Congratulations on your acquisition. I am finishing my son’s 1989 Bronco XLT 5.0L with quad shocks, so I might be able to pass a few things on to you that I discovered and used. Others on this site may have other suggestions, this is just what we found to be best for us. Ours was parked for only 13 years in a side driveway but with driver window open, heavily cracked floor pans and butchered interior seats.
• Fuel tank: Ours had 22 gallons of varnish in it but tank was ok. We disposed of old gas at hazardous waste site and had the inside cleaned, pressure tested and coated at our local radiator shop. We did all new pumps, filters & lines.
• Cooling system: In addition to your list, we also did new water pump, thermostat and new thermostat housing.
• Interior: Ours was also trashed from squirrels, mice and weather. Door panels were not broken and dash was in good shape after we dug out from under all the debris. Because of their poor appearance we needed to paint them. Clean them with mild cleaner and soft brush, rinse with lots of clean water & dry thoroughly. Mask or remove any trim or other pieces. Clean them with Color Bond #1567 ProTech Surface Cleaner. Then use Color Bond LVP (Leather, Vinyl, Plastic) Refinisher in the color you want. Many, many light coats are the best method for best results. Ours turned out looking like new.
• Wheels: We needed new wheels & tires like you. We did not want to lift it and we stayed with the 15” wheel size. Our rims are 15x10 Mickey Thompson Classic III. Tires are 33x12.5x15 BFGoodrich T/A KO2. Yes, tire did hit lower corner of front bumper when turning so we installed new coil springs that are 1½” taller than stock. All works better now.
• Canopy: Our (original white) fiberglass top was stained black from weather, neglect and age settled into it. Scrub it with mild cleaner and sponge and brush (not too hard) with lots of water rinsing. DO NOT use hard sponge or scrubbing pads or anything that will damage or raise the fibers. Pressure washing works the fastest but it also digs into the fiberglass surface. Just get the dirt and grime off slowly. I would advise against painting it unless you’re trying to change the color. To bring the fiberglass back to life, use 303 Aerospace Protectant regularly.
• Exterior Paint: Our red Bronco looked pink because of all the paint oxidation. We lightly wet sanded with 3000 paper in flat areas, careful not to get any burn-through. Then we carefully used Meguiars Ultimate compound, polish and wax to bring the paint back to life.
