1978 Ford Bronco Has Lived a Charmed Life
Daily Slideshow: With a claimed 33k miles and some killer mods, they don't get much more pampered than this old Bronco.
One Incredible Find
Things were, well, a lot different back in the '70s. The concept of collector trucks was essentially non-existent. In fact, trucks were bought and used as tools for the utilitarian. And once they were used up, owners simply went out and got a new one. Thus, seeing nicely preserved pickups from this era is always notable. And they don't get much nicer than this 1978 Ford Bronco.
Low-Mile Find?
The three-owner 'ute shows only 33k miles on the odometer, which the last owner claims are original. And even if that isn't true, we couldn't find too many bones to pick on this beautiful Bronco. And clearly, that last owner sunk some serious money into making it even better.
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No Mysteries
4-Wheel Concepts gave it a good through once over and couldn't find any reason to dispute those claims, either. Everything from the sheet metal to the interior looks to be original. And it's all in pretty darn tidy shape, too.
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Surviving the Ills of Winter
The Bronco has lived in Michigan its entire life, a place famous for eating nice old trucks alive with harsh winters and plenty of road salt. But this Bronco was only driven on nice days, stored away from old man winter's wrath the rest of the year. Thus, it survived the corrosion destroying typical of trucks from this era.
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Mild Rebuild
Despite the mileage, someone rebuilt the Bronco's 460 along the way. It was also treated to a mild build with a new cam, Holley carb, aluminum intake, upgraded ignition, headers, and Flowmaster exhaust. Shifts come from a C6 automatic transmission fitted with a stall converter.
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Nice Package
Underneath, you'll find a good number of modifications to this Bronco's suspension. Deaver provided the 6-inch suspension and 2-inch body lift, which puts this big red truck way up in the air. Remote reservoir Fox shocks and Fox steering stabilizers round out a very nice package.
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Nicely Original
Inside, the original interior appears to be intact and in good condition. The Ranger XLT model has high back bucket seats/captain's chairs for added comfort. The previous owner did add a roll cage and newer stereo for safety and convenience.
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Serious Attitude
On the outside, there's no mistaking the serious attitude this Bronco exudes. As if the 2nd gen models weren't beefy looking enough. The body has been repainted in the original red, but all the bodywork and chrome were already reportedly in nice condition.
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Beefy yet Reliable
The massive new rolling stock is attached to Dana 44 front and 9-inch Ford rear differentials, the latter of which is stuffed with deep 4.88 gears. New u-joints, traction bars, bushings, and driveshafts were added to ensure a reliable ride for years to come.
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Flawless Execution
A good bit of effort also went into the brakes, where you'll find F-350 pieces up front. Combined with custom rear discs in the back, there's more than enough stopping power to bring this big Bronco to a halt in a hurry. Overall, it's about as well thought-out and executed as a '70s Ford truck can possibly get! Check out the Bronco at 4-Wheel Classics.
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