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Holman Moody "Bronco Hunter"

House

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That is a cool rig, but it is also a West Coast HMS rig!
 

BajaBronco

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Yeah, I guess thats true. DSO 71XXXX Los Angeles....Fairway Ford sold and ordered special paint rig. But.....s'gotta holman moody intake. HMS comp shock mounts....and axle truss.
 

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Ucantafordnot2

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Seems like these type of rigs have surfaced before. Whats your take on this one? What does Lee say? Some of the bigger names on this site chimed in with their thoughts on this thread. For the record I thought the thing was cool.
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243764&highlight=holman+moody+intake

I have not talked to him about these pics but i was told that the shifter was proto typed and marketed in the begining using metal as the tunnel housing..Fred said that the plastic tunnel was what made more sense as far as marketing it involved less labor and was more cost efficient..He also said that he thought that there were many more than the 3 special project trucks as he worked on at least 6 trucks(for one man,a local car dealer) that were prepared for a local race team..He said that they were sold off one at a time for as little as $ 800.00 -$1200.00 each in the early 1980s when NASCAR started getting more and more attention..He said he remembers the first time he went to the HM work shop and what a shock it was ..He said that he was expecting a big modern facility and when he got there it was more like a "Junk Yard" than a race shop..Said when he went inside he was then truly amazed at what he saw ,said there were ford engines staked in rows from the floor to the ceiling..Said they had Baja racers lined up along a wall and that there were many of them being built for folks that had no intent on racing just wanting a cool rig...He also said that he worked on several that had 351 -C's ,air shocks,air con., power steering, and said they even covered the tops of a few with two inch shag carpet ! He also told me about a bronco that had been converted into a camper.. said there was one that had a tube frame and a big block..He told me that none of the racers had tops and he sent many tops to the back yard where they would sit for years on end as well as many different "special projects" that were built and then neglected..He remembers the Cortinas that were crushed and even a Mercury Capri with a 302(most had V-6 German made engines he said) and a hurst 3 speed shifter..
 

BajaBronco

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Who's Fred??? I thought we were talking about Lee and Jim Stroope?

wall full of Baja racers in NC? or CA? Had to be CA. Anyway, memories are cool but they fade and meld. Pictures tell the real story. That's how I've done my research and about 50% of folks memories who were there corroborate.

I have a friend who worked on the Baja Broncos and swore the hoods were white, or orange and the black part was painted at Stroppes. All the found original paint bajas have black hoods with the front edge painted orange at Stroppes. But he was THERE! :)
 

Ucantafordnot2

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Who's Fred??? I thought we were talking about Lee and Jim Stroope?

wall full of Baja racers in NC? or CA? Had to be CA. Anyway, memories are cool but they fade and meld. Pictures tell the real story. That's how I've done my research and about 50% of folks memories who were there corroborate.

I have a friend who worked on the Baja Broncos and swore the hoods were white, or orange and the black part was painted at Stroppes. All the found original paint bajas have black hoods with the front edge painted orange at Stroppes. But he was THERE! :)
Fred bought the "Beast" Bronco from Mr .Holman the Bronco that the Pharmacisit now ownes that had a tag like the "Hunter" has..He is the one that told me the story about the Holman -Moody Bronco connection that existed here in NC..He then gave me Lees phone number..There are lots of men, here in NASCAR country, that have worked with Holman -Moody over the past 60 years and the older guys remember the Broncos and some even worked on that particular project exclusive..If "Ford" raced it Holman -Moodys hands were all over it..
 
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Ucantafordnot2

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Just spoke to Lee Holman again and asked about the "Hunter" bronco ...He said they did develop the "Hunters" for hunting..He said "they would put seat belts on the fenders and strap in a few guys and head out on the hunt".. He said that it didnt seem like the best of things to be doing but "after a few shots of whiskey what the hell"..My 73 was a "Hunter" also and you can see where they put the seat belts and the related stress that occured along the rail where the top mounts to the body(two of the holes are "pulled upward" from the stress on both sides(also have two small folding chairs of the same color)..We talked about the Cortinas also and he said you "couldnt kill them off " everytime you drive a stake into its heart it raised its head and they pop up again and again..He said they were going to turn them into a dune buggy of sorts but they were not worth messing with after a few examples were produced.. He also said that there is a man in Shelby NC that has a collection of Shelbys,Cobras etc. that has a "special HMS Bronco" in his collection like the "Hunter" ..I will try to make contact and get a few pics if possible..Lee also said that they made "Kits" for Broncos that included the special shock mounts, steering wheels,roll bars winchs,etc. There should be at least one example(if not several) of these proto-type Broncos out there as they had to develop them to market the "Kits"...HMS also used 351-C engines in many different itterations(sp?) including Broncos..I am collecting any and all info I can on these projects and hope to present a "united front" with some of the foremost powers that be involving the true Bronco race history..There are tell tell signs that could inform someone as to wheather they have a Bronco that may have gone through HMS workshops on the West or East coast regardless of wheather or not it has a "Baja Bronco" tag..Many "regular" Broncos were brought into these shops and had special equipment added that should increase the interest if not the values of these MPV..
 
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Ucantafordnot2

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All good. But before you discount what a guy like ToddZ had heard of in his Bronco life you need to go post some silly responses elsewhere on classic, then we get back to business regarding lee and Jim. ��
I never got those pics of your air conditioned ride, so post them up!

I didnt mean to discount anything anyone has said.. I am just trying to add to the narrative..Sorry if it comes across as silly..I believe my reporting to be correct and will/have self edited when "corrected"...
 

Ucantafordnot2

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Who's Fred??? I thought we were talking about Lee and Jim Stroope?

wall full of Baja racers in NC? or CA? Had to be CA. Anyway, memories are cool but they fade and meld. Pictures tell the real story. That's how I've done my research and about 50% of folks memories who were there corroborate.

I have a friend who worked on the Baja Broncos and swore the hoods were white, or orange and the black part was painted at Stroppes. All the found original paint bajas have black hoods with the front edge painted orange at Stroppes. But he was THERE! :)

Lee said that the Broncos were back and forth as far as the west coast and east coast shops..I have seen photos of an office of HMS that has a large office upstairs and is surrounded by glass..The story that was with the photo was about someone getting the Bosses(Mr.Holmans) fridge for posterity because they were razing the old shop at the airport..This is the same building that former crew members tell me they worked on the Broncos at..What is the DSO on the Baja production Broncos? Were they sent to different ones ?
 

BajaBronco

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You need to find these pictures man. Thats all I'm gonna say. Like you told me yourself, these Broncos are getting popular and worth more....of course the involvement is now more than ever reported to be.....

Baja Broncos are all DSO 87 for body company, when you decode that thru Marti auto, the drop ship and bill to address: Bill Stroppe & Associates, 2180 Temple Ave. Long Beach, CA There are some single order Baja Broncos and they are to whatever ordering district. Mainly WA, AZ, WY are what I've seen. Seen nothing outside of western states.

Several Baja Racing Broncos had CA plates....
 

House

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I have seen photos of an office of HMS that has a large office upstairs and is surrounded by glass..?

Here is Mr. Holman in the glass office of which you speak.
I have seen dozens of pictures of the facility, but have yet to see a Bronco.
I would love to see some!
 

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Ucantafordnot2

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Will work on getting some pics ..Bullet Bob may also have some info, I will ask him tomorrow.. I called Dennis Carpenter today but got voicemail, he may know about them as well..
 

BajaFresh75

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I came across this tonight near the back of 1970 Motor Trend. Not directly related, but cool and all the right people are on this thread!
 

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toddz69

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Thanks for that! Good info on Pony in that article. And look who's listed as #5 in the class winner's list...

Todd Z.
 

half cab

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Hey kinda off topic here but I met Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin when I was a kid. My dad actually help out with some exhibition runs they put on in line with the Chrysler dealer he worked for in 1968-71.
 

BajaBronco

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Thanks for sharing that article Mr. Fresh. Very cool. Hall/Horning Bronco for that race is the one Todd and I own.
 

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Ucantafordnot2

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No photos yet but I think I should have some soon..More info about the HMS operations here on the east coast..If someone had enough money back in the 60s and 70s HMS in Charlotte would build you a Mexican road racing Bronco (Baja racer) and they built several from what I have been told..The "Beast Bronco" that my friend Fred bought was actually a Baja road racer that was started for a man and then he ran out of money so HMS parked it at the rear of the building and eventually sold it to a race car driver named Oscar Carter (anyone ever heard of this fella?) who in turn sold it to my friend Fred who in turn sold it to the fella in NC to use to deliver drugs(legal) to his customers..Fred said for some reason that HMS would not sell cars to the general public(liability?) so he got Oscar Carter to buy it for him..He said it was a brand new truck when he got it but the rear and front gear ratio was different! He said that was the reason they called it a beast,said it would go all over the place..They changed the rear to match the front and from then on it did fine he said (duh!)..He thinks he has a few pics of the truck and maybe paperwork too..He also bought a Ford GT "kit" but never built it out ,he still has the engine for it in his shop ..So as I am looking through his collection I found several 1950s and 60s corvette engines and lots of cool old car stuff that has been stored for 40 plus years..He has lots of old school hot rod stuff laying around such as Blowers , dual carb intake set ups,cams, valve covers etc..He also has old catalogs and chilton type books from HMS as well as old flyers and advertisments from HMS..Still have not heard back from Dennis but will call him now..
 

Ucantafordnot2

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Talked with Dennis Carpenter(he has a Baja Bronco I believe) today and he too remembers the Broncos lined up at HMS in Charlotte..I hope to have some photos soon..I am now being told about a Bronco that was built for the drag race circuit in the 1970s also ..My friend GW owns the Moorsville drag strip thought I might ask him about it..
 
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BajaBronco

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Talked with Dennis Carpenter(he has a Baja Bronco I believe) today and he too remembers the Broncos lined up at HMS in Charlotte..I hope to have some photos soon..I am now being told about a Bronco that was built for the drag race circuit in the 1970s also ..My friend GW owns the Moorsville drag strip thought I might ask him about it..


Cool what he remembers. Any pics? Which Broncos were lined up? AC conversions or? you should totally ask your buddy about Moorsville drag strip Bronco? Where's moorsville? Is that out by you??
 
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