious market for them.  Too bad the present SUVs are all family oriented, not OHV oriented.  Too bad they don't call them OHVs; then maybe they'd be made correctly.

Adam keeps telling me we need to give the Bronco a name.  Since it'sblack, I think we'll decide on 'Black Stallion'.  Naturally that leaves the name of Lil' Red for the little red Ranger.

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to 'earn my stripes' to become an official member of 2 Big Broncos.  Thanks for giving me an opportunity to spend so much quality time with one of my children.

Respectfully submitted,
Jim Westcot - shadetree351@home.com
Savannah, GA. 1987 XLT Bronco