Dan Schaller's 1974 Bronco

Dan's Bronco is an excellent example of a reliable, comfortable Bronco suitable for street, daily-driving and mild trail use. Dan brought us his Bronco as a "Project-In-Process". The paint and body had already been done, but we were to do the final assembly, mechanical work and some fabrication. Technically, this is one of our simpler builds but the result is a Bronco you can jump in and drive anywhere with confidence. We started out with a nearly-intact Bronco and several boxes of parts. We began by removing the top, stripping the interior and shooting it with spray-in liner. Next came a set of PRP suspension seats and a few interior goodies such as a new steering wheel and Nick's Trix column bezel.

Dan already had a classis Stroppe roll bar, which he wanted to keep, but he wanted something a little more substantial to keep his family safe on the mountain roads near his home in Mammoth Lakes, California. So we added a forward cage structure onto the Stroppe bar, complete with entry handles and dash bar with "oh-shit!" handle. We even matched the signature center bend in the Stroppe bar for the forward spreader on our new addition. Then we sent the cage to powdercoat for a beautiful "Silver Bullet" metallic finish. The doors and rear liftgate were overhauled and adjusted for smooth operation, and the top was reinstalled with all new weatherstripping.

Under the hood, the tired old engine was replaced by a newly remanufactured 302. During the R&R we did an engine compartment detail job. The new engine was installed with a new Edelbrock 4V carb, K&N filter, Saginaw steering pump with WCB brackets and a new starter, plug wires and looms. We also cleaned up much of the original wiring which was showing its many years of age and random tinkering. The charging system was upgraded with all new battery cables, starter solenoid and battery hold-down. Throughout the truck we re-plumbed all the hard lines for fuel, brakes and transmission fluid. The new exhaust system consists of a set of Scott Drake long-tube headers and 2-into-1 Flowmaster exhaust. A new set of gas-charged hood springs makes it easy to work under the hood. We also replaced all of the front end bushings and transfer case mounts.

Finally, we finished off the exterior with some new marker and taillight lenses, new "Bronco" script emblems and a set of "Super Trail Breaker" tubular bumpers from Cheyenne Bumper. This build didn't receive every modification in the West Coast Broncos catalog, but it does show how just a few well-chosen upgrades and modifications can result in a great weekend cruiser or daily driver.

West Coast Broncos Build Sheet

Spray-lined interior
Fabricated front cage with handles for Stroppe roll bar, powder-coated "Silver Bullet"
PRP Premier high-back suspension seats, sliders and brackets
Complete engine rebuild
Engine compartment detail
Edelbrock 4V carburator, Ford Racing valve covers, K&N filter, new plug wires and looms
Scott Drake long tube headers and Flowmaster 2-into-1 exhaust
WCB Saginaw power steering pump and bracket kit
Gas hood springs
All new battery cables, battery hold down, starter solenoid, voltage regulator, horn relay, alternator brackets
Front disc brake conversion on Dana 44
New brake hard lines, fuel lines, transmission cooler lines
14-piece front end bushing kit and transfer case mounts
Overhauled door and rear hatch internals and mechanisms, re-keyed to match ignition
New taillight and marker lenses, Bronco "Sport" emblems
All new weatherstripping
New steering wheel, Nick's Trix billet column bezel and 3-gauge cluster
"Super Trail Breaker" tubular bumpers front and rear

Project Photo Gallery

Click on any photo for a closer look.