To go Fiberglass or sweat over a beat up body

[Punchgolfr]

I'm starting a new project 73 bronco and I have the pristine frame, Dana 44 and James Duff 5" suspension lift on my rolling chasis. I will need to find a 302 but I have no tub, body, fenders or glass to start from. In your more expert opinion than mine what are some of the decisions that go into finding a good used body or choosing to go fiberglass? I have always wanted to restore a Bronco and just don't know what to trust when scouring the web for a Bronco body. Is it worth the pain and suffering? A couple things on my side are my brother sprays and I have all the time in the world to make this project perfect. Can you find body's minus frame? Where do I begin and what steps should I make first?

 

[fungus]

Where are you located? If you can source a good donor Bronco for the body I'd say go for it. Certainly possible to piece one together with a combo of stock and repopped sheet metal reasonably. IMO, metal is alot easier to work with but I'm a welder...

Fiberglass is a good way to go if you want to start clean & are in a rust prone area (along way from good donors). Also, since you're starting with no body at all might not be that much more expensive & you get to skip all the cleanup of the old metal.

Craigslist is a good place to keep an eye out for donor Broncos as well as the classifieds here and other EB sites. Can't remember who is making the best glass body right now but I know they're on here & someone will chime in with contact info (there's a couple options). Also heard Dynacorn is coming out with an all new OEM metal body but not sure how affordable its going to be.

 

[Punchgolfr]

Thanks for your help. I'm in Charlotte, NC. The Piedmont area of NC I would think would be less conducive to rust than any other place. We generally have less rust than any south or north. I've found a couple decent donors but with plenty of work to be done. Hesitant... Major No-No's to be looking for??

 

[lowbush]

This is a preference question and a lot of it is what you would be most comfortable working on. There are not a lot of downsides to glass, but some people don't like it because it is not original. I say if you are modding the truck it does not matter. Previously Glass tubs lacked the detail that the metal had so a discerning eye could spot that it was a glass tub, but really only someone that has been around Bronco's and knows the details of the lines. With the Bronco Design tubs that is no longer true, they have worked painstakingly to recreate all of the essential lines and it is a work of art. From what I have seen of it, it is more faithful than the metal repops. Anyways, there are a lot of advantages to a glass tub, first and foremost being rust or lack their of, second would be that it flexes pretty well, in light impacts it will deflect. One of the other draw-backs of glass is grounding, but it's not that big of a deal, you just have to make sure you run wires to the frame and block and then have those wires go to light buckets and something in the cab that acts as a common ground.

Personally, I have an old glass tub, but if I where doing it from scratch again, I would go to Bronco Design and have them build me a tub out of Carbon Fiber and West Epoxy, it would be light, strong and virtually shatterproof. It would add to the cost, but it would be the last tub you ever bought. If I was going to paint it, I would go with Kevlar.

So my point is, either is a good choice, I think one is a little more maintenance free than the other, and most of the real gripes about Glass have been negated by the Bronco Design tub, there are those that still just hate Glass because they think it somehow makes it less a Bronco, but I see glass as no different than repop metal. Unless you are doing a stock concourse resto, their is no reason to not consider glass. It's just a matter of what your preference is. For those that have not worked with glass, body modification can take some getting used to, but once you have mastered glass it is just as easy as welding, in my opinion when it comes to shaping, it's easier but the learning curve is probably higher.

Also if you do decide to go metal, their is the option of picking up the bronco in a box, which is all the repop metal for the Bronco body. They call it the Bronco in a box because all the sheet metal comes in a crate and you weld it together. It's basically a brand new metal body.

 

[Glass Pony]

I would try to find a good metal one first.
If you do go fiberglass get a good one from a reputable company.
I bought my fiberglass body in the late 1990's from a "fly by night" company in Indiana PA.
Was told over the phone steel reinforced in the right areas and with instructions which was B.S.
As the saying goes "if I knew then what I know now.

 

[rockg]

There is a guy in North Carolina named Larry who has a yard full of bronco's that he sells parts off of them. He was referred to me by Jeff's Bronco Graveyard, his number is 479-926-8819. He might have something to start with if you choose to good with the non-glass approach.

 

[Punchgolfr]

I'll try to get ahold of Larry and see what he's got. Thanks rockg

 

[Revelation]

If you want to get it on the road/trails quicker Glass would be a better option. Are you wanting a cut or un-cut? Either way be sure to check out BroncoDesign, Amazing craftsmanship in a glass body.
http://broncodesign.com/PRODUCTS/TUB.html

 

[ep67bro]

Go glass if you have the coin.

Rust is a bitch and finding a tub with little rust will cost you.
And if you fix up an old metal tub. Make sure you get ALL the rust out. It will come back if you dont!

I dream of a day I can aford to build a glass bronco for a daily driver!

 

[thegreatjustino]

Nicks Trix is in North Carolina (I believe). They may be able to point you in the right direction for a quality used tub:

http://www.nickstrix.com/

 

[Punchgolfr]

I went by Nick's this afternoon and Nick was awesome. I work close and was pretty familiar with the area. He had awesome insight. He changed some of my opinions about fiberglass but I think I'm gonna be looking for a little while. Sell the frame and move toward something more complete that I can customize with Nick's magic. This guy does some if not the best work on Bronco's I've ever seen. He had this Grey Beast that looked extremely similar to a Lifted Land Rover Discovery I had a few years back. If you are looking to start a project it is imperative to know what I you are getting into and I think he shed the right light on everything for me. If you are looking for unique A/C units or fuse panels inside the engine bay call Nick. I know I will be again soon. ;D

 

[bknbronco]

I searched for years trying to find a donor bronco for a good tub. I dont think such a bronco exists! Anything under 5 grand is rusty as hell around here in minnesota. So i bit the bullet and drove to ohio and got a tub and front fenders from kentrol. I believe it was around 5 grand. I love the tub! In fact i havent even painted it yet, but instead painted the hood, grill, doors, and tailgate white to match the gelcoat.

If you want a uncut glass tub then broncodesign is your only option. Being your from NC your best bet is Kentrol for a cut tub. There ausome over there. There a family business and there easy to get info from. I probably called them 20 times before i drove there. I hate the look of bolt on fender flares so the kentrol tub was perfect.

I used a stock hood, stock tailgate, stock doors, new grill from JBG, and the viewfinder frame from WH. All the front inner clip if also new steel from JBG. It took about 6 weeks at 40-50 hours a week to get it all on and aligned and weld front clip, pull apart again, paint, and reassemble. In the end its worth the time. Glass is so easy to work with, more so than steel i think.

If you have any questions PM me. I just did mine last fall. I could write you a book about my install! check out my build thread for a idea of the work involved.

But of course if you have the coin then have nick build you one. To me its not what you buy its what you build, and the build is more fun than driving it almost. The first two pics are about how it looks now and i probably have around 10 grand into it. Remember if your as picky and anal as me then even a 10 or 15 thousand dollar bronco will need to be tore down and rebuilt from the frame up (so many problems are hidden under paint and grease, and even more problems exist behind your impulse to buy a "nice looking" bronco). If you truly want a ausome bronco then keep what you have and get to building!

The best thing about glass is im not afraid to drive it all winter and not scared of the road salt here.

 

[lowbush]

Did you have a negative view on glass? Most of us that own glass tubs absolutely love them. I have met very few people that actually own glass tubs that disliked them, and even the negatives I have heard where more about building them than driving them. But again Bronco Design's tub don't have the fittment issues the old tubs did.

 

[bknbronco]

But again Bronco Design's tub don't have the fittment issues the old tubs did.

Good point! I forgot to add.....DO NOT BUY A OLD GLASS TUB! The earlyer tubes had huge problems. Mainly the wheel wells were not centered over the wheels. Alot of the older tubs being sold are more work than there worth. Sometimes even the steel has to be cut out and replaced. The early tubs are ausome for a trail rig but no so great for a show truck.

 

[Punchgolfr]

I honestly just expect to do things the hard way. I've looked at Kentrol and Broncodesign's work and really respect and appreciate how far the fiberglass tubs have gone. If I don't find what I'm looking for in the next couple months a deposit to get in line with one of the two will happen. One question I do have is what is the ride difference between metal and glass? More or less ride noise? bknbronco you made some great points and I will be in contact soon.

 

[Punchgolfr]

Maybe 2 Bronco's can split the garage. Glass and Metal. Keep the Bimmers in the rain!!

 

[dube]

Mn is the rust belt. That's why I went with a glass tub. Not on the road yet but soon.
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/ww156/dubehigh/1e7ca6b8.jpg

 

[lowbush]

One question I do have is what is the ride difference between metal and glass? More or less ride noise?

I have not noticed much ride difference at all, as far as noise it's by no means a scientific test but from what I have experienced the glass tub is probably a little quieter, but not enough to even make a factor in the difference. Things like acoustic barriers are going to fix those issues far better than glass or metal. That being said, Glass having a matrix structure in the cloth, has a structure that is more conducive to sound deflection. But and this is a big but, it's a small layer of material, and there are a host of other variables in acoustics. For example tire selection would be 100 times more effective in eliminating road noise over deciding on glass or metal for road noise.


Here are the things that I have heard people say that they don't like about them as far as every day use:

Glass hoods, I have heard people gripe that the glass hood just does not have that clunk and boom when closing it, that a metal one does. It makes a different sound all together. Most that it really bothered just replaced the hood with a metal hood. To me and a lot of guys, I just don't care what the hood sounds like when in closes. But I can understand some people not likening it, I have other things that I am particular about.


Glass Doors, I think the glass full doors are universally hated. I can't speak from a lot of experience because I don't have doors on my truck, but a lot of people that have them, say they feel cheep, too light and don't sound secure when they close. I can understand the gripe, you want the thing that is between you and a T-Boning to sound solid. This can be fixed by just getting metal doors, or metal inner and putting a glass outer skin on it, the outer skin is the one that sees all the weather anyways, so going metal on the inside, is not going to be a rust issue, if it is painted and maintained.

Those are the two biggest gripes I have heard that are more related to day to day ownership than building.

 

[lowbush]

Good point! I forgot to add.....DO NOT BUY A OLD GLASS TUB! The earlyer tubes had huge problems. Mainly the wheel wells were not centered over the wheels. Alot of the older tubs being sold are more work than there worth. Sometimes even the steel has to be cut out and replaced. The early tubs are ausome for a trail rig but no so great for a show truck.

Yeah I have an old tub, and I would agree with that, on the old ones what you trade in metal work you make up for in fiberglass fabrication. The biggest things that sets BD apart from the others is that they are hand laying cloth for both sides, this helps deal with some of the shrinkage you see with the chopper guns and shooting that back-side. Not to mention having two parts match-molded is far stronger than just filling one side with chopped glass. To me, there is just no contest, since BD came out with there tub. If I where building my truck now, I would have went with them, I talked to Mike once about doing one in Carbon Fiber, because that it my eventual goal, and he gave me a ball park that was really reasonable. I am definatly doing it, once I am ready and have some extra cash.

 

[Pearlcoat]

I have 2 77's, one is steel, one is all glass. The ride is not quite the same but I attribute that to the different suspensions and tires. My fiberglass tub is a Kentrol, made in 1989, and it had many fitment issues. The fiberglass doors are not what I would call lightweight, and we've had no real problems with them, after getting them properly installed. That was a nightmare, but largely due to the tub issues (we figured this out after much hair-pulling and swearing).

All that said, its really what you want to do with the bronco and if you plan to keep it for a long time. Fiberglass is a big investment but if you don't expect to sell it anytime soon, its worth it. I don't anticipate selling mine, it will be my daughter's inheritence, since I spent all the $$ on building it!

Check out some glass eb's if you can. Grounding can be a problem but there are proper ways to deal with it. Mounting a roll cage and seats need a bit of extra attention also, but again, can be done with time and patience.

Good luck, let us know what you decide.