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This 1971 Bronco belongs to "Sherm Watson" (top_speedearthlink.net)

The Bronco is known as Sherm's Tank, partially because of the owner's name and it must weigh 4,500 easy. I bought it in November,1995, when I became impressed with the performance of my son's 71 Bronco. 71 is a good year for Broncos because they came with Dana 44's in the front for the first time and they are smog exempt in CA, up to 1973 models. The body is one of the few original parts of this vehicle. The front end is a Dana 44, easily converted to disc brakes, the rear is a Dana 60. The axels are 3/4 ton and the hubs are eight lug. It has a Smittybuilt front bumper and a Hickey Sidewinder winch is being installed in that unit. Cooling is Derale electrical only. There are two standard fog lamps on the bumper and two projection lamps that are affixed to the lower portion of the front bumper. The original hood latch has been replaced with hood pins. To prevent the accidental replacement of the pins, F-150 hood springs were added that will lift the hood if the pins are not in place. Tires in the photos are Super Swampers that are being replaced with BFG 35X12.5X15's for improved versatility. The front brakes have been converted to disc brakes, while the rear brakes are still drum units. The battery case is built into the fenderwell to prevent loss of the battery during off-road conditions. Ignition is a Mallory dual point, centrifugal only, to improve lugging and high RPM operations. The coil is a Ford HEI unit found on almost every Ford product today. This unit produces 55,000 volts and is currently being marketed by Holley as a performance feature. Because of the extreme angles of attack in climbing and descending off-road obstacles, the Tank is fitted with a 1972 Buick Rochester Quadrajet carb with mechanical secondary venturis. Both wheelwells have been cutout and replaced with screening to evacuate heat and noise from the engine bay. This also provides very easy access to under-the-hood components by simply removing self-tapping screws from the screen. The screen is anchored to the body with 1" wide T-6 billet skirts. The engine is a 351 Windsor with an Erson RV cam, Edlebrock high-rise manifold, KN air filter, KN crancase filter, The headers are being removed to reduce heat, noise, and improve room in the engine bay. Standard Ford cast iron manifolds and Flowmaster three-chamber exhausts are replacing the original header and glass-pack system. A single differential breather has been mounted at the same height as the air cleaner to prevent water leakage into both differentials. A newer model seven quart oil pan replaced the original five quart oil pan. The transmission is a totally rebuilt NP-435 with a BB adaptor. This transmission has a .669 first gear ratio that is able to crawl at the lowest speeds. This transmission is extremely strong. First gear is not synchronized. The transfer case is a Dana 20. The above dash instrument cluster is made entirely of billet and stainless allen bolts. The dash contains the A/C vents and fans, the CB radio, the Sony AM/FM cassette unit, and twelve rocker switches that operate all of the electric applications. Front suspension includes an adjustable drag link and drop bracket, the stock pitman arm was used, The serpentine conversion, power steering conversion, and electrical updates are listed in the technical articles. The exhaust and brake lines were routed as far from each other as possible to prevent heat damage to the brake lines. The brakes use Silicone fluid to reduce corrosion and raise the boiling point. The driver's side seat is an electrically adjustable unit from a Ford Tarus. The interior lights are also listed in the technical articles. Front and rear seats are restrained with Simpson four-point seatbelts. The Rollcage is a six-point that is completely padded. The rear, main, gas tank is a 23 gallon unit, the driver's auxillary tank is a twelve gallon steel unit, and the passenger side tank is a twelve gallon steel unit. All of these tanks are operated by a single Purulator fuel pump. Industrial mats are used for carpeting and R-25 insulation is being installed throughout the interior of the Tank. The hard top is also being insulated with the same material. The Tank has a Kayline soft top and a Kayline Bikini top. The rear springs are stock, but have been rebuilt with polymer sheets and "Mike Boyd" low profile traction bars. These bars improve articulation, keep the vehicle level in rough terrain, prevent wheel hop on acceleration, and improve off-road articulation. These traction bars are affixed to the differential housing and are not the ladder-type bars commonly used. This improves ground clearence, improves rear end play, and reduces wheel-hop that can dig into dirt or mud surfaces.