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- Apr 30, 2003
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It's been a couple months in the works, but I just got back from Baja with a very special Bronco in tow.
This race Bronco was known as “Colt”. It dates back to the 1969 Riverside Off Road grand prix for certain, but It may have been raced before that. Due to the radical body modification done to it around 1969, it’s hard to tell what it looked like before 1969. The body has been sectioned, giving it a lighter weight, lower center of gravity and a unique look. It was mainly raced by Parnelli Jones and Bill Stroppe in an attempt to build something Parnelli wouldn’t break = he’d DNF’d 3 times by mid 1969 and really needed something lighter in hopes he wouldn’t break it. After Parnelli and Stroppe made attempts at the 1969 Mexican 1000 and 1969 Mint, the car was then taken over by Stroppe team drivers Larry Minor and Rod Hall. By then, Parnelli had already put plans in motion to build the Bronco that became “Big Oly” and Stroppe had already put Parnelli in the driver seat of “Pony”, the 2wd , Sectioned-bodied, lightweight Bronco in which Parnelli first won in a desert race in a Bronco, the 1970 Baja 500. Colt was sold to Bill Rush in 1971 and won the 1972 Baja 1000 and Baja 500 races, along with the firecracker 250, with continued race support by Stroppe Team. By 1973 Rush had done as Parnelli did, and began building a super-Bronco to race. He sold Colt to Alfonso Barbosa, a Mexican racer from Veracruz. Alfonso and members of his Coatzymoto racing team raced Colt into the late 70s, with again, continued prep and support by the Stroppe Team.
In the last 5 years, after finding several of the Stroppe racing Broncos in my searching, I naturally wondered where the rest were, and particularly Colt because based on my research it seemed to have stayed in Mexico. I even began planning a trip to the area I thought it was in to inquire with local racers to try and see if it could be found. Life is busy however, and the plans were never set in motion.
Last March, another Stroppe enthusiast, my friend Todd Clement, sent me a picture of a Race Bronco offered to him. I knew immediately it was Colt. Todd Clement owns Horsepower Customs LLC, and also started the Horsepower Ranch in Ensenada. Before that though he created Wide Open Baja, a Baja race tour company and is the one responsible for my introduction to Baja Racing. Being Baja-based, Todd had heard of this Stroppe Bronco being in Mexico for almost 20 years. But only now seen a picture and location. Todd and I decided to make sure we get this Bronco into our hands. In short, we succeeded and a few days ago, I drove a trailer across the border to the USA with Colt strapped securely to it.
Colt is now resting comfortably inside the shop here at Baja Broncos Unlimited. The carburetor will come off today for a rebuild, but the Bronco is very complete, running, and solid. I’m amazed at the condition – it sits on as-raced Firestone Parnelli 1000 tires, and still has a “1972” dated fire extinguisher, original SW gauges, and CIBIE headlights. Todd Zuercher and Chris House are helping to determine the race record – the Mexican family had another win in the mid to late 70s, so we need to document that. And of course there will be sympathetic restoration with retaining of all panels and hardware, and a return to correct details,Stroppe colors, and decals.
This race Bronco was known as “Colt”. It dates back to the 1969 Riverside Off Road grand prix for certain, but It may have been raced before that. Due to the radical body modification done to it around 1969, it’s hard to tell what it looked like before 1969. The body has been sectioned, giving it a lighter weight, lower center of gravity and a unique look. It was mainly raced by Parnelli Jones and Bill Stroppe in an attempt to build something Parnelli wouldn’t break = he’d DNF’d 3 times by mid 1969 and really needed something lighter in hopes he wouldn’t break it. After Parnelli and Stroppe made attempts at the 1969 Mexican 1000 and 1969 Mint, the car was then taken over by Stroppe team drivers Larry Minor and Rod Hall. By then, Parnelli had already put plans in motion to build the Bronco that became “Big Oly” and Stroppe had already put Parnelli in the driver seat of “Pony”, the 2wd , Sectioned-bodied, lightweight Bronco in which Parnelli first won in a desert race in a Bronco, the 1970 Baja 500. Colt was sold to Bill Rush in 1971 and won the 1972 Baja 1000 and Baja 500 races, along with the firecracker 250, with continued race support by Stroppe Team. By 1973 Rush had done as Parnelli did, and began building a super-Bronco to race. He sold Colt to Alfonso Barbosa, a Mexican racer from Veracruz. Alfonso and members of his Coatzymoto racing team raced Colt into the late 70s, with again, continued prep and support by the Stroppe Team.
In the last 5 years, after finding several of the Stroppe racing Broncos in my searching, I naturally wondered where the rest were, and particularly Colt because based on my research it seemed to have stayed in Mexico. I even began planning a trip to the area I thought it was in to inquire with local racers to try and see if it could be found. Life is busy however, and the plans were never set in motion.
Last March, another Stroppe enthusiast, my friend Todd Clement, sent me a picture of a Race Bronco offered to him. I knew immediately it was Colt. Todd Clement owns Horsepower Customs LLC, and also started the Horsepower Ranch in Ensenada. Before that though he created Wide Open Baja, a Baja race tour company and is the one responsible for my introduction to Baja Racing. Being Baja-based, Todd had heard of this Stroppe Bronco being in Mexico for almost 20 years. But only now seen a picture and location. Todd and I decided to make sure we get this Bronco into our hands. In short, we succeeded and a few days ago, I drove a trailer across the border to the USA with Colt strapped securely to it.
Colt is now resting comfortably inside the shop here at Baja Broncos Unlimited. The carburetor will come off today for a rebuild, but the Bronco is very complete, running, and solid. I’m amazed at the condition – it sits on as-raced Firestone Parnelli 1000 tires, and still has a “1972” dated fire extinguisher, original SW gauges, and CIBIE headlights. Todd Zuercher and Chris House are helping to determine the race record – the Mexican family had another win in the mid to late 70s, so we need to document that. And of course there will be sympathetic restoration with retaining of all panels and hardware, and a return to correct details,Stroppe colors, and decals.
