Classic 1973 Ford Bronco Built for the Beach With a Lift, Wheels, Tires, and More
Michelle Lemay chose to restore a vintage Bronco instead of waiting for a new one.
Instead of waiting for a new Ford Bronco to arrive at the dealership, Michelle Lemay commissioned a classic Bronco restoration, with the help of Jim Dunaway and Bayberry Vintage Autos in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Related:Supercharged 1968 TOP TRUCK CHALLENGE Bronco slays the competition!
Michelle liked that the design of the new Bronco incorporated many iconic styling cues from the SUV's heyday, and she was highly anticipating the arrival of her preordered Bronco, but she was itching for something to drive while waiting for her Bronco to arrive. Jim suggested finding an older, vintage Bronco and restoring it while she waited. Michelle thought that was a great idea.
Hearing about the hunt for a vintage Bronco, a shop that Jim had worked with in the past called and informed him of a 1973 Bronco that was available. The Bronco appeared to be a decent older restoration that just needed paint and a tickle to bring it back to life. So, the Bronco was purchased and stripped down. The frame was verified as solid. However, it was discovered that the body tub had previously been restored to a subpar level. It was decided that replacing the body tub would be more cost-effective, so a new body tub with stamped fenders was purchased from Rust Belt Broncos. The intent to use high-gloss black paint on Michelle's Bronco meant the bodywork had to be perfect. Michelle loves over-the-top builds, so even though this was going to be a more in-depth project than originally planned, it provided the opportunity to set this vintage project apart from the rest.
A lot of research went into the style and modifications of the Bronco to create something authentic, with modern cues blended in to yield a clean and simple machine that would exhibit a "less is more" philosophy. During the build, Michelle visited Bayberry Vintage Autos often to go over ideas, and she and Jim would jointly determine how to implement them and proceed. Michelle has an eye for design involving color and overall theme that helped her make perfect out-of-the-box choices. At one point, Jim asked Michelle if she wanted a lift under the Bronco, only to get the response, "How tall can we go?" In the end, a 3.5-inch lift from Toms Offroad was used, along with Bilstein shocks. Michelle chose KMC XD Series Rockstar III wheels that were very fitting as part of the foundation of the build.
Custom Colors for Unique Appeal
The frame was stripped bare and then primed and sealed with SEM Rust Shield, using a special formula that Bayberry Vintage Autos has developed for thicker, higher-gloss finishes. The Bronco's original drivetrain was retained, including the freshly built 302ci V-8 and rebuilt C4 transmission. To give the engine a bit of visual "pop," Bayberry Vintage Autos painted the engine a custom Ford blue metallic tri-coat. The shop then installed a host of performance parts, including a Holley Sniper EFI, Billet Specialties front accessory drive, headers, Edelbrock Performance RPM intake, and MSD ignition system. The shop also smoothed some of the firewall holes and undercoated the entire tub front to back, including the engine bay.
Inside the Bronco, Michelle wanted burgundy trim. The cream/ivory color was inspired by the dashboard. This provided a perfect match, yet contrasted eloquently with the black accents tying in the exterior color. Jim had seen black-and-white contrasting interiors before and felt like that combination popped, so he knew the result would be fantastic. Since the Bronco will be used to cruise beaches in direct sunlight with no top on the vehicle, Michelle loves that the seats will not get too hot in the summer sun. The lighter-colored interior would also allow the details to stand out and not get lost in the rest of the design, which would have been the case if a darker color scheme had been used. Inside the Bronco, LizardSkin spray-on noise and heat insulation and Dynamat automotive sound deadening material were added.
Bayberry Vintage Autos worked with Jeremy Katz of JK Automotive and Ben Hermance of Hermance Design to create a 3D rendering of the interior, in order to better visualize the concepts. The team then bounced ideas back and forth, which led to a final interior pattern and rendering form liked by both the team and Michelle. Bayberry Vintage Autos provided Michelle with seat fitment data and used her suggestion for the custom-made low-back seats, which give better flow with the truck's body lines, as well as better visibility. Jeremy then took his artful vision to bring the interior into a modern next dimension, utilizing scanning technology tied to CAD design fused with 3D printing for custom pieces. Jeremy is not only renowned for this, but also for his expertise in the arena of sound design.
