As the new Bronco’s reveal date draws closer, interest in classic Ford Broncos continues to grow. And a popular way to help the old SUVs keep up with modern traffic is to restomod them, as Jay Leno did. The Bronco isn’t alone in this: classic Range Rovers, Chevy trucks, Jeep Wagoneers, even the Fiat Panda 4×4 have all been restored with modern powertrains before. But now, Roush Performance is getting involved. The tuner is well known for its Mustang and F-150 packages. And soon, its work will be available in Gateway Broncos’ work.

Gateway Broncos: classic Ford Bronco restomods

Much like Icon with Land Cruisers and derelicts, and Singer with Porsche 911s, Gateway Broncos has become a go-to for restomodding classic Ford Broncos. In fact, the company is officially licensed by Ford to fabricate new parts for the old off-roaders, and even entirely new 1966-1977 Broncos, according to Jalopnik and Motor Trend, thanks to similar laws that let Morgan and Caterham import their cars. Even Singer doesn’t have that level of permission, reports Top Gear.

But back to the restomod. Each classic Bronco build gets a frame-off restoration, which means stripping the SUV down and fitting new sheet metal and body components. Each part is stripped down to the bare metal, and the frame gets powder-coated. Everything then gets repainted before being reassembled.

After that, the modifications depend on what kind of classic Ford Bronco restomod you want. Three are available: Fuelie, Coyote, and Modern Day Warrior. But all of them get new 4-wheel disc brakes, improved sound deadening, power windows, and an upgraded leather interior. Car and Driver reports buyers can also add Bilstein dampers, larger anti-roll bars, additional body-stiffening, and suspension lifts.

The Coyote gets Porsche leather and further noise and vibration reduction. Meanwhile, the Warrior comes with multi-link suspension with Fox racing shocks, as well as custom aluminum wheels. And in place of the Fuelie’s and Coyote’s Wilwood brakes, the Warrior gets higher-performance Brembos.

The engine options

Gateway Broncos then fits each one with one of two Ford V8s. The standard Fuelie engine is the 347 Stroker, a 5.7-liter engine that Speedway Motors reports offers 400 hp and 415 lb-ft.

But the Fuelie can also be fitted with the Coyote’s standard engine, a 5.0-liter V8 from the 2018 Mustang. Car and Driver and Road & Track report its performance is unchanged; it develops 435 hp and 400 lb-ft. The Fuelie can be optioned with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual, while the Coyote gets the old SVT Raptor’s 6-speed automatic.

The Modern Day Warrior, though, gets its own engine. Its standard engine is the current Mustang’s 5.0-liter V8. Hagerty reports it makes 460 hp and 420 lb-ft on its own.

However, Roush has stepped in to give these restored Broncos a bit more go.

The Roush-tuned classic Ford Bronco

In addition to tuning the Mustang GT to Hellcat-levels of power, Roush also tunes F-150s. Installing its supercharger onto a 5.0-liter-equipped F-150 led to the Nitemare, a 650-hp truck that can from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. And now, Roush is putting that engine in Gateway’s classic Ford Bronco restomods.

Although the Gateway Bronco will get the same 10-speed automatic, 0-60 time has not been recorded yet. However, Hagerty and Top Gear expect the time to be well under 5 seconds. Which, considering the classic Ford Bronco’s dimensions, should be more than fast enough.

But just in case it isn’t, those looking for a real buckin’ Bronco can fit the Modern Day Warrior with a Shelby American supercharger. Gateway doesn’t detail which transmission it gets. However, Car and Driver reports the Shelby supercharger boosts the 5.0-liter to develop 776 hp and 646 lb-ft.

Unfortunately, though inevitably, this kind of power and customization doesn’t come cheap.

Pricing and availability

Gateway Broncos lists the 5.0-liter base Fuelie at $150,000—and that’s before options. The more luxurious Coyote starts at $250k, while the base Warrior starts at $300,000. Gateway has not revealed if the Roush engine will be available with every trim, or if it will be exclusive to the Warrior. Each Gateway Broncos restomod does come with a multi-year warranty, though.

If you are interested in a Gateway classic Ford Bronco restomod, you’ll have to get in line. Each build normally takes 4 months to complete, and MT reports the company normally only works on 2-4 builds each month.

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