Ranger

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

Ford is widely expected to unveil its reborn Bronco in the very near future, perhaps as soon as this November at LA. While we totally appreciate the fact it'll ride on the same platform as the new Ranger pickup truck, meaning it'll be a true off-road 4x4, we still have a thing for early Broncos. You know, from the time when 4x4s offered no creature comforts because they simply weren't needed.

Everything was pure analog with no fancy schmancy electronic off-road driving aids. The original first-generation Ford Bronco, built from 1966 until 1977, is that very SUV. However, restomodding has become a thing and whenever one of these original Broncos is the subject of a restomod, it immediately has our attention.

Presenting this flawless 1973 Ford Bronco, painstakingly built by Velocity Restorations, whose previous work includes that stunning International Scout restomod. A total of 1,500 man hours went into this over the course of nine months. Velocity Restorations claims this was a four-phase restomod process, beginning with planning and design, followed by rust repair and metal fabrication, paint and body, and lastly mechanical. It underwent a complete frame-off restoration, and now comes powered by a Ford Racing 5.0-liter Coyote V8, paired to a four-speed manual transmission.

Among its exterior upgrades are custom bumpers and paint, J.W. Speaker LED headlights, and all new glass. Inside there's a custom dash with Dakota Digital Gauges, Single-Din Bluetooth stereo system, custom hand-stitched brown seats, and a hand-built six-point roll bar with LED lighting.

It rides on a Dana 44 front axle, 9-inch rear axle, and a 3.5-inch suspension lift. There are also four-wheel disc brakes with hydroboost, custom stainless steel fuel tank, Pacer wheels, front and rear sway bars, and a powder coated chassis. The price? Well, it's certainly an awful lot more than the new Ford Bronco will end up costing. Velocity Restorations believes that - and we agree given all of the work hours, attention to detail, and high-quality work throughout - $229,000 is a fair price.

"I've seen many restomodded Broncos built in 90 days or less and I could never understand how they are completed so quickly until I saw them up close," said Brandon Segers, co-owner of Velocity Restorations. "To build a truly complete restomodded vehicle, you need to put an intense amount of work and man hours into it. There are no shortcuts in this industry."