It’s a Cherry Bronco!

Danbury Senior Living in North Ridgeville always puts on a great summer Car Show.

But a solid cherry Bronco? Come on! It can’t be true!

But there it was last Saturday, gleaming like a jewel in the sun along with the dozens of other mouth-watering classics for all to see.

The 1977 Cherry Bronco is famous. It belongs to Ron Ervin of Grafton.

As the story goes, Ron and Debbie Ervin and family were always Bronco fans. Ron reports that he, his dad and brothers had already chopped 7 or 8 Broncos over the years. He and Debbie even owned a ‘77 back in the day, but it was too small for their crew.

The Cherry Bronco has a little brother…The Wooden Golf Cart!

But, once everyone had grown up and out, Ron scouted for another ‘77 to replace his former trophy car. In 2003, he found one in West Virginia. He spruced it up and showed it at a few cruise-ins.

Enter his friend, Jack, a master craftsman, who had a passion for fabricating wood bodies for classic Jeeps and pick-ups. Jack ran the idea of a wooden Bronco by Ron, and the vision of a show piece Bronco sprung to life! Jack, with his special skill set, built the body and Ron (along with his dad, a friend and his son), pulled the car apart right down to the frame.

When they completed the underbody work, they dropped in a 302 crate motor and other customized parts.

Then they waited for Jack, who started with a box built off original Bronco measurements. Then came the painstaking work of matching body lines with 7/8th-1 inch cherry boards, all individually cut, planed and glued – one on top of the next. Screws were added for strength and lots of checking and sanding went into this masterpiece.

Bumpers and trim, made of oak and ash, were added, as well as the doors. Multiple coats of minwax bring out the color and, in just 8 short months the masterwork was completed. Yes, it’s totally street legal and can be seen at car shows throughout the season. So keep your eyes open!

The build was so much fun that Jack went on to make a smaller version of the Bronco on a golf cart frame. This jewel boasts a 19 inch plasma TV screen and dvd player, ground-effects lighting and a 250-watt in-dash stereo with a powerful subwoofer.

If you want to read more about these projects (complete with photos of the builds in progress), visit Bronco Driver Magazine and check out Issue 39 for all these details.