Rod Hall's BRONCO

Belugawrx · Wednesday at 11:21 AM

I saw this kit in Micheals craft store and it reminded me of

This

I remember seeing this shot in Hot Rod magazine way way back in the day and thinking ,..ya that looks like fun.
Did some research on Bill Stroppe and it turns out he made a bunch of these Broncos for off road racing, and this guy, Rod Hall

Raced 50 of the Baja 500s from 1967 to 2017 in various Stroppe Broncos, collecting 25 class wins and 18 overall wins...wow! ...sadly he passed in 2019 from Parkinsons. This then is a tribute build to Rod Hall.
This is what I am trying to replicate, his last ride...

Starting with the family 4x4 camper ...

Everything marked needs to be removed or filled including the rear gate.

Joseph at fireballmodelworks.com makes the resin cast fender flares, roll cage, 5 slot mags and 33" BFGoodrich T/As, and the 3.5" lift kit.
I added a scratch built fuel cell to the rear, and an air induction scoop (heavily modified) from a '71 Cuda to the hood.
More to come as it happens..
Comments, critiques and questions always welcome.
Cheers

BarleyBop · Wednesday at 1:10 PM

Dedication builds are the best in my book, no matter how they turn, out they have something most other builds don't: heart.

Belugawrx · Wednesday at 2:02 PM

This is the box stock suspension temp. install...

Yep,, need to swap that out

Perfect

Belugawrx · Thursday at 12:12 PM

Onward and upward...here is the kit grille

I soaked it in Easy-Off oven cleaner to remove the chrome and knocked a couple teeth out to resemble this...

Painted it white and bare metal foiled (BMF) the headlight buckets

Lens installed with Tamiya clear gloss

I was amazed that the BMF was able to stretch all the way down into the bucket without cracking open in the bottom...Happy !
Back soon

BarleyBop · Thursday at 1:24 PM

Belugawrx said:
BMF was able to stretch

Thanks for the walkthrough, first time I see that!

Belugawrx · Thursday at 4:55 PM

BarleyBop said:
Thanks for the walkthrough, first time I see that!

I was waiting for it to break down, but, like catching a butterfly by the wings as it sits on a leaf kinda gentle, I was able to massage it down...WHAT !?!
Anyway, I threw the chassis together and gave it a spray bomb Craigs List special

Oh yeah, that's more like it, I am toning it down with some Tamiya Weathering Master powders as we speak .
Fireball comes through again for me with these shoes

and these

Should be good
Later

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T07:30:32-0500

She's up on all 4 paws

Rims were shot with Duplicolor CHROME ...waiting until it's done to put the BFG decals on that rubber..
Next I looked at the dash ..

Cut off the top, sanded all detail from it and added gauge decals from a'70 Challenger, and made bezels from 1/8' aluminium tube..

Couple drops of Tamiya clear gloss makes it look like glass lens..lens s ...lens's..?. stock steering wheel and pedals
More details to add, switches and toggles and buttons oh my !

urumomo · 2025-02-08T09:28:30-0500

It's lenses

, and did you form the end of the 1/8' tube or is the bezel 2 parts ?
The real deal doesn't have that flange , Capt'n .

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T11:38:39-0500

The tube wasn't quite big enough to cover all of the gauge decal, what you see is the decal of the bezel...hehehe, but I did find this pic..

New gauges don't cover the old paint, so.............I'm going with it.

New stuff..

Another Fireball product with added cross bars at the rear and middle and some sheet styrene as the Bronco placard and cockpit divider. Added pins for ease of test fitting...it is VERY fragile, I'm thinking this resin reacts badly to c/a glue or acrylic laquer spray paint...

Scratched up a 60 gal. fuel cell for the rear and filed off all carpet detail, used Duplicolor Ford blue engine paint,..white decal material for the BRONCO placard. It's shiny and new ...can't wait to weather that up.
Cheers

Eagle-1 · 2025-02-08T11:43:09-0500

Lookin' just right!

Rob.

urumomo · 2025-02-08T11:44:21-0500

" New gauges don't cover the old paint, so.............I'm going with it "
this will have a negative impact on your annual review .

The resin is reacting with acrylic / acrylate monomers ??
what is the reaction ?

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T11:55:48-0500

It makes it snap when you touch it....I've glued it up several times. with medium set Bob Smith a/c and accelerator...it's in timeout right now thinking about what it's done.

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T11:56:57-0500

urumomo · 2025-02-08T12:17:13-0500

Belugawrx said:
<iframe width="772" height="551" src="" title="Rod Hall's Bronco | Jay Leno's Garage" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Driving that thing in the dirt @ 100 mph would definitely be a substitute for a pot of coffee .

And did she say 100 HP for the original 302 ?

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T13:39:55-0500

urumomo said:
did she say 100 HP for the original 302 ?

Thats what I heard...The originals had a 302 in them (which is what I'm putting in this one) The kit comes with a 302 , I'm pretending it's been bored out and a chunky cam put in it, aluminum intake and pulley assembly,..yknow the usual ..

urumomo · 2025-02-08T13:48:00-0500

When I got my license I was gifted the 75 Blazer , last year the whole top came off , and you know I drove it mostly off even in bad weather .
My dad had a 74 , the 75 and then bought a 79 ? , the square headlights and that infamous 2 tone black and grey paint job .
His buddy had several of those old Broncos which I drove plenty out on hunting leases .
I always preferred the Blazer

That engine sound .
everything used to sound like that , lol

Belugawrx · 2025-02-08T13:56:06-0500

urumomo said:
I always preferred the Blazer

That engine sound .
everything used to sound like that , lol

Ya a bit wider stance, lower center of gravity..The Bronco always looked to me to be about to tip over...and they did

oops
Ya I love the sound of full send on that 347 with straight pipes

Rod Hall's BRONCO

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