Campaigned by Parnelli Jones and Bill Stroppe, “Big Oly” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic off-road racers of all time. Based on a 1969 Ford Bronco, the trophy truck featured a custom tubular Chromoly space frame, lightweight fiberglass bodywork, and a 390-hp 351 Windsor V8. In addition to being used to win a slew of high-profile races including the 1971, ’72, and ’73 Baja 1000s and the ’74 Mint 400, Big Oly has also inspired numerous tribute builds — one of the most impressive of which is unquestionably Marshall Madruga’s ’71 Bronco-based homage, a spare-no-expense project that’s recently come up for sale.
Using a Ford Bronco donor from the same year that Jones won his first Baja 1000, Madruga’s tribute project is built around a custom TIG-welded and powder-coated Chromoly tube frame that’s been paired with 2.5” coil-overs, Bilstein Blackhawk shocks, Hypercoil springs, brass-plated Sandco upper and lower A-arms, and brass-plated four-link Dirt-Tech trailing arms — a Baja-grade suspension setup that affords a whopping 24” of travel up front and 31” out back. Powering the trophy truck is a bored-out 7.2-liter Windsor V8 that’s been gifted a slew of top-shelf internals before being mated to a custom-built two-speed Powerglide transmission. The engine now puts down 723hp and 650ft-lbs of torque — when sipping regular pump gas.
Boasting a 5,950lb weight and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the truck has also been bestowed with top-of-the-line Outlaw 9000 four-piston calipers and American Racing forged aluminum custom wheels shod in BFGoodrich 39-inch KTR Project tires. The exterior of the build also sports custom tubular front bumpers, a six-unit roof-mounted LED light pod setup, side body-exiting exhausts, a large wing that acts as the build’s roof, and a set of full-sized bed-mounted spare wheels. Inside, the Big Oly tribute boasts a modernized, race-spec cabin with Autometer gauges, an off-road-specific Lowrance GPS system, and race seats with custom harnesses courtesy of PRP. On top of receiving a SEMA Top Ten pick, this Big Oly tribute has also been featured in an enormous number of magazines, websites, and videos, and has also spent ample time on display at various automotive museums.
This 1971 Ford Bronco-based “Big Oly” Trophy Truck Tribute is currently available for purchase on eBay with a BIN price of $475,000. Smog-exempt, this vehicle is also registered in California and boasts road-legal status.
