Fiberglass Tub?

[BrianB]

I just bought a 73 Bronco, and one of the projects is deciding whether to do some bodywork or just bite the bullet and buy a fiberglass body tub/front end. A couple of questions for the group:

1. Is there any consensus about who makes the best quality product?

2. Does anyone have a feel for how many man hours would have to go into bodywork (daily driver, not show quality) and to transfer all the old Bronco bits onto the new body? Let's leave actual painting out of this number.

Thanks.

BrianB

 

[rydog1130]

1. I feel like corey sunday w/ bronco designs would be the best bang for your buck. His tubs are priced at $5,500...If your tailgate, windshield, hood, fenders, doors and grill are in good shape or fixable then it wouldnt be hard to transfer all that stuff over.

2. I could imagine a week or two of block sanding to get it looking good and maybe a week per each item listed above if they need repair which would be about 2-3 months of work, then add another month or 2 to add all your stuff back on like dash components and wiring harness.

It really comes down to your experience level, amount of time and your ambition to get stuff done...so 3 months to a year maybe? If you plan on replacing sheet metal you'll find other things that aren't anticipated once you dig in to it. Post up pics if you can that will help others estimate your needs

good luck!

 

[SevenT]

Fiberglass tub

BrianB,

I bit the bullet and bought a Bronco Design tub for $6K (bedliner on the bottom). You can check my build thread for what I have done. I would say I will have about $8K before paint. I used my doors, front fenders, grille, hood, top and tailgate. The reason I went this way was because a vendor quoted me $22K for rust repair only and with paint, it would come to $32K. Not made of money.

v/r,

SevenT

 

[bmc69]

Lessee..I have a BD trail tub. I cut the front "clip" off of it and went with all steel front clip, doghouse and hood.

Total man-hours to install steel windshield frame, steel front dog house, and steel tailgate, and make the stock EB dash fit...I'd guess something around 200 hours tops. Would take me little more than half that to do all of that again...which is why I'm seriously considering going with a BD body on my '76 too now.

 

[centex77]

I’m 3yrs into a build with the Bronco Design body. The body is great and easy to work with. The problem, and it’s not a problem but nature of the beast, is that everything is custom. You’ve got to cut all of the holes, lots of nut-serts since nothing can be welded on. That’s the challenging part. Otherwise it’s not bad.


1977 Ford Bronco/Fiberglass Body/302 bored .030/balanced/Trick Flow aluminum heads/cam/5spd/Locked w/ 4.10’s/35” BFG/4” suspension/3” body

 

[bknbronco]

i love my Kentrol glass tub but im not even sure you can buy a glass tub these days. Better check the waiting list cause i believe only one company out there making glass bronco tubs.

Still have to keep the steel grill and core support if you want it to resemble a bronco....and keep the steel tailgate.

 

[reamer]

D-C is making a complete steel tub for Bronco, I believe its 13 grand on a crate...

 

[C Saporito]

While pulling apart my steel tub, and purchasing lot's of replacement panels, I finally realized there was no end to the rust. I sold the steel and purchased one of the first 5 Bronco Design tubs (made in PA). It's no doubt a lot of work but doable, might be easier getting holes aligned with newer tubs. These tubs are not built like the old tubs, they weigh close to what steel tub weigh and do not need supports in the door opening when you pick them up.

I can't give an accurate time frame for the body because of other work holding up installation.

Had the full steel tubs been available at that time I might have gone that way, but at least I have no more worries about rust.

 

[ObscureMachine]

My entire tub was rotten and would have cost about $12k to have someone rebuild it. Or it would have cost my sanity to do much of it. So I went with a Bronco Designs tub that will be ready in the spring. It seemed to be the consensus best option. Corey is great to talk to, easy to deal with and they offer some options like having the underside coated. That would be my suggestion. - jim

 

[Lebe]

My entire tub was rotten and would have cost about $12k to have someone rebuild it. Or it would have cost my sanity to do much of it. So I went with a Bronco Designs tub that will be ready in the spring. It seemed to be the consensus best option. Corey is great to talk to, easy to deal with and they offer some options like having the underside coated. That would be my suggestion. - jim

Aside from sound deadening, wonder why you would undercoat a fiberglass body?

 

[Tcb3078]

Aside from sound deadening, wonder why you would undercoat a fiberglass body?

I did it to clean it up and the raw firberglass

 

[SevenT]

Fiberglass tub

Lebe,

I had mine done for chip resistance on the underside and it looks cool.

v/r,

SevenT

 

[EB70]

I am in the waning months of a 2 year build. I started with a rusty but nowhere near rotten tub. It turned into a bad case of "while I am here I may as well...." Money was a factor. I did it with my kids and it has taken forever. I'm pretty handy and I all, but knowing I didn't get all of the rust out of every last seam bugs me.

If you have less time and a few more bucks, I would go fiberglass and know that rust was not going to be a problem.

I do prefer working with steel. And my other Broncos are solid. But this one was supposed to be a quick project. But every time you hit it with a wire wheel in a crack more stuff showed up. At some point I had to draw the line. Which I did. It is way better than it was and I probably spent $300 on steel etc. maybe a little more. But the hours were many.

I wouldn't do fiberglass on a really high end Bronco. But for everything else, I'd really give it look after what I have been through.

 

[uncletom]

I put a fiberglass body on my Bronco 34 years ago. No rust!

 

[Tcb3078]

I'm extremely happy with mine

 

[uncletom]

I'm extremely happy with mine

Wow! That's a nice looking rig. Your body lines sure look straight.

 

[Tcb3078]

Wow! That's a nice looking rig. Your body lines sure look straight.

Thanks. With Fiber, you def have to take your time, multiple times, to get everything lined up. I have a terra comp body. I spent almost a 2 weeks at night time sanding the pillars down to get the door and fenders to gap and line up. I definitely spent another week or two measuring, bolting, and unbolting the body to make sure it was level, centered, and on point.

 

[uncletom]

Thanks. With Fiber, you def have to take your time, multiple times, to get everything lined up. I have a terra comp body. I spent almost a 2 weeks at night time sanding the pillars down to get the door and fenders to gap and line up. I definitely spent another week or two measuring, bolting, and unbolting the body to make sure it was level, centered, and on point.

I did all that and mine is just "ok". There is a tremendous difference in the quality of the bodies today from when I did mine. Dimensions were not right in many places and I had to compromise to make everything fit. The average person nevers sees the discrepancies.

 

[Tcb3078]

I did all that and mine is just "ok". There is a tremendous difference in the quality of the bodies today from when I did mine. Dimensions were not right in many places and I had to compromise to make everything fit. The average person nevers sees the discrepancies.

I agree 100%.

Fiber is not perfect and I have to make decisions like that in a lot of cases.

 

[seatownx]

how did you fab up your e brake in the kentrol tub. I am trying to figure out the best way to mount it to the tub.