Some Early Bronco Pioneers for you

[5001craig]

Thought this would be better appreciated on CB than social media. Shared from Dan Karp

Good shot of some Early Bronco History here:

Thanks for posting the pics. I have four almost new KbarS shocks that I got on an EB that had eight. I ran them last summer and remember as a kid KbarS.

Keep posting the pics!

 

[BajaBronco]

John Karp was the first Bronco guy to ever take the time to talk to me about Stroppe and their involvement with Broncos. He shared a bunch of KbarS and Stroppe history with me one day in Vegas in 1995. About 2.5 hours just sitting at the counter looking at old literature and hearing stories. It was awesome!

 

[gnpenning]

John Karp was the first Bronco guy to ever take the time to talk to me about Stroppe and their involvement with Broncos. He shared a bunch of KbarS and Stroppe history with me one day in Vegas in 1995. About 2.5 hours just sitting at the counter looking at old literature and hearing stories. It was awesome!

I would have loved to have been there for that. Every time I went in they let me see what was in the shop and snoop around. Super nice people with some great early builds.

I wish I could find my old KbarS brochures,stickers and such. I think the ex did away with them.

KbarS was the first specialty place I bought Bronco parts from and still have many on my 74. Every year when I went to the NFR I brought home what I could.

Hated to see them go. Thanks for the great pics. Good to keep things like that alive.

 

[House]

There is a rig local to me that was modified by them, purchased new as a 'Demo' from the dealership.

 

[Amac70]

loved there catalogs back in the day, always had the nicest rigs in them. many of my first orders were from them. I held on to a crappy old compressor for years not wanting to loose the k bar s sticker on it.

 

[ransil]

I met john on one of the ghost town torus in the early 90"s.

I'll dig out the pictures one of these days

 

[FRANKO289]

Man, that's a calendar shot there!

2x........

 

[Gud Racing]

Great pix of Hal's collection! Love Those two men! They truly have the passion for Ford's, especially Early Bronco's. I could never say enough good things about the whole KbarS family.

 

[JAFO]

Funny how old guys hike up their pants. Any higher and he's going to choke! HA!

Cool photo, love to see shops with an assortment of EBs.

I think most understood your humor. I also noticed the pants, but hey, that's what old guys do. But understandable some are sensitive. I understand someone wanting us to respect our elders. Sadly we're all headed to wearing our pants hiked up one day and wondering what's the big deal. What I find more funny is when some old guy has on plaid shorts with sandals and those really tall white socks with the stripes at the cuff. That is one look I plan to never do.

 

[ransil]

I think most understood your humor. I also noticed the pants, but hey, that's what old guys do. But understandable some are sensitive. I understand someone wanting us to respect our elders. Sadly we're all headed to wearing our pants hiked up one day and wondering what's the big deal. What I find more funny is when some old guy has on plaid shorts with sandals and those really tall white socks with the stripes at the cuff. That is one look I plan to never do.

I think the current trend is black socks

 

[DirtDonk]

I'm going to start a collection of Bronco themed suspenders so I don't have to wear the pants quite so high. But lower than that and the old hips just don't hold 'em up like they used to!

But suspenders, like bow-ties, they'll be cool.

Paul

 

[catfan]

I recognized John from the K Bar S catalog , I wish i still had it.

 

[nickgp]

Got my first bronco about ten years ago. Went to track down their "new location" in V Town only to find that they had closed. I was totally bummed, since a good buddy had taken me into their other shop years ago. They always had bad ass Broncos on their stable. Thanks for the memories.

 

[Joker11]

Funny how old guys hike up their pants. Any higher and he's going to choke! HA!

If you go look at their generation when they were young, they wore their pants that high. Difference being that they were thin back then and it was the style. So they stayed with the old style, got fat and now look ridiculous.
Go look at Desi Arnaz and guys back in the day.


Women wear their pants up high. I wear mine down below like most guys.

 

[Joker11]

That's Hal's shop in Yuma, AZ. That truck behind them, of course, is an iconic truck in our little world. I got to sit in it 30 years ago - still remember it well!

Great men.

Todd Z.

WAIT, WHAT??? I live in Yuma. Where is this shop?

 

[kb6677]

If you go look at their generation when they were young, they wore their pants that high. Difference being that they were thin back then and it was the style. So they stayed with the old style, got fat and now look ridiculous.
Go look at Desi Arnaz and guys back in the day. View attachment 400475


Women wear their pants up high. I wear mine down below like most guys.

And that fashion lesson added what to this thread? Sorry, you did not live up to your screen name.

 

[Joker11]

kb6667,
Wow, you really know how to cut to the bone. That one hurt.

I am all bummed out now.

 

[kb6677]

kb6667,
Wow, you really know how to cut to the bone. That one hurt.

I am all bummed out now.

Well Joker11 its like this-Bradsp8 a couple days ago made his post on the pants-he said he did not mean any disrespect etc. and we dropped it.

Two days of complimentary posts from people on this board talking about the history of KbarS, the quality men that Karp and Sealund are and then out of the blue, you give us a fashion lesson- Your post is in poor taste, basically disrespectful to a gentleman that has done alot for our early broncos and that is obvious to anyone who has read this thread-I was not trying to be a "Joker"-just telling the truth.

 

[broncokak]

KbarS and John Karp, probably the first place I ever bought parts from back in the early 80s. I never had the privilege of meeting John in person but we spoke at length many times on the phone. He had a brother that lived in Blue Hill, Maine that he'd visit and we tried a few times to meet but were never successful. Really nice guy and knew his Bronco stuff.

 

[Swerve]

K bar S helped my cousin and I out big time back in 1997...We would not have made it out to race the '97 Baja 1000 in our Bronco if it were not for them...great people!