Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney gets her hands dirty and learns how to wrench on her own ride.
Dream Achieved
Sydney Sweeney has made a name for herself in recent years by putting on some stellar performances in shows including Euphoria and The Handmaid's Tale, but when she isn't on set, she has always dreamed of owning a 1969 Ford Bronco. Those endeavors enabled her to secure one recently, but she wasn't content with paying someone else to fix it up - rather, she decided to learn how to wrench on it herself.
Photo: eBay Motors
Worthwhile Effort
The 24-year-old has been working on her vintage Bronco since February 2021, and has since been documenting those efforts via social media. As one might imagine, those videos and posts have attracted millions of views and have endeared plenty of fans, particularly those of us who appreciate seeing people work on their own vehicles - regardless of whether they're famous or not.
Photo: eBay Motors
Front to Back
"Since buying my 1969 Ford Bronco last February, I've done everything from rebuilding the back axle to wire brushing out rust," Sweeney said. "It’s really important to me to preserve the integrity of the original Ford build." We certainly think she did a fine job, and the finished product - dubbed "The New Throwback" - was recently unveiled at the New York Auto Parts Show.
Photo: eBay Motors
Passing the Torch
With some help and advice from her newfound friend Rod Emory, Sweeney removed all the rust from the underbelly of the classic Bronco, repainted it in its original Cherry Red hue, and restitched the interior in a very attractive light brown woven leather. She even learned how to do a little welding along the way.
Photo: Sydney Sweeney
Heavy Lifting
Sweeney did some heavy lifting as well, removing the driveshaft and swapping in a new automatic transmission, replacing the old drum brakes for discs, and completely redoing the worn-out suspension. What's particularly impressive is that she designed the interior herself, and it turned out rather fantastic.
Photo: Sydney Sweeney
The Right Friends
Judging by the finished product, one would never guess that prior to this build, Sweeney had zero mechanical experience of any kind, outside of checking oil and changing tires. Luckily, she has friends in the right places, as Sweeney went to school with Rod Emory's son, and the famous Porsche restorer let her use his shop while also sharing his knowledge with her along the way.
Photo: Sydney Sweeney
Rewarding Feeling
In this day and age, Sweeney is a rare sort of person, the type that enjoys learning how to do things herself and working hard for what she wants. But it's clear that she understands the rewarding feeling we get from creating nice things with our bare hands, and this old Bronco is a fine trophy in that regard.
Photo: Sydney Sweeney
>>Join the conversation about Sydney Sweeney restoring a Bronco right here in the forum.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section of Ford-trucks.com.
