You remember the Ford Bronco II, don’t you? It’s one of those trucks that doesn’t get enough respect. People hate on them for a list of reasons—they’re small and slow, for starters—but everyone I know who’s owned one loved it. Passionate Bronco II owners still exist today, and Vasher Design has a nifty kit just for them that gives the 1983-1988 models the face of a new Ford Bronco.
That might not sound like a good combination at first, but just check it out:
Not bad at all, if you ask me. It almost looks like it was meant to be that way from the factory. In addition to the grille and round headlights, Vasher Design sells the little details like different colored “BRONCO” lettering and the trail sights at the front corners of the hood. It’s the complete package.
This rig here belongs to Robert King, and his was the first Bronco II I’d seen with such a face swap. He posted in a Facebook group we’re both in, so I reached out via DM. He mentioned the Vasher kit and said, “I made a few tweaks to it but nothing design-wise. I’m going to put light-up ‘BRONCO’ emblems in the grill.”
All in all, King says he spent $1,500 on the kit plus a little more on some odds and ends. Vasher sells some of the parts separately, so if you just need the sixth-gen Bronco grille or the headlights and turn signals, you can go that route. If it were me, I’d get the all-in-one offering. Sure, you might be able to buy another Bronco II for $1,500, but more questionably reliable trucks isn’t always the answer. I promise.
Vasher’s kit also fits ‘83-‘88 Rangers so if you’d rather pull off that swap, then by all means.
I personally like the Bronco II’s original look, but if you’re going to update the design, this is a good way to go. Google turns up plenty of other, uh, interesting options so just trust me here. Or check it out for yourself.
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