Why mint green?picked mine up finally after month on the old faithful dirt mountain. It won’t be lighting blue for long tho as it will be wrapped to match my other cars in the mint green next week!
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Lightning Blue Bronco Customized With White MIC Top, White Grill, Yellow Letters & Accents
Before I got this hood I hadn’t seen any 2 doors with the adv hood… I must say it balances the profile out pretty well. Also removed my bull bar and s8 light bar for the xl sport light bar. The s8’s were actually brighter but the spread on xl sport bar is better.
Price was minimal I paint cars just really time consuming these tops are not ready to paint at all but with alot of sanding and priming I achieved a suitable surface to paint
- First Name
- D avid
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 58
- Reaction score
- 49
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 Tacoma TRD Off-Road
- Your Bronco Model
- First Edition
Wait, how would it look any different or better on a first edition that is maxed out with the tech and aesthetics packages lol. Make sense? That like seeing a yellow Rubicon and saying that yellow would look amazing on a wrangler sport.
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- First Name
- D avid
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 58
- Reaction score
- 49
- Location
- Clarksville, TN
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 Tacoma TRD Off-Road
- Your Bronco Model
- First Edition
Lightning Blue First Edition 2-Door Bronco
I love white wheels and I am trying to see if white wheels on my 2 door LB first edition will look good or will clash. (Regular grille and OEM top)Lightning Blue Bronco Customized With White MIC Top, White Grill, Yellow Letters & Accents
This is a long post. I was going to start a build thread a year ago, but work and life have kept me busy. With a few weeks off, I decided to catch you all up. We picked up our FE in November 2021 from Granger Ford. We ordered the factory tow wiring and hitch, remote keypad (relocated to the fuel door) and the rear fixed-lid cargo enclosure. It remained stock and served as my road trip vehicle to work at Bronco Off-Roadeo MOAB for 3 months or so:
My first modification was hood struts. Not sure why this is so hard for manufacturers, but is one of my only complaints. While I was doing that, I installed an underhood light with an override switch at the same time:
Some extra storage in the form of some Molle door pockets and the Mabbet center console organizer. Then added the archetype BYOB. After loading up recovery gear, I used this for a couple of trail recoveries, but held off on the winter recoveries until I had time to build my bumper and winch mount.
In March, my brother and I build a bumper and modified the factory skid plate to match. At about the same time, I traded the gloss black grille and mirror heads for the grey badlands to reduce the amount different color trim. To be honest, the gloss items look fantastic on the Antimatter Blue Broncos!
You can see the front crash bar mount was cut back and boxed in.
I added the JCR camera relocation kit after getting the bumper and skid plate powder coated. The front bumper is mostly 1/4" and designed to support a much bigger winch (but I had this laying around after a $199 sale a few years ago). The recovery points are also designed and mounted to support it being towed behind my RV. The squadron-R SAE driving lights were wired into the existing bumper wiring and I added the new headlight switch and associated Forscan tuning to get it working. The winch line is Masterpull Superline XD, which is a 3/8 line armored and heat-treated to be as strong as 7/16. Plus no clean-up!
The roller fairlead had to go, as it showed in the front camera. I purchased a Factor 55 fairlead that didn't have their logo printed on it. Cleaner look for sure.
Then it was time for more light, and Baja Designs had their XD80s listed. Best customer experience ever; I texted to see if they were available. They send a picture back showing them in their hands and they were shipped a few hours later! I made a video comparing them to just the high-beams. You can watch that here:
With front protection taken care of, it was time for some frame-mounted rock sliders. the rockers were clearanced for movement of the bars (side of the frame has a bit of flex) welded back up and painted. Then the tubes were bent and installed:
Time for a rear bumper. The factory bumper has a few flaws, including the snap-in license plate can be ripped out going over obstacles due to the overhand on the left bottom corner. My brother was in town, so I enlisted his help again. You can see I am not a fab shop, just doing the best I can with tools and skills I have, and overcoming obstacles (no pun intended) as needed:
The tow hitch was incorporated into the bumper so the frame crossbar didn't have to take all the force when winching (anchored) or towing. It also pulled it further off the ground so it isn't as much a "touch" point!
You can see the recovery points were also cut off, and swapped so they were facing up. They still protect the bumper, but are no longer hanging down to drag off rocks. The tow wiring was then reinstalled with a 7-pin plug under the bumper after this picture was taken:
It was then time for a lift. I added an Icon 3" lift kit (a full inch shorter than the zone 3" I just installed on a friend's Bronco). The Falken Wildpeaks were on a 4-month backorder, but these work so well in the snow of Colorado. Method 17x8.5 wheels (0 offset) were an easy choice, although I feel like a Toyota
.
I added a Hammerbilt tailgate reinforcement kit along with a 2 gallon fuel container and a ham radio antenna mount. I also installed the Oracle flush-mounted taillights. The backup lights are far brighter than the stock units, and the fuel can lock no longer hits the tailgate when opening.
I added some rock lights. I generally use these more often for installing/removing tire chains (watch front chain clearance with a stock offset wheel):
I like trail communications, so in addition to GMRS/FRS and an inReach satellite messenger, I added a ham radio, which also allow text and email as well. Since the head unit is remote, I put the radio under the dash and located the radio up above the passenger visor where I can see and reach it, but is out of sight when turned off.
Like a few others on this forum, I made a quick disconnect for my ham radio. This way, the microphone can be stored away unless I am using it.
Recently added the FPP 2.7 tune (and have installed a few others). What a difference it makes. After helping a friend with his lift and driving it to get aligned, I remembered the lack of throttle response and early shifting after installing the 37s. I don't have that anymore! Plus, I can keep an eye on my fuel octane:
Lots of other little mods that make life better, pull handles above the doors, a dog carrier in the rear (so I can store things on the seat) and of course, a bunch of recovery gear filing the cargo area!
My first modification was hood struts. Not sure why this is so hard for manufacturers, but is one of my only complaints. While I was doing that, I installed an underhood light with an override switch at the same time:
Some extra storage in the form of some Molle door pockets and the Mabbet center console organizer. Then added the archetype BYOB. After loading up recovery gear, I used this for a couple of trail recoveries, but held off on the winter recoveries until I had time to build my bumper and winch mount.
In March, my brother and I build a bumper and modified the factory skid plate to match. At about the same time, I traded the gloss black grille and mirror heads for the grey badlands to reduce the amount different color trim. To be honest, the gloss items look fantastic on the Antimatter Blue Broncos!
You can see the front crash bar mount was cut back and boxed in.
I added the JCR camera relocation kit after getting the bumper and skid plate powder coated. The front bumper is mostly 1/4" and designed to support a much bigger winch (but I had this laying around after a $199 sale a few years ago). The recovery points are also designed and mounted to support it being towed behind my RV. The squadron-R SAE driving lights were wired into the existing bumper wiring and I added the new headlight switch and associated Forscan tuning to get it working. The winch line is Masterpull Superline XD, which is a 3/8 line armored and heat-treated to be as strong as 7/16. Plus no clean-up!
The roller fairlead had to go, as it showed in the front camera. I purchased a Factor 55 fairlead that didn't have their logo printed on it. Cleaner look for sure.
Then it was time for more light, and Baja Designs had their XD80s listed. Best customer experience ever; I texted to see if they were available. They send a picture back showing them in their hands and they were shipped a few hours later! I made a video comparing them to just the high-beams. You can watch that here:
With front protection taken care of, it was time for some frame-mounted rock sliders. the rockers were clearanced for movement of the bars (side of the frame has a bit of flex) welded back up and painted. Then the tubes were bent and installed:
Time for a rear bumper. The factory bumper has a few flaws, including the snap-in license plate can be ripped out going over obstacles due to the overhand on the left bottom corner. My brother was in town, so I enlisted his help again. You can see I am not a fab shop, just doing the best I can with tools and skills I have, and overcoming obstacles (no pun intended) as needed:
The tow hitch was incorporated into the bumper so the frame crossbar didn't have to take all the force when winching (anchored) or towing. It also pulled it further off the ground so it isn't as much a "touch" point!
You can see the recovery points were also cut off, and swapped so they were facing up. They still protect the bumper, but are no longer hanging down to drag off rocks. The tow wiring was then reinstalled with a 7-pin plug under the bumper after this picture was taken:
It was then time for a lift. I added an Icon 3" lift kit (a full inch shorter than the zone 3" I just installed on a friend's Bronco). The Falken Wildpeaks were on a 4-month backorder, but these work so well in the snow of Colorado. Method 17x8.5 wheels (0 offset) were an easy choice, although I feel like a Toyota
.
I added a Hammerbilt tailgate reinforcement kit along with a 2 gallon fuel container and a ham radio antenna mount. I also installed the Oracle flush-mounted taillights. The backup lights are far brighter than the stock units, and the fuel can lock no longer hits the tailgate when opening.
I added some rock lights. I generally use these more often for installing/removing tire chains (watch front chain clearance with a stock offset wheel):
I like trail communications, so in addition to GMRS/FRS and an inReach satellite messenger, I added a ham radio, which also allow text and email as well. Since the head unit is remote, I put the radio under the dash and located the radio up above the passenger visor where I can see and reach it, but is out of sight when turned off.
Like a few others on this forum, I made a quick disconnect for my ham radio. This way, the microphone can be stored away unless I am using it.
Recently added the FPP 2.7 tune (and have installed a few others). What a difference it makes. After helping a friend with his lift and driving it to get aligned, I remembered the lack of throttle response and early shifting after installing the 37s. I don't have that anymore! Plus, I can keep an eye on my fuel octane:
Lots of other little mods that make life better, pull handles above the doors, a dog carrier in the rear (so I can store things on the seat) and of course, a bunch of recovery gear filing the cargo area!
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