First time I've been on this board and this is my first restomod.

I have a 1971 Ford Bronco V8, 3 speed manual and I want to do a restomod for resale - at least $75K. Before I start, I want to put together a plan and budget so it doesn't grow out of my range. My timeline for completion is 60-90 days.

so far I plan to install/modify:
disk brakes - front and rear
power steering
exhaust headers with stainless exhaust
possible AC
change 3 on the tree to stick
all body work
custom paint
powder coat drive train and axles
new suspension and stabilizer
Recarro seats with 5 point harness
rear seat
32" mudder tires
aluminum instake
4 bbl carb

My question are multi:
what is/are the most valuable feature(s) to get the most resale?
In what order of features preference are buyers looking for?
What is most important about the engine? Do buyers want stock or high HP?
Soft top or hard top?
What should absolutely be replaced?
Is it worth it to change to throttle body injection or fuel injection?

Any other comments are welcomed

 

What's a good resources for restomod tips?

I am looking for paints, undercoatings, etc.

 

IMHO...go visit your local auto paint supplier...they will give you the best advise of the specific products for what you need to accomplish your goals.... including temp specific reducing agents for your paint, etc.

 

The Explorer 5.0 swap is quite the bang for the buck. Brings a roller cam 302 to the party to start with. Then adds PS pump, single wire alternator, serpentine belt drive and EFI. The front drive is the shortest and allows using the mechanical clutch fan for cooling. It will have a 4R70W automatic transmission bolted to it. The low first gear will help get it rolling and the OD will help with fuel mileage on the highway. Ford 9" rear with drums and a Dana 44 front with disk brakes. Hydro-boost for the brakes will get it stopped.

 

I don't build vehicles with resale in mind (I plan to keep them). So take my advice for what it's worth. First thing I'd say is that I don't know how to make money off working on an old vehicle. It seems to me that the people that do have really special vehicles in the end that will seem worth a lot of money to a very small number of people. So the challenge ends up in figuring out how to connect with that small market.

To specifically hit on some of your questions...
For that kind of money I'm thinking you are looking for someone who wants this vehicle in addition to a pretty full stable of pretty expensive vehicles. So I think it's going to have to be very good looking, very comfortable, and very easy to drive. So paint, wheels, bumpers, seats, AC, interior, auto trans, fuel injection... (not in any particular order there)

I think anyone wanting stock won't be willing to pay you $75,000 for a restomod. How much of a build? I have no idea. But I think it's going to have to be at least a bit of a head-turner.

For me it would have to be a soft top, but then I'm not your target buyer. It seems like people who live in warm, dry areas will go topless all of the time and most others would leave a top on almost all of the time. And in your target market (as poorly as I understand it...) I'm thinking AC and less wind noise will be important. So if you're selling it in San Diego, maybe just a bikini top, otherwise I'd say hard top.

As I noted above, I think looks, comfort and ease of driving will be necessary. So everything that affects that. Which is a lot, because old Broncos aren't real comfortable and they don't drive real well.

Throttle body injection is fuel injection, so I assume you are asking about throttle body injection or multi-point injection. I think you absolutely have to switch from a carb to fuel injection. While there are a few dinosaurs that still prefer carbs, most people can't even figure out how to start a carbed engine anymore. As to TBI or multi-point, I don't think it's that critical. If you are swapping an Explorer engine in (as was mentioned above) I'd use the MPI it already has. But if you were starting from scratch I wouldn't necessarily shy away from TBI either.