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Bronc-Itus

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Description by @TCcustoms.com
"Introducing Mitchells Bronco 2.0! In this video we are going to show you the THREE new modifications that Mitchell added to his Ford Bronco! Starting off with the BRAND NEW wrap from CGS Vinyl.
Originally his Bronco was Carbonized gray from the factory, then he got it wrapped in a Nardo Gray wrap, and now it is wrapped in an Avery Dennison brushed black wrap. CGS was also able to make these customized fender emblems for this Bronco as well as customized center caps.
The next major modification is the Advanced Fiberglass Hardtop. This is the first hardtop, outside of the company, that has been shipped to a consumer! Some things to know about this hardtop is that the back is slanted unlike the ones from the factory. Also this hardtop does not have the sound deadening headliner or rear windshield wiper motor. One difference between this hardtop and the one from the Ford factory, is the ford factory middle panel is removable and a separate peice and this one is not. (The Advanced Fiberglass hardtop is 2 pieces and the one from the factory is 3). Another difference is on the interior of the hardtop. The Advanced Fiberglass one has 2 layers and a foam like insert in that. Versus the factory one that has a cardboard interior.
Lastly we discuss the different setups for this hardtop. The one that Mitchell has on his Bronco is the Black UV texture setup. Other options include a white UV texture and high build primer option. The last major modification is the spare tire carrier from RTR."

Watching the video. I had to pause when they showed the overhead on the bronco. I know quality is an issue for Ford but how does this picture of the competition compare?

Ford Bronco Town & Country Mitchell Watts' Bronco v2.0 gets new wrap and ADV Fiberglass hardtop IMG_6276


Looking closely, it seems to have quite a bit of pits in some of the grooves. As well as some pretty sharp edges were the sections meet
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RagnarKon

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Just saw the video myself.

Looks like a solid product for sure. If I got pushed to a 2023MY my plan was to switch to a soft top and order this exact hard top. A hard top is effectively mandatory for me due to the roof rack—so it came down to how fast ADV Fiberglass could spin up their production. As it turns out, they couldn't do it that quickly, and I ended up with a 2022MY in the end anyway.

I don't know anything about what goes into manufacturing something like this, but I assume building it at scale at an acceptable cost is not exactly a super easy thing to do. Since ADV Fiberglass is lower volume and a higher price, I would assume they can deliver out a higher-quality product in the end, which is awesome.
 

Stache12

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medguy

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Description by @TCcustoms.com
"Introducing Mitchells Bronco 2.0! In this video we are going to show you the THREE new modifications that Mitchell added to his Ford Bronco! Starting off with the BRAND NEW wrap from CGS Vinyl.
Originally his Bronco was Carbonized gray from the factory, then he got it wrapped in a Nardo Gray wrap, and now it is wrapped in an Avery Dennison brushed black wrap. CGS was also able to make these customized fender emblems for this Bronco as well as customized center caps.
The next major modification is the Advanced Fiberglass Hardtop. This is the first hardtop, outside of the company, that has been shipped to a consumer! Some things to know about this hardtop is that the back is slanted unlike the ones from the factory. Also this hardtop does not have the sound deadening headliner or rear windshield wiper motor. One difference between this hardtop and the one from the Ford factory, is the ford factory middle panel is removable and a separate peice and this one is not. (The Advanced Fiberglass hardtop is 2 pieces and the one from the factory is 3). Another difference is on the interior of the hardtop. The Advanced Fiberglass one has 2 layers and a foam like insert in that. Versus the factory one that has a cardboard interior.
Lastly we discuss the different setups for this hardtop. The one that Mitchell has on his Bronco is the Black UV texture setup. Other options include a white UV texture and high build primer option. The last major modification is the spare tire carrier from RTR."

Watching the video. I had to pause when they showed the overhead on the bronco. I know quality is an issue for Ford but how does this picture of the competition compare?

Ford Bronco Town & Country Mitchell Watts' Bronco v2.0 gets new wrap and ADV Fiberglass hardtop IMG_6276


Looking closely, it seems to have quite a bit of pits in some of the grooves. As well as some pretty sharp edges were the sections meet
Is it possible that it’s water on top by the grooves? If it’s actually pitted then that would be unacceptable.
 

H0pelessOpus

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Just saw the video myself.

Looks like a solid product for sure. If I got pushed to a 2023MY my plan was to switch to a soft top and order this exact hard top. A hard top is effectively mandatory for me due to the roof rack—so it came down to how fast ADV Fiberglass could spin up their production. As it turns out, they couldn't do it that quickly, and I ended up with a 2022MY in the end anyway.

I don't know anything about what goes into manufacturing something like this, but I assume building it at scale at an acceptable cost is not exactly a super easy thing to do. Since ADV Fiberglass is lower volume and a higher price, I would assume they can deliver out a higher-quality product in the end, which is awesome.
The delays ended up working out timing wise for me as well. Hopefully the ADV top will be ready in 4-6 weeks.
 

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Bronc-Itus

Bronc-Itus

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I guess anything is possible. I tried to pause and look at it as close as I could. Zoomed in but it didn’t shimmer like water.
Nice looking top though. I like the design they’ve come up with. However, after weeks of trying to contact someone and having dealers close to me, try and contact, I could never even get a quote. So I ordered the OEM type from Anderson composites. Middle of August can’t get here soon enough for me.
Is it possible that it’s water on top by the grooves? If it’s actually pitted then that would be unacceptable.
 

boomboomthump

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I like the slanted back but no way would I want that after having the 4-pc factory hardtop (not 3 as they mis-stated). So much more versatile the way the factory designed it.

Having the second row and cargo area combined in one piece is everything that sucks about a Jeep hardtop and what makes the Bronco hardtop way better. I also really like running the front/second row sections installed w/o the cargo area top.

I guess for the folks that ended up with a soft top and really want a hard top, this is an option for them to save some bucks vs factory if they're willing to sacrifice features.
 

lakesinai

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Description by @TCcustoms.com
"Introducing Mitchells Bronco 2.0! In this video we are going to show you the THREE new modifications that Mitchell added to his Ford Bronco! Starting off with the BRAND NEW wrap from CGS Vinyl.
Originally his Bronco was Carbonized gray from the factory, then he got it wrapped in a Nardo Gray wrap, and now it is wrapped in an Avery Dennison brushed black wrap. CGS was also able to make these customized fender emblems for this Bronco as well as customized center caps.
The next major modification is the Advanced Fiberglass Hardtop. This is the first hardtop, outside of the company, that has been shipped to a consumer! Some things to know about this hardtop is that the back is slanted unlike the ones from the factory. Also this hardtop does not have the sound deadening headliner or rear windshield wiper motor. One difference between this hardtop and the one from the Ford factory, is the ford factory middle panel is removable and a separate peice and this one is not. (The Advanced Fiberglass hardtop is 2 pieces and the one from the factory is 3). Another difference is on the interior of the hardtop. The Advanced Fiberglass one has 2 layers and a foam like insert in that. Versus the factory one that has a cardboard interior.
Lastly we discuss the different setups for this hardtop. The one that Mitchell has on his Bronco is the Black UV texture setup. Other options include a white UV texture and high build primer option. The last major modification is the spare tire carrier from RTR."

Watching the video. I had to pause when they showed the overhead on the bronco. I know quality is an issue for Ford but how does this picture of the competition compare?

Ford Bronco Town & Country Mitchell Watts' Bronco v2.0 gets new wrap and ADV Fiberglass hardtop IMG_6276


Looking closely, it seems to have quite a bit of pits in some of the grooves. As well as some pretty sharp edges were the sections meet
So Mitch got the Prototype. At what design cost (materials & construction cost) does AFC exceed Ford. (1) functionality, ie smaller open top by eliminating the openness of the mid-panel in favor of less noise. (2) what about weight? The AFC video shows the pieces easily removing. How much do they weigh? Is removal easy for someone working over their head? (3) will look forward to noise and wind studies to see if the improvements are worth the price of less open space, and much higher cost.

O, and, once properly infused, honeycomb is no longer cardboard. Its a strong, light core. Maybe a little understanding for Ford trying to produce a hardtop at a lower price point, with double the open space of Jeep, that is lightweight and durable, at a price of higher noise. And easy removability. Despite the reports, there are many owners with well-made, trouble free MIC tops, like mine.

If AFC succeeds, they will give owners the option for a more closed in, less open, quieter top for a $6,000 additional cost. It won't help those who like the openness of the OEM, so its only better if you like that choice. Its another great option, at a high cost.

20230509_124824.jpg
 

wanna1

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lakesinai

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I like the roof storage on your rack ! What rack is that & how did you secure the roof panels safely?
Thats the TrailRax Half-rack, and the mid-panel fits over it like it was designed for it. I use two rubber bungee cords fore & aft, and a longer 3' bungee side to side. I wouldn't do highway travel that way, but I've driven around town on vacation, like 30-55 mph around the OBX etc. The rack does add some wind noise, but I've gotten used to it. The front panels go behind the front seat. Couple closeups, 1 of bungees, 1 of rack. I added two eye-bolts on the side of the rack:

20230509_125110.jpg


20230516_131341.jpg
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