1979 Ford Bronco Reborn
Welcome to Shadowsteed!
This site chronicles the restoration and modification journey of my 1979 Ford Bronco Ranger XLT.
I spent a couple of years searching on and off for a solid 2nd Gen Bronco—something reasonably priced and not eaten alive by rust. These trucks are rare finds, produced only in 1978 and 1979. Ford built just under 78,000 Broncos in ’78 and a little over 104,000 in ’79, and only about 55,000 of those were Ranger XLTs.
In late 2016, I finally found the right one on eBay. It came from a Bronco shop in Illinois, and after reviewing plenty of photos and videos, I took the leap, won the auction, and brought her home for $9,500.
The original 351M V8 made around 158 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 3‑speed automatic—let’s just say highway speeds were not her strong suit.
A few years later, I was finally able to begin the restoration and performance upgrades. I wanted better brakes, more power, and a smoother ride—without cashing out my 401k!! Most shops either didn’t want to touch 2nd Gens or quoted sky‑high prices, usually starting with a full chassis replacement.
This site is my way of sharing the entire journey. My daughters even helped name it—thus, Shadowsteed was born.
Browse the photos and follow along as I document the build, from driveway tinkering to shop work and everything in between. I’ll keep adding new photos and a final complete video as the project moves forward.
Thanks for stopping by!
She looks great after a wash and wax from 15 feet. Up close you could see the evidence of Bondo and pitting on almost every panel.
After 40+ years, all the gunk is finally off.
Raptor lined the entire frame.
We rebuilt the Dana 44 up front. ECGS built us a rearend to handle the huge horsepower and torque numbers the new engine will produce in the rear.
We went with King Reservoir Shocks. The sad thing was COVID-19 pushed the lead time for these to 53 weeks. Luckily a vendor hooked us up with some they had in stock.
Upgraded to disc brakes all around to be able to stop this beast.
New Gen 3 Coyote crate engine - 460 HP and 420 lbs of Torque
We decided to add a Whipple Supercharger to the Coyote. This should push 850 HP and 660 lbs of Torque on pump gas.
We are rocking the 10r80 Transmission, paired with an Atlas 4x4 Transfer case.
Custom made rear interior quarter panels ready for speakers, USB chargers, and push lights in the rear cargo area.
35" BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Tires wrap the Fuel Covert rims.
Protofab 4x4 Rear Bumper to hold that 35" beefy tire.
The current plan is to go with Paint Code, J7 / 7325. I've seen it called Ford Magnetic Gray / Magnetic Effect / Magnetic Metallic.
Corbeau Sport seats up front coupled with a 3rd row seat from a Tahoe in the rear for the built in seatbelts.
After the sandblasting and primer, we discovered rust still lurking underneath and between the panels, which meant starting over with a specialty body shop. Nine months later, she’s finally looking great, and their attention to detail has really impressed me. It sounds like the body and paint should be finished in another four months, and then she’ll head to another shop for all the final touches.
