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The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner

Stroppe Racing Bronco #56

An examination and analysis of the histories and features of two

Stroppe Racing Broncos

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Background

• In 1969, Larry Minor and Rod Hall won the Mexican 1000 off race overall in a Bill Stroppe-prepared Ford Bronco. This victory marked the first and only time a 4WD vehicle claimed the overall (bikes and cars) victory in a Mexican/Baja 1000 race.

• Minor and Hall continued to drive for Bill Stroppe in various Broncos until the mid-1970s, when the Stroppe Bronco racing effort ended.

• Bill Stroppe had a fleet of Broncos that he prepped and raced in many races from 1966 until the mid-1970’s.

– These Broncos were built and rebuilt and painted and repainted over the years due to sponsorship changes, driver changes, technology changes and to repair damages incurred due to the rigors of desert racing.

• Many of these Broncos disappeared in the intervening years and only recently has interest in them been revived among a small group of dedicated Bronco racing enthusiasts.


Stroppe Bronco hierarchy• Super Broncos (tube frames or ‘significant’ changes from stock)

– Big Oly (PJ/Stroppe) – Pony/Super Pony (Minor and others)– Rush/Mizel Bronco (4WD Bronco)

• Modified Broncos (changes to body structure/style but retain stock frame and basic Bronco powertrain layout)– Colt (4WD truck driven by Bill Rush and others)

• Stock Broncos (‘lightly’ modified stock trucks)– 69 winner (Hall/Minor/Fricker)– ORMHOF/Barstow Bronco– Stove (Loomis/Wright truck, later raced by Willie Stroppe)– Flippo (2WD Bronco – “trainer” truck)– Privateers (Gale Pike, Dennis Harris)


The Two Subject Trucks:• In 2000, Gale Pike purchased a Stroppe-prepared racing Bronco,

known as the “Barstow Bronco” from an impound yard in Barstow, CA, where it had languished in the elements for nearly 20 years. The Bronco quickly received a “sympathetic restoration” and was repainted with the numbering and lettering of the ’69 overall winner. This Bronco is now on display at the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) in Reno, NV. Conventional wisdom has held this truck is the ’69 winner.

• In 2008, Andrew Norton and Todd Zuercher purchased another Stroppe-prepared racing Bronco from an owner in Phoenix, AZ, who had used the Bronco as a Glamis sand toy for many years. This truck is now undergoing preparations by longtime Baja racer Chris Wilson and fabricator Glen Straightiff to participate in the 2010 NORRA 1000.


The Dilemma:• As we started examining our new purchase, we quickly realized our

truck had many of the features of the ’69 winning truck, whereas the ORMHOF truck did not.

• We discussed the situation with Willie Stroppe, who assured us the ORMHOF truck is indeed the ’69 winner, but the questions have persisted. We are in agreement with Willie that our truck was raced extensively by Rod Hall and Jim Fricker in the 1970s.

• In the intervening time period, we have examined both trucks in detail, collected and analyzed every old magazine article and photo we can find, and talked to people who built and raced the trucks “back in the day”. – We are extremely grateful for all the help that everyone has given us.


• Our physical comparison of the two trucks has focused on the differences between the bodies and frames of the two trucks.– Rear framerail treatment– Rear suspension– Rear bedside modifications– Exhaust configuration– Windscreen configuration– Engine compartment features

• Much has changed on the trucks in the intervening years but we feel the basic “DNA” of each truck is still intact.

• For purposes of comparison in this presentation, the Norton/Zuercher truck will be referred to as “RR” (for Red Racer”) and the Pike/ORMHOF truck will be referred to as “ORMHOF”.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Rear Framerails

In these photos of the ’69 winner, note how the rear of the framerails are thinner than stock. The aft ends of the framerails were sectioned and narrowed.


Here’s another shot that shows the framerails along with some bed side details that will be discussed later.


Note how frame rails on RR on the left match the ’69 winner pictures. The ORMHOF truck rails on the right are chamfered/stock height.


These photos show the differences in even more detail: RR on the left, ORMHOF on the right.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Rear Suspension

• One of the key items for us in identifying RR as the ’69 winner came from this quote in the Feb. 1970 issue of ‘Motor Trend’ magazine, which was a sponsor of the ’69-winning truck and did a feature article on it:

• RR has the bracketry for those inboard leaf springs; ORMHOF does not.


These shots show the forward mounts for the leaf springs mounted under the framerails and the spring perches inboard on the rear axle on RR. Note that the springs have been moved outboard to stock locations in the intervening years. There is also evidence of shackle pivots at the rear of the framerails.


By comparison, this photo shows that ORMHOF has no evidence of anything other than a conventional Bronco rear suspension setup under it (other than custom shock mounting).

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Bed side comparison

Note that dual spares are shown in the pictures of the ’69 winner. In order for these spares to fit, the bed sides of the truck had to be ‘carved out’ for the tires to fit. This was a feature found on the race Broncos before about 1971. By then tire technology had improved and pitting was more organized and one spare was deemed sufficient.


Note that RR has the exact same cutouts shown in the previous slides. And although the current cage has only one spare mount, there are holes in the bed that correspond to the dual spare configuration shown on the previous slide.


By comparison, the bed sides of ORMHOF are of the stock configuration and show no evidence of ever having been modified.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Exhaust

One of the visual cues that first raised questions for us on ORMHOF was the lack of rocker exit exhaust pipes. The rocker exhaust is one of the

‘defining’features in all the photos of the ’69 winner.


The RR has the rocker exhaust like the ’69 winner. Photos here show the exterior and interior of the rocker panels.


In contrast, here is the exhaust on ORMHOF. Smooth rockers and no evidence of ever having cutouts.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Windscreens

Another difference is in the windscreens on the trucks – particularly the passenger’s side. The ’69 winner has the curved lower section to clear the air filter assembly.


Here’s a shot from a later year – you can barely see the lower edge of the windscreen on the passenger’s side. Also note that the Hall/Fricker Bronco carries the claim of being the Mexican 1000 winner and did so from 1970 until its last races in 1975.


On the left are the windscreens for RR (note the curve) and in contrast, the windscreens on ORMHOF shown on the right.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Engine compartment

The one shot we have of the ’69 winner engine compartment shows a smooth inner fender surface and two vent lines in the firewall next to the master cylinder.


This picture of ORMHOF shows its beaded inner fenders which are not part of the truck shown in the preceding photo.


Although it is difficult to see in the small photo here, we do not see any evidence of the vent fittings in the firewall of the ORMHOF truck.


In this shot of RR, the two fittings for the vent lines are clearly visible and the inner fenders are smooth like we see in the picture of the ’69 winner.

The 1969 Mexican 1000 Overall Winner: Stroppe Racing Bronco Analysis: Conclusions

• While we have no doubt that these two Broncos are indeed authentic Stroppe racing Broncos, if the ORMHOF Bronco is indeed the 1969 Mexican 1000 overall winner, it has a completely different frame and body than when it raced in 1969. By coincidence, defining characteristics of the 1969 winner are very evident in our truck.

• Whatever the outcome or conclusions, we are honored to be the current owners of our piece of history and have enjoyed the journey thus far. We’ve met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun! We hope to make many more memories in the years ahead.

Automotive

C:\Fakepath\69 B1 K Winner Differences