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78 Bronco build, nice but usable

79K views 343 replies 65 participants last post by  simrokkzz 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all, I have been working on my BKO for awhile now and time to start my build thread.
I have gotten a lot from this site, and figured I would share what I have done so maybe help
someone else of give someone else ideas.

My story started in 2014. I wanted a Jeep, but wasn't willing to buy another vehicle being that I
had a 77 F150 on the side of my house that I attempted to restore about 25 years ago and stopped after a
year (I got burned out).

This F150 was my first truck, and my dad had given it to me. He has since passed, so I decided on a 78 - 79
BKO thinking I could use the truck (being it was sentimental to me) so to the searching.

I started looking on Craigslist, Ebay and some others until I found something I could work with. My main objective
was to be rust free, and mostly straight.

and I found it.




it was a 78 and the previous owner had passed, and his son was selling it.. it seemed like destiny.




Seemed very straight, and no rust I could find.




the interior was a mess, but all there:





 
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#4 · (Edited)
Being that I didn't want to get burnt out (like I did 20 plus years ago) I decided to do this backwards, and started with the interior
for instant gratification.

I started this in June 2014

So I started stripping out the interior and sanding a grinding:










It turned out to have rust, although not bad just mostly surface rust under the rubber floor.













Only one spot in the floor the metal had to be replace, and I'm sure it was from the heater core, on the passenger side floor board.







The rest of the floor that had rust, I just sanded what I could, then coated it with some rust converter, then used a modified epoxy primer over it.



The rust converter turns it into a permanent black coating that is paint-able.







Primed:








Also what I had found out was that when I got the BKO it had a bench seat, but under neath had all the holes for bucket seats, and center console and the holes were siliconed in. I like buckets better
and was original to that so that is what I will go with--later
 
#5 · (Edited)
When it comes to color, I just wanted something easy to paint, or repair down the road so I picked a light gray, and dark gray (for both interior and exterior). I also decided to just use
acrylic enamal for the interior (much cheaper than basecoat clearcoat)
and the interior painting begins.

First I had to patch some holes in the dash:





I put metal behind them then welded them in, then ground them down and put filler ... it really turned out nice.

















 
#9 · (Edited)
Next up is carpet. So I got the Harber Freight steamer out and went to work. The Steamer helped out
alot





















Got the shift boots on, and kept working it in.





Almost done with the Carpet, and started working on the dash






You really can't tell, but I have 6 or 7 hours in repainting the instrument cluster surround. also eventually the tach was driving me crazy
so it eventually went.





I got the dash pad from LMC. I ordered black and painted it. turns out they were not supposed to be painted or "non-paint-able" and you could
just push it with your finger and it would crack right off (I used plastic and vinyl spray).

I used acrylic lacquer thinner to take it off (the vinyl spray is lacquer based). I also wiped it on the black to
get ALL the mold release off of the dash pad and then repainted it .... this time it took








The new tach mounted and lowered out of the way:


 
#10 · (Edited)
Next I started working on the rear quarter side panels, and head liner.
I didn't want to use wood so I found a company that sold PVC in 4X8
sheets and bought a few of those.

I have seen center consuls made from them so I figured it has to be
better than wood just more expensive.

I used the old rear quarter panels as a template and started working on them first:














On to the headliners, I used heat to bend the PVC. It was real easy to work. and I just treated it like wood to cut and shape.
It really worked out well.








I also bullnosed all the PVC edges that you could see, I knew it would give it a nice finished look when I had them upholstered.


 
#14 ·
thank you, I was trying to do something different, and keep it nice and clean

Nice work, Keep it up!
I will, it's turning out great

Second that, nice work! Thanks for the thread and the collection of pics.
I do have tons of picture, I do not plan on doing anything near this extensive myself again so I took lot's of pictures.
and thx for the nice words
 
#22 ·
Thanks Brotha

Oh hell yeah... This is just getting better and better..
Thanks for the compliment

awesome

sweet build so far

looking forward to more pictures

hope my 78 project turns out 1/2 that nice
like the colours
Thanks man, I do have tons of pics

Looking good! Don't get burned out with detail and let the quality go down. Can't wait to see the finished product.

TB
Thanks man, this is why I started with the interior, then I will have to make everything else match the quality.
 
#20 ·
Looking good! Don't get burned out with detail and let the quality go down. Can't wait to see the finished product.

TB
 
#24 · (Edited)
I don't really plan on using the rear seat all that much there is just me and the wife, so
to make room for a 12" sub in the center console I had to go back with it, knowing I wouldn't
be able to tilt the seat forward to make room in the back.

Here is just starting mock up:





I used 1/4" PVC and 1/2" PVC to make the shapes. I also took note of the arm rests on the doors to
gauge how tall I wanted the center console.





I didn't just want a square type of look so I put some curves in there to match the rest of the BKO






I built the speaker box out of particle board twice (I used a different type the first time and pretty much fell apart)
lesson learned.








starting to come together with the looks and strength I was looking for.





I was able to use a heat gun and bend the PVC over a pipe to get it right where I wanted it. I also got
some cup holders in there (can't do it without those).





I found a hinge, and handle from a local junk yard that would work, and something to latch to at the Depot.
I also through in on each side a cigarette lighter socket (can never have enough power outlets)











after this everything was sent off to Upholstery
 
#25 · (Edited)
There was no room (without a lot of work) to put a double din in and I wanted built
in GPS.
I found a Clarion single bin that had everything that I wanted, but the screen
wouldn't open without some modification to the dash. When the screen would
open it wouldn't open all the way because it would hit the air condition control
knobs.

So to fix this I modified the metal bracket by extending where the radio set about
an 1-1/2" out from where it normally did, also I cut down the knobs on the air control
knobs with a dremel












I also made good use of some of the PVC I had left over from the head liners, and center console to
use to cover the metal pop-out for the radio, and glued them on the cluster cover:





I painted it all up, and put it together:








I installed the amps. The one for the Sub went under the passenger seat:









I mounted the other amp (for the other 4 speakers) under the driver seat, but can't seem to find the photos on it right now.

gotta have good sounding tunes in the BKO
 
#26 · (Edited)
I got everything back from upholstery I think it turned out great:









The rear of the Center console









Cutting out the holes, and mounting the speakers in the rear quarter panels.
this made me very nervous being that I just got them back from being upholstered:

first I cut the whole with a razor blade, then used a drill bit to drill the PVC

















And the rear quarter panels mounted and done:














 
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