Kit Baja and Standard Color Baja Broncos by Stroppe

[coachbarnes]

OK, I'll throw this one out there since it is not red white and blue either.

1977 with pics of Bill Stroppe and crew installing the custom winch bumper and siren.

It has a few of the Baja items such as mag wheels (but with staggered front and rear offsets like used on the race Broncos), bumper braces, roll bar (modified to hold the stretcher), but has the standard steering wheel and of course factory auto and power steering. Tons of other mods for use on the balloon chase as an ambulance.

Nugent also had/has a Stroppe built full size (can not recall the year).

Wow...these are some great pics of that beauty that I've never seen! First time I've seen those side pipes, for sure. What winch did they install? I love Duff's Pony Express and obviously Big Oly, but this Bronco is one of my top 3 or 4 all time.

 

[Broncitis]

Wow...these are some great pics of that beauty that I've never seen! First time I've seen those side pipes, for sure. What winch did they install? I love Duff's Pony Express and obviously Big Oly, but this Bronco is one of my top 3 or 4 all time.

Thanks, we like it too!

Warn 8274

Franko met up with the pilot who flew the Balloon and he had some of these old photos, 8mm video, and some memorabilia in his stash that he shared with Franko.

He gave Franko an original crew T-shirt which Franko gave to us. It is kept in the Ambulance with the gold nomex crew race suits.

One of those came with the Ambulance, and one was given to us by another CB member (Jeff out if Ohio, can't recall his screen name offhand) whose dad was in the Balloon Chase as a representative of Manchester tank who supplied the propane tanks.

Amazing that of the liklely less than 2 dozen of those ever made, it survived and found its way back to complete a set for the Ambulance 35 years later as a result of this forum.

 

[ep67bro]

Was there any other shops that were doing Stroppe type mods to the broncos. Maybe in Arizona? I had a 1973 bronco with a DSO of 75. Truck had the rolled front fenders, dual front shocks, roll bar, trailer hitch. Was factory limited slip front and rear axles with 410 gears. Had some neat factory options. Some one also very early on cut the rear fenders, and then glassed the fiber glass rear fenders in .
The pic is when I sold it back in 2010. Of course the wheels were not what was on it when I got it and I added a 3.5" lift. Sorry for the Hi jack seemed like someone on this post may know if it was a Stroppe thing or some other shop?

 

[toddz69]

Was there any other shops that were doing Stroppe type mods to the broncos. Maybe in Arizona? I had a 1973 bronco with a DSO of 75. Truck had the rolled front fenders, dual front shocks, roll bar, trailer hitch. Was factory limited slip front and rear axles with 410 gears. Had some neat factory options. Some one also very early on cut the rear fenders, and then glassed the fiber glass rear fenders in .
The pic is when I sold it back in 2010. Of course the wheels were not what was on it when I got it and I added a 3.5" lift. Sorry for the Hi jack seemed like someone on this post may know if it was a Stroppe thing or some other shop?

I don't know of anyone in AZ doing that type of work in those days. I'm curious if you know anything of the history of your truck as to who previous owners were, etc.,? Was it always a solid green color or maybe green/white at some time?

Thanks,
Todd Z.

 

[ep67bro]

Todd
The truck was always Lime green. I never noticed any other color. It didn't have bumper braces or at least any sign of them and the roll bar was not a Stroppe bar. But the fenders were rolled just like the few Stroppes I had seen and the dual shocks in front along with the very early cut rear fenders kind of set it apart. I will try to scan in the Marti report and post it. I really wish I still had the truck!!

The owner before me was a older guy in Delaware never told me where he got the truck from just said he had it a long time and that it was unstoppable in the snow or mud. He had other broncos so it was possible the ford steel wheels that were on it were not original. I didn't realize it came from out west until I looked up the DSO years after I bought it.

 

[ep67bro]

This is the Marti for the Lime Green 1973 I had hope you can read it.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Todd
The truck was always Lime green. I never noticed any other color. It didn't have bumper braces or at least any sign of them and the roll bar was not a Stroppe bar. But the fenders were rolled just like the few Stroppes I had seen and the dual shocks in front along with the very early cut rear fenders kind of set it apart. I will try to scan in the Marti report and post it. I really wish I still had the truck!!

The owner before me was a older guy in Delaware never told me where he got the truck from just said he had it a long time and that it was unstoppable in the snow or mud. He had other broncos so it was possible the ford steel wheels that were on it were not original. I didn't realize it came from out west until I looked up the DSO years after I bought it.

Could be Hickey modified. My '74 was with trimmed and rolled front fenders, Hickey winch, bumper braces, roll bar, rear flares, hitch and dual front shocks.

 

[ep67bro]

There were traces of a winch on the truck and the factory bumper was not on it when I got it, there was an extra battery tray on the drives side, and extra solenoid like for an early winch along with a two position switch on the dash that could have been used for a winch. And it didn't have a factory rear bumper, it had some heavy metal plate bumper like you would have seen on a truck of that era. I really wish I had more detailed pics, I didn't know it was special until after it was all gone!

 

[BajaBronco]

The angle of the front cut on your fenders looks a little deep and angular to be a Stroppe roll, but thats just from that pic - maybe the angles different. I know Fairway Ford also trimmed the front fenders on the special Broncos they sold. As far as the rear - that's too late for Stroppe to do that. They only did the metal flares to 3 race trucks and 2 are known to exist today.

 

[toddz69]

There were traces of a winch on the truck and the factory bumper was not on it when I got it, there was an extra battery tray on the drives side, and extra solenoid like for an early winch along with a two position switch on the dash that could have been used for a winch. And it didn't have a factory rear bumper, it had some heavy metal plate bumper like you would have seen on a truck of that era. I really wish I had more detailed pics, I didn't know it was special until after it was all gone!

Thanks for the info and Marti on your truck. The reason I'm asking is because there was a fairly modified green truck (I remember it being green/white striped like a Ranger) in Prescott, AZ when I was growing up. It was owned by an "elderly" couple (everyone seems old when you're 14-15 years old) who were probably the original owners. It was highly modified for the 80s with a lot of Stroppe or Hickey stuff and I always wondered what happened to that truck.

Thanks,
Todd Z.

 

[ep67bro]

Well the truck did come from Tucson AZ, And the man that had it was very old. I bought it in 2006 or 2007 and he had to be in his 80s then. I don't think this was a Stroppe truck but it may have been a Hickey modified truck. I do know it spent a lot of time on the east coast as it had a bunch of rust on it when I had it.
I sold it to a guy in NY and he cut the fenders so its not the way it used to be anymore!

 

[BajaBronco]

Here's a fun one. 72 Bronco special order with Stroppe auto trans and power steering only. Also had the steering wheel. But no dual shocks or anything else. Just the power options please! LOL.

 

[toddz69]

Here's a fun one. 72 Bronco special order with Stroppe auto trans and power steering only. Also had the steering wheel. But no dual shocks or anything else. Just the power options please! LOL.

So that one was a Baja? Sure miss that little white car in the left corner of the pic.

Todd Z.

 

[BajaBronco]

No, not a BajA just a stroppe modified rig. Sorry I guess title does say BajA broncos for this thread

 

[gritz]

Andrew How many Kit Baja's are there? I was trying to keep track but Im sure you have a count.

 

[BajaBronco]

Well, are we counting kit Bajas or stroppe modified rigs?

 

[BajaBronco]

Looking on my cel phone, I was like "why does Todd like that K-car?" Hahha...now I see it's the white BMW! LOL.

So that one was a Baja? Sure miss that little white car in the left corner of the pic.

Todd Z.

 

[gritz]

Well, are we counting kit Bajas or stroppe modified rigs?

Kit Baja's is what I was interested in, but we all like numbers and pictures!

 

[BajaBronco]

Alright. well. I have a list on a drive here with VINS and all kinds of stuff, but I'm out in the shop, plus Stroppe modifieds are there too. Heres my quicklist of Kit Bajas:

My 72 Tampico Yellow
71 Kit Baja Bronco on registry
73 Green Kit I got last month
Carpers orange one
Maroon one listed here on this thread (I bought wheels off it in '98 or something)
House's 4speed kit
One on East coast I know of
Green 71 I heard of in New Mexico, by the ordering dealer

These are Broncos that got the Baja Kit including decals and tire cover. Some would argue that not all bajas got all the equipment, which is true, but there are two groups(not including last 75s) of consignment Bajas that those low option rigs fall into, and I believe it was due to overstock at Stroppe and they were pumped to dealers with little or no options at a big discount.

Kit Baja's is what I was interested in, but we all like numbers and pictures!

 

[House]

No, not a BajA just a stroppe modified rig. Sorry I guess title does say BajA broncos for this thread

It's my thread, and I say anything Stroppe goes..! ;D