Project Buckshot Revealed
A great friend of mine, TJ, has been going on and on for about three years now about getting into the 4-wheel drive sport. He and I have had dozens – if not more – conversations about past trips that we have been on, all of the great expeditions, and the thrill of machine conquering Mother Nature’s best and worst. And, of course, we’ve talked about what type of vehicle would best suit his needs and wants.
His desires were pretty simple; a classic 4-wheel drive that would be capable off-road, would turn lots of heads, and something he could drive comfortably back and forth from work on occasion.
After several months of scouring the want ads, eBay and Craigslist, we finally landed on a 1975 Ford Bronco located in Southern Florida. It arrived at our shop HQ in Dallas, TX after a one and a half week car-hauler trip, in all of its deep-orange glory, replete with a freshly built C4 transmission and 302 c.i. V8 engine, a modest lift, and 31” all-terrain tires.
The frame is straight, it has plenty of power, every gauge and switch works perfectly, 4-wheel drive engages. While there is one rust spot on the passenger’s side rocker panel, and the right-rear quarter panel has a few scuffs and dents in it, this early Bronco is a sound platform to build a serious trail machine upon.
Our Project Plans
So how did we land on the name "Buckshot"? Hundreds of our fans on our Facebook Page submitted a dozen or so great project names, and the winner received a kick-ass 4X4REVIEW.COM t-Shirt, beer stein and a calendar.
Our new Early Bronco will undergo a series of transformations which will turn this un-cut, semi-virgin Bronco into a serious trail machine, capable of attacking the rocks, sand, mud, and trails. It will receive a bigger lift, bigger tires, wheels, bumpers front and rear, lockers, deeper gears, a complete interior and exterior renovation and a whole lot more.
Here are just a few of the pictures of the 1975 Ford Bronco as we’ve received it.