Adam and Melissa’s Super 70’s Second Gen

We all have those vehicles that blast us right back to our childhoods. Even with one quick glance, memories from decades ago can seem just like they were yesterday. Adam Pitale, founder of Adam’s Polishes, experienced this time-machine-like effect when he spotted this 1978 Bronco. Its exterior had previously been repainted and restored before he purchased it, but someone painstakingly upgraded it with the purpose of maintaining the OE styling of its heyday.

“It brought me right back to when I was a kid,” Adam says about his first encounter with this ’78. “I was 7 back when these were new. This Bronco just screamed 1970s, but there was still lots to be done in order to complete the restoration.”

As Adam mentioned, the Bronco’s paint and bodywork were already well taken care of when it crossed his path. It’s obvious that someone else out there fully appreciated the ’78 original aesthetic, but there were a few extras tacked onto its profile. The cab clearance lights add a nice touch of flair to the front end, but one extra that might not get noticed right away is the dual sunroof area atop the cab. The square ports invite extra natural lighting inside the interior space, which is never a bad thing when cruising around on a bright, sunny day.

Speaking of the in-cab scene, Adam looked forward to increasing its appeal from the day he bought the Bronco. To get that planned rolled out, he first reached out to McCall’s Upholstery in McCall, Idaho, to recover the front buckets and rear bench seat with leather skins and cloth inserts to create a familiar vintage appeal. Fresh paneling and carpeting were also thrown into the mix for an overall cleanly appearance. To properly fill the cab space with pure audio bliss, Adam wired up a RetroSounds head unit, and connected new speakers in the front doors and rear door panels as well as a subwoofer to hit the low notes.

“The stereo might be a bit over the top, but the sound quality really is amazing,” Adam comments.

With the Bronco quickly taking shape, Adam kept the progress rolling by focusing on increasing its off-road prowess. While he would be the first to admit that this machine was always destined to be more of a “garage queen/nice day cruiser,” Adam didn’t suppress his vision to increase its ride height and then some. A Wild Horses 4×4 2.5-inch lift kit provided enough of a change in altitude to bring a smile to his face, which cleared more than enough room for a fresh set of 15×10 US Mags “Slot” wheels wrapped in 33×12.5-15 BFG rubber. To bring the Bronco to a steadier halt, disc brake upgrade kits were also included in the growing list of premium amenities.

Next on the agenda was increasing the power output of the factory 400M mill. Adam’s goal was to reach 300hp to the wheels, but the final tally was 285, which is still an achievement worth celebrating. The Carb Shop in Englewood, Colorado, is responsible for the engine rebuild, as well as the power add-ons that give the stock engine a little more pep.

“We added aluminum heads, bored and blueprinted, new headers and even rebuilt the stock transmission too,” Adam recounts. “The carb is also getting rebuilt or replaced as we speak. Jay at The Carb Shop has been great to work with.”

Patience is key with a build of any caliber, and Adam made sure not to rush a thing while restoring his ’78.

“The process to get the Bronco to this point has taken about three years since we started,” Adam says. “I have learned to avoid shortcuts in hopes to save time or money. I have learned to pay people smarter than me to tackle jobs I have no business even attempting. It’s way more expensive to have to do anything twice. Getting it right the first time will save you so much more than you’d realize over the long run.”

The only regret Adam has so far is not driving his Bronco as much as he should. He is planning to rack up miles before the year is up and do what he can during the off season to ensure that it will hit the pavement running once spring arrives.

SPECS

Owner: Adam & Melissa Pitale

Vehicle: 1978 Ford Bronco

Location: Eagle, ID

Engine & Drivetrain:  Factory 400M engine built by The Carb Shop, Englewood, CO, Aluminum heads, bored and blueprinted, Headers, 285hp at the wheels, Stock transmission rebuilt

Chassis & Suspension: Wild Horses 2.5-inch lift, Bilstein shocks

Wheels, Tires & Brakes: 15×10 US Mags Slot wheels, 33×12.5-15 BFG KM3 tires, Disc brakes

Body & Paint: Stock everything, OE-inspired paint, Cab clearance lights, Custom sunroof

Interior & Stereo: Bucket seats w/ armrests, Leather with cloth inserts by McCall Upholstery, McCall, ID, RetroSound stereo, Speakers in doors, rear side panels and subwoofer out back, Vintage Air A/C