1973 Ford Baja Bronco by Stroppe

[bob greene]

I'm in the market. What options does she come with? Any warranty?

I took her off the market cause she said, if I sold her she would take my Baja with her. I'll be damned if I'll pay someone $500. to TAKE MY BAJA, so I took her off the market, sorry. Bob ?:?

 

[Rumpfy]

I took her off the market cause she said, if I sold her she would take my Baja with her. I'll be damned if I'll pay someone $500. to TAKE MY BAJA, so I took her off the market, sorry. Bob ?:?

Sounds like you'll be keeping her for a while then.

 

[BajaBronco]

Finally got her here and cleaned up. Here are a couple pics of it with the paint polished out. Took me 3 days of hand polishing, but the TOTALLY original paint looks great and is waxed for protection now. Rubber seals on the windows are still supple and clean. All glass is original Carlite. Bright trim has not been polished...it is in great shape and still shines/is not foggy or pitted. I have a feeling this truck was garaged until maybe 6-8 years ago as it is in just too good of shape to have been left outside it's whole life. Someone loved it for a long time. Brake hydraulics get done this week along with water pump, belts, and hoses.

 

[Gud Racing]

Did all Baja's have the chrome body trim?

 

[BajaBronco]

Mostly, yes. The "Consignment Pool" Bajas (ones that left Ford in large quantitys with special paint destined for Long Beach) all did have the chrome on windows and body. However, I have owned a beltline chrome delete Baja, a 71. U15GLL22497. It's VIN matched up with a bunch of Bajas, but it was 3 units ahead of them, was ordered with no beltline trim, and only front buckets, so it had the bulkhead in poppy red too. Was also a sport and had window chrome, etc. Original paint tho, and never had the side trim on the body. 3.50 gears and it's own separate Seattle 6 digit DSO, yet 3 units off some Consignment Pool Bajas that all had a matching DSO.

 

[Gud Racing]

Mostly, yes. The "Consignment Pool" Bajas (ones that left Ford in large quantitys with special paint destined for Long Beach) all did have the chrome on windows and body. However, I have owned a beltline chrome delete Baja, a 71. U15GLL22497. It's VIN matched up with a bunch of Bajas, but it was 3 units ahead of them, was ordered with no beltline trim, and only front buckets, so it had the bulkhead in poppy red too. Was also a sport and had window chrome, etc. Original paint tho, and never had the side trim on the body. 3.50 gears and it's own separate Seattle 6 digit DSO, yet 3 units off some Consignment Pool Bajas that all had a matching DSO.

You're the man! Thanks for the answer!

 

[Gud Racing]

Do you know anything about the later bronco's like this one? I believe it was built after the Stroppe's. It is a 75 U15GLV68578 vin.

 

[BajaBronco]

That is a Denver Bronco Vin range I think? Owie. Is the DSO 763000? I bet it is. The last Bajas were U15GLV65 range I think.

 

[Gud Racing]

I don't have the glove box. As you can see in the pic from when I brought it home it had been removed. I would like to one day send off for a report for it.

 

[BicksBronc]

Nice rig. What are you asking for it?

 

[75Denver]

That appears to be a Denver Edition Bronco. The VIN sequence falls one right after Tracy LeBlanc's U15GLV68577 (http://www.stratadrome.com/bronco/view_registry_page.htm). I saw that in Bronco Driver, figured it was a Denver since it was a '75 and didn't have the Stroppe roll bar. How many miles pre-rollover??

 

[Gud Racing]

94,000 miles. I saw that it was the next vin# too. I am going to send off for a complete report on it and new tag through Marti Auto Works. My plan was to build it into a trail rig. I guess that build will change?! Sorry to Hijack!

 

[rednck21]

OMG this thing is sweet...

 

[BajaBronco]

Sorry to Hijack!

Yah, what de heck?


Back to the 73 Baja for sale: Some have been asking about the typical rust areas.. Here are photos showing them. This Baja wasn't undercoated and apparently didn't need to be. Shown are the engine box corners, where the fender apron meets the kickpanel at the firewall. Usually viewed from the engine side...I took the photos from the fenderwell. Drivers floor seam, latchposts, and hingeposts. Let me know if you need more pics and what of.

 

[BajaFresh75]

Think I just got a boner. Did Stroppe undercoat the Baja's in addition to the factory? My 75 is undercoated but just as clean, when I restore one dayI want it to be original, but I like the non undercoated look better.

 

[BajaFresh75]

Andrew, what are the odds of pulling up the mat and finding a build sheet underneath? My Baja is a one owner, and the mat has never been off. I don't want to fool with it, if it isn't going to be there. But I can't help think that its just waiting for me to uncover it!

 

[BajaBronco]

Yah, she's in the garage waiting for rad to go back in then, she comes out and floor mat gets yanked (front only) for the crucial inside floor photos and possible build sheet location. However....I have the window sticker...so what all a build sheet would tell us is not much right now?

I have only had 3-4 Bajas with no undercoat...One 75, now owned by Maurilio Calvillo, this one and a 71 and another 73.

 

[1975stroppebaja]

Hey Andrew... just for random curiousity... what's the grand total of how many Baja's you've owned so far?

 

[73explorer]

andrew - didnt i hear you say once that some of the bajas came with the underside tub painted in a green/grey color - ie, they werent painted poppy?

 

[BajaBronco]

I think I've had 21? or 20? Including everything from rusted/burned to pretty like this one.

73explorer, I think I was probably referring to the very underside, under the floor, being Ford Primer. They sprayed the wheelwells, etc, poppy but didn't bother with the actual underside. They are the murky red primer usually. Sometimes it looks like a light brownishgreen clay color. Whats odd, is that this Baja which didnt' get undercoat, is well painted in the wheel wells, door jambs, etc, and I have a 73 Ranger(10/72), that is very carelessly painted in the wheel wells, and some of that clay colored primer is showing thru in spots and you can see how the painter quickly painted this Ranger as opposed to whoever made sure this Baja got a good coat of orange.