Icon bronco thread with parts list prices, input?

[BroncKrawler]

LOL, I owned a Defender and came within a handshake of buying a Lamborghini LM002 at one point. I will tell you that Defender was one of the best trail/hunting trucks I ever owned (after I swapped a 4BT into it). That being said both where deals and I kick myself to this day for not pulling the trigger on the LM002.

Not trying to diss on Defenders! I have worked on a few and think they're great. Just giving the OP a suggestion for a more pricey yet well equipped classic 4x4. The key words in your post though, your Defender was the best trail/hunting truck AFTER you swapped the motor. Those 4.0L V8s are horrible, and the wiring wasn't the best in the Defenders either.
EDIT: I wouldn't kick myself for passing up owning an LM002, they're FUGLY. And if I remember correctly, they weren't really that great either...

 

[lowbush]

AFTER you swapped the motor. Those 4.0L V8s are horrible, and the wiring wasn't the best in the Defenders either.

Agreed that old Buick motor was a turd. Why they ever bought that design was beyond me. And don't get me started on the Lucas electronics. I used to work with a lot of brits at the time I owned it and they used to razz me about it, asking if I got it running right yet. And I would tell them I have just about enough German (Bosch) replacement parts to get it straight. Still that is the one truck I wish I would have never sold.

EDIT: I wouldn't kick myself for passing up owning an LM002, they're FUGLY. And if I remember correctly, they weren't really that great either...

Even if you could have picked it up for $40K. I agree in the FUGLY that is why I passed on it, I like unique trucks, but I just could not get past the FUGLY on that one.

 

[BajaFresh75]

Good Lord, did this site just morph into Pirate? Chill web-wheelers chill!!!
Icon has a 2 year back log because of one thing...demand... regardless of price. Apparently there are people who have the means to buy them, I'm just not one of them. Let the newb ask few questions and make a few comments without thrashing him. Richie Incognito called and said CHILL!

 

[Mplv]

Broncitis, thanks for the positive input. My list was put together on the plane back from Sema on an some sort of Advil pm downward spiral. I thought that the BaB guys quoted me that on their body but maybe not.

I get the icon hate but I think those that understand high end cars understand what I'm saying. Marketing makes a difference. I shared a cab with john Hennessy yesterday, he's a perfect example. His vipers are worse every way than the next 5 best viper builders and they sell for 50% more money. It costs money to be in all the car mags and on tv with jay leno, but it builds your brand and the money comes back to you, and comes back to the buyers of your product on resale. Same goes for a saleen mustang. 10 year old saleen pos is double a mustang built to a higher standard built by any other shop.

Buying new best of the best shit is expensive and I'm ok with it, but good job on building everything you want for 1/4th the price of one of these, I think I've got over 30k in a damn polaris rzr, proof that a fool and his cash are easily separable.

The defenders don't do much for me, I want some rumble under the hood. I have a g63 Mercedes's right now and it has no soul even with 700hp. The fact that every time I see my girl watching the Kartrashian clan driving theirs around I want to drive mine into the lake..

The moral of my story, after coming down off the sleepy time pills, is that I don't want to end up with an over 100k not icon bronco. But I want it to perform like one. I just need to figure out my hard parts list on the best parts that I actually need for my intended uses.

I'm a 98% street guy and would rather have a hot rod setup over the rock king setup so my axles and t-case bill just went down a bunch. Brakes, acceleration and handling mean the world to me and I'm COMPLETELY anal about fit and finish work and the balance of a build. Anyone that was at Sema will tell you, that thrift master truck icon brought was breath taking for both those reasons.

And whomever told me to buy an aventador, I've got a gallardo superleggera for sale right now and may look at them when it sells, because I'm a giant douche.

 

[BroncKrawler]

The defenders don't do much for me, I want some rumble under the hood.

I hear you on the Defenders lacking power, but they are definitely nice rigs and could be built to your liking for probably less than a Bronco. Ultimately though it sounds like you're dead set on getting an Icon and I can respect that.
Start looking for a rust free uncut Bronco, over the 11 year run of the EB not a whole lot changed on the bodies. I prefer the early 66-68 Broncos, others like the later years for their more modern upgrades i.e. disc brakes, power steering, dana 44, etc. Since you're set on having this Bronco turned into an Icon most of these details don't really matter.
Like I said earlier, Rocky Roads Vintage Broncos in California offers a "Legend" package which imitates the Icon bronco, might be something to consider in your quest for the ultimate restomod Bronco.

 

[Mplv]

The complete 'Legend' restoration package will start at $100K for our 'Base Model' and could reach as high as $135K fully loaded with Fuel Injected 5.0 liter fuel injected 347 Stroker engine, stainless exhaust, 4 speed automatic A.O.D. transmission & Atlas 2 transfer case.

You see the problem here right?

 

[BroncKrawler]

The complete 'Legend' restoration package will start at $100K for our 'Base Model' and could reach as high as $135K fully loaded with Fuel Injected 5.0 liter fuel injected 347 Stroker engine, stainless exhaust, 4 speed automatic A.O.D. transmission & Atlas 2 transfer case.

You see the problem here right?

If that $135k price includes a full body restoration, paint, front and rear bumpers, wheels and tires, front and rear axles (built Dana 44 and 9" with selectable lockers) winch, full roll cage, complete interior with vintage air AC, tilt steering column, nice stereo, and their modern suspension package I think it's a pretty good deal for what you're looking for. Supply them with a good rust free or mostly rust free Bronco and that'll cut down on body work and prep time. If that price doesn't include any of what I mentioned then I'd say forget them and stick with Icon.

At the end of all of this, when you finally have your Bronco, I can honestly say I don't think you're going to be overly impressed with the ride quality of these vehicles. Even with THE BEST suspension upgrades, you need to realize Broncos have the aerodynamics of a brick, a short wheel base of 92" and are rolling on solid axles which are ancient technology. I've driven in a Porsche 996 C4s, M5's, got to sit in the passenger seat of an R8 V10 Audi. A bronco will always be on the COMPLETE opposite end of ride and performance compared to these high end vehicles. The Bronco was built as a utilitarian 4x4 vehicle in the mid '60s for getting around on the back roads where Jeeps, Scouts and FJ40s couldn't go comfortably, not to do 100 mph and handle like a Koenigsegg.

 

[Jeff10]

Hey,

I have compiled a list of the parts needed to build a ground up bronco and would like your input, so I can decide what to do. I don't really want to end up with 120k in a truck and not have the branding and resale that go with the Icons so its not really clear for me from a wtf do I do standpoint.

Thanks again for your input

I'm not sure I understand what input you're looking for from the board.

You've essentially stated that you're not going to be satisfied with anything less than the Icon. Why go through an exercise building something to imitate an Icon if you think that's going to guarantee that the vehicle will hold its value?

Supply and demand will dictate your future sale price. If the market continues to be strong, the Icon will probably hold it's value nicely. If the demand for Broncos drops, I doubt an Icon will hold its value, although it really depends on who's looking for a very expensive Bronca at that time. And then there's the matter of time... at the price point you're considering, you could be waiting a long while for a deep-pockets buyer, or maybe not.

With the wealth you have talked about... Why didn't you just pay to have an automatic transmission and tilt column installed?

It's tough to offer good advice being that you're in a place I'll never be. I would consider a $20K Bronco to be a major purchase, and at that I would probably have trouble enjoying it.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[broncorick]

Icon Bronco

To each his own. I gain more satisfaction at building and wrenching on my own. I get irritated with the slew of shows on TV (chasing classic cars, monkey garage, etc) that are more into drama and showing the unrealistic side of car collecting and are more interested in drama than building. I enjoy the high end cars but even if I had the money I could not spend it in that way BUT there are enough people (usually bankers or others that handle and spend our money) that the price stays high. The good thing about the value rising however is the fact that it makes reproducing parts worthwhile for the manufacturers instead of us having to part out otherwise potential restoration candidates. So if you got it, spend it but realize you will never enjoy the bond found with mixing some of your blood and skin with the grease, oil and paint of your own build!

 

[Heus33]

Sounds like you are looking for instant gratification.

What about buying a 'less than ICON' bronco now (used from a past high dollar resto) for say $30-50k and wait out the ICON build.

Odds are you'd be able to recoup 70-80% of that if you resell it in 2 years. So in the end you get your bronco fix now while you wait for your dream vechile to be built.

And who knows, maybe you end up keeping both!

 

[Rox Crusher]

Not being a fan of the Icon finished product, I would hustle my butt over to Nick's and get him started on what you want. But that's just me.

The benefit of doing it this way is that you would have time to determine precisely what parts you want while your waiting.

 

[Tedster100]

I think those that understand high end cars understand what I'm saying. Marketing makes a difference. I shared a cab with john Hennessy. It costs money to be in all the car mags and on tv with jay leno. Buying new best of the best shit is expensive and I'm ok with it. I think I've got over 30k in a damn polaris rzr, proof that a fool and his cash are easily separable. The defenders don't do much for me, I want some rumble under the hood. I have a g63 Mercedes's right now and it has no soul even with 700hp. The fact that every time I see my girl watching the Kartrashian clan driving theirs around I want to drive mine into the lake.. I don't want to end up with an over 100k not icon bronco. I'm a 98% street guy. Brakes, acceleration and handling mean the world to me and I'm COMPLETELY anal about fit and finish work and the balance of a build. Anyone that was at Sema will tell you.. And whomever told me to buy an aventador, I've got a gallardo superleggera for sale right now and may look at them when it sells, because I'm a giant douche.

Wow, all in one post. As others have said it's great that ICON, BAB & others are bringing awareness to the Bronco community but you seem to be all about "just because I can" rather than an actual love for the machine. Sorry but this whole post seems more like Keeping Up With The Kardashians than someone looking to build an awesome purpose built rig, even if it's for the street.

The ONLY thing better than working hard to get something you want is BUILDING IT YOURSELF and that's something that money can't buy, I actually feel sorry for you.

 

[BRONCROB]

X2...^^^ I think I started a thread for this guy a while back.

 

[Bickster]

It is all about perspective. You don't get to this level of cash if you truly are a douche. Sure, there is the RARE douche that gets lucky and pulls it off. Whatever. All the mega buck guys I have spent some time with have been pretty sharp. They just don't look at things like most Joe Sixpacks. They can't. Don't have too.

MPLV,
How about a Stroppe while you wait for your ICON? From an investment standpoint it makes better sense. A guy like you shows up with a fist full of green and some good shit might happen for you. Keep it or sell it but just don't paint it blue!

 

[texhost1]

ICON is the best thing that has ever happened to the Bronco market. Granted the users of this forum are not ICON’s target market, but he is doing a great job at promoting the Bronco as a collectable vehicle to the masses and even though only the ultra wealthy can afford. Because of this, some of us might get back what you put into your Bronco when you sell it one day. Here is my explanation.

I do not post on here much, but the forum has been invaluable to me. I have been interested in Broncos since I was 16. I ended up with a Scout II instead of a Bronco, but few years ago I got my Bronco fix.

The ICON Broncos should hold there value over time and this should help everyone else because as they say a rising tide lifts all boats. I am sure there are several people out there that want an ICON, but they will never be able to afford them. Most of these people do not frequent this site. . .yet. So what will they end up with? A nicely restored restomod that was built by one of the many users of this forum.

Just a few years ago, it was next to impossible to get someone to pay 20k for a Bronco that had over 30k in Parts (not including labor). This is changing. Why? The ICON is one reason. Look at what is selling at the auctions? Restomods. They are going for 40-50k. I can promise you that the purchasers think they are getting a great deal when the ICON are selling for 150k or more. Actually they are getting a great deal in light of the time an effort it takes to get these trucks into that condition. It has taken someone to market these as ultra high end trucks to make people comfortable with purchasing them at higher prices (more that 25k).

One of the things that most everyone on this forum undervalues is paint and body work. There are very few bodymen that know how to and will work on classic vehicles. 90% of the body shops are simply fender bender insurance repairs mills. Because of this, the real craftsmen are hard to find. I spoke to the ICON creator a few months ago about “ICONING” my Bronco and he told me that the paint and body budget it 20-30k at a minimum.

There are several other builders that have been assiting with the paradigm shift, but ICON has been able to achieve the most widespread recognition by the media and press. I hope all the bulders keep challenging each other to produce quality trucks!

 

[Mplv]

Yes I want instant gratification, once the car bug bites me it doesn't go away until a car appears.

I own a business and i'm not nor do I really want to be a mechanic but that doesn't diminish my passion for special vehicles or attention to details. Ill get my kicks behind the wheel. Apologies for those that feel part of bronco ownership starts with a old family farm truck and the upgrading and tinkering never ends, but that ain't me.

I think a lot of the "im not a fan of the icon" guys are folks that just think they are a huge scam for the money (because xxx can build a truck that still gets down the road and looks nice for xxxxx less) and that displeasure builds over time to become a blind hate applicable to any situation or context.

I get it, my first reaction was WHATINTHEFUCKARETHEYTHINKING when I saw the pricing, but after doing my diligence to see what is actually there its rather easy to come up with a 90K parts list with nothing allotted for all the development time or tooling costs to generate those parts. or labor to build the truck. or warranty anything. or market it. etc etc etc.

My business operates on what seems like larger margins that theirs and I feel like we make less than we should, probably why he wants 220 for his new truck with much less of a parts list than the broncos.

The wait is probably why id be so willing to pay for one if I could get it now, if they were just sitting there ready to go I would probably still think it was absurd and demand some huge discount.

My best bet is probably going to be buy a nice already built truck like the jfb one and get my rocks off right away. If something crazy happens and I need more bronco in my life then I will go from there but I imagine ill be just fine. The truck may see 2,000 miles a year in use no matter how nice it is its completely a want that I don't even understand.

 

[techlaf]

texhost1 is spot on. I can't explain the rapid increase in asking/selling prices for all Broncos other than the major exposure ICON has gotten for Classic Broncos. Sure our rigs have been used in a magazine shoot here and there, a music video, or someone famous was caught driving one, but nothing has put the entire classic Bronco community into the limelight like ICON has.

When your company is featured with a full color spread on this month's Car and Driver (and countless other publications already) that gets people's attention. Attention that creates demand, which raises prices to meet that demand.

You bring up a good point about resale value of an ICON vs. another custom built Bronco.

I have to admit that Average Joe Deep Pockets will absolutely pay a premium to have their grill say "I C O N". Many of the custom Bronco builders have excellent reputations and build fantastic trucks, but ICON has put themselves on the map. ICON has successfully created a brand that deep pockets will empty for. Nick's Trix, BAB, etc. can and do build excellent trucks equal to or close to an ICON, but they aren't featured in Car & Driver.

I really think you should put a deposit on an ICON, but buy a $20-30K truck now to really know Broncos. Sell it when the ICON is ready or close to that point. Seriously, Broncos ride like shit, I bet even ICONS, so you gotta really want it even if only driving it on the street.

 

[Jeff10]

Hey,

Now I'm really confused....

The truck may see 2,000 miles a year in use no matter how nice it is

its completely a want that I don't even understand.

That's a heck of a want if you're willing to spend over $100k, and you don't understand what's behind the desire.

I just don't get it.... sorry.

Jeff

 

[Seattle66]

Sounds like you are looking for instant gratification.

What about buying a 'less than ICON' bronco now (used from a past high dollar resto) for say $30-50k and wait out the ICON build.

Odds are you'd be able to recoup 70-80% of that if you resell it in 2 years. So in the end you get your bronco fix now while you wait for your dream vechile to be built.

And who knows, maybe you end up keeping both!

Best advice in this thread so far. Plus, losing a little on selling the first Bronco while waiting for the Icon is most likely not a big deal considering the overall amount of money your talking about. Just think of it as a two year test drive allowing you to figure out what you love and don't love about Bronco's. It might actually help you think of some custom things you want added to the Icon build (if they let you do that). That way you end up with the Icon Brand plus certain aspects tailored to your specific preferences. It's a win win.

 

[Archbronco]

Icon makes a nice truck and their attention to detail is superb. Any vehicle is worth what someone will pay for it. If people will pay the price, than that should speak enough to the legitimacy of the sale. I believe there are plenty of well known and documented bronco builders out there producing the same quality. Icon does a great job at marketing.