The unique Bronco you’re looking at is a 1969 example that’s sitting atop a 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum frame. The process of grafting it onto its modernized chassis was, unsurprisingly, an extensive one and the finished product makes it clear that this was a worthwhile labor of love for its owner.
Crafted by automotive enthusiast Barry Ellis of Tucson, Arizona, this Bronco / F-150 mashup took somewhere around 2,500 hours to finish, says Ellis. To put that into perspective, that’s around 500 more than the average person would spend working a 40-hour work week all 52 weeks out of the year. Here’s a breakdown of this masterpiece that’ll take far less time to read about.
Ellis tells Carscoops that he had to widen the Bronco body by eight inches for the F-150 interior to fit properly. To make that happen, he cut the Bronco’s body right down the middle. The dash was removed from the F-150 and then reinstalled into the finished Bronco body and fits “like it did from the factory”.
More: One Man And The Ford Bronco He’s Built Over A Lifetime
To make it work that well, he had to do a lot more than simply add eight inches to the body of a Bronco though. Ellis crafted a custom grille shell along with custom bumpers, and even a windshield wiper system with three blades. Evidently, nothing was as difficult as the wiring harness though.
The harness weighs some 135 pounds (61 kg) and allows the finished Bronco to function almost identically to the original F-150. Ellis says that “you could drop this off at a dealer and plug in an OBDII scanner. They would not know the difference.” Other than the awesome modernized body and custom bits that is.
The cabin features powered seats with heating, ventilation, and massaging features. In addition, the restomodded Bronco has an electronically-locking rear differential, remote start, a 360-degree camera system, satellite radio, rear park aid sensors, and fold-away steps.
Under the hood is a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 along with a Whipple supercharger that’s good for 525 hp (391 kW) at the rear wheels on 91 octane fuel. Long tube JBA Performance headers, ADS divorced reservoir off-road shocks, and a Bulldog 12,000-pound winch all add to its utility and character.
Ellis is clearly a master of his craft. This isn’t his only project either. He once dropped a 1939 LaSalle body on top of a modern Cadillac V car too. At this point, we can’t wait to see what he does next.
Thanks to Barry for sharing his story and photos with us!
