Why an ICON Bronco is Worth $300,000 - The Smoking Tire
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
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The problem with most Bronco builds is that they are, put simply, not good. Taking apart an old Bronco and putting it back together with a collection of new aftermarket parts may seem like a fairly straightforward task, but the result is often a vehicle that drives unpredictably, isn't reliable or dependable, and won't be put together any better than the original was. Then there's ICON. By re-engineering the entire vehicle cohesively from the ground up, the resulting Bronco drives and feels like one would want a vehicle to drive for three hundred large.
Icon provided the vehicle and insurance for this review
Learn more at www.icon4x4.com
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Why an ICON Bronco is Worth $300,000 - The Smoking Tire
#iconbronco
#icon4x4
To paraphrase Matt himself, it takes a lot of money to un-shitbox something.
This kind of videos with the builders are awesome, they are a rare treat and always great to watch
Ever heard of /Tuned?
Yes
His love of design, engineering, and art is inspirational. Fantastic video.
Drive a Roadster chassis
Really cool getting to hear so much from the brains behind Icon. Great video as always!
Most of the people complaining about the price can't even afford the wheels on these things. Is it alot? Yes. But its also a frame off, bolt by bolt, panel by panel reengineered machine that captures the love of the old vehicles but with moderness in mind.
If i won the lotto today I'd be calling ICON tomorrow
I have been wanting one of these Bronco's for over 40 yrs.But they are out of my league price wise.Velocity,Gateway,Icon,and others make my head spin.Which one is best for the 225 thousand to 650 thousand build.They have all skyrocketed in price.That would be a good video to make .
Icon is the best, bar none.
I want that video done too!
Anyone who thinks these are overpriced doesn't know what they are talking about. I work in custom autobody, we repair lots of restored/customized vehicles at my shop, including old Broncos, XJs, Blazers etc. Most of them are hacked together shit piles that go for well into the six figures for a "complete" build. Trust me $300k for an Icon is a bargain.
How so?
Gosh, these Bronco's aren't made, they're CRAFTED! Such impeccable quality from what seems like a sound gentleman, great vid!
I freakin LOVE J-Ward and ICON. Stoked for this
7:00 I've been wondering for years why we don't have airplane style see-through visors in cars
They are like $500 a side. Probably why OEM's don't want to use them.
@@TheSmokingTire Fair enough. Then again, seems like an optional extra Mercedes/BMW/etc. customers are happy to pay 3K for
Probably because they don’t actually block the sun. Imagine driving while the sun is low and in your eyes, but instead of putting your visor down you just put your sunglasses on.
Sure it’ll be *slightly* better, but you’d rather have the massive 10000°F ball of fusing hydrogen behind an opaque object.
@@GrannySmith1313I’ve owned S classes and Range Rovers etc and have never had a desire for these and never will much less pay a premium for them 😂 I don’t know anyone else that would either plus they are less functional and have no mirrors.
Look….a Cars & Coffee custom that looks like an old Bronco! 😆 Take it offroad? Did you look at the colour of the interior and steering wheel? LOL. A show pony for rich guys…..
As much as I love seeing Jonathan geek out in his own vids, it's great to see one of his builds from a different perspective.
For folks saying it's too much money, you're forgetting the engineering, materials and labor that goes behind it. It's not cheap to build things at this level in California (regulations, labor cost, rent, etc.) and, from experience being in manufacturing, I would bet there's not as much margin in these as folks think.
These are not alternatives to expensive SUV's, they're their own thing. The idea of rolling art comes to mind.
If/when I find myself in the market for a vintage Bronco or a similar build at this level, this is the only guy I will be calling.
I don't really have any interest in a Bronco, even an ICON one, as much as I love their Land Cruisers. But I can just listen to Jonathan Ward talk about his projects all day. I love it.
Beautiful truck
But 300k
Jeezus 😮
Yeah it's a load of bs
yeah maybe worth 95k
Search the price p1800 volvo. It's barely 400 bhp car restored by cyan cars. Building a car from scratch is not joke. Why do you think henry ford invented whole factory to make cars ? Because human labour is expensive. Building a car is lot harder than you think and specially building a classic cars. Because there are no components and spare parts available. They have to build everything from scratch. They have to basically redesign everything in order to add smallest of features which are very common in Todays cars because todays cars are built by machines.
@@zTimmyz0244 So build one exactly like it and sell it for 95K.
@@zTimmyz0244 go ahead and try to build one as good as this for 95k lmao. its essentially a brand new vehicle, VERY little is original parts, they don't even use the original frame.
God i love the ICON cars but the prices make me cry, though i know a good amount about them and how they are built so its understandable. Just sad a normal guy like me will never get to try one.
Crazy markup even with all the modifications to make it modern. Coming from someone who used to be a mechanic in the industry. Badass build but can definitely come down on cost a bit.
I disagree. Labor rates in California first off. Secondly most builds at this level are far over 500k if it was a singer or roaster shop.
@Dirtbiker4life if you can produce something like that for less money, why aren't you?
Well there’s not much og bronco in there, which would explain it.
@@robertsestito6821nope! Roadster shop will build you a similar truck for less money, their builds start at $150k
No disrespect but a mechanic wouldn't necessarily be an expert or appreciate the refinements that exist in these things.
as an owner of a first gen 4runner, i love these videos about old off roaders that are made retro-modern. i wish i could make my 4runner like this, such a cool build
Check out the rest of his work!
Johnathan Ward might be my favorite person in automotive, could listen to that man talk about his company and the things they produce till the end of time!
If I somehow fell in to filthy amounts of money I'd be on his doorstep so fast, the building might collapse! 😏
I got a million ideas, but I'd probably have them do a Land Cruiser of some sort.
The idea of a big American land barge with a electric drive train and fully focused on woftability, comfort to the max but kept simple enough to not become a total headache. Very retro in every way, classy.
10:00 that's a Keyport! I've been using them for years and they just came out with a titanium version that I got. I belive they're based out of Las Vegas.
Always suspected John was involved in the new bronco, ber his cars were ford inspiration too.
Would love to see a lower one with a few inches less of travel. 👌🏻
And if there were a guy like this doing Lincoln Continentals properly, Ford would have built those again too.
I’ve followed icon on RUclips for a long time. Love everything he does.
He makes cool vehicles, but to call everyone else's builds squirrelly death traps is hilarious. He's building straight axle 4x4's in this instance, and they don't handle for shit compared to their independent front counter parts. A Roadster Shop 4x4 chassis with IFS would shit all over any of his builds. I can't remember what other show I watched with one of Icon's 4x4 based SUV's, and it had death wobble from hell when they got to the handling portion of the video. He builds vehicles for people with more money that spare time to do it themselves. Wonderful. Take the boutique hipster skinny jean attitude on down the road.
I would also note the idea of billet aluminium machined is a great idea by because it's cheaper, or in many ways like the man in the Shed making everything from MDF when others weld or the guys who make everything out of metal and others 3D print. A cast brass knob or switch that is Nickel plated then Chromed feels different. You can feel that with an old Rolls or car from that era. Much like Bakelite feels different to ABS plastic. This is why the ICON is an LA brand for Texans not a worldwide one
@@fraserwright9482I'm fairly certain Johnathan had said many of his customers are overseas.
Which by overseas you mean Australia 😂 I have only seen a few of the ICON 4x4s in Australia and one in a Thai collection, but these were all FJs. Broncos were never exported so this is a North American thing. It's like the new Broncos it's a vehicle you import yourself. This would be like guys who import a Daihatsu Move to the US.
@@fraserwright9482 mainly the middle easy. Though I believe it's Land Cruisers more than anything.
Loved the insight from the builder! Glad that was included in this video, added a lot to it
They’re worth that much because they managed to hit the intersection between Arab oil wealthy and rich LA actors taste.
I understood Singer's perfected Porsches but part of the reason people love these off road vehicles is all the imperfect character. Same thing with Harleys....the newer the bike the smoother and more "appliance like" they get. To each his own.
How much you guys want to bet that Jonathan hand stitched everything he's wearing in this video?
Nah, its all from the J. Peterman catalogue….
haha, made most of it, true 🙂
TST - thanks for always making the best videos
I like how this video was edited. Well done
I have an FJ60 with an LS3 swap, new high end interior , paint, body, new suspension. About 110k in it, wouldn’t trade for that prissy thing straight up. Yes I wheel it. 🤠
Post videos of it!
10:41 Great feature, a stereo under the armrest that you have to look directly down to use, taking your eyes completely off the road 😂
Best case scenario the stereo is on the dash where you have to take your eyes off the road AND lean way away from the steering wheel.
@evoguy23 like that is any worse than everything being integrated into a screen.
No squeaks, rattles, and little wind noise?
Hell, that's better than the current Bronco.
For $300, 000 there better be no wind noise
Rosen sunshades check out as OEM Bombardier/Learjet parts. I was a pilot for them for 15 years and have used, and broken, more than my fare share. Not enough shade in my opinion for super bright sun right in your eyes. But, combined with sunglasses, work just fine. Too bad we don’t see this type of product in other cars and trucks.
Awesome video. Love the level of attention to detail that John and his team employ. Who does this for C3 Corvettes? Now that's a video many of us would love to see. Detroit Speed did that Autocross version, but not to the level that Icon does. Is there anyone who is at Johns level for C3's?
Awesome video!!
Always enjoy seeing the details on a icon build
Mat: it’s only needs 200hp
Zack: haha, coyote go brrrrr
Lol...I remember buying Bronco’s in the $5-800. range. The. Fixing them up with new paint, w&t’s, etc. etc...then selling them for $2-2500. All for the purpose of funding my own personal build. The off-road vehicle I kept from the 80’s era is a ‘70 GMC Jimmy that now has seen rebuilds from the late 80’s, 1998 and now 2012. Next rebuild will be back to near original.
"what you don't want is to make a truck with components made by different guys from different companies because it will be squirrelly"
What does he do?
He made a truck with components made by different guys from different companies 😂
Strangely he's even using the stock Advanced Adapters t-case shifters. You'd think for a 300k+ build he'd at least machine his own.
Exactly
It’s a shame that someone took the time and energy to make something for off-road and nobody is going to use it for that purpose. Kind of useless in that sense. I am surprised Matt and Zach didn’t say anything about that. Maybe I am missing the point or a checkbook that can support this.
They are probably getting paid for this advertisement trying to help this guy sell these
The tactile quality thing is how old Mercedes are too. Except they're $10k.
@TheSmokingTire what's the watch in today's video?
Jonathan vibing the Gary Fisher I'm a Cali Coot look
Anyone who thinks Icon is ripping people off, I guarantee each of these has 2/3rds of its price in the original Bronco + new parts (many nearly handmade in house) not even accounting for 1000s of hours in labor.
If anyone can build something at this level for less money, they're an idiot not to.
matt what's the watch you wearing?
300k...really?
Very nice vehicle but the price makes no sense.
I WOT clean jeeps on the reg in my $1000 78 at 90mph and a new MSD box and Edlebrock double pumper. but you do you.. This video illustrates why I wont even buy a new bronco much less an icon. I would be too afraid of scratches and thus it would be a street queen...
Great job guys, love the video!
I dunno. I'm seeing quite a few professionally built coyote swap Broncos pop up for around $120-150k all over Texas. Considering the affinity people down here have for broncos, that makes me call into question their cost vs liveability.
Icon’s are light years ahead of anyone else. No detail overlooked. Not just new old stock or reproduction parts- literally every piece, screw, nut is remade out of better materials to tighter tolerances.
@@aggiewoodiego drop $300k on one then..
@@aggiewoodiehonestly who needs that much details? Just make a daily driveavle classic car which doesn't cost arm and leg and then we talking. Who needs all screws and fabric aligned so perfectly? Only a gay man would care for something like that.
Pure creative genius.
I love Jonathan Ward and have been following him for years. But it's a $300,000 Bronco, so we shouldn't be all that surprised that it's really something.
Really nice custom Bronco. Its true that without mods, these are horrible. You turn slight left....and it turns right....😂
I have only driven one Bronco. It was owned by a wealthy guy, one of his many cars. A ‘90. It felt like a rolling death trap as well. I didn’t know that is an actual thing.
Quality doesnt look ALL that great tbh. Headliner is wacky. It also doesnt doesnt cost much to scan and cut all those peices just to remove plastics, other than that for the money you could build your own for wayyy less that 300k.
I bet Johnathan made those boots he's wearing.
He might have.
Beautiful rig!
I remember years ago one of my colleagues and his brother both bought ICON vehicles, paid an ungodly amount of money for them. They went back to Range Rovers and the even the new Defender. I could see maybe $150,000 to $200,000 but $300,000 is ridiculous.
@venom5809 I have a feeling they had unrealistic expectations. If they went back to driving brand new Land Rovers, it would seem that they didn’t appreciate the charm of driving an antique truck with very few (by modern standards) amenities.
It’s like claiming that Singer 911s are overpriced because your friends tried them and then decided they would rather have brand new 911 GT3 Tourings instead.
@@TranceFurSingers are overpriced 😂🤷♂️
Sorry, but how would you know how much it should cost? Do you realize how complete these builds are? Start adding up the cost of major components like the NEW frame, engine, trans, transfer case, axles, coil over suspension, big brakes, custom interior with high quality upholstery, aerospace grade wiring, glass... I wouldn't be surprised if parts alone are over 100k. Then there's God knows how many labor hours to build it all, and on top of all that body and paint work which probably runs 15-25k. Sorry your colleague is a spoiled cupcake with unrealistic expectations, but it sounds like he deserves to be just another douchebag in a Range Rover.
If you can build one and sell it for $150,000 feel free.
Who wouldn’t want an ICON in their driveway!! Having said that, I would only want one for quick rides to town or the beach / lake. Which I’m sure is what the majority of owners use them for.
Love it! I almost bought a Jeep Grand Wagoneer with a fully modernized setup but couldn't justify the cost. I love that there are people out there with the skills and the passion to bring these to life!
Great video as always fellas. Still. I couldn't help but notice at 11:22 the door armrest/grab handle. The theme of the vehicle seems to be quality. You spend megabucks on an ancient bronco, but you get the painstaking quality. I'm sorry, but that handle/armrest looks like something hastily glued on. Did anyone look at that thing? Looks like a wobbly piece of clay that a child threw there. Not impressive at all for the absolutely silly price. Luckily I am in no position to consider such an absurdity, so I'll let the folks with the dough complain about it. Again, great video.
It’s probably the original piece, remade in better materials, and wrapped in luxury leather. And I promise it won’t wobble or rattle. You could probably wrap a tow strap around it and pull the Bronco out of the mud.
@@aggiewoodie I'm sure you are correct. However, if I was paying $300k, that piece would not do at all. Based on appearance alone.
Yeah I didn't notice that but you're right it looks crooked.
Great video! Thanks.
I love Icons builds and design philosophy. Would really enjoy seeing you guys try one of hus Thriftmaster Builds
Basically restoring a old 4x4 that was originally for the middle class and selling it to millionaires.This is not for the middle class anymore,,, Fact but we can dream lol.
I didn’t know Adam Savage had a twin brother!
when people simply have too much money
totally not an icon commercial
Being the poor peasant that I am, even if I hit the lotto, I could never imagine driving this off-road after spending 300k on it.
Heck Id be scared just to take it our of the garage for a spin, and not because it doesn’t have airbags.
a fool and his money are soon parted...
Why spend that kinda money money restoring this old thing when you can just buy a brand new one for a fraction of the cost? Makes no sense.
As good as it gets! DREAM TRUCK!!
What watch are you wearing Matt?
That's a nice road.
Short answer, it's not and the car market is just bonkers
Am I the only one who see's something sitting wrong at 3:49 down and right from the Currie plaque?
Whenever john ward is not on scryim asking myself why isnt he on screen lmfao
Jonathan Ward is worth ten times of every second he's on screen
In my opinion this wrong or sad to take vehicles like this something that a kid could have bought for 5 grand fixed with his father or friend go off road and have a blast instead some rich guy spends 40k sells it for 300k and make it so nobody will ever drive it off road. And these guys trying to justify the price just getting paid to say a few nice things
Damn that's a lot of money, but I bet it's worth every penny.
Well, that's a work of art and no doubt about it. But spent wisely 300 thousand buys, not one, but two houses.
Also putting the radio down by the hand takes your eyes so far off the road that peripheral vision isn't gonna help you. It's a dangerous design.
Still, it's a nice truck. Just not 300 grand nice. That's the stupid money.
not two good houses....
@@TheSmokingTireif you know what you're doing it does
@TheSmokingTire Two good houses in WV with land. Not a joke
You can sleep in your car, but you can’t drive your house 😂
ultimate ACK whip
Is the steering wheel huge? It looks huge.
The chubby test driver said "these things were built like Garbage". I Disagree with him, The first generation Bronco was not built to scream down the highway at 75 mph and handel like a corvette. The first generation Bronco was built to be a off road vehicle and it worked very well off road, I know this from personal experience I have owned several first generation Broncos
Can you get Mr Ward on the pod cast again please!
Preface with i am not the clientele. At 300k, i wouldnt want to use it in the way it should be used. Also, how would the "resale" be? Higj probability that you wont be able to get rid of it.
There's been a few sold on Bring a Trailer but also several that didn't hit their reserve--even at $200K+.
You gotta try out a Legacy Power Wagon 👌🏻
Those that complain about the price are the same people that purchase a Roleks and feel the need to justify why it's just as good as a _Rolex._
Custom builders such as Lingenfelter, Saleen, Singer, Brabus, Dinan and so forth, will _always_ garner a higher price. You simply do not get that level of customization and detail from the factory.
The price is justifiable and worth the cost of admission.
Stay classy my friends.
Un-shitboxing is always the most impressive.
At a certain price point, you can blather on about the custom touches, design subtlety, the transplanted powertrain advantages...all well & good, and it looks to be non-hyperbole. But there is no way, absolutely no way, I'd pay that for a retro-cool utility vehicle turned into a pavement princess.
Good thing you're not the market demographic.
@@stevenwilliams1805I believe the word you are looking for is demographic…
@stevenwilliams1805 You're correct- I'm building a 60' x 40' barn on 4 acres I bought. Much better investment & I have enough toys.
Not knocking their work, but not willing to dump the money
@@Rogers15777 thanks, stupid autocorrect.
@@Rogers15777 The demographic that has so much money they don't care that its silly to spend $300,000 on an old Bronco. Someone with Elon Musk money.
If this guy designed the new Bronco, I'd want nothing to do with the Icon.....not that I could afford the Icon at 300k lol.
Getting out of hand😂😂😂😂. I remember someone wanted to give me one 20 years ago I didn't take it.
With all due respect to Jonathan and ICON, even though I think their craftsmanship and vehicles are in an of themselves very good, an ICON Bronco is not worth fuckin $300k 😆Let's say we exclude for the cost of labor and the cost of decent source car, you can literally have close to the same build in terms of performance, quality, and parts for around $40-50k.
Would you say ICON is the Singer of Broncos?
I have been following Icon for years, I would love on of these cars instead of a new supercar.
I know right. A fraction of the price of a Bugatti and a hundred times more usable.
Dude is putting $150k straight in his pocket with each one of these sold. . . There's a sucker born every minute.
If you can build one of these for $150k less, why don't you? You would be killing it.
2 weeks ago a vintage bronco crashed in Nantucket. Flipped over with a family of 5 (with 3 kids)
So I believe it that 99% are trash lol. Have heard that from so many people lol. Glad someone is building it right, tho 300k is quite rich
I love these trucks. But honestly, all the talk about drivability and durability falls a bit flat - none of the ones that come up for sale ever have more than a few thousand miles. As good as they may be, it doesn't seem like the owners use them?
The people that actually use them do not sell them...
I know he wouldn't do it, but if I won the lottery I would love to have him build me a derelict chevette.
Don't care who built it, what components they used, the absolute quality of the restoration ... it's not worth $300K, IMO. But as long as there are people who literally have $$ to burn, you can get whatever price tag you want to put on it.
Cost and worth are two very different things. Only people who never off road and have more money than brains would buy this mall crawler.
Whistlin diesel is mostlikely gonna get this and destroy it. Id love to see what it can handle.
Old truck steering is more like a boat, you get used to it
On-Road test of an off-road truck. Next take the Spyder RS off-road......
It's a customer vehicle ready to be delivered. If you spent that kind of money would you be happy to see someone else make a video thrashing it on the trails?
so damn cool
If you have to manage customer expectations for a $300,000 custom off road vehicle then either the buyer is an idiot or the builder is a scammer.
People are idiots in general. I knew someone who worked at a Jeep dealership and told me numerous stories about irate customers who thought their warranty would cover any abuse they put their new Jeep through. Yeah, it's a Jeep but that doesn't mean you can take it straight to Moab from the dealership.
@@stevenwilliams1805 Intentionally ignoring the warranty information provided prior to and during the purchase of a vehicle is wilful ignorance. Letting a salesman tell you that you can't have the highest expectations for a vehicle that is being custom built for you that costs over 1/4 million is stupid.
@@c0c0asauce sure. However I've known idiots who think if one spends enough money it's possible to make a truck handle like a Porsche. Of course those were idiots who didn't have the money but, I suspect having money doesn't necessarily make people any smarter.
@@stevenwilliams1805 It is possible to make a truck handle like a Porsche when the truck has a frame and suspension built from scratch. In 2013 GM put out a truck that ran ring times within 20 seconds of the 2013 Boxster record. That wasn't a $300k custom built truck.
@@c0c0asauceit’s not either or it’s a combination of both, the builder is taking advantage because the customers are dumb