Welcome to the first edition of Graveyard to Glory!  A very special thank you to Tom Carper for sharing his restoration story and the great photos of his green Bronco affectionately known as “Booger.”

In 1992, while working in Valley Springs California, Tom purchased a 1976 Ford Bronco with Michigan running gear, originally with belt line trim, from a local junkyard and shipped it back home to Michigan in a company truck.

While there weren’t any absolute “must haves” while restoring the old Bronco, the goal of Tom’s project was to restore and modify for both street and off-road use.  Most of the parts used on the Bronco were purchased from Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard including the entire front clip, along with the 5.5 inch lift and several parts needed to convert the 351W to a bored .60 over with roller rockers.

Just as Tom had envisioned, “Booger” looks great and handles well both on the road and on the dunes, but there were definitely a few obstacles along the way.  According to Tom, the biggest challenge of the project was tearing down a Michigan 1976 sport rust bucket, restoring the frame, drivetrain and body, then putting it all back together -- completely modified to his liking.

When asked if he had any advice that would help other Bronco enthusiasts with their resto-mod project, Tom responded, “Stay positive, stay focused, don't be afraid to ask questions and make it the way you like it.”  Thanks Tom, we think those are some wise words!

If you have restored, rebuilt or modified a Ford Bronco and want to share your story we would love to hear from you too.  Please email us at info@broncograveyard.com and we’ll give you more details.