1979 Ford Bronco Meets an SVT Raptor... Amazing build!

1979 Ford Bronco Meets an SVT Raptor… Amazing build!

One Sweet Bronco Meets SVT Raptor

Ever sat around and wondered what would happen if a Bronco and a Raptor met up in college and went on a date? But not just any date, we’re talking a nice high-class reservation-style Valentine’s Day dinner date here. And said date went so well that nine months later that pesky little stork happened to drop off this insane creation right in your driveaway!

As intense as this undertaking would be, Dan knew that Corbin of Sweet Brothers Restomods was ready for the challenge.
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Well, we definitely wouldn’t be too mad at that stork if this one—a bouncing baby Bronco Raptor—landed in our driveway. This build was masterminded and owned by Dan Hart from Upton, Wyoming. It all began with the crazy thought to take the chassis, drivetrain, and interior of a 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor donor and pairing it with an old school Bronco shell. Taking a ’79 Ford Bronco and mating it with an SVT Raptor is obviously no easy task. These old school/new school pairings have been done before, but nothing near as wild as this stretched “Braptor” you see pictured in these pages.

Challenge Accepted

As intense as this undertaking would be, Dan knew that Corbin of Sweet Brothers Restomods was ready for the challenge. Taking a complete 2011 F-150 Raptor and merely grafting the Bronco sheetmetal to it would have been a challenge all in itself—but Dan and the crew didn’t stop there.

A super-charged 6.2-liter V-8 paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case is more than enough to move the new combination of old and new.

Wanting much more room, he decided that a four door really should have more front and back room (and to more closely fit the drivetrain). They stretched all four doors 4 inches for the super stretched four-door look, but inside this made a world of difference. The comfort level of the Raptor bucket seats and leather throughout really came to life with the added room.

Midway Drama

The most intense portion of the swap was unfortunately discovered midway through. The team had realized that the Bronco donor had been wrecked and repaired at some point, so certain areas just weren’t lining out quite as well as they had hoped for. But Dan sourced another body, and the team went to work cutting and welding as needed to get all three portions to perfectly mate to achieve the detail and fit and finish that he was after.

With the crazy metal and bodywork out of the way, the truck was finished in a 2019 Ford red and white over the nice clean black leather upholstery from the Raptor.

Moving the Monster

The 2011 SVT Raptor naturally had plenty of get up and go for this new four-door monster. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case is more than enough to move the new combination of old and new. The 6.2-liter is equipped with a Roush supercharger and cold-air intake system.

Additional modifications include keeping the removable hardtop and keeping as much of the Raptor interior as possible, including modifying the door panels, dash, seats, and headliner (mostly custom). The factory steering wheel and factory instrumentation remains intact, including the fully functioning 140-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm SVT-branded tachometer, auxiliary gauges, and a central LCD screen. Keeping the heated front bucket seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, a CD sound system, and MyFord Touch infotainment with navigation and a backup camera were also important for Dan as he truly wanted something that could be comfortably driven like a modern-day SUV.

Dan’s goal was to create a one-of-a-kind styled beast of a machine that was fully capable to today’s standards yet has the classic appeal and nostalgia of years past.

It all rolls on a set of SVT 17-inch wheels wrapped with 315/70 BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires. The 2011 Raptor was designed with 11 inches of front suspension travel and 12 inches in the rear, and the current suspension setup makes use of incorporating the factory Fox Racing internal-bypass shocks.

Past Meets Present

Going all in, Dan’s goal was to create a one-of-a-kind styled beast of a machine that was fully capable to today’s standards yet has the classic appeal and nostalgia of years past. I’m sure you’d all agree—he nailed it! We absolutely love this conglomeration, and that’s why it landed a spot on this special cover. Apparently, there’s more in store from Dan, so stay tuned!