A 1971 Ford Bronco Named the Death Trap

If you're handy with old vehicles, something like say a first-generation Ford Bronco could be your daily driver. They're simple and straightforward to work on. You don't have to be a computer genius. They're analog instruments of on- and off-road mayhem. With typically lots of access in the engine bay, within the interior, and underneath the truck, especially should there be enhanced ground clearance, there aren't really any tight spaces that make projects more difficult than they need to be to accomplish.

So long as you're not someone who needs every sort of creature comfort known to man, and you don't mind getting subpar fuel economy, just about any sort of American muscle machine from the 1960s through the mid-1970s could be a very trustworthy vehicle for the open road. In the case of Ron Motonaga's 1971 Ford Bronco, dirt, sand, and outright rock crawling are also great possibilities.

Above: These seats were in the Bronco when the owner purchased it. The transmission is a NP435 four-speed manual transmission equipped with a factory floor mount NP435 shifter.

From Rock Crawler to Daily Driver

Some 20 years ago, Ron purchased the Bronco to go rock crawling. The modified 302-cubic inch small block Ford V8 mill sports forged pistons, a mild camshaft, an Edelbrock Performer aluminum intake manifold, GT40P heads, a Holley Truck Avenger four-barrel carburetor, a Wild Horses aftermarket radiator, a 100-amp alternator, an Optima Yellow Top battery, and an HEI ignition system. To give his kids a treat, he would sometimes pick them up from school in the afternoon, so that they too could enjoy the rough and tumble ride of the burly Bronco. 

Above: Having some grab handles is pretty important, when you're doing some serious rock crawling and off roading.

Just about 10 years ago, the Bronco became unmodified again and transformed back into a daily driving, albeit rough around the edges, burly street truck, and occasional escape to the trails and boulders (when nobody's looking) off-road beast. Ron reinstalled the heater and the lights. He removed the Beadlock Wheels and changed the chassis' gearing back for more mild and merry street duty. 

Whether these first-generation Ford Broncos are restored to the nines and never see the dirt, or they're beat to within inches of a normal 4x4's demise, they are so darn irresistible to witness blasting along the trails or down the boulevards. They've got to be even better to be in the pilot's or the co-pilot's seat, not to mention in the jump seat in the back if you're a little kid looking up to your parents in the front seats. 

Above: The owner Line-X covered the outside of the removable hardtop last year and lined the inside with Lizard Skin. Each summer the top is removed for some fun in the sun California cruising. The Bronco has also been on several road trips to Washington state.

Ford Broncos were conceived, designed, engineered, and built when America was number one in terms of automobiles and manufacturing. Sure, little, tiny European manufacturers like Ferrari were pretty good at building exotic, purpose-built race cars. Yet Henry Ford II, also known as "The Deuce", proved that throwing some good old American muscle, horsepower, torque, ingenuity, British help (in the form of Eric Broadley of Lola), automotive racing legend maestro assistance (Carroll Shelby), and lots of greenbacks - that an immense assembly line mass producer of sturdy American automobiles could develop a superb, mid-engine race car that could beat Ferrari and the world at large at any racetrack around the globe.

These so simple, form follows function first generation Ford Broncos are so straightforward that they're sublime. They were off-road warriors and winners throughout the latter 1960s and 70s and were/are pretty popular on U.S. roadways too. Nowadays in fact, restored first gen Bronco's command big bucks at old car auctions around the globe and online at say Bring a Trailer and Hemmings Motor News Auctions. American muscle car enthusiasts like Ron Motonaga could really care less about that sort of stuff. He prefers having cars like this as his dailies and weeklies, which is pretty darn cool when you think about it. In fact, he purchased some parts for his first gen Camaro recently in the Classic Industries retail showroom. His Bullet 'Bird was parked in the showroom's parking lot while he was purchasing the Camaro components.

Classic Industries and the Ford Bronco 1966-1996

Several years ago, Classic Industries began offering Ford Bronco parts for the 1966-1996 generations of Ford Broncos. Since the Ford Motor Company recently reintroduced two- and four-door Broncos for the world to admire and purchase, Classic Industries may well be expanding the Bronco components inventory to include the new gen Broncos in the future.