THE



B R O N C O

AND HE WAS JUST GOING
TO

CLEAN IT UP A LITTE!

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Story & photos by Duane Elliott

Steve White's COLOR="#040b76"> beautiful 1971 Baja Bronco by Bill Stroppe is
not just a 4x4 that stays clean for the next truck show. No, as
a matter of fact, it is driven to and from work and school daily,
plus, it is taken out nearly every weekend on some sort of off-highway
adventure __usually something that entails mud, rocks, or the
steep slopes of the rugged Cascade mountain range near Albany,
Oregon, where the Bronco resides. So if you see a scratch or nick
in the paint, we promise, it was well deserved.

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The "Obnoxious" Bronco started
life in raw-but not rare-form from a friend who deals in Bronco
parts. It had the typical rust on the body and chassis, and it
needed a frame-off resto to (justification for adding new aftermarket
parts). The project was just supposed to be "a simple clean-up
project." But, you know how that story goes__a year and a
half (and his wallet) later, that ol' Bronco became an eye-turner
that Steve became very proud of. He deserves to be proud though,
as 99 percent of the work was done by himself__not to forget all
of his friends' assistance, which he greatly appreciates.

The project started by stripping and
reconditioning the frame. Steve wanted it to stay looking new,
so he scraped, sanded and blasted it, and then painted with Imron
Black for a tough finish. The next goal was to replace the tub.
He had received a straight ,rust-free tub, but it needed a new
front clip. The one from the Original was still good, so he carefully
combined the two. The bottom side was coated with Arma-Coating's
spray-in bed liner to make it rust-proof, quiet, and easy to clean.

IN THE BEGINNING

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Steve and his father then went through
the running gear installing items like a custom-made four-link
rear suspension system and custom coiled front end. Approximately
11 inches of diff clearance is achieved as a result of the 5 1/2
inches of additional lift along with the bigger tires. The strut
arms for the rear end were then sprayed with Arma-Coating for
appearance and protective purposes. Next in was the stock C-4
transmission now beefed-up with a B&M shift kit .

Ed Hildebrand, Steve's father, of
Ed's Performance (Albany, OR) then made for more traction via
installation of a four-pinion Trac-Loc unit in the rear pumpkin
and a PowerLock unit up front. Color-matched Go-Rhino axle trusses
were then installed. A 4.11:1 gear ratio, 35-inch TSL Super Swampers
on Modern 15x10-inch rims, and the factory transfer case give
the Ford plenty of instant torque when the 302 V-8 is requested.
Two zinc-coated Rugged Trail (now Black Diamond Suspension) shocks
and yellow powder-coated K BAR S Softride front coils give the
Bronco eight inches of front and rear wheel travel.

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Next were modifications like a customized
stainless steel dash, fiberglass door inserts, and replacement
fenders that didn't fit quite right. Some gentle massaging of
the fenders allowed everything to fit into its proper spaces.
The next big task was to create a perfectly straight body for
painting. He did not want a body with holes that would fill with
mud and thus rust, so he spent lots of time welding, filling,
priming and sanding to get a smooth, shaved finish. Then Vivid
Yellow paint was sprayed on, giving the Bronco the distinct appearance
you see today.

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A new electrical system was needed
for lots of reasons, including the trick interior that was about
to come. Aftermarket parts include AutoMeter Pro-Comp Ultra-Lite
gauges, a Midland CB, a Kenwood stereo/ CD unit, two Kenwood 921-amps,
Polk mid-range and tweeters, and the mighty Punch Audiophile10-inch
sub woofers. Also mounted in the Ford interior you will find black
and gray Procar bucket seats, a color-matched six-point roll bar,
a Hurst V-matic shifter, a Tuffy center console, a fully carpeted
tailgate and rear side panels, a customized rear bench seat, and
RJS full-harness safety-belt systems.

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