If you’ve been following me on Instagram at any point during the last two years, you’ve probably seen a bunch of posts and stories about my beautiful ‘69 Bronco! Restoring this car is a project that is close to my heart and I’m so happy with how she turned out. This process has taken a long time (690 days to be exact!) and with the help of some truly amazing people we were able to finish my 1969 Bronco Makeover!
Making a High School Dream Come True
I remember seeing a vintage bronco as a teenager and instantly falling in love. It was such a cool car and I thought to myself, “One day I want a rad old Bronco. It’ll happen.” It’s been a dream of mine ever since to own one. Restoring this car has been one of the most fun adventures of my life!
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Getting the Bronco
The first thing I needed to do was buy a vintage bronco to fix up. Luckily I was able to find and purchase one from a sweet family that lives an hour away from me. Not going to lie, I was nervous to close the deal because it was such a big purchase, but I walked away happy with my new (to me) 1969 bronco.
The next step was to figure out how to get the car to start. We took it to three different mechanics and still couldn’t get it running. My dad and Craig were determined to get my bronco to start so they ended up swapping my engine with our friend’s engine and putting it into my bronco. Our friend is restoring his bronco too and no longer needed the engine so it worked out great!
Now that the car was up and running, I just needed to relearn how to drive stick. It’s been 20 years since I last drove a stick shift in high school, but with some lessons from Craig, I got the hang of it. Eventually I mastered how to reverse, go up a hill, and pull into the garage, all without stalling! That time I spent driving my bronco around town was really special for me. I really wanted to experience the car in her full original glory before we started fixing her up. I wanted to get to know her and appreciate all she’s been through.
I know it may seem like just a car but this bronco means a lot to me. It came into my life at exactly the time I needed and serves as a metaphor for so many things in my life. What a history she’s had in her 54 years! Beautiful, but definitely could use some love. So much potential with so many good memories ahead. I couldn’t wait to start restoring her.
Restoring the Bronco
Time for the makeover! It’s actually a funny story, a woman named Danielle reached out to me on Instagram and said “I don’t have a bronco but I know a guy who could restore yours.” I met up with her and her friend, David, for drinks one night and left knowing I had met the PERFECT person for the job!
David is an entrepreneur from Australia with a thriving business (he invented a machine that sucks up horse manure, how crazy is that?!) and he restores cars as a hobby and is always working on a restoration.
First we removed the red paint and stripped the car down to its frame. Then we took the body of the car (the doors, tailgate, hood, etc.) off the chassis. I had never heard of a chassis before and I learned that a chassis is the base of the car that consists of the engine, transmission, frame, suspension, steering, brakes, and wheels. The chassis of my original bronco was pretty old and worn so this great shop, Velocity, built a brand new one for me!
The next step was to paint the body of the car and then bolt it down to the new chassis. Choosing a paint color was quite a process, but more on that later. It took two forklifts and several pairs of hands but we were able to lower the body of the car down onto the new chassis and secure it with the 8 bolts on the frame. I had never seen anything like it and I was fascinated to see how cars are put together.
Customizing the Bronco
Then it was time for the fun part, picking out every detail from the bronco! I wanted the car to feel personal to me and I wanted to have as many bronco symbols and logos on the car as possible.
Paint Color
Like I mentioned earlier, deciding what color to paint my bronco was a big deal. I had two visions in mind for this car and I just had to decide what vibe I was going for. I loved them both and it was so hard to choose one.
Option 1: Stain Glass Stripes
This option was actually inspired by my jacket and the sunset stain glass I made. It feels hopeful and bright, but also feels like it could be just a snapshot of this particular moment of my life. I was worried it would feel too trendy.
Option 2: Mint Stripe
This option feels like old me with the green, plus current me in the stripes, plus future me. It feels fun, tough, fresh, and kinda beachy! I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it. It feels happy and relaxed, like it could be old, current, and future Ang.
In the end I went with the mint stripes and I’m SO glad I did. It’s perfect. Watching David paint my bronco was actually really fun to watch. He was such a pro and made sure to spray the paint in these smooth, sweeping motions. He did three coats of paint and then three coats of clear coat. I remember when he first started painting the body, I turned to Craig and said “I love the color, it makes me want some mint chocolate chip ice cream!”
Air Vents and Dashboard
When we were designing the dashboard and picking vents, I learned that most vintage broncos don’t have AC. Well, I live in Las Vegas so you can bet that we figured out a way to have AC in my car, and LOTS of it. We were able to squeeze in 4 AC vents and I decided to go with vent option 3 because I liked the overall look and with the smaller circle I knew I could squeeze in several vents.
Interior
I knew I wanted leather for the interior of my gorgeous bronco, but I just had to decide on a color. The goal was to pick something with some warmth but that wasn’t too orange or hot. Option 2 was the winner and it looked amazing with the diamond stitching.
Wheels
Who knew that the type of wheels you have on your car can totally change the overall look? I found myself deciding between two types of wheels. The first option was white and cute and the second option was black, bubbly, and tough. I went with option 2 because I wanted a touch of cuteness, but I really wanted that tough look on my bronco.
Other Finishing Touches
Remember when I said I wanted as many bronco logos and symbols on this car as possible? Well, I wasn’t kidding! I have a bronco silhouette on my steering wheel, bronco logos on different parts of the body, and even a light that projects the bronco logo onto the ground when you open the car door. How rad is that?!
We made a custom grill for the front of the car and I seriously love it. The grill is white with a chrome trim and the big “FORD” letters in red. Best decision ever!
1969 Bronco Makeover
I’m obsessed with my ‘69 Bronco and love how she’s already bringing my little family closer together. I remember when we first brought the bronco home from the previous owner’s house, my daughter ran up to me and asked if we could wash it together. That first family car wash with our Bronco was so special to me, it felt like this car was already helping us create happy memories together. I can’t wait to make more memories in this bronco with family and friends for years to come!
Interested in seeing other makeovers I’ve done over the years? Here are some of my favorites:
- Kellie’s Guest Bathroom Makeover
- Front Room Fireplace Makeover
- Colton’s Boy’s Bedroom Makeover
- DIY Welcoming Front Door Paint Makeover
- DIY Cloud-Inspired Boy’s Bedroom Makeover
To see the many, many stories of my bronco makeover journey, check out my highlights on Instagram and if you’re looking for some cute bronco merch, look at these amazing shirts Velocity made for me!
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