Bronco - a long story

[Ginzo]

This will take a while, so take a load off...

I have been in this hobby for a little over a year. I started with a 2wd Slash, added a 4wd and my son & I went carpet racing. I suck at racing. Ben won his first feature 4 races in. We got bored with that, so I sold the 4wd, and bought a well used K10. I was hooked. I found this forum and read as much as I could. Since then, my K10 has transformed into a 72 Bronco. I've upgraded almost everything along the way. I've also only broken the stock plastic servo horn and a front drive axle. I sold off some more stuff and put more money into it including Codyboy axles, SSD chubs and weighted knuckles, VP axles and MIP drive shafts. I run a HW1080, HH Crawlmaster Expert 13T, Savox 0231 with a Spektrum DX4C. It runs on 3s SMC battery all day long. Some knock-off beadlock wheels and Hyrax 4.75s take this rig almost anywhere. I love it.


But, I was missing something. I wanted to build one from scratch over the winter. As luck would have it, I won a Demon SG4C in a raffle. Winter project! I'm not a patient person, so the Demon turned into a pain quickly. I had to force myself to finish it. Tried to sell it a couple times, but managed to complete it and run it. Glad I did. It runs and drives very well. But something was still missing...


Then I got a close look at a TRX4 Bronco. Love at first sight. Not quite correct, but what body. Then it clicked. The first vehicle I ever bought was a 1978 Bronco. It was black, had the Free Wheeling package, but had white, green and blue stripes and green interior. I have come to find out these are/were extremely rare. Maybe less than 50 made. Anyway, my mind started whirring away and BAM! I knew what I wanted. A TRX4 Bronco on an Ascender. A tribute to my first Bronco, if you will. Similar to Shinchu's build. So, that's what I'm doing.


I scored a "new" Ascender kit. Check. Found a complete Bronco body on sale. Here we go. It is being built mostly stock, cause this one won't be a hard core truck. No shelf queen either. Light trail truck. So far, I have the chassis built with a BPC full battery tray (parts bin) and a Helion 21T 550 motor leftover from my 72. Doing some of the usual free mods and installed an Ecopower servo. Put one in my Demon and it works well. 280 oz/in at 6v, so plenty for the trails. Also have a HW1080 to put in. Custom made the body and bumper mounts. That's where I am today.


Sorry for the long post. I figured you deserve an explanation as to why I didn't just buy TRX4 in the first place. That's too easy, I guess. Besides, the Ascender has proven itself to me, so why not start with the best? A big huge thank you to all the Ascender masters out there for all you do helping us poor slobs muddle through! See if I can get some pics of this thing

[mgputer]

Looks Good. I did the same thing except I cut the top off and fit a F100 cage in the bed.

[JatoTheRipper]

It looks good with the body lowered down on the chassis so the wheels tuck up in the wells.

[Yeti.stealth]

The Traxxas Bronco body is killer! Does look good on an Ascender chassis too.

[GA Dawg]

I like it, but it looks like those rear wheels are just a little too far forward.

[Ginzo]

Thanks guys! The rear wheels are a touch off, looks worse in pics. May stretch it a little yet.

Jato - that's the look I am after. More "stockish". Right now I have no preload on the shocks and the body is as low as it can be without hitting the bumpers. Still need to strip the bumpers (real ones have satin black bumpers) and find somebody to make graphics for it. Then interior, etc, etc...

mgputer - just looked your up. That rocks! The only pic I have of my 78 is topless