IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT - 1971 ORIGINAL BRONCO

When you meet a classic Bronco owner, you always know there is going to be a unique story behind what they wanted to do with their Bronco when they bought it. Some buy rusted out Broncos and perform incredible restorations. Others buy them to create a beautiful new build. These are both great approaches, and Bronco Nation loves seeing people preserve these pieces of history. There are, however, other owners, like Scott Schwartz, who say, “let’s find out what this vehicle can still do.”

Scott bought his 1971 Bronco in 2014. It was completely original, but it had been sitting in a garage, totally unused for 16 years. As Scott says, “It kinda sorta ran,” and that was all he needed to see. He decided to take an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, and Scott says, “I have been fortunate that not many things have ever broken on my Bronco.” After a few minor replacements and some welding work, it was ready for him to start driving with its original parts. When Scott bought his Bronco, it had 121,000 miles on it. Now it has around 160,000 miles on it. Scott uses his Bronco as a daily driver, for off-roading, and in 2015, he decided he was going to take it across the country, from his home in Pennsylvania all the way to California and back. Scott and his Bronco visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico, Death Valley and Red Wood Forest in California, and mountain ranges from Idaho to Colorado. Even after all those miles, the only modification he has made, besides what he had to do to get it running, is add a lift kit and tires.

During his cross-country journey, Scott met up with other Bronco owners along the way, discovering that being a Bronco owner also means belonging to a community. He still maintains a close relationship with some of the owners he met. He continues to drive his Bronco around the country to meet up with other owners. Before heading out on a trip, Scott says he just changes the oil, checks the anti-freeze, and keeps a little extra in the back, just in case. Scott’s Bronco can get him anywhere he needs to go, and he plans to drive it until he literally cannot drive it anymore. When that day comes, Scott says, “it is going to be me that restores it." You can meet Scott, his rig, and other incredible Bronco owners at the upcoming Super Celebration events.