Fabricated To Perfection

A 1974 Ford Bronco Built By The Fab School Founder, Troy Johnson

By Dan Sanchez – Photography by ICON Media, Courtesy of SCORE International

When it comes to cutting, welding and all forms of metal fabrication, there’s no one better than Troy Johnson, owner and founder of The Fab School in Ontario, California. From Johnson’s long-time experience fabricating or off-road race legends such as Walker Evans and other racing teams and motorsports, he created the technical school to become one of California’s leading producers of talented fabricators; many of which have gone to work for places like NASA, JPL, NASCAR race teams and more.

So when Johnson wanted to build a Ford Bronco for his daughter Aubree, he naturally put his many years of talent to work, and produced this masterpiece. The buildup began by completely tearing down the vehicle beginning with a rebuild the Ford 302 cubic inch small block V8. The engine’s internals were rebuilt to stock specifications, but the intake system was switched over to modern fuel injection, opting for an aluminum Edelbrock intake and MSD Atomic fuel injection system. The ignition was also upgraded to an MSD electronic distributor and Blaster coil, with the engine utilizing factory cast iron exhaust manifolds that flow out to a custom exhaust system that he fabricated.

Tough Drivetrain Needs Nothing Else

The Bronco came with a C4 automatic transmission, that Johnson had rebuilt along with the rest of the original drivetrain. This consisted of a Ford Dana 20 transfer case, Ford 9-inch rear axle, and Dana 44 front axle complete with drum brakes and locking hubs.

The factory suspension was also rebuilt to be as original, which included the factory radius arms, coils, and leaf springs. The shocks, however, were upgraded to a set of Fox Racing 2.0 shocks in front, and Fox 2.0 shocks with external bypass at the rear. A set of BFGoodrich All-Terrain Radial T/A 30×9.5×15 tires are mounted to a set of factory 15×5.5-inch steel wheels and original Bronco hubcaps to keep the vehicle looking somewhat like it did when it rolled off the showroom floor.

Better Than The Original

McComas Auto Body in Hemet, California was chosen to work on the Bronco’s body panels. These were repaired where necessary and ultimately painted an original Ford Bronco two-tone color of Boxwood green and Ivory white.

Since the factory original bumpers weren’t available, Johnson used a set of Wild Horses reproduction front chromed bumpers with chromed bumperettes. All of the other exterior trim, including the bumpers, rubber, and badges are either original or reproduction components, but when it came to the cab, Johnson added his own custom touches.

A Southern California native, Johnson knows you can’t drive around any car without air conditioning. Fortunately, aftermarket systems are available and was added to the Bronco. This, along with a modern stereo sytsem that appears like a vintage radio was added from Retro Sound, which includes Bluetooth™ and USB connectivity via a port on the ashtray door. An audio amplifier was mounted under the seat, and a small microphone for taking calls is tucked up near the windshield pillar.

With a history of being a top fabricator for the off-road racing industry, Johnson didn’t like the factory roll bar design Instead, he built a new version that adds more room for the rear passengers and that sits much closer to the factory removable top to increase its interior space as much as possible. Once this was done, the Bronco went to Raul’s Upholstery in Ontario, California, where the factory reproduction vinyl upholstery was added to the original front bucket and rear bench seats. The original door panels were also added to finish off the vehicle’s OE appearance.

Johnson managed to keep the Bronco’s original beauty while adding modern upgrades that didn’t take away from showcasing its unique body styling. Although one can’t say this vehicle is a true numbers matching restoration, it is a unique piece of off-road history that can be admired up close and experienced in real-world driving situations. Perhaps, that’s what makes it even better.

Specifications:

• Vehicle: 1974 Ford Bronco
• Engine: 302 CID V8
• Engine Mods: MSD Fuel Injection, MSD Ignition System
• Transmission: Ford C4 three-speed automatic
• Transfer Case: Dana 20
• Front Axle: Dana 44 – Factory drum brakes
• Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch – Factory drum brakes
• Wheels: Ford Bronco 15×5.5
• Tires: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A 30×9.5×15
• Shocks: Fox Racing 2.0 front, 2.0 external bypass rear