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Holman Moody "Bronco Hunter"

Ucantafordnot2

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Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
68
Loc.
China Grove NC
" History behind Bronco Hunter" ...Im going to make a prediction, I predict that another "One off " experimental project Bronco will soon come to light..Naw , all bullshit aside there is a Pharmacist here in NC that has a truck similar to the Bronco Hunter but my understanding is it was a "beast" with a 351 Cleveland 4 bolt main built at Holman Moody Stroope..After they were finished with it my friend bought it (he is the one that told me it was a "beast") and that it too had a tag like the one in the photo..He said they were all part of anything that had to do with the Ford Racing program which Ford sold to HMS..More profound and far more important is the Ford GT car program that still has an active program.. Lots of Bronco history with this company but that is only a blink in time for HMS...
 
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toddz69

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John Holman was with Stroope(as an employ of Stroope) in the 1950s as a truck chaser for what eventully became the Baja 1000..He left that job and went to head up Ford racing in Charlotte NC..He then bought Stroope out in 1965..From then on Stroope was HMS and until the end of it all..Its really funny how it went from Holman working for Stroope then Holman owning Stroope ..After 1965 Stroope was there as a Driver and contributor only..Holman-Moody received every single Bronco race vehical that was let by Ford and they are the ones that were behind the whole program..I think some will soon realise that a Bronco with those Holman -Moody nomenclatures are going to be rare since that would seem to be where Stroope ended up finding success..

HMS lasted about 5 years - I'm with Andrew that it ended in '69 or maybe '70 when some senior Ford executives loaned Stroppe enough $$ to buy his operation back (per the seminal Holman Moody history by Tom Cotter). That makes sense as the Holman Moody portion of the name disappeared from all literature and documentation around that time.

Todd Z.
 

Ucantafordnot2

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
68
Loc.
China Grove NC
HMS lasted about 5 years - I'm with Andrew that it ended in '69 or maybe '70 when some senior Ford executives loaned Stroppe enough $$ to buy his operation back (per the seminal Holman Moody history by Tom Cotter). That makes sense as the Holman Moody portion of the name disappeared from all literature and documentation around that time.

Todd Z.

Just spoke with Lee again and he said that the time line for selling the company back to Stroppe was in 1971-72(said they were tired of losing money!)..I asked about the Broncos with HM id plates like the "Hunter" and he said there may be at least 3 more of those trucks out there as they were special project programs that didnt pan out..He was on a milling project and couldnt talk very much..He also said that Stroppe had built a few Baja types before and after the business transactions but most were built by HMS..What is the last year for Baja type Bronco production ? ...Someone with better Grammer skills than myself should write a more up to date history of this subject because when I started fabbing light aircraft the person that made more money than anyone else was the guy that sold books on the subject!
 

BajaBronco

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)..I asked about the Broncos with HM id plates like the "Hunter" and he said there may be at least 3 more of those trucks out there as they were special project programs that didnt pan out..

Thats kind of a bummer...though it makes sense. Ford may have been trying to come up with a "hunting package" or something. Winch, flares, cushy wheel and roll bar. A pretty small add on package. And asked H-M to try making one, but apparently fizzed out before it got the go- ahead. At least the one still exists.

another thing this bronco has are pieces between the springs and axle in the back and spring cups and arms up front. I guess you'd call them lift blocks.
 

fordfan

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This story is a little intriguing; A friend of mine in Atlanta has told me before that he had a "Baja Bronco" in the early 80's in Atlanta that was built by Holman-Moody. I always just discredited it because of the years between then and now, but now...this..
 

toddz69

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Just spoke with Lee again and he said that the time line for selling the company back to Stroppe was in 1971-72(said they were tired of losing money!)..I asked about the Broncos with HM id plates like the "Hunter" and he said there may be at least 3 more of those trucks out there as they were special project programs that didnt pan out..He was on a milling project and couldnt talk very much..He also said that Stroppe had built a few Baja types before and after the business transactions but most were built by HMS..What is the last year for Baja type Bronco production ? ...Someone with better Grammer skills than myself should write a more up to date history of this subject because when I started fabbing light aircraft the person that made more money than anyone else was the guy that sold books on the subject!

The years for Baja Bronco production were 71-75. I don't know of any Baja Broncos that were built by Holman Moody.

No money to be made on Bronco books, it appears, but I hope a good one on the Stroppes is produced someday.

Todd Z.
 

Ucantafordnot2

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
68
Loc.
China Grove NC
This story is a little intriguing; A friend of mine in Atlanta has told me before that he had a "Baja Bronco" in the early 80's in Atlanta that was built by Holman-Moody. I always just discredited it because of the years between then and now, but now...this..

Lee also told me that they never brought the program back east that it always stayed in California as that was where the interest was..They did do "dealer installed" items here on the east coast to local broncos and some of those have HMS proto typed features such as the 3 Speed Hurst after market shifters and the housing,roll bars,steering wheels etc..
 

half cab

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Dec 8, 2010
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The years for Baja Bronco production were 71-75. I don't know of any Baja Broncos that were built by Holman Moody.

No money to be made on Bronco books, it appears, but I hope a good one on the Stroppes is produced someday.

Todd Z.

I've sure enjoyed Mr McLaughlins Bronco book. Hope he made something from it.
 

Ucantafordnot2

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
68
Loc.
China Grove NC
The years for Baja Bronco production were 71-75. I don't know of any Baja Broncos that were built by Holman Moody.

No money to be made on Bronco books, it appears, but I hope a good one on the Stroppes is produced someday.

Todd Z.

"Dont know of any"..Neither do I..I think he was talking about racing vehicals only..I wrote before I should had..
 

BajaBronco

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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!
 

Ucantafordnot2

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
68
Loc.
China Grove NC
Not much.. because HM ain't $hit without S! ;D

contrary to that S HM HMS wouldnt be that if it wont ( thats wasn't for the "un-initiated":-*) for FORD ! ha ha ha..:-*...All "jokes" aside you west coast guys know in your heart of hearts that Holman -Moody is going to come to the surface as the "real force behind the empire" and that the momentum is headed in favor of the HOLMAN /MOODY east coast broncos as the next big thing ! Iffin yall aint beliving that I challenge you to come to NC ,we can have a race through the "Uwarrie National Forest"(one of a few that are land use permitted in the USA) and then a race down through Baja (I always liked sitting in that little resturant and having a cool cervsa, the one that has all those huge nautilas fossels in the cliff walls and even in the resturant.. nice lady running the place last time I was through.. also has lots of photos of the racers from past to present.. name ?) Anyhows iffin you aint wanting any of that resign yourselves to the inevitiable..thank you kindly
 
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House

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Aug 12, 2004
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2,394
contrary to that S HM HMS wouldnt be that if it wont ( thats wasn't for the "un-initiated":-*) for FORD !

Bill Stroppe and Clay Smith were winning races for FORD while Moody and Holman were still in diapers! ;D
 

BajaBronco

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