Custom ‘Woodie’ Ford Bronco is Truly One of a Kind

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell 

                               

                                         

If you’ve ever seen a genuine “woodie” in passing, there’s a good chance you felt a warm wave of nostalgia shortly afterwards. These wood paneled autos are utterly reflective of their time—an age that really began to dry up in the mid to late ‘50s, giving way to the simulated woodgrain of the ‘60s onward. 

 

With the full-on regression of the woodie by 1966—the birth year of the Ford Bronco—it’s almost a blessing that the first-generation Bronco was never subjected to such faux wood impropriety. It wouldn’t have looked good. This however, looks the business.

Built by Ohio’s Classic Ford Broncos, this 1974 Bronco features a lovely and fully-custom rear woodie body, hand crafted from marine-grade timber. At $74,900, it’s not what you’d call cheap, but then again it may be the only one of its kind.

Like its iconic predecessors, the Bronco’s woodgrain styling begins with its front doors, flowing rearward in two-tone light and dark finishes. It imbues that familiar nostalgic feeling, but with an underlying resto-modder’s appeal.

Inside, the wood treatment continues, lining the ceiling and window perimeters, and meshing well with the Bronco’s green metal dashboard and doors, brown carpet, and chestnut leather seats.

 Who would have thought brown-on-brown-on-green could look so good?
The Ford Bronco woodie isn’t just an exercise in style, it’s a capable four-wheeler too. The 4×4 rides atop rugged BFGoodrich tires, 3.5-inch lifted suspension, and draws power from a fuel-injected Ford 302ci V8.

Convenience features like air-conditioning, power disc brakes, and power steering also find a home.

In the decades since the golden age of the woodie, car designers have surely tried many times to bring it back—few of them particularly good—which just goes to show, if you’re going to do it, do it right (or not at all).