I Tip My Hood To All Bronco Lovers

To love me is to appreciate simplicity.  My no frills square body was designed by Paul G. Axelrad and was a good seller for Ford.  In 1972 the Bronco production was 21,115.  So putting together a family tree would be quite an undertaking.  My first owner probably bought me for around $2,200 brand spankin' new.  My Mom sure would have liked that price!  Now I am far from new and you might say I am showing my age.  My Mom says I have a raw beauty, but then again she is my Mom.  I have two bad rust spots, one on the hood and the other on the body by the passenger door.  The rest is just surface rust.  My Mom's not worried about  the hood because she plans to replace it with the fiberglass Highlander Hood from Wild Horses (WH).  My Brother says he can fix my one body rust issue.    Phase I of my makeover will include new shocks, a clean up and powder coating of my undercarriage.  It will also include installation of power disc brakes and power steering.  Phase II will focus on the engine, transmission, and air conditioning.  My 302 turned out to be real strong so my Mom and Brother plan on installing fuel injection, beefing up performance, cleaning it up and adding some bling, because there has to be bling.  Phase II will also include replacing the manual transmission with a rebuilt automatic transmission.  Phase III is focused on exterior items.  All four fender flares need to be replaced.

A front Pre-Runner Winch Bumper will replace the current one.  My back bumper with hitch stays.  Side mirrors will be replaced and chrome side molding removed (my Mom thinks it takes away from my body lines).  I already mentioned the hood is being replaced.  The wheels will get polished and they will keep my 31 inch tire size.  My half cap hard top is coming off and being replaced with a full size soft top. The Bronco emblem stays. The one question is what to do with the spare tire.  My Mom had a Bronco II in the 80's and found the spare tire attached to the tailgate a bother.  So more thinking is needed before she can make her final decision.

There is body work needed to deal with my dents and dings. WH stainless steel quick remove door hinge kit will be installed.  Phase IV will concentrate on the interior and miscellaneous items.  Brushed stainless steel door inserts will be installed and all window and door handles, and arm rests will be replaced.  

They will replace my stock seats with Corbeau Baja RS seats and 3 point seat belts.  The plan is to add a Tuffy center console and replace the dash pad.  My dash will get cleaned up and new stereo/dvd system will get installed.  A tuffy glove box will replace my current glove box.  A Dakota Digital Dash VHX Silver Alloy blue gauge will replace my stock gauges.  A roll bar will be installed.  The floor will get Rhino lining.  A steel tilt steering column will replace my stock column.  A new steering wheel will replace my current stock one.  Billet aluminum door sill plates with the Bronco script will be added. An alarm system will get installed as well.  A cover for the windshield wiper motor will be added.  Sun visors will be replaced.  New weather stripping will be added where needed.

As you can see there is a lot of work to do and by the time I am ready for a new paint job I will already be looking quite different.  My makeover won't be complete until the last bit of paint gets sprayed.  Hopefully, you enjoyed seeing the pictures of my "raw beauty" and hearing about the makeover plans.  The original idea for the Bronco was conceived by Donald N. Frey to compete with the Jeep CJ-5 and the International Harvestor Scout.  I am not looking to compete with any other truck or car.  I am just ready for my new look.  My makeover plans are a blend of ideas coming from so many Bronco lovers' creations and the new products available today.  I tip my hood to all Bronco owners that have traveled this road before us and I can hardly wait to be strutting my whole new look.  

She likes me! She really really likes me!

After many years of waiting for the right time to restore a classic my new Mom decided this was the time and an early Ford Bronco was the car.  Luckily for me I am a 1972 Ford Bronco Half Cab.  They also called me a Short Roof Pickup in some brochures and after 1972 my model was discontinued.  She was looking for a project car and enlisted her Son in the search.  She had thought for some time how much fun it would be to have a Mother-Son project like this.  After looking and looking my new Mom found me on Craigslist and sent the info to my new Brother.  He thought I just might be what they were looking for and they arranged to see me.

I was a bit nervous I must admit.  It had been many years since I had any TLC and I was originally designed as a utilitarian truck for a farmer or rancher.  She is not a farmer or rancher.  How could I possibly be her dream car?  She had been researching, viewing early Ford Bronco pictures and looking at available restoration products.  Could she envision what I could be when she saw me?  Would my Bronco charm win her over?  I did my very best when they arrived and took me for a spin.    With no power steering and no power brakes I wasn't easy to drive but I gave them a good ride.  I listened to them talk about me and it was sounding good.  I wanted to spin out and shout "She likes me, she really really likes me!"

That day my Brother and little Nephew drove me to their home.  I made my Brother proud and got us all home safe and sound.  You can imagine my surprise when I found out my Brother has a1978 Ford Bronco, my bigger cousin.  Ahhhh, I now have a new family and I can hardly wait for my make over.  My Mom has a lot of plans for me and I am in my Brother's good hands.  Stay tuned and see my transition.