Velocity Restorations is carving out a special niche in the classic auto industry by offering a wide range of restomods as spec builds. This method means buyers can still pick out the body color, cabin upholstery, and the trim. However, all the builds in each product line are mechanically the same. Customers can choose from modernized takes on Ford Mustang, Bronco, and F-Series models from the 1960s and ‘70s, along with Chevy K5 Blazers and C10s. The company also does a neat version of the International Scout II.
Whereas restomod builds from other companies can be an open-ended process that takes several months or even years, Velocity’s Bronco takes just 12 weeks to produce.
The company started in 2012 and began doing builds on an assembly line in 2021. Velocity Restorations now occupies a 135,000-square-foot factory near Pensacola, Florida. There are about 150 employees, with 80 working on the four assembly lines and 70 keeping the business running smoothly. The business is on track to build around 130 vehicles this year.
I had a phone interview with Velocity Restorations CEO Stuart Wilson to discuss how he started out selling modified Broncos on eBay and built a business with even more models on the way.
What Do They Do?
Velocity specializes in creating spec-built restomods based on a standardized vehicle line – like adding packages to a modern car.
“You’ve got 12 to 13 options that you choose from,” Wilson said. “I tell you when your car’s going to get delivered. You know your draw schedule up front, and you get guaranteed delivery on the backend. That is probably the single biggest driver for where we’re at today that nobody else has been able to do yet.”
Using the company’s Bronco as an example, buyers can pick from 10 exterior colors and seven upholstery shades. The company also offers a Blackout Package with black trim for the body and cabin. There’s also a Ranger Package with a retro look that includes a two-tone color scheme for teh off-roader inside and out.
Wilson believes that Velocity’s most significant advantage over its competitors is the company’s customer service.
“Once you sign your contract, you get turned over to a customer experience manager and that’s your buddy for the next several years,” he said. “It’s a weekly follow-up. Here’s your pictures. Here’s your draw request. Once you get your vehicle, we follow up within 24 hours, seven days later, 30 days later. We’re taking you hunting. We’re trying to do experience things with you. We are maintaining that relationship.”
This approach is working because around 30 percent of the company’s clients buy another vehicle from Velocity Restorations without trading in their first one.
“I can look at my production schedule for the next 18 months,” Wilson said. “I can tell you the start date. I can tell you the completion date, just like, you know, a tier-one sort of manufacturer.”
Velocity also keeps a small supply of completed vehicles for sale so customers can purchase one immediately rather than waiting 12 to 16 weeks for their own custom creation.
How Did They Get Started?
Wilson cofounded Velocity Restorations with his high school buddy, Brandon Segers. In the 2000s, Segers found a halfway-finished Bronco for Wilson to use to go hunting. Rather than keep it, Wilson fixed the SUV and sold it for $21,000 in 2011. He used the money to buy another one and turned it around for profit as well. He was eventually selling restored Broncos for $30,000 to $40,000 on eBay and Hemmings.
By 2018, Velocity Restorations had around 30 employees and functioned as a traditional custom shop by building restomods as individual projects. Wilson didn’t like how things were going, though.
“Although we were doing great work, I could never make anybody happy,” he said. “We were over the timeframe, over the budget, and I had to sit around and wait for every decision for them to make. I had to order parts one at a time because we didn’t know what was going on in the build until the last minute.”
Things changed in 2019 when Velocity Restorations decided to start doing spec builds. The first one was a trial by fire. A client called on Memorial Day and said he wanted a Bronco at his lake house by the Fourth of July. That deadline gave the company just five weeks to complete the build. Wilson let the buyer select the interior and exterior colors and was able to deliver the SUV on July 3.
Velocity Restorations moved into its current factory in 2020 and built the first assembly line there in 2021 to further streamline the process.
Signature Builds/Products
Velocity Restorations brought a Bronco to the 2019 SEMA Show that garnered quite a bit of attention. It had a 5.0-liter Coyote V8, independent front suspension, and a custom Roadster Shop chassis. Other than some builds by small shops, this was one of the first classic Broncos to get this modern engine, according to Wilson. Plus, the model previewed some of the features on the company’s upcoming spec builds.
“We were really the first shop doing it at any type of scale, any type of repeatability, having a fuel-injected crate engine straight from Ford Performance going into these Broncos,” Wilson said. “The build plus the Coyote going in was really the push into that.”
Today, the company extensively uses the Coyote engine by installing the 460-horsepower V8 in the Bronco, F-100, F-250, and Mustang.
How Much Does It Cost and How Can I Buy It?
Velocity Restorations offers a wide range of products. The Bronco is the company’s most popular offering based on sales numbers.
The 1966-1977 Ford Bronco starts at $249,900. Getting it with the Blackout Package raises the price to $262,400, and the SUV with the Ranger Package is $268,900. All of them come with a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 making 465 hp, mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The drivetrain consists of a Dana 44 front axle, a 9-inch Ford rear end, and an Atlas two-speed transfer case.
The 1969-1972 Ford F‑100 begins at $279,900, and the Street Series version is $339,900 with upgrades like two-tone paint and chrome trim. Like the Bronco, this pickup uses a 460-hp V8 and a 10-speed automatic.
The company’s restored 1969-1972 Ford F-250 has a base price of $299,900, and the Heritage Series starts at $369,900 with extra amenities like two-tone body paint, chrome exterior trim, 33-inch Toyo tires, and an upgraded stereo. Like the other Ford-based offerings, this pickup has a 460-hp 5.0-liter V8 and a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Velocity’s 1967-1968 Ford Mustang begins at $299,900. The more aggressive-looking Street Series starts at $379,900, and the company’s convertible Mustang is $329,900. All three variants have a 460-hp 5.0-liter V8 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. For easier driving, they also have rear disc brakes, rack-and-pinion power steering, rear sway bars, and Fox coilovers.
Velocity also offers restomods that aren’t Fords. The company’s 1969-1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer starts at $339,900, and the retro-styled Heritage Series has a base price of $399,900. They all come with a General Motors–sourced 6.2-liter LT1 V8 making 460 hp that’s routed to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. They also have four-wheel disc brakes, and the business replaces the original leaf springs with Fox coilovers.
Buyers can also select a 1967-1972 Chevrolet C10 pickup that starts at $319,900. A Street Series version with upgrades like two-tone paint and chrome bumpers is coming this fall. Both versions of the truck come with a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 making 460 hp and a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Finally, Velocity offers the 1971 to 1980 International Scout II. Prices start at $339,900, and the only powertrain choice is a 460-hp 6.2-liter LT1 V8 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. This setup is quite an upgrade over the original model’s engines, like a 111-hp four-cylinder and a 197-hp V8.
What’s Next?
Velocity Restorations has at least two new offerings on the way. In November 2024, the company will launch a Chevy K10 pickup. It’ll be like the company’s existing C10, but this truck will have four-wheel drive.
Wilson wasn’t willing to identify the other vehicle under development.
“We have a pretty cool movie car that we’re doing a licensing agreement on right now that we’ll be launching a limited edition run that’s sort of still from this era but unlike anything else we’ve done,” he said. “That’ll probably be out early in ‘25.”
All he was willing to say was that the new offering is an American model. Just from looking at Velocity’s existing product lineup, I can’t wait to see what the company creates for this special project.
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