In 2026, Woodys, Wagens & Classic Cruisers in Sheridan, Wyoming finished a Coyote-powered 1973 Bronco they named Bloom.
The build sheet that came with the truck lists a total cost of $302,341.
That number is a good way to understand what a restomod Bronco is, what it costs, and who should build one. So we are using Bloom as the example and walking through everything you need to decide for yourself.
A restomod Bronco is an early Ford Bronco that keeps its original shape and gets modern parts. This guide focuses on 1966 to 1977 trucks.
The upgrades usually include a fuel-injected engine, an automatic transmission, disc brakes, better suspension, and air conditioning. Some builds, like Bloom, also go onto a new chassis.
The point is a truck you actually want to drive on a Tuesday.
How much does a restomod Bronco cost?
Start by separating two things. New builder pricing is what a shop charges to make you a truck. Resale-market results are what finished trucks have actually sold for. They are not the same number.
Here is what four builders say about price, checked on October 1, 2026. Three publish a starting price, and options and customization add to every one of them. Backwards Bill’s Garage quotes each build, so it has no number to list.
| Builder | Model | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Backwards Bill’s Garage | Frame-off build on a Kincer chassis | Quoted per build, no published price |
| Kindred Motorworks | Gas Bronco | From $225,000 (EV from $275,000) |
| Gateway Bronco | Fuelie Edition | $180,000 |
| Gateway Bronco | Coyote Edition | $250,000 |
| Gateway Bronco | LUXE-GT Edition | $400,000 |
| Velocity Restorations | Inventory or custom build | Starts at $264,900 |
Velocity says many of its highly customized commissions run from $300,000 to over $450,000.
Backwards Bill’s Garage is a smaller shop in Leander, Texas, north of Austin. It takes on two major builds at a time and says to plan on 8 to 9 months for a full frame-off build. A shop that quotes each truck is worth a call if you know what you want and don’t see it in a catalog.
Now the other side: what finished trucks have actually sold for. These are selected 2026 results from Bring a Trailer.
| Truck | Sold for | What it had |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 Bronco by Heritage Bronco | $142,000 on May 11 | Gen 3 Coyote, ten-speed automatic, aftermarket frame, replacement body |
| 1967 Bronco by Velocity Restorations | $171,000 on September 11 | Gen 3 Coyote, ten-speed automatic, 1,300 miles on the build |
| 1973 Bronco by Vintage Broncos | $220,500 on August 1 | Coyote, ten-speed automatic, Kincer Hybrid Series chassis, 1,500 miles on the build |
These are three results, not an average, and they do not appraise any other truck. Builder, equipment, condition, and mileage all change the number.
A build sheet records what a shop says it spent. An auction result records the sale amount reported by the auction platform, and it does not include fees, taxes, or transport. They are different numbers, and a smart buyer looks at both.
The wider market matters too. Hagerty reported in September 2026 that its average value for a #2 condition first-generation Bronco fell 14% to $53,700, the second quarterly drop in a row, according to Ford Authority. That covers stock trucks, not restomods, so there is no clean number for what a restomod will be worth later.
What is a restomod, and how is it different from a restoration?
A restoration puts a Bronco back the way Ford built it. Original engine, original brakes, original everything. The goal is to be correct.
A restomod keeps the look and replaces the parts that made the truck hard to live with. Nobody is checking your hose clamps for authenticity.
Most early Broncos you see at a cars and coffee are somewhere in between. A 302 with a few upgrades, a newer radio, maybe disc brakes up front. A full restomod goes much further, with a new drivetrain, new suspension, and a new interior.
One more thing to know when you search. Some companies sell retro-styled trucks built on a new sixth-generation Bronco. That is a different vehicle from a restored or restomodded first-generation truck, and it comes with different titling.
Meet Bloom: a restomod Bronco, piece by piece
Bloom was built by Woodys, Wagens & Classic Cruisers, a classic 4×4 restoration shop in Sheridan, Wyoming. Everything in this table comes from the Bring a Trailer listing and the build sheet that came with the truck.
| Part | What is on the truck |
|---|---|
| Body and paint | 1973 Ford Bronco, refinished in Porsche Frozen Berry with metallic gold trim and cream and red lower accents |
| Chassis | Kincer Hybrid Series replacement chassis, frame plate KC1612 |
| Engine | Gen 3 5.0L Coyote V8 |
| Transmission | 10R80 ten-speed automatic with a push-button dual-range transfer case |
| Brakes | Wilwood discs at all four corners with hydroboost |
| Wheels and tires | 18-inch powder-coated Detroit Steel wheels, 295/70 BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires, lifted suspension and body |
| Fuel tank | Krawlers Edge fuel tank, visible under the rear in the photo on the lift |
| Roll bar | Powder-coated Krawlers Edge family-style roll bar |
| Interior | Red leather and microsuede seats and rear bench, custom center console, heated seats, Vintage Air heat and AC, power windows, push-button start |
| Dash and controls | Dakota Digital gauges, Sparc Industries steering wheel, tilt column, Alpine Bluetooth stereo |
| Mileage | 527 miles since the build was finished |
| Paperwork | Build sheet listing the work performed, components, and labor hours; Wyoming title |
| Total cost on the build sheet | $302,341, as reported by the seller |
What decides the price of a restomod Bronco?
A build sheet adds up parts and labor hours. A buyer adds up what the truck is worth to them and compares it with everything else they could own.
Three things tend to move that number when a restomod Bronco changes hands:
- Who built it. A shop with a track record and photos of past work is easier to trust, because a buyer can’t see most of the work once the paint is on.
- The paperwork. A build sheet, receipts, a clean title. Bloom came with a build sheet and a numbered Kincer chassis plate.
- What you can see. Welds, wiring, and the underside. A buyer pays more for what they can inspect.
Keep one limit in mind. A build sheet lists the work a shop says it did, and a chassis plate names the chassis maker. Neither replaces an independent inspection of the whole truck.
If you plan to keep the truck for ten years, you are buying the Bronco you want, not an investment. Build it for you.
If you might sell someday, compare the build cost with completed sales like the ones above, and spend where you will enjoy it.
Want the market side of this? We broke down why 1970s Broncos are so expensive and what first-generation Bronco values look like.
What a restomod can fix on an early Bronco
Early Broncos are fun to look at. They are harder to live with. A restomod goes after the specific problems.
- Rust. A replacement chassis takes care of the frame. Floors, body panels, and body mounts need their own repair, so ask what was done to the body and not just the frame.
- Brakes. Drum brakes were standard, and factory front discs did not show up until late in the run. Bloom has Wilwood discs with hydroboost, which is what you want next to modern traffic.
- Gearing. A ten-speed automatic gives you low gears for the trail and an overdrive for the highway.
- Steering and ride. Modern suspension and steering parts can take out much of the wander you get from 50-year-old components.
- The fuel system. A fuel-injected engine wants a tank built for it. Bloom’s Kincer chassis came with a Krawlers Edge tank, which you can see under the rear in the lift photo below. Krawlers Edge makes a 23 gallon stainless steel fuel tank for early Broncos, and our guide to fuel tanks for early Broncos covers the options.
- Safety gear. An original Bronco has no airbags and no crash structure to speak of. Have the roll bar, seats, belts, brakes, and steering looked at together, not one at a time. Krawlers Edge builds a family sport cage with three-point belt mounts for all four seats.
- Comfort. Air conditioning, heat, heated seats, and power windows. See a vintage Bronco with a modern interior and how to add leather to classic Bronco seats.
The chassis question
Many restomod Broncos start at the frame, though not all do. Some shops keep the original Ford frame and others replace it.
Bloom sits on a Kincer Hybrid Series chassis. Kincer Chassis builds replacement chassis for early Broncos, including coil-over rolling chassis, so the body goes onto a new foundation instead of a 50-year-old one. You can see the full lineup on their early Bronco chassis page.
Kincer’s Classic and Adventure series chassis list a Krawlers Edge 23 gallon stainless tank in what’s included, along with the pump, sending unit and fuel lines. The Freeway series and the bare early Bronco frame do not, so ask which one a build started from.
Whatever the truck has, ask the seller to tell you what is under it. On Bloom you can see for yourself in the photos below.
We covered this chassis in our post on early Bronco restorations on a Kincer chassis.
Titles and VINs on a new chassis
This is the part most buyers skip, and it matters. A replacement frame can affect the documentation required for registration.
Kincer says its frames come with a KC number welded to the driver’s side engine perch instead of a VIN. The number is recorded with your purchase and linked to the original Ford security tag, to help with licensing. Whether your state accepts that is a question for your registration office.
Rules vary a lot by state, so ask before you buy a truck or a kit, not after.
Coyote or Godzilla: choosing the engine
Bloom has a Gen 3 5.0L Coyote and a 10R80 ten-speed. This combination is popular because it is the same engine and transmission family Ford sells in current trucks and Mustangs, so parts and know-how are everywhere.
The engine is only part of the bill. CJ Pony Parts says it is not uncommon to spend $20,000 on a Coyote swap, not counting the truck.
More power also means the steering, brakes, suspension, and tires have to keep up.
Plenty of buyers skip the Coyote and ask for a Godzilla, Ford’s 7.3 liter V8 from the Super Duty trucks. Kincer lists it at 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque and puts a complete swap, with parts and labor, at $35,000 to $40,000.
That is a big engine in a small truck. Ask any shop quoting one how they handle the mounts, cooling, transmission, and driveline, and what the finished truck weighs.
An LS is still a fair choice, though a smaller one these days. Read our guides to the LS swap Bronco conversion and classic truck engine swaps before you pick.
Buy one, order one, or build your own?
You can build your own vintage Bronco, and plenty of people do. There are three ways to end up with a restomod Bronco, and each one changes the questions you should ask.
- Buy a finished truck. You can see and drive what you are paying for. Ask for the build sheet and have someone independent look it over.
- Order a custom build. You pick the details, and then you wait. Ask what the quote includes, when delivery is expected, who handles repairs, and whether the warranty carries over to a second owner. On their sites, Velocity advertises a two-year warranty and Gateway’s runs three to seven years depending on the edition, and timelines vary from a few months to a year or more. Get yours in writing.
- Build it yourself in stages. This takes space, tools, and patience. Welding skills help. Owners in the classicbroncos.com forums are blunt about it: small parts add up, rust shows up after the paint comes off, and you rarely get the money back.
If you go the DIY route, plan the whole system before you buy the first part. The chassis, engine, transmission, cooling, wiring, fuel system, and brakes all have to work together, and parts bought one at a time can end up not fitting each other.
When you get stuck, you will want a good shop nearby. Here is how to go about finding classic car mechanics.
What to check before buying a restomod Bronco
Before I bought my own early Bronco, I took it to a mechanic for a quick look. They didn’t see anything wrong, and I would do that again.
A couple of months later it needed new wheel bearings. While the front end was apart, the mechanic corrected the caster by changing the position of the long arms (the radius arms that run from the front axle back to the frame). It made the drive so much better. The death wobble and the loose steering on the interstate never came back.
My truck was nowhere near as redone as Bloom. That experience still changed what I would ask before buying another early Bronco.
I would want a specialist to inspect the steering and front suspension and review the alignment, especially on a lifted truck. Caster is the angle of the steering axis, and lifting a truck tends to push it in the wrong direction.
A quick look and a short drive had not shown everything on mine. New parts and a long build sheet would not change those questions.
Then look at the rest of the truck. Skip any Bronco with rot in the frame, body mounts, or floors, unless you are buying it as a project and the price shows it.
Skip builds with no paperwork. Skip anything where the seller cannot tell you what is underneath, or whose VIN and title story does not add up.
A fresh coat of paint can hide all of this, which is why a build sheet matters. Bloom’s lists the work performed, the components installed, and the labor hours.
Whatever you find, ask for:
- The build sheet, with parts and labor hours
- The chassis maker and frame plate number
- The VIN and title paperwork, and the state that issued it
- The engine, transmission, axle, and fuel tank details
- Alignment and caster settings, especially on a lifted truck
- Who supports the truck after the sale, and whether any warranty transfers
Then take a road test that fits what the specialist found, including some highway miles. The truck should feel finished on the road, not just on the lift.
Before you go look at a truck, read our guide on how to buy a vintage Bronco and print the no-BS checklist for buying a classic car.
Where to find a restomod Bronco for sale
Auction sites like Bring a Trailer show full photo galleries, and you can read what other buyers noticed in the comments. Builder websites list their current inventory and past builds. Hemmings has classifieds as well.
Can you drive a restomod Bronco every day?
Many people do. Bloom has air conditioning, heat, power windows, and heated seats. That covers the stuff that usually makes people give up on a 1970s truck.
It still has a 1973 body: a short wheelbase, an upright windshield, and none of the crash structure or airbags of a new vehicle. A 2024 road test of a $250,000 restomod in The Autopian called the ride agricultural, and that is a fair warning about solid axles and a short wheelbase.
Some people are fine with that and some are not. Drive one before you commit.
If you are thinking about it, read can you daily drive a classic car and look at the best insurance for classic cars first.
Tell any insurer how you plan to use the truck, including commuting and trail use. Hagerty’s classic car program is not for daily drivers, and it handles modified vehicles under a separate policy. Confirm both the insured value and the allowed use before you buy.
Is a restomod Bronco worth it?
If you want a truck to drive, enjoy, and keep, a restomod can be a great way to get there. You get the shape people love, with disc brakes, air conditioning, and fuel injection.
If you are counting on the build to hold its value, compare the numbers above first. A build sheet and a sale price are different things.
Start with how you will use the truck. Weekend trail runs and a daily commute call for different builds, and that decides whether you should buy, order, or build.
Restomod Bronco questions
How much does a restomod Bronco cost?
New builds from the big shops start around $180,000 to $265,000 and can pass $400,000. Selected finished trucks sold on Bring a Trailer in 2026 brought $142,000 to $220,500, before fees, taxes, and transport. A DIY build can cost less, depending on how much of the work you do yourself.
Is a restomod Bronco worth it?
It is worth it if you want a truck to drive and keep. It is a weaker bet if you are counting on resale, because a build sheet and a sale price are different numbers.
How long does it take to build a restomod Bronco?
Shops quote anywhere from a few months to a year or more. Owners in the classicbroncos.com forums describe professional frame-off projects stretching to several years. Get the delivery date in writing.
Which Bronco year is best for a restomod?
First-generation Broncos ran from 1966 to 1977. Trucks from 1973 to 1977 offer more factory options, including an automatic and power steering. On a restomod, condition and rust matter more than the model year.
Can you insure a restomod Bronco?
Often, yes, but ask before you buy. Insurers treat classic, modified, and daily-use vehicles differently, so confirm the insured value and the allowed use. Keep receipts, photos, and the build sheet to support the value.
Do the title and VIN matter on a restomod Bronco?
They matter a lot, especially after a frame swap. A replacement frame can affect the documentation your state requires, so ask your registration office before you buy a truck with a replacement frame or body.
More Bronco reading
- What is a U15 Bronco?
- Lifted classic Ford Bronco
- Restored classic pink Bronco
- Teal vintage Broncos
- Best factory colors for classic Ford trucks
Photos courtesy of Woodys, Wagens & Classic Cruisers and Kincer Chassis.
