Sure don't look like much...1973 Baja saved from the grave TWICE

[half cab]

Great story glad it worked out for ya.

 

[figo40]

Congrats man! glad to see you got it!

 

[BajaBronco]

Ooh, the Baja Pinto! Sounds exciting.

Congrats, I've been hoping this would turn out well and nail biting the last 8 months....

 

[JGbronc]

Wow! Very cool story and I'm glad it all worked out for you!

 

[rydog1130]

That's awesome, glad everything worked out! Cant wait to see her when shes done!

 

[RPM289]

I can't help but wonder why the previous owner (stolen from) did not want a Stroppe Bronco back!!! Don't get me wrong glad you got it! What a find!!!!!

 

[akafrankcastle]

I can't help but wonder why the previous owner (stolen from) did not want a Stroppe Bronco back!!! Don't get me wrong glad you got it! What a find!!!!!

Odds are no one has known it is a Stroppe since at least 1988.

In 1988, the truck was purchased off of a used car lot in Colorado Springs. At the time, it was painted a kind of maroon meets diarrhea brown according to Gene, the PO who owned it then.

When Gene purchased the truck, it was fairly original minus that paint job. Gene removed the Stroppe steering wheel and gave it to a local Bronco parts guy (Don Allison) and also removed the 9" and C4. Don is still running the C4 in his Bronco today.

The 9" was replaced with a Dana 44 rear. Gene worked at Dana Spicer and was apparently fond of their products.

Other stuff Gene did included installing ARB lockers front and rear. Replacing the C4 with an NP435, replacing the original seats with ones from an Eddie Bauer Bronco II, and building a roll cage on top/ around the Stroppe roll bar.

The Bronco also sported a crate 351W during that time. (1988-2009)

Had it not been for Gene being a very capable off roader, I might never known these bits of history. I'm told, by multiple sources, that this Bronco tackled and conquered just about every trail available to it back in the day. That notoriety helped another friend, and life long Colorado Springs resident, identify the truck on sight.

Oh, and I should mention, I have the steering wheel. 27 years after being removed and given to Don, he still had it stored in a box at his house.

Now I just need to go grab those radius arms that have shock tabs welded to their caps...

 

[BajaBronco]

I didn't know you got the wheel back! Cool. Now you have a spare! Definitely go get the radius arms. If not I can get you what you need.

 

[coachbarnes]

I didn't know you got the wheel back! Cool. Now you have a spare! Definitely go get the radius arms. If not I can get you what you need.

What's special about the radius arms??

 

[akafrankcastle]

What's special about the radius arms??

The dual shock mounts installed by Stroppe required a tab be mounted to the radius arm cap to accommodate the lower mounting hole of the shock absorber.

 

[coachbarnes]

The dual shock mounts installed by Stroppe required a tab be mounted to the radius arm cap to accommodate the lower mounting hole of the shock absorber.

AHH --- ok, thanks much!

 

[kyle]

I can't help but wonder why the previous owner (stolen from) did not want a Stroppe Bronco back!!! Don't get me wrong glad you got it! What a find!!!!!

I would bet the "owner" had moved at least once since it was stolen and never received the notice to claim.

Cool story. Took a lot of luck to get that piece of paper.