After 20 Years in a Field, a '78 Bronco Custom Cleans Up for Restoration, Does It Need It?

Introduced in 1977 for the 1978 model year, the new Ford Bronco was a sales hit due to a number of favorable factors. Customer interest would probably top the list since the revised SUV was vastly overdue. The nameplate debuted in 1966, and it took the Blue Oval execs a dozen years to come up with a refreshment.

It wasn’t entirely uncommon practice for Detroit to roll out long production runs for selected makes and models (the C3 Corvette or the second-gen Camaro come to mind first). Still, the Bronco was a different story altogether. The all-terrainer was initially planned for renewal in 1974. Still, its awaited introduction in the fall of ’73 couldn’t have come at a less favorable moment.

That October, the oil embargo went into effect, and America had more important things on its hands than to stampede into Ford’s dealerships for a new V8-powered Bronco that was anything but a mileage maker. FoMoCo postponed the market launch for four years, and the delay showed in full when the new model finally hit the showrooms.

By 1977, the first-generation Bronco was desperately outdated, so the big descendant was welcomed with open arms and standing ovations. Almost 78,000 units were delivered for the 1978 model year alone, 104,000 in this generation's second and final year. Ford played it safe, offering one body style, two trim levels, and two engine choices.

Unlike its predecessor, it was basic but effective – the Bronco put on the full-size SUV cape. Compared to the compact 4x4 of the first generation, the 78-79 models had a foot-longer (305 mm) wheelbase. Bumper to bumper, this growth spurt translated into 28 inches (711 mm) over the 1977 model while also being 10 inches (254 mm) broader at the shoulders.

Power-wise, Ford put a 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) V8 as standard and stroked it to 400 cubes (6.6 liters) as the alternative. A four-speed manual and the optional three-speed Cruise-O-Matic auto were the available transmissions. The dual-range transfer case offered either part-time all-wheel drive (again, regular equipment) or permanent 4x4 (but only when teamed with the automatic gearbox).

The rear gearing came in at 3.50:1 standard, or 4.11, with the Trailer Special package, and the rugged Ford could be optioned with quad heavy-duty shocks on the front and dual HDs on the rear axle. The big Bronco was 180 inches long (over a 104-inch wheelbase), 79 wide, and 75.5 tall (in metric, that’s 4.57 meters in length, 2.0 meters across the front bumper, and 1.9 meters at the roof, with a 2.6-meter distance between the axles).

Depending on the installed equipment, the weight of the bulky Ford ranged from 6,000 to 6,550 lbs (2.7 to 3.0 tons). A lot of Ford to carry around, especially with the choked outputs from the engines from the day. The 351 V8 was good for 156 hp (158 PS) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm), while its bigger variant added only two hp for a total of 158 horses (160 PS) and 276 lb-ft (374 Nm).

The Bronco was a tough machine (by late seventies standards). Occasional examples pop up here and there in various states. This twenty-year abandoned Custom from 1978 is one of them, and the big Ford will get a well-deserved restoration. Still, before that happens, the SUV received a mandatory clean-up courtesy of The Detail Geek. The YouTuber spent 12 hours bringing the shine back on the rough machine that is in surprisingly good overall condition, given its age and open-field-parked section of its resume.

Surprisingly, rust hasn’t eaten away the car, but the weather has taken its toll wherever it found a weak spot – like the doors and floor panels. The fiberglass roof is impeccable, but the big and pleasant surprise comes from under the hood. The engine doesn’t look like it took a two-decade sabbatical at the mercy of the elements. The crooked eye look upfront isn’t a result of the outdoor retirement but a more frivolous adventure.

Before it was left in the open, the Bronco took a hike on a bike trail, and the driver ended up in his granny’s greenhouse. That was in the early 2000s, and the off-roading Ford was never put to work until last year when a new owner decided to remake an honest SUV out of it. He aims big, according to the detailer, going for a total overhaul and possibly a custom paint job. His money, his car, his preferences, but what’s your opinion on this: does this 87,757-mile (141,201-km) Bronco need a new color, or driving it as it is would do it best justice?