Crazy Horse
1966 FORD Half-Cab Bronco
The base truck is a '66 half-cab Bronco that was rotting away in a guy's garage. This thing had been "ridden hard and hung up wet" and was pretty rough all over; however, I knew it was perfect for what I had in mind. I actually wanted a truck this rough so I could use it to illustrate how to handle rusty sheet metal and how to reconstruct a body from basically a pile of junk. I also wanted to show how to deal with some of the messes you'll find when you are working on something that has been hacked on over the years by everybody and their dog. So, a deal was struck, some money changed hands (very little money) and project Crazy Horse was born. Now, I mentioned the Bronco history, and a lot of people don't realize that the Bronco holds a special place in the record books that other similar vehicles don't. In the early '70's, legendary driver Parnelli Jones teamed up with Bill Stroppe. They took a Bronco, modified it, painted it like a big Olympia beer can, and went Baja racing. The truck was called "Big Oly" and it absolutely dominated Baja racing for the next 4 or 5 years, winning everything from the Baja 500 and 1000 to the Mint 400. Big Oly became so famous that it was voted one of the most well-known racing vehicles of the time. It and Parnelli even made an appearance in the original "Gone in Sixty Seconds" movie in 1973. Being a fan and student of Parnelli and his "tough as nails" driving style, it's only fitting to pay tribute to Parnelli and Big Oly and recognize the pedigree of the Ford Bronco. Crazy Horse does this, but that's not all. The main purpose of the Crazy Horse project is to show how to take a clapped out piece of junk and bring it back to life so it not only looks good, but it will also be something that will handle anything you want to throw at it off-road. Mud, rocks, jumps and hills - whatever - it can handle it. The best part is, when you are all done beating the snot out of it, you drive it home because it is street legal and safe on the road. Now, that's what I call a multi-purpose vehicle!!
