“Fully Torqued” on The History Channel Vehicle Feature: 1974 Ford Bronco

Ever heard of the show “Fully Torqued” on The History Channel?

It’s about a gearhead named Steve Pazmany who starts his own hot rod shop with his mentor Uncle ″Bird” Betts, an old-school rodder with deep roots in California drag racing. Fully Torqued projects cover the spectrum from classics to exotics, and we’re featuring as many as we can. (Oh, and we’ll even toss in some parts lists if you want to see what went into each build.)

Click here to all of the “Fully Torqued” vehicle features.

This is what MMA referee Herb Dean’s 1974 Bronco looked like when it was dropped off at the Fully Torqued shop. Dean bought the vehicle 15 years ago and enjoyed the heck out of it before parking it. After sitting for a couple of years, the Bronco suffered several indignities including rodent-chewed wiring, two flat tires, and an interior full of leaves. Fully Torqued’s game plan was simple—leave the patina-ed white paint as-is, bring the driveline and suspension up to snuff, and make the interior comfortable for long distance drives. (Image/Summit Racing)

For this feature, we’re talking about a 1974 Ford Bronco owned by former mixed martial arts champion and current MMA referee Herb Dean. Herb bought the Bronco about 15 years ago, had some fun with it, then parked it. He wanted it brought back to life as a reliable vehicle he can get into, turn the key, and go.

Other than a four-barrel carburetor on an aluminum intake and an aftermarket ignition box, the Bronco’s 302 cubic inch small block was as-built by Ford. A compression check showed the engine was sound and just needed some love and a little elbow grease to bring it back to life. (Image/Summit Racing)

The “Fully Torqued” crew obliged. They overhauled the Bronco’s 302 cubic inch engine, then rebuilt the C4 automatic transmission and Dana 20 transfer case for reliability. The suspension was rebuilt and upgraded with Summit Racing™ Truck Shocks and a raft of Energy Suspension urethane bushings.

The interior is best described as grubby—dirty carpet, beat-up seats, a rusty roll bar, and an assortment of flotsam and jetsam in the cargo area. Other than a front floorboard that needed to be replaced, the rest of the cabin sheetmetal was solid. (Image/Summit Racing)

The interior got a bunch of Dynamat sound deadening and new carpet, and the Bronco now rides on 33 inch tall BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 tires mounted on 17 x 9 inch Fuel Revolver wheels.