Vehicle Description
Bombs away!!! Wrapped in a custom B-29 Bomber style vinyl treatment
that sends every fascist ruZZki conscript running for his cold
borscht, this Bronco's curb appeal is operating at another level.
Wrap job aside, there are hardcore Bronco underpinnings underneath
all that flash, including a solid body sitting atop a lifted
suspension, a strong 302 V8 under the hood, and solid options like
power steering, power brakes, and an automatic transmission with a
column shifter. Early Ford Broncos pretty much created the modern
SUV craze, and although there were a couple others that came before
it, few combined utility, rugged good looks, and go-anywhere
capabilities as well as the Ford. This 1973 Ford Bronco 4x4 might
look like a unique example of the breed, but we assure you it's
100% Built Ford Tough.
Part of the Bronco's appeal is most definitely the tall, boxy look
we've all come to love after all these years. Not too big, not too
small, but just right to be comfortable yet maneuverable. Then
there's the classic upright profile that's instantly identifiable
from a mile away, even when it's been wrapped in a custom outfit
like this one. Of course, this one has been augmented with bolt-on
goodies that include those wide fender flares to cover the
oversized Toyo rubber, a heavy-duty front bumper with a giant
Badland winch mounted in the center, and the faux Shaker-style hood
scoop on the bonnet. There's also an LED lightbar mounted above the
windshield, as is the style these days, and those heavy-duty
stepbars at the flanks have a really cool, unique design that can
account for even the widest of Red Wing boots. Black diamond plate
armor over the rockers protects the Bronc's most vulnerable areas,
there's a simple straight bumper out back, and that removable
hardtop was sprayed with black bedliner material that looks tough
and wears like iron. The wrap is certainly esoteric, especially
towards the back where it takes on a bit of a taxi-cab theme, but
it can easily be removed and from what we can tell the bodywork
underneath is solid. It's not covering a $20K paint job underneath
or anything like that, and the custom wrap itself is flawed in a
few areas, but the point remains that if this look isn't your cup
of tea, another wrap or traditional paint job won't require much
surgery, if any. and that roll bar has gone from safety feature to
styling statement in this truck's case. The body panels are
straight, the panels line up evenly, and the gaps are fairly even,
which are all positives to brag on if you're familiar with Early
Broncos and how ill-fitting so many of them can be. These trucks
were notorious for rusting in the most demonic ways possible, but
this one appears to have been clean from the get-go and today
exhibits no obvious signs of trouble, up top or below. It's not
run-of-the-mill or reserved, but it's definitely functional and a
whole lot of fun.
The interior features a tasteful combination of old and new,
without diminishing any of the truck's legendary functionality. The
first thing you'll notice are the wide, leather bucket seats up
front, obviously swapped-in from a late-model truck or SUV, and
they've been outfitted with heavy-duty racing lapbelts. The
cushions are all-day comfortable and the upholstery is in great
shape, and even though they don't match the stock bench seat out
back, adding a little comfort to an Early Bronco is a concept that
I certainly won't argue. Black spray-in bedliner material protects
the floors, there are bright diamond-plate door panel inserts at
the flanks, and the original steel dash comes protected with a
thick vinyl pad up top. A heavy-duty, six-point roll cage was added
to stiffen the body and provide safety from any potential rollovers
(in case that's how you like to throw down out on the trails),
while the leather-rimmed billet steering wheel and column-shifter
for the automatic transmission are welcomed luxurious not typically
found in a Bronco of this vintage. The stock, all-in-one round
gauge remains to the left of the wheel, although a trio of
auxiliary units were added below the dash to better monitor the
engine, and the modern JVC AM/FM/CD/BT/AUX head unit in the center
sounds great through the upgraded speakers mounted in the doors.
This truck also includes a snug-fitting hardtop, so there's always
the option of open-air motoring, although you'll need 2-3 of your
burly friends to help take it off because these babies are
heavy.
Many Early Broncos were saddled with a slight inline-six, but this
one is powered by a the mighty 302 V8 small block. Running great
and looking clean, it includes goodies like an Edelbrock carburetor
and performance intake manifold, lots of maintained accessories,
and an upgraded MSD distributor and ignition that will probably
even fire underwater. Dressed up with black 'Powered by Ford' valve
covers and a matching Edelbrock air cleaner, the engine bay has a
functional look that's only a little flashy, and power steering
makes it easy to wheel around the underbrush. There's also a big
radiator up front that means slow-going in the rough isn't a
problem, and power front disc brakes help stop the truck on a dime.
Underneath, it's fully equipped with a C4 3-speed automatic
transmission, a 2-speed transfer case, beefy axles fore and aft, a
steering stabilizer, and upgraded shocks on the lift kit that
allows the use of giant 35/12.5/18 Toyo off-road tires and Fuel
beadlock wheels that look like they could climb a wall.
If you're looking for a turn-key Early Bronco with an incredibly
unique look, this one is ready to roll and built for fun. You can
leave the show fields to the other guys and just get busy having
fun in the dirt thanks to this truck's awesome build. Call
today!
