This is a 1981 “Bullnose” Ford Bronco that has been rebuilt into a vehicle with a 7.3 liter Ford Godzilla V8 up front turning out 420 bhp – that’s 45 bhp more than a Ferrari Testarossa.
The vehicle is finished in Wimbledon White, and it’s been fitted with a set of period correct reflective decals. It’s now considerably quicker than it ever could have been in stock configuration, and dare I say it will sound a lot better too.
Fast Facts – A Godzilla-Powered 1981 Ford Bronco
- This 1981 Ford Bronco has been upgraded with a 7.3 liter Ford Godzilla V8 engine producing 420 bhp, which is 45 bhp more than a Ferrari Testarossa. It’s been repainted in Wimbledon White and fitted with period-correct reflective decals for a classic retro look.
- Known as the “Bullnose,” the 1981 Bronco is based on the seventh-generation Ford F-150 platform. This third-generation Bronco was lighter and more compact than its predecessor, though it retained the full-size dimensions that American consumers favored. This same basic platform was also used in two later Bronco generations, the Bricknose and Aeronose.
- The upgraded Bronco shown here now has a 7.3 liter Godzilla V8 with 420 bhp and 475 lb ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and dual-range transfer case. It rides on 15″ white powder-coated steel wheels, BFGoodrich tires, and features power steering, front disc brakes, and rear drums.
- Inside, the Bronco has a refreshed interior with a new dash pad, headliner, door panels, carpets, and reupholstered red vinyl seats. It also includes modern upgrades like a RetroSound stereo, updated air conditioning using R134a refrigerant, and a locking center console.
The “Bullnose” Bronco
The 1981 Bronco was based on the concurrent seventh generation of the Ford F-150 platform, commonly referred to as the “Bullnose.” The third generation Bronco debuted in 1980, remained on sale until 1986, and was designed to be shorter and lighter than its predecessor, riding on an all-new chassis.
As you can see from this 1981 Bronco ad, the Bronco shown in this article has been finished externally to a period-correct finish with Wimbledon White paint, retro reflective graphics, and white steel wheels. Image courtesy of Ford.
The second generation Bronco had been criticized by some for its considerable size and weight gains over its relatively compact predecessor. Ford made some attempt to address these concerns with the third generation of the model, all while keeping the full-size dimensions that American consumers wanted.
The platform used for the Bullnose Bronco proved successful for Ford, so successful in fact that they kept using it in modified form for the fourth and fifth generations of the model – nicknamed the “Bricknose” and “Original Body Style” (OBS) respectively.
It would be a white fifth generation Bronco that would become famous when OJ Simpson and his friend famous led police on a low-speed chase in Los Angeles in 1994. It’s common for people to mistake any white Bronco from the Bullnose, Bricknose, OBS era as an OJ Bronco, and it’s become a bit of a pet hate in Bronco owner circles.
The Bullnose Bronco could be ordered new with engines ranging from the smallest – a 300 cubic inch (4.9 liter) straight six up to the largest, a 351 cubic inch (5.8 liter) Windsor V8. The most common choice was the 302 cubic inch (5.0 liter) V8 which many felt offered the best balance between power and fuel economy.
Power was sent back through either an automatic or manual transmission, there were a few options though it largely boiled down to a 3-speed auto or a 4-speed manual with or without overdrive. All Broncos of this generation were four-wheel drive, with a dual-range transfer case that allowed them to run in 2×4 or 4×4 as required.
Inside the Bullnose Bronco you’ll find two bucket seats up front with a center console, and a two-person seat in the rear that can be folded down or removed to maximize storage space in the rear when needed. The rear rood section is removable and made of fiberglass, while the front section is steel, and integral to the body. The sheet metal from the B-pillar forwards is essentially unchanged from the F-150 of the time.
As you can see the large 7.3 liter Ford Godzilla V8 fits neatly into the engine bay, it produces 430 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 475 lb ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, and it’s now mated to a rebuilt six-speed 6R80 automatic transmission.
The first generation of the Bronco has long been a darling of enthusiasts and collectors, in recent years we’re starting to see the the value of second, third, and fourth generation Broncos increase as they become more desirable – the biggest issue is finding one that hasn’t rusted to oblivion or been abused by former owners.
The Godzilla-Powered 1981 Ford Bronco Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is by far the most powerful Bullnose Bronco we’ve ever featured on Silodrome, thanks to the fact that it now has a 7.3 liter Ford Godzilla V8 in the engine bay.
This engine is good for 430 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 475 lb ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. This is a considerable increase over the most powerful V8 offered in the model originally – the “high-output” 210 bhp 5.8 liter Windsor V8.
The Godzilla V8 is mated to a rebuilt six-speed 6R80 automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case, sending power to a Ford 9″ Positraction rear differential. The engine has an OBR Control Systems ECU and wiring harness, and a custom aluminum radiator with an electric fan.
The vehicle was repainted in Wimbledon White, then a set of chromatic tape stripes were installed along with replacement lights. It rides on white powder-coated 15″ steel wheels with 32×11.5″ BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires on all four corners. It has manually locking front hubs, power steering, front disc brakes and rear drums.
The interior has been largely replaced, with a newly installed dash pad, headliner, door panels, carpets, and tailgate window motor. It also has had its front and rear seats reupholstered in SMS Auto Fabrics red vinyl and patterned cloth.
The interior has been redone with a newly installed dash pad, headliner, door panels, carpets, and tailgate window motor. It also has had its front and rear seats reupholstered in SMS Auto Fabrics red vinyl and patterned cloth.
The air conditioning system has been updated to use R134a refrigerant, and it now has a locking center console and a RetroSound stereo.
It’s now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of North Carolina on dealer consignment with a Deluxe Marti report, an accident-free Carfax report, and a Texas title. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
