Coyote-Swapped 1979 Ford Bronco Ranger XLT 'Trailer Special' Is an Apex Retro Off-Roader

Some might argue that the fifth-generation Bronco is the most popular one (more like infamous), but nefarious reasons aside, you really can’t do much better than a refurbished second-gen truck, or even a restomod – as long as the mods don’t cancel out too many of its original quirks and features.

Ford’s main task for the second-gen Bronco was simple. It had to battle the likes of the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and Jeep Cherokee, and not lose. In order to give it a fighting chance, the Blue Oval built this Bronco on an F-Series chassis as a full-size SUV, and despite being in production for just two years (1977-1979), the Bronco managed to outsell the Blazer, as well as the Dodge Ramcharger, which was also a rival.

With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to a gorgeous 1979 Bronco Ranger XLT Trailer Special, getting auctioned off to the highest bidder.

It was factory-finished in black with the Chromatic tape stripes, featuring a grille guard, front tow hooks, chrome bumpers, low-mounted side mirrors, the Trailer Special badge, power-operated rear window, removable fiberglass hardtop, and a set of 15-in Turbine-style wheels with Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires.

Fun fact, this truck has a bullet hole in the driver-side quarter panel, repaired with silicone. I guess maybe some Blazer drivers can get pretty jealous. On a more serious note, this Bronco also comes with a SkyJacker quad front and heavy-duty rear shock absorbers, to go with front and rear stabilizer bars, power steering, and locking front hubs.

The interior is just as amazing as the exterior, featuring front captain’s chairs in black vinyl with patterned cloth inserts, a Vintage Air climate control system, faux woodgrain trim, rubber floor mats, additional sound-deadening material, a retro-style aftermarket radio with plenty of audio power, plus a three-spoke steering wheel and Dakota Digital instrumentation.

Now let’s talk about the power train, which is a pretty great choice if we’re being honest. Instead of a stock 352 ci V8 or a 402 ci V8 (neither of which had more than 158 hp), this Bronco is powered by a 5.0-liter Coyote V8, sourced from a 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

In terms of muscle, we should be looking at around 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, with everything going to all four wheels via a 6R80 six-speed automatic gearbox. According to the seller, this truck also comes with a Dana 44 Detroit Truetrac front differential and a Strange Engineering 9” nodular limited-slip rear diff, with 35-spline Yukon axles.

As for the single-exit exhaust system, it too is custom-built and comes with a Magnaflow muffler. This thing sounds absolutely amazing - take a listen.