When you set out to build a vehicle that will take you anywhere you want to go, you end up needing a lot of heavy-duty and specialized parts. First, you decide what size and style of vehicle you need, and then decide on how big of a tire to run. From there, the rest of the components are dictated by how strong, comfortable, and capable you want your all-terrain vehicle to be.
Why an Old Bronco?
Jon and Rhonda Barricklow, of JB Custom Fabrication in Salem, Oregon, wanted a vehicle that would take them camping, hunting, and off-roading all over the northwest U.S. Their vehicle of choice was a '66 Ford Bronco, but trust us when we say that this vehicle is now more a creation of JB Custom Fabrication than it is a Ford. The '66 Bronco station wagon body was shortened 42 inches and covered in an exoskeleton cage. Evidently, sheet metal is overrated for off-roading. Rhonda completely reworked the Bronco's cab, basically rebuilding the body from a rusty shell. When she was done, she covered her exquisite craftsmanship in a coating of RM Diamont single-stage matte black urethane paint to give their Bronco its sinister look.
It's All About the Engine
The 3.9L Cummins four-cylinder came from an old bread delivery truck. Actually, the 4BT engine showed up at Jon's shop still cradled in the front half of the P30 truck chassis that it was originally installed in. The engine received some minor tweaks to the injection pump and injectors to increase the power output without making the engine smoke. The Holset turbo was fitted with a 12cm turbine hosing, and the air intake was made from 4-inch diameter aluminum tubing capped with a K&N air filter. The exhaust runs out a 3-inch downpipe and is routed up through a 4-inch chrome-plated stack that stands up behind the cab. In addition to the power upgrades, the 4BT also drives a Bendix air compressor (for airing up tires) and a Vickers hydraulic pump that Jon uses to run the Bronco's hydraulic ram-assisted power steering.
 From underneath the Bronco...  From underneath the Bronco you can see how tight everything really is. A ZF five-speed manual transmission from a mid '90s Ford was mated to an aftermarket Stak transfer case. The Stak has three different gear ratios (4.33:1, 1:1, and 0.79:1), and sends torque to a pair of Modified Unimog 404 axles with selectable locking differentials and a combined gear ratio 7.56:1. |  Beard extra-wide suspension...  Beard extra-wide suspension seats were fitted with Crow four-point racing harnesses. Under the seats are sliding storage boxes to hold tools. There's even an overhead console that houses a Sony stereo, Cobra CB radio, and Jon's iPod. |  The tires are 39.5x13.50R16.5...  The tires are 39.5x13.50R16.5 Interco IROK radials, and were chosen because they were the tallest tire that Jon could fit on the Hummer H1 double beadlock wheels. |