Velocity Restorations Broncos: Classic Looks with Modern Power
Daily Slideshow: Velocity Restorations is taking the old and making it new for the good of Ford enthusiasts.
It's so pretty
If you have a boatload of cash and don't mind the pointing and camera phones taking pictures of you, then may we present the work of Velocity Restorations for your perusal? The shop operates out of Pensacola, Florida and has been around for over a decade breathing new life into old-school Broncos. Friends and fellow Bronco junkies Stuart Wilson and Brandon Segers both bought and restored their Broncos within six months of each other and decided to open Velocity. On average, the shop produces from 15 to 20 custom Broncos each year with about 1,500 hours poured into each build.
Why no new news?
Many folks, including us, felt a little let down that Ford didn't show or announce any progress on the new Bronco. Brandon remarks that “we are very excited about the launch of the 2020 Bronco. It will only grow the popularity of the model at large, whether old or new."
Different flavors
Velocity takes Broncos mostly from the '70s and restores them with so many new components that they'll run just as reliable as any truck right off the showroom floor. For $169,000, you'll get the Mountain Edition Bronco that packs a 302 Ford engine into a Bronco body. The SUV will also receive power disc brakes, power steering, a lifted suspension, high-back reclining seats, Bluetooth connected stereo and a choice of either an automatic or a rebuilt three-speed transmission.
More flavors
At $209,000, there is the Lake Edition that includes all the bits from the Mountain Edition with the addition of a 5.0-liter fuel injected Coyote engine and 4R70 electronic shift overdrive transmission. The ultimate level will cost you $239,000 and net you the Beach Edition that comes with all the goodies from the lesser models plus 17-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch tires and a power retracting step.
From high and low
Velocity sources the donor bodies from auctions, barn finds, fields, and miscellaneous places where they've languished for far too long. One of their newest creations is a 1968 Bronco that has the Coyote engine saddled with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. That monster doesn't have any official performance numbers but we'd put our money on close to 700 horsepower. The Bronco also is rocking a new sound system, LED lights, a six-point roll cage, and very plush leather upholstery.
If you've got the scratch...
If you have just won the lotto or been the recipient of a windfall from a distant great uncle twice removed, then we can encourage you to check out Velocity Restorations. For the rest of us, we'll just have to wait and hope that the new 2020 Bronco is just what the people have been asking for.
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