HELLA BAD BRONCOS

A HELLA BAD STORY

AS A KID GROWING UP MY DAD HAD A 1977 BRONCO NAMED “PAPA SMURF” THAT WAS BABY BLUE. WE TOOK IT ON MANY ADVENTURES INCLUDING HUNTING, CAMPING AND SIMPLE RIDES TO DINNER. MY BEST MEMORIES ARE IN THAT BRONCO. WHEN I WAS 16 I WAS PROMISED TO GET THIS BRONCO. MY DAD FELL INTO HARD TIMES AND HAD TO SELL IT WHEN I WAS 15. SO I ENDED UP WITH AN 87 TOYOTA CELICA AS MY FIRST CAR. SAD I KNOW, BUT I WAS 15 IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH MY OWN CAR - I COULDN’T COMPLAIN.

WHEN I TURNED 17 I BOUGHT MY FIRST BRONCO. A 1978 JADE GREEN WITH AN NP435. DUE TO FAMILY REASONS, I HAD TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT ONE. AT THE AGE OF 19, I FINALLY BOUGHT MY FIRST CLASSIC BRONCO. A 1975, WHITE AND BLACK ON 33s WITH 410 GEARS, LOCKERS, AND A GOOD OLD 3 ON THE FLOOR. I OWNED THAT FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS BEFORE I HAD TO SELL….AGAIN. ABOUT 6 YEARS LATER I BOUGHT IT BACK TO FIND OUT IT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY MANGLED AND DISSEMBLED. I PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER BUT IT JUST WASN’T THE SAME BRONCO I KNEW SO I SOLD IT.

I LATER DISCOVERED A BRONCO THAT WAS SITTING IN A DRIVEWAY IN AUSTIN. I KEPT LEAVING NOTES ON IT IN THE HOPES THEY WOULD CALL TO SELL IT. AFTER 2 YEARS OF PERSISTENCE, I WENT TO DROP OFF ANOTHER NOTE AND THE POEPLE WERE ACTUALLY HOME. THEY WERE GETTING MARRIED AND IN NEED OF SOME MONEY. SO THIS IS HOW I GOT MY 1968 - SENIOR AZUL. WHEN I BOUGHT IT, THE MOTOR WAS SITTING WRAPPED IN THE OWNERS GARAGE - FULLY REBUILT. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THIS BRONCO WOULD COMPLETELY CHANGE MY LIFE WITH THE PEOPLE I NOW CONSIDER FAMILY.

I INSTALLED THE MOTOR IN HIS DRIVEWAY. IN NEED OF HELP, I CALLED MY FRIEND BOBBY WHO I MET AFTER PURCHASING MY 75 BRONCO. HE SENT A GENTLEMAN TO HELP ME WITH THIS MOTOR. MR. JASON REIS. SHOWED UP DRESSED IN ALL WHITE, AS HE WAS COMING FROM WORK, P. TERRY’S TO BE SPECIFIC, WHICH MADE INSTALLING THE MOTOR AN EASE. MOMENTS LIKE THESE I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH IN MY LIFE WITH MANY BRONCO GUYS WHO HAVE COME TO MY AID TO HELP ME IN MANY BRONCO SITUATIONS. THESE ARE THE BEST PARTS OF OWNING AN EARLY BRONCO - THE PEOPLE. MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE INSTANT FAMILY.

I MODIFIED AZUL TO BE A DAILY DRIVER AND CAPABLE OFF ROAD. I WANTED TO ENJOY BOTH STREET AND OFF ROAD COMFORTABLY. THIS HAS ALLOWED ME TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO HAVE THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE IN MY BRONCO, AGAIN, MEETING AMAZING PEOPLE. ALSO BROUGHT ME TO, BETWEEN GOD AND THE BRONCO FATE, MY WIFE. - WHO IS MY DREAM COME TRUE.

GORDON BAILIE, OWNER OF BAILIE BILT ( WHO BUILDS BRONCOS, BUMPERS AND THE BEST AND ONLY CAGE WE USE HERE AT HELLABAD ) IS PART OF MY BRONCO FAMILY. I NOW CALL HIM MY “BRONCO DAD.” GORDON HAS INTRODUCED ME TO MANY FINE PEOPLE AND ONE OF THEM BEING TODD FOSS, WHO AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, USED TO DRIVE HIS PRETTY BLUE BRONCO TO ALL THE EVENTS FROM MAINE, WHEEL IT HARD AND THEN DRIVE IT BACK! THROUGH ONE OF THESE EVENTS, THERE WERE PHOTOS TAKEN I SAW ON INSTAGRAM, REACHED OUT TO THE POSTER AND FOUND OUT IT WAS MARIAH FOSS, HIS DAUGHTER. WE FOLLOWED EACH OTHER ON INSTAGRAM FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND FINALLY MET IN PERSON APRIL 25, 2019 AT OUR LEBC TEXAS EVENT - A DATE I WILL NEVER FORGET, I JUST HAD MEXICAN FOOD. I LOVE TACOS.

THROUGHOUT THE EVENT WE HAD SMALL CONVERSATION HERE AND THERE, IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT WE TALKED MORE AND REALIZED WE WERE VERY SIMILAR. AFTER MANY PHONE CALLS, PICTURES AND MESSAGES, WE DECIDED TO HAVE A WEEKEND HERE IN AUSTIN TOGETHER. THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART COMING UP: WHEN SHE LANDED SHE CALLED ME AS I WAS WALKING THROUGH THE AIRPORT ENTRANCE. I ASKED HER “WHERE'RE YOU AT” SHE REPLIES “OH I SEE YOU.” I SOON SPOTTED THIS GORGEOUS RED HEADED WOMAN OFF IN THE DISTANCE. AS SHE PROCEEDED TO MOVE TOWARDS ME WITH A BAG ON EACH ONE OF HER SHOULDERS, HER WALK STARTED OFF SLOW. THEN A FAST PACE, THEN A TROT. HER NEXT MOVE, WHICH WOULD CAPTURE MY HEART FOREVER; SHE VIOLENTLY THREW HER BAGS ON THE GROUND, JUMPED AND FLEW INTO MY ARMS. IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE HAD SAID “ACTION” JUST LIKE A LOVE SCENE FROM A MOVIE. EVERYONE TURNED AND LOOKED, THE ONLY THING I WAS MISSING WAS OUR OWN THEME MUSIC. I HAD TOTALLY FALLEN AT THAT MOMENT. I FELT MY PRAYERS HAD ALL BEEN ANSWERED OF FINDING MY HEART. I ASKED HER “WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NOW?” SHE REPLIED “I WANNA SEE YOUR SHOP!” TRUE BRONCO GIRL AT HEART - I TOLD YOU!

THIS WEEKEND WAS THE MOST VITAL PART TO OUR UNBREAKABLE BOND.

OUR NEXT ENCOUNTER WAS OCBR OF 2018. THIS WAS THE MOMENT I GAVE HER MY MOST CHARISHED ITEM: THE ORIGINAL KEY TO MY FATHERS BRONCO WHO I HAD FOUND IN HIS BELONGINGS AFTER HE PASSED IN 2004. I HAD BEEN WEARING THIS KEY AROUND MY NECK FOR OVER 10 YEARS. THIS WAS MY PROMISE TO MARIAH, THIS WAS MY VERSION OF A PROMISE RING. SHE NOW VALUES THIS MORE THAN HER OWN WEDDING RING AND WEARS EVERYDAY. SHE SHORTLY AFTER MADE A COPY OF THAT KEY SO I COULD WEAR IT AROUND MY NECK. SHE MISSED SEEING ME WEAR IT. WE HAVE THE “TRUE KEYS” TO EACH OTHERS HEARTS.

FAST FORWARD TO OUR ENGAGEMENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN AMSTERDAMN. I HAD SET THE PERFECT PLOT TO WERE SHE HAD NO IDEA I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE. WE WERE THERE ON BUSSINESS AND I STILL DID NOT HAVE A RING, AS FAR AS SHE KNEW…. I COULDN’T DECIDE HOW I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE, I WANTED THE MOST MEMORABLE SETTING. AFTER A FEW DAYS, WE WERE EXPLORING THE TOWN AND GETTING READY TO CALL IT A NIGHT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A BOAT DOCKED UP. I ASKED HIM IF HE DID PRIVATE RENTALS AND HE SAID YES. HE TOOK US ON A TOUR OF THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL CANALS. AS I DISTRACTED HER TO TAKE PICTURES, I WHISPERED TO THE CAPTAIN “I NEED A PLACE.” I THEN DISCRETELY SHOWED HIM THE RING. HE SAID “ I HAVE THE PERFECT PLACE.” MOMMENTS LATER WE STARTED TO PASS UNDER A BRIDGE. THE CAPTAIN INFORMED US THIS BRIDGE IS CALLED “THE LOVERS BRIDGE.” LEGEND HAS IT IF YOU KISS WHILE DIRECTLY UNDER THE BRIDGE, YOUR LOVE WILL LAST FOREVER. WE WENT THOUGH THE BRIDGE AND CAME BACK THROUGH A SECOND TIME, OFF COURSE WE KISSED BOTH TIMES! ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BOAT STOPPED, I HANDED MY PHONE OFF TO THE CAPTAIN TO START A VIDEO. I ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK BUT WAS INCAPABLE. SOMEHOW I COMPLETELY LOST MY VOICE AND STRUGGLED TO GET WORDS OUT TO TELL HER HOW MUCH SHE MEANT TO ME. AS I GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE TO ASK FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE, SHE SAID YES! SHE WAS SHOCKED AND HAD NO IDEA I HAD BEEN CARRYING AROUND THIS RING THE WHOLE TIME. DECEMBER 28TH OF 2018 - IT WAS OFFICIAL. I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST LANDED THE MOST INCREDIBLE WOMAN.

AFTER THAT IT WAS A LONG (AND I MEAN LONG!) 8 MONTHS UNTIL THE WEDDING. WE TRAVELED BACK AND FORTH ABOUT TWICE A MONTH TO SEE EACH OTHER. IT WASN’T EASY BUT IT WAS WORTH IT FOR OUR BIG DAY. AN OUTDOOR WEDDING SET IN MAINE ON THE LAKE. SURROUNDED BY FLOATING LED CANDLES AS THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN. DENNIS HOTCHGRABER, OUR PASTER AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM, HE TOO HAS A BRONCO! HE MADE US ALL SMILE, LAUGH AND CRY AS HE GAVE A FULL SERMON BASED ON THE WORD “BRONCO.” HE HAD A WORD THAT APPLIED TO MARRIAGE FOR EACH LETTER. IT WAS INCREDIBLE AND SO PERFECT FOR US. EVEN OUR WEDDING CAKE HAD BRONCOS ON IT AND BRONCO SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES FOR DESERT.

IT WAS MARIAH’S WISH TO HAVE ALL THE FAMILY VEHICLES AT THE WEDDING. HER DAD’S 1966 CRAWLER BRONCO, MY BRONCO CANDY (THAT WAS TOWED UP BY GORDON BAILIE), HER DAD’S FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL’S 1968 BRONCO AND HER MOMS PRETTY 1974 BRONCO. ONCE YOU PARKED AND STARTED TO WALK DOWN TO WHERE THE TENT WAS, YOU PASSED THROUGH 2 JEEPS, HER GRANDFATHERS (TODD’S FATHER) 1953 WILLY’S JEEP AND A BLACK CJ7. I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING.…JEEP? WELL TO BE CLEAR, ITS ACTUALLY FORD BRONCO ALL UNDERNEATH THEM! PLUS SHE GREW UP WITH HER GRANDFATHER ADORING THEM SO THESE 2 WERE ALLOWED ;) HER DAD’S 1967 COUGAR WAS STRATEGICALLY PLACED SO WHEN YOU SAT DOWN AND LOOKED OUT AT THE WATER FROM EITHER VIEW, YOU SAW IT.

MARIAH’S DREAM WAS TO BE DRIVEN DOWN TO THE AISLE IN HER DAD’S 1966 CRANBERRY F-100 SUPPED UP 460. THIS TRUCK IS HER DADS BIRTH YEAR AND HAD GROWN UP WITH HIM DRIVING IT ALMOST EVERY DAY IN THE SUMMER. HE REBUILT AND PAINTED IT ALL HIMSELF. THE TENT TOOK UP A HUGE AMOUNT OF SPACE AS WE WANTED IT AS CLOSE TO THE WATER AS WE COULD GET IT. HER DAD ACTUALLY DROVE THE ‘66 THROUGH THE TENT AND WALKED HER THE REST OF THE WAY. IT WAS MAGICAL.

PHOTO TAKEN BY RJ LAKE PHOTOGRAPHY (ALSO THE FIRST EMPLOYEE AT HELLA BAD). ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SHOTS.