Vintage Bronco Restomods Explained A vintage Bronco restomod is a first generation Ford Bronco rebuilt with modern mechanical parts underneath original styling. The body looks period correct. The engine, brakes, steering, and suspension are not. That combination is why a 1970s Bronco can now be driven daily instead of trailered to shows. This guide covers which years to look for, what actually gets replaced in a build, what it costs in 2026, and what to inspect before you buy one. What is a vintage Bronco restomod? It is a restoration plus an upgrade. A straight restoration returns the truck to factory specification. A restomod keeps the look and replaces the parts that make an old truck difficult to live with. The usual result is a Bronco with modern horsepower, modern braking, and a drivetrain that starts reliably in any weather. Nothing about the exterior announces it. That restraint is the point. This is restoration with purpose, not just restoration for appearance. Which years count as a vintage Bronco? The first generation ran from 1966 through 1977, and that is the body style almost every restomod starts with. It is the short wheelbase truck with the flat sides, round headlights, and removable top. Wheelbase is 92 inches across the whole run. A few mechanical dates matter when you are shopping. The front axle was a Dana 30 through 1970 and a Dana 44 from 1971 on, which is the stronger unit and the one you want under a lifted truck. Power steering became a factory option in 1973. Front disc brakes did not arrive until 1976, so every Bronco built before that year left the factory with drums on all four corners. The second generation, 1978 and 1979, is a full size truck on the F-100 platform. Those get built too, and they carry more presence, but they are heavier and parts support is thinner. Rust is the real year filter. A 1972 from Arizona is usually a better starting point than a 1976 that spent forty years near salt water. What gets upgraded in a vintage Bronco restomod? Six systems account for most of the work. Engine. The common swap now is Ford's 5.0 liter Coyote V8, which puts modern fuel injection and around 400 horsepower into a truck that originally made 105 with the base straight six. A built 302 or 351 Windsor is the traditional route and costs less. Transmission and transfer case. Modern automatics, often a 6R80, replace the original three speed. Overdrive is the reason. It turns a loud highway truck into one you can drive four hours without shouting. Brakes. Front disc conversions at minimum, four wheel discs on most serious builds. Original drum brakes are the single biggest safety gap on an unmodified early Bronco. Steering and suspension. The factory manual box took six turns lock to lock, which is why power steering goes into nearly every build. Suspension goes either coilover for road manners or leaf with modern shocks for capability. Lift heights typically run 2.5 to 4 inches, enough for 33 or 35 inch tires without wrecking the geometry. Interior. Modern seats with real support, sound deadening, air conditioning, and usually a discreet stereo. The dash stays period correct on the better builds. You can see how that balance looks on finished trucks in our Ford Bronco gallery. Electrical. A new wiring harness is not optional on a truck this old. It is also the part buyers ask about least and regret most. Every upgrade should be evaluated for fit, function, and long term reliability. A build that adds power without addressing brakes and steering is not finished. How much does a vintage Bronco restomod cost? Three tiers, and the gaps between them are wide. A DIY or owner assisted restoration on a solid truck generally runs $20,000 to $60,000, and that assumes you are doing the labor and the truck did not start out rotten. Rework erases the savings fast. A mid tier professional build lands between $50,000 and $120,000. That gets a driver quality truck with proper rust repair, sorted mechanicals, and good cosmetics, without extensive custom work. A premium frame off restomod starts around $150,000 and climbs. At this level the chassis, powertrain, suspension, and electrical system are all replaced or re-engineered, and the interior is bespoke. Fully re-engineered builds regularly clear $200,000. Labor is the variable that moves these numbers, not parts. A Coyote crate engine and the supporting hardware can be bought for a known price. The hundreds of hours to make it fit correctly cannot. Should you buy a restomod or an original restoration? Buy the restomod if you intend to drive it. Buy the numbers correct restoration if you intend to collect it. An original spec Bronco appeals to purists and to certain auction outcomes. It also has drum brakes, manual steering, no air conditioning, and a carburetor that will remind you what it is every cold morning. Owners who buy original and drive often end up modifying it anyway, one system at a time, which costs more than buying a finished build. The auction record supports the modified trucks too. A modified 1966 Bronco sold for $112,200 at Barrett-Jackson, and that was a wagon, not a headline roadster build. What should you check before buying a vintage Bronco restomod? Ask five questions before anything else. Where did the body come from, and how much is original steel versus new panels or a full aftermarket body? Was rust cut out and replaced, or covered? Ask for teardown photos, not finished photos. Who built the drivetrain, and is there documentation on the swap? Is the wiring a new harness, or the original circuit with additions spliced in? How many miles are on the truck since the build was completed, and was it road tested? A build with no photographic record of the teardown is asking you to take its word for it. Reputable shops document everything, because the documentation is part of what you are paying for. Where can you buy a finished vintage Bronco restomod? Through a specialist builder or through a dealer that carries finished trucks. Builders like Velocity Restorations in Pensacola, Kindred Motorworks in California, and Kincer Chassis all work in this space, and each does serious work. The tradeoff with a from scratch commission is time. A full build runs months, and you are buying from a rendering until it is done. FL Auto Sales Group works both ways. We carry finished custom vintage Bronco builds ready to drive, and we build to order for buyers who want to spec their own. Our vintage work follows the same approach as the rest of our custom Broncos: modernize where it improves reliability and safety, keep the exterior period correct, and road test everything before it leaves. Pricing is itemized so you can see what each system cost. If you already know the spec you want, start at build your own and we will work through it with you from start to finish. If you want the same treatment on a different platform, we build custom Jeeps as well. More on how we work is on our about us page. Can a vintage Bronco be shipped out of state? Yes. We ship over 30 Broncos a month through licensed and insured transporters experienced with specialty vehicles, with standard and expedited options, and expedited delivery generally arrives in seven days or less. Vintage trucks ship the same way new builds do, though we recommend enclosed transport on finished restomods. Details are on our nationwide shipping page. We are about ten minutes from Tampa International Airport if you would rather fly in and drive it home. Contact us and we will walk you through either option. Frequently asked questions Are vintage Bronco restomods reliable? Yes, when the build addresses the whole truck. A modern engine on original brakes and wiring is not reliable. A complete build with a new harness, disc brakes, power steering, and a modern drivetrain is as dependable as any current SUV. What is the best year for a vintage Bronco restomod? 1971 and later gets you the Dana 44 front axle, 1973 and later can have factory power steering, and 1976 and 1977 came with front disc brakes. Body condition still matters more than any of it, since a good builder converts brakes and steering regardless of year. Do vintage Bronco restomods hold their value? Well built ones have held value strongly over the past decade. Documentation, build quality, and the reputation of the shop drive resale more than mileage does. How long does a vintage Bronco build take? A full frame off build typically takes several months to over a year depending on the shop's backlog and the spec. Buying a finished truck removes that wait. By the FL Auto Sales Group Build Team. Published September 11, 2026.
The Best 4 Custom Ford Broncos You Can Buy Today
Most people searching for a custom Ford Bronco are really asking a narrower question: which kind of build do I actually want? There are four answers, and they are not close substitutes. A lifted new-generation Bronco, a Raptor build, a vintage restomod, and a color-and-finish build start from different vehicles, cost different money, and drive differently. Here is how to tell them apart before you spend. Every build below is something we do in-house. You can see finished examples on our custom Ford Bronco page. Key Takeaways Four build paths exist: lifted new-generation, Raptor, vintage restomod, and finish-focused. Pick by how you plan to use the truck, not by photos. Engine choice sets your ceiling. The 2.3L EcoBoost makes 300 hp on premium fuel, the 2.7L V6 makes 330 hp, and the Raptor's 3.0L V6 makes 418 hp and 440 lb-ft. A vintage restomod is a different market entirely. Recognized shops regularly sell builds between $150,000 and $300,000-plus. Lift height is the one decision that affects everything else: tire size, driveline angles, alignment, and how the truck feels at 70 mph. Ask any builder for an itemized parts list before you pay a deposit. If they will not produce one, that tells you what you need to know. What Are the Four Types of Custom Ford Bronco Builds? They are the lifted new-generation build, the Raptor build, the vintage restomod, and the finish-focused build. Each one starts from a different base vehicle and solves a different problem. Build type Starts from Best for Typical scope Lifted new-generation Current Bronco, usually Outer Banks or Badlands Daily driving with real trail capability Suspension, wheels and tires, bumpers, lighting, interior Raptor build Bronco Raptor High-speed desert and washboard roads Wheels and tires, armor, lighting, cosmetic work Vintage restomod 1966 to 1977 Bronco Collectors, weekend driving, events Frame-up restoration plus modern drivetrain and brakes Finish-focused Any current Bronco Buyers who want the look without the mechanical rework Paint, wrap, two-tone, color-matched trim, wheels Lifted New-Generation Builds This is the volume category, and for good reason. You get a truck with a factory warranty, modern safety equipment, and parts availability, then you fix the two things people actually complain about: ride height and tire size. Most of our builds live here. The base engine is the 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder at 275 hp and 315 lb-ft on regular fuel, or 300 hp and 325 lb-ft on premium. Step up to the 2.7L twin-turbo V6 and you get 315 hp and 410 lb-ft on regular, 330 and 415 on premium. The V6 is the one to have if you plan to run 35s or larger, because heavier tires eat low-end response. Raptor Builds The Raptor arrives from Ford already sorted. It has the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 at 418 hp and 440 lb-ft, a wider track, and suspension built for speed over rough ground. It also tows 4,500 pounds against 3,500 for a standard Bronco. Customizing a Raptor is mostly about wheels, tires, armor, lighting, and finish work, not about fixing anything. See current builds on our custom Bronco Raptor page. Vintage Restomods A restomod keeps the 1966 to 1977 body and replaces almost everything underneath. Modern V8, modern transmission, disc brakes, updated steering and suspension. It drives like something you can actually use instead of something you baby. This is the build people fall in love with at shows and then misjudge on price. More detail is on our custom vintage Bronco page. Finish-Focused Builds Sometimes the truck is already right and only the look is wrong. Custom paint, two-tone work, matte or satin finishes, color-matched bumpers and fenders, and a wheel change will transform a stock Bronco without touching the driveline. Our Pink Bronco builds are the most requested example, and we cover the full range in Ford Bronco Colors and Custom Finishes. Do not pick a build type from a gallery photo. A blacked-out 37-inch build and a mild 2-inch build can look nearly identical in a three-quarter shot and drive nothing alike. How Should You Choose Between a New-Generation Build and a Vintage Restomod? Choose the new-generation build if the Bronco will be driven regularly, and the restomod if it will be driven for pleasure. That single question settles it more often than budget does. A current Bronco comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Cosmetic work and most bolt-on modifications leave the powertrain coverage alone. Suspension and driveline changes are a separate conversation, and an honest builder will have it with you before the work starts rather than after. A restomod has no warranty in that sense. What it has instead is a rebuilt vehicle whose full history you know, if the shop documents the build properly. Ask for photos of the frame and body work before paint, not just the finished truck. Any shop that restores Broncos seriously will have them. Do not buy a restomod expecting current-Bronco road manners. Even the best ones are louder, slower to stop, and more physical to drive. That is part of the appeal, but it should not be a surprise. How Should You Spec a Lifted Bronco That Still Drives Well on the Highway? Match the lift to the tire, keep the lift modest, and do the alignment and driveline work rather than skipping it. Most bad-riding lifted Broncos are not badly built. They are badly matched. Step 1: Pick the Tire Size First Tire diameter drives everything else. Decide whether you want 33s, 35s, or 37s, then let that set the lift. Going the other direction, picking a lift height and then finding tires to fill the gap, is how people end up with rubbing, poor geometry, and a truck that wanders. Step 2: Keep the Lift as Low as the Tire Allows A 2-inch to 3-inch lift clears 35s on most Bronco trims and keeps the suspension working close to how Ford designed it. Every inch past that costs you something in steering feel and stability. If the goal is presence rather than clearance, a smaller lift with a wider wheel offset often looks better anyway. Step 3: Account for the Weight You Are Adding Steel bumpers, a winch, sliders, and 37s add real mass in the worst possible places. Springs and shocks should be specified for the finished weight of the truck, not the showroom weight. This is the step budget builds skip, and it is why those trucks ride poorly a year later. Step 4: Align It After the Parts Go On, Then Drive It Every build we finish gets aligned and road tested before it is photographed or listed. A build that has never been driven above 45 mph has not been tested. Ask whoever is building your Bronco what their road test looks like. Do not run a big lift on stock-length brake lines, driveshafts, or bump stops. The parts that fail are never the ones in the photos. How Much Should You Expect a Custom Ford Bronco to Cost? New-generation builds start from the trim price and climb with scope, while vintage restomods are priced from a completely different baseline. Treating them as two versions of the same math is the most common budgeting mistake buyers make. On the new-generation side, the 2026 Bronco starts around $40,795 for the Base before destination. Big Bend sits near $41,790, Outer Banks near $48,685, Badlands near $49,385, Heritage near $52,120, and the Raptor near $80,990. Your build cost is that number plus parts and labor. A wheel and tire package with a modest lift is one tier. Full armor, lighting, interior, and custom paint is another. Vintage is a different market. Average sale prices for first-generation Broncos across all conditions run in the mid-$80,000s, but that figure includes rust-bucket projects. Professional restomod builds from the recognized names routinely sell between $150,000 and $300,000-plus. Classic Recreations lists full custom restorations starting at $224,900. ICON's V8 BR series starts at $299,000. Kindred Motorworks introduced an electric first-gen restomod at $225,000. Those numbers are a reality check, not a quote. What we do instead is itemize: every part, every hour, priced before any work starts. Do not accept a single lump-sum number for a custom build. If the estimate does not break down into parts and labor, you cannot tell what you are buying or compare it to anyone else. How Should You Vet a Custom Bronco Builder Before You Send a Deposit? Ask for the parts list, the build photos, and the road test, in that order. Shops that do the work properly answer all three quickly. Shops that do not will change the subject. Step 1: Get the Itemized Parts List Brand and part number for the suspension, wheels, tires, bumpers, and lighting. Generic descriptions like "premium lift kit" are a warning sign. You should be able to look up every component yourself. Step 2: Ask to See the Build in Progress For a new-generation build, that means photos with the truck on the lift. For a restomod, it means bare frame and body photos before paint. Finished-truck photos prove nothing about what is underneath. Step 3: Ask What Happens After Delivery Torque checks and alignment settle in over the first few hundred miles. A builder who has thought about this will tell you what to check and when. One who has not will tell you it is fine. Step 4: Confirm How the Truck Gets to You If you are buying out of state, shipping is part of the deal, not an afterthought. We move more than 30 Broncos a month through licensed and insured transporters, with expedited delivery inside seven days. Details are on our nationwide shipping page. If you would rather collect it in person, we are about ten minutes from Tampa International. Do not pay a deposit before you have the parts list in writing. Everything else is easier to fix than a build that was never specified. Pre-Purchase Checklist Decide how often the Bronco will actually be driven. Daily use points to new-generation, occasional use opens up vintage. Pick the engine before the cosmetics. The 2.7L V6 or the Raptor's 3.0L if you are running large tires. Choose the tire size, then set lift height to match it. Get an itemized estimate covering parts and labor separately. Request in-progress build photos, not just finished shots. Confirm alignment and road test happen before delivery. Lock down shipping terms and timing in writing if you are out of state. Ask what the warranty situation looks like for the specific modifications on your build. Build It or Buy It Finished in Tampa, Florida We keep finished builds on the lot at all times, so you can see exactly what you are getting before you commit. Browse the current lineup of custom Ford Broncos for sale in Tampa, Florida, or start from nothing with Build Your Own and spec the lift, color, wheels, and interior yourself. If color is where you are stuck, the 2026 Bronco color guide covers every factory option and the roof pairing rules, and the lime green build breakdown shows what happens when a buyer goes past the factory sheet. For a trim-specific example, see our write-up on Outer Banks builds. Call or text 813-748-8927 and tell us how you plan to use the truck. We will tell you which of the four builds fits, and roughly what it runs, before anything gets committed to paper. More about the shop is on our About Us page. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between a custom Bronco and a lifted Bronco? A lifted Bronco has had its suspension raised. A custom Bronco may include a lift, but also covers wheels and tires, bumpers, lighting, interior work, and paint or wrap. Every lifted Bronco we build is a custom build. Not every custom build is lifted. Which Bronco engine is best for a custom build? The 2.7L twin-turbo V6 for most builds, at 330 hp and 415 lb-ft on premium fuel. It has the torque to handle larger tires without feeling sluggish. The Raptor's 3.0L at 418 hp is the choice if you want the wider track and high-speed suspension too. Does customizing a Bronco void the factory warranty? Cosmetic work like paint, wraps, and wheels generally does not affect powertrain coverage. Suspension and driveline modifications are assessed differently, and coverage depends on what failed and why. We walk through the specifics for your build before the work starts. How long does a custom Bronco build take? It depends on scope. A wheel, tire, and lift package moves quickly. Full custom paint with color-matched trim takes longer because of prep and cure time. A vintage restomod is the longest by a wide margin, since the mechanical and body work run much deeper. Can you ship a custom Bronco out of state? Yes. More than 30 Broncos a month go out nationwide through licensed and insured transporters. Standard and expedited options are both available, with expedited delivery inside seven days. Is a vintage Bronco restomod a good daily driver? For some owners, yes, particularly builds with modern brakes, steering, and air conditioning. It will still be louder and more physical than a current Bronco. If the truck needs to handle a commute in traffic every day, a new-generation build is the easier answer.