Buy This Bronco: 1978 Bruiser Goes Back to Basics
This ’70s Ford Bronco proves that you don’t always need flash and pizzazz to get noticed.
Everybody’s all about making a visual statement nowadays. Whether it is a vibrant springtime male romper, or a mega-lifted bro truck with giant stacks, folks fight to get everyone’s attention.
You don’t always have to wear or drive something that screams “look at me” to turn heads, though. Sometimes all you need a is clean and simple second-generation Ford Bronco.
Like this beauty, for example — a gem of a 1978 model we spotted recently on eBay. You won’t find any loud graphics or modern wheels, here. Nor will you spot a custom interior or a 58-speaker sound system. Nope, this Bronco is nothing more than a clean, tastefully upgraded ride that makes a statement with its simplicity.
For starters, the big brute is painted in a nice and subdued shade of blue. The factory trim still adorns it, some of which has been painted black to accent the removable top. The only addition lies up front, where you’ll find a grille guard with a pair of KC lights. Even the rolling stock is inoffensive, as nobody’s going to complain about simple 15″ wheels and 33″ rubber.
This Bronco even has a 351 under the hood instead of a fire-breathing lump, like last week’s “Buy This Bronco.” The rebuilt mill has a couple of aftermarket parts like an aluminum manifold and a 4-barrel carburetor — which are enough to generate a satisfying rumble from the 2.5″ exhaust.
Astute viewers will notice the Mustang bucket seats, which can be overlooked due to the blacked-out interior. A tachometer and trio of gauges in the console represent the only other real deviations from 1978, and that’s exactly how we like it. You can keep your fancy male rompers and trucks that sound like locomotives on crack, we’ll stick with our simple, clean, timeless trucks.
Thank you very much.
