Ford will unveil its modern Bronco later today, but an original still radiates a lot of street cred, especially if it’s been outfitted with a V-8 like the one in the last episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
This 1968 Ford Bronco is part of Leno’s own collection. The funny man received the SUV on the eve of his last recording of the 2014 “Tonight Show” from his television partner Craig Ferguson. Ferguson previously owned the Bronco and drove it quite a bit in its original state.
After sitting in the back of the famous Leno garage in Burbank, California, for almost five years, Leno finally managed to restore it. Oh, he also got a 760-horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 engine change as part of the restoration.
Jay Leno’s 1968 Ford Bronco restored by LGE-CTS Motorsports
First shown at the SEMA 2019 show in Las Vegas, the restored Bronco was a split collaborative effort between Ford, Dennis Carpenter Ford Restorations, LGE-CTS Motorsports, and the licensed Bronco Kincer Chassis. LGE-CTS Motorsports handled most of the restoration, including reviving the body with new veneer, custom body mods, paint, and final assembly.
Restoration work began with Kincer Chassis rebuilding the chassis and installing the Shelby GT500’s 5.2-liter supercharged V-8, which in this app is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission and a heavy-duty four-wheel drive system . The V-8 was also upgraded with numerous custom items, including its air box, boost radiators and coolers, and exhaust system. You’ll also notice that the supercharger shell now sports the Ford Bronco logo instead of Shelby’s Cobra Snake.
For the chassis, there are Kincer Chassis Adventure Series coils, factory racing Fox 2.0 series shocks, Wilwood disc brakes, Carolina Driveline drive shafts, and Dutchman Motorsports axle shafts. The wheels are 18-inch pieces of steel from Detroit Steel Wheels, wrapped in BFGoodrich off-road tires.
Jay Leno’s 1968 Ford Bronco restored by LGE-CTS Motorsports
For the parts you can see, the team decided to keep things looking original, mostly. The biggest fit on the outside is the 3D printed mesh insert on the front, while inside you’ll find Dakota Digital meters, delightful Eagle Ottawa genuine leather trims, and a Sony audio system.
“The Bronco was bought to wear on the farm or to take his date to the prom and he was comfortable in any of these settings,” Leno said in last year’s reveal. “The idea of having an updated classic Bronco with modern handling, performance and braking really makes it the best of both worlds.”
Given your praise for the Bronco, don’t be surprised if Ford’s modern Bronco ends up in Leno’s famous garage in the not-too-distant future.
