1979 Ford Bronco With Coyote Power Is a Blue Chip Build

Highly Coveted

Over the past several years, we've watched as Ford Bronco values have skyrocketed to new record levels. In the past, the first-gen model was the one to get, but lately, the SUV's rabid popularity has spread to the later generations, with the second-gen full-size Bronco proving to be particularly compelling for collectors. While this fantastic 1979 Bronco that recently crossed the block at Bring a Trailer isn't totally stock or original, it is solid proof that even modified examples of the hyper-popular SUV remain in high demand, too.

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Moving Around

This 1979 Ford Bronco was sold new at Francis Ford in Portland, Oregon and stayed with its original owner all the way until 2010. Since then, it has changed hands a couple of times, undergoing some more significant changes in 2018. 

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Looking Fresh

On the outside, this second-gen SUV is certainly an appealing thing to look at, thanks to its black paint and those quite popular Chromatic tape stripes. Everything here is quite tidy and in nice condition, though the top has been resprayed, while the owner applied Xkote protectant to the stripes to keep them looking fresh.

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Redone Seats

The same goes for the interior, which is equipped with front captain's chairs and a rear bench seat, both of which are trimmed in replacement black vinyl with patterned cloth inserts that were acquired from a company called Free Wheelin’ Co.

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Modern Amenities

There are some nice, modern amenities here as well, a list that includes a Vintage Air climate control system, a retro-style aftermarket radio, Dakota Digital instrumentation, and an array of speakers and even a subwoofer, while sound-deadening material and insulation have been added to quiet down the cabin as well.

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Modernized Mechanicals

The big story lies under the hood, however, where the previous owner swapped out the original powerplant with a more modern 5.0-liter Coyote V8 from a 2014 F-150. It's mated to a 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission an Advance Adapters Atlas 2 transfer case, a Dana 44 front differential, and a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end.

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Par for the Course

Throw in a set of 15-inch turbine wheels wrapped with 35x12.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires, and you've got a pretty compelling package. Bidders certainly agreed, driving the selling price of this gorgeous Bronco all the way up to $83k, which is a lot of money, obviously - though pretty much par for the course for a nicely done second-gen these days.

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>>Join the conversation about this Coyote-powered Bronco right here in the forum.

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