1985 Bronco / El Camino Hybrid

Part of the family

In 1986, Tony Luther's mom bought a Ford Bronco brand new and used it as the family's daily driver. For every milestone and moment in the family's life, there was the family vehicle right along with them. Tony's younger brother came home from the hospital after birth in the Bronco. When Tony learned how to drive, it happened in the Bronco. And then the day came upon Tony's sixteenth birthday and he was given the Bronco as his first vehicle. 

What's next?

After a couple years with the Bronco taking him to and from school, Tony's mom had a new coat of paint laid on the vehicle as a gift.  As Tony tells it, “it wasn’t a full custom paint job, but it was special nonetheless.” Over time, the motor began to wear out and leaking oil, so Tony, with the help of a close friend, rebuilt the engine. To deal with those not so friendly Pennsylvania roads, a lift kit was added on. However, in 2006, Tony retired the Bronco from everyday life as he felt it was time to take the vehicle in a new direction. 

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Now with a family of his own

Tony opened his own lawn and landscaping business and decided to update the Bronco. He was now married and having his first child. “Although I never really had a direction or purpose for the truck,” Tony adds, “it was a huge part of my life, going to prom, graduation, and even taking my now-wife on our first date.” Tony rang up RPM Hot Rods about doing a build but after some back and forth, things just stalled. Lead fabricators John Ortiz and Josh Hart from RPM reached out to Tony and informed him they were opening their own shop and wanted to work on the Bronco. So Tony brought the Bronco over and the duo got to work on the bodywork and suspension.

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It's still classic but different

Once all the damage, gaps, and panels were all fixed up, the primer was laid on. On the inside, the entire cabin was reupholstered and restomodded. “I wanted to retain the stock appearance as much as possible, but it was a challenge. The rear seats had to be shortened because of the rear tubs, and the interior had to be done in a weatherproof material because the Ford had no roof.” The seats were changed to motorcycle seat covering and the carpets were changed to marine grade in case the weather turned soggy. In order to give the engine compartment a cleaner look, the YellowTop battery was added in sideways and underneath. 

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El Bronco Camino

The Bronco received custom paint on the Ford Bronco emblems by Thad Cunningham. Josh Hart kept things old school by finding and installing a factory cassette player with JL Audio components stowed away under the dash. Tony and the Bronco are the same age as both were born back in 1985 and so he appreciates everything in this classic vehicle. If you're wondering about what to call this Bronco that has morphed into sort of hybrid, Tony calls El Broncero. 

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So what went into it?