Built Bishop Tough: Teen, dad building memories while rebuilding Bronco

A west Orlando teen has spent the last nine months rebuilding a 1979 Ford Bronco that is decades older than he is. Seventeen-year-old Mac Bishop has taken on the project with his father, Jesse Bishop, at his dad’s workshop in Orlando.

Jesse Bishop has owned the Bronco for 19 years — purchased before his son was born. He bought it from a man in Ocoee, who had purchased it from the original owner, Gerald Jowers, of Winter Garden. He intended to fix up the vehicle, but life got in the way.

“As projects happen and you have little ones — he was just being born — I didn’t have the money or time to work on it,” Jesse Bishop said.

Years later, he returned to the project. When Mac was about 7, he joined his dad in the rebuilding project. The work was stop and go for years; when an expensive part broke, the Bronco sat untouched for a while. Five years ago, they pulled the motor out because it was a less-desirable engine.

By the time Mac was in high school — he’s now a junior at Cornerstone Charter Academy — Jesse Bishop had given it to him.

The two started again on the extensive project nine months ago, and they have worked steadily since then. They rebuilt the 460 engine last summer.

“I started when I was 15 and built an engine with my dad,” Jesse Bishop said. “I drove that car to school; I still have that car. Learning to build that engine with him … those are some of my best memories growing up, so I was really looking forward to working on it with my son.”

“I learned how to build an engine from him teaching me how to do it, father and son working on it,” Mac said. “I’ve just grown up around it. … A lot of the parts were expensive; one part was $1,600. I worked (at the workshop) over the summer to be able to afford it. I’m still working on the side to earn more money.”

Mac has spent plenty of his own money on the Bronco, but his family has helped him buy parts too, including his grandfather, his father and his mother.

When Mac bought a set of headers that didn’t work, his dad gave him a set but said they have to be coated. So, Mac researched places to get them coated and settled on Performance Koat to work on the Bronco.

The owner said it would cost about $500, and Mac didn’t have the money at the time.

“I explained, ‘I’m 17 and don’t have the money to buy it,’” Mac said. “He said, ‘How about you work for me here and I’ll take $200 off.’ I started working with him. … Since then, he’s let me do almost everything on my truck. He taught me to do everything. He took another $100 off because I was cleaning at his place. I work after school two days. It’s like a partnership; he’ll text if he needs some help. He helps me with my stuff, and I help him with his stuff.”

Mac said it has been a learning experience working with someone not in his family.

“I’ve made a lot of friends throughout this whole build as well,” he said.

He has gained some of those friends through his Instagram account, folks who have the same Bronco and have offered advice.

He also has had quite a bit of assistance from his own friend group. Seven or eight of them gathered recently to lend a hand, showing up with their sanders, and together they got about a week’s worth of work done in three hours, Jesse Bishop said.

“I took the body off the frame, and I was going to take off all the old rust and paint, and I had my friends come and help,” Mac said.

“We split the body and the frame away from each other so we could paint the frame and make it look like new, and then we married them together, and we’re finishing up the details,” Jesse Bishop said.

Mac has repaired the floor with the welding and painted everything and has it ready for new carpet and chairs. Again, he learned along the way.

“It used to have a lot of rusty holes on the floor,” he said. “I cut out all of that and welded new floor panels, and I learned how to weld.”

The floor panels, good as new, also have a fresh coat of black paint. The two-man team also rebuilt both of the axles on the truck and rebuilt the suspension. Mac has spent a great deal of time researching and asking questions. It helps when your dad has been a mechanic for more than 35 years.

His mother, Mom Carmen Leigh Bishop, of west Orlando, has offered her expertise as well. She does leatherwork and has the sewing machines to help Mac with the upholstery but not the knowledge, she said. She posted a message on Facebook asking for some direction.

“I’ve watched some YouTube videos, and I think I can figure out the sewing parts, but the foam is beyond my current ability. I’m looking for … someone who would be willing to teach my son and (me) how to fix the foam on some old chairs and install the new seat covers he bought with his own funds.”

The pair eventually replaced the ripped foam, and they are nearing the stage where they will put the seat covers on. Mac bought the covers, which look similar to the original seats, from Free Wheelin Co.

“The seats in my truck were more desirable; not too many trucks have them,” Mac said.

Jesse Bishop estimates they are about 90% finished with the rebuild and then can get it out on the road. The cleanup — including repairing the rusted-out parts on the body — will come later.

Mac said the project has been more time consuming than difficult.

“It’s taking longer than I thought it would,” he said. “I keep telling my friends I’ll be driving in two weeks. I’m really excited to get it finished to take it to car shows and truck shows.”

He estimates — if he can just focus — he has five or six hours of work left and then it’s road ready. In the meantime, he has his 1995 F150 Ford truck he will keep driving.

Mac plans to keep driving it, even when the Bronco work is finished since the 1979 gets about six miles to the gallon.

What has been the best part of this project?

“Having all my friends over and having tons of support from people online and wanting to see photos online,” Mac said. “And working on it with my dad.”

“If it’s in your blood and you enjoy it, then you’ll want to do it,” Jesse Bishop said.

Mac agrees.

“It’s my most favorite thing to do,” he said. “All I think about is Broncos and trucks.”