The world of freelance automotive writers is a constantly changing place. Some go into making vehicle review videos on YouTube full-time. Others get jobs in completely unrelated industries. Many of them eventually wind up working for automotive manufacturers. One of my former freelance colleagues, Jeff, recently contacted me out of the blue, telling me he had seen my piece on the Velocity Restorations 1972 Ford F-150 and that he was now working for Velocity. Then he asked me if I’d be interested in driving one of the company’s “Re-Engineered Classics”: a $262,400 1966 Ford Bronco build. I think you can guess what I told him.
Over the past decade, I’ve driven vintage vehicles, gone off-road in hardcore 4X4 SUVs, and tested models with eye-popping price tags. The Velocity Blackout Package 1966 Ford Bronco, as the company calls it, was unlike anything I’d experienced before because it was all three of those in one.
A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT (VERY GERMAN) COLOR
Velocity, a veteran-founded Florida company, started with a model from the very first year of Bronco production, restored and powdercoated its original frame, then updated everything attached to and above that. As it is on many Broncos of all ages, the suspension was upgraded, receiving a 2.5-inch lift and a set of Bilstein shocks. A Dana 44 front axle, Ford nine-inch rear end, 10R80 10-speed automatic, and dual-range twin-stick transfer case convert the 460-horsepower, 420-lb-ft Coyote 5.0-liter V8 crate motor’s output into ferocious forward motion. Velocity matches that modern firepower with a Hydroboost braking system that clamps down on Wilwood disc brakes.
The “Velocity Blackout Package” is just what it sounds like: a lot of black accents and trim. There’s no chrome on the outside of the Bronco—just ebony bumpers, grille lettering, LED headlight bezels, fender badges, door handles, and 17-inch Method Race Wheels, which are surrounded by BFGoodrich all-terrain tires.
All of that black coordinates with the Nardo Gray paint, a color that may be familiar to you if you’re a fan of modern Audis. Velocity offers two roll cage and top combinations on its Bronco builds. The Family-Style roll cage is paired with a Safari soft top; my test vehicle was fitted with a Sport-Style roll cage and a Bikini top.
The cabin itself is largely dark, furnished with a black dash pad, black diamond-stitched marine-grade vinyl seats, black door panels, and black carpeting. The Blackout Package makes the center of the wood-rimmed steering wheel, control knobs, and the trim around the Dakota Digital instruments match the color scheme. Velocity used the Bronco’s limited interior real estate to fit power windows, an Ididit steering column (in black, of course), a Clarion Bluetooth head unit, Focal speakers and subwoofer, and the controls for a Vintage Air climate control system.
LETTING IT RUN WILD
I didn’t have to go far to saddle up the Bronco; it was in the showroom of Right Toyota in Scottsdale, less than 10 minutes from my office. Seeing it in person, there was no mistaking it for anything but a first-gen Bronco despite all the modern hardware. Those mechanical changes are in line with what many off-road enthusiasts either look for in a rig or end up adding to it: aftermarket wheels, all-terrain rubber, and the ability to hear and feel the great outdoors around them as they go wheeling. Velocity’s Bronco also comes equipped with the conveniences people typically add to vintage vehicles, such as disc brakes, power steering, A/C, and a modern stereo.
Both types of buyers can appreciate the extra power a Gen III Coyote V8 provides—I know I did. In 1966, the Bronco’s optional two-barrel 289ci V8 was rated at 150 net horsepower and 242 lb-ft of net torque. The Velocity version of it is no doubt heavier than stock because of the upgraded parts, but that added weight is beyond negated by more than triple the original horsepower, nearly 75 percent more torque, and a 21st-century automatic. I could tell what kind of fury the Bronco was restraining with every touch of the gas pedal. Once the road ahead straightened out, I let it loose, causing the beast under the hood to grow more enraged and pull me harder behind it. The roar from Velocity’s custom exhaust quickly rushed through the open space behind me and filled the air as I charged down the road.
To learn more about the Velocity Blackout Package 1966 Ford Bronco and to see – and hear – it in action, check out the video below. (I also got a chance to drive a $322,400 Velocity 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, so stayed tuned for my coverage of that in a later article.)
