Bronco has been shortened and fitted with a monster V8, making this off-road legend a beast on the quarter mile.
In the world of off-roading, the Ford Bronco is one of the biggest names from the sport utility side of things. Since the nameplate was introduced back in the 1966s, the Bronco has been a rugged off-road machine of varying sizes, but none of them were particularly great drag racing machines. Fortunately, the first generation Bronco in the video above from the 7zerex YouTube channel has been modified in a few different ways, leading to one of the coolest little Ford SUVs we have seen on the drag strip.
Wicked Bronco Racer
There are no details on the first generation Ford Broncoin the video above, but the still shot at the beginning of the clip tells a great deal of the story. As you can see, the wheelbase of this SUV has been significantly shortened, with the rear axle being right behind the driver’s seat. That leads to less weight in the body and chassis along with less weight in the drivetrain, so more of the engine’s power makes it to the wheels.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what is under the hood is this cool little Bronco, but it is clearly a well-built V8 that makes big power. It sounds pretty fantastic, too, while big Hoosierslicks are tasked with putting the power to the pavement. They do a fine job, propelling this compact SUV well into the six-second range on the eighth mile drag strip.
Six-Second SUV
In the video above, we watch as this first generation Bronco takes on what appears to be a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle and a classic flatbed pickup on the eighth mile track of Barona Dragway.
On the first run, the Bronco takes on the Chevelle, starting with a big, smoky burnout and ending with a pretty severe beating of the classic Chevy muscle car. The tiny SUV leaves with the front wheels up, quickly pulling away from the Chevelle to win by more than three-and-a-half seconds. On this pass, the old Ford ran a 6.33 at 107 miles per hour, which would translate to a quarter mile time of right around 10-seconds-flat.
In the second part of the video, the Bronco takes on the classic flatbed, and while the larger pickup gets out first, the downsized SUV quickly catches, passes and cruises to another beating. On this run, the Bronco ran a 6.34, so not only is it quick, but it is dead-consistent.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
