Running from the 1966 through 1977 model years, the first generation of the Bronco is a grade-A collectible these days. Especially now that the Bronco revival is right around the corner, the original is getting increasingly popular with classic car collectors.
Jay Leno is the proud owner of a 1968 model that he received from fellow talk show host Craig Ferguson as a tongue-in-cheek joke on his last episode of The Tonight Show. The off-roader was in a very pitiful condition, “driven into the ground” by Ferguson. After sitting idly in Leno’s garage for five years or thereabouts, Ford approached the TV personality with the proposition of a one-of-a-kind restomod.
Three months after Ford and LGE-CTS Motorsports started the project, the Bronco was ready to hit the road with no fewer than 760 horsepower on deck. As you know by now from the headline, a Predator V8 from the Shelby GT500 is hiding in the engine bay.
What comes as a bit of a surprise is that Leno’s Bronco isn’t a dual-clutch affair like the King ‘Stang, but a five-speed stick shift. Indeed, ladies and gents; this is a properly custom build!
Kincer Chassis of Louisville, Tennessee is responsible for the ladder frame, Fox shocks are featured all around, and Borla supplied the exhaust system for this buckin' Bronco. “The idea of having a classic Bronco upgraded with modern handling, performance, and braking really makes it the best of both worlds,” said Leno about his gentle giant.
The supercharged engine, however, dominates the build with the kind of torque that would make grown men go weak in the knees at the most careful tap of the loud pedal. In addition to calibrating the Predator to the Tremec transmission and part-time 4WD system, the 5.2-liter blunderbuss needs to be treated with utmost respect.
Leno says that you won’t break the driveshaft or U-joints at wide-open throttle, but the high center of gravity and short wheelbase makes the driving experience somewhat scary. To the point, “when that front end goes up you feel like you’re in a powerboat.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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