4BT POWERED DREAMS
together. Specifically, he did a full custom, super-clean wiring job on the whole truck, as well as ran brake and fuel lines. His tidy work not only brought the Bronco to life but also greatly enhanced the custom feel of the build.
Part of that tidy wiring job was integrating a full compliment of LED lighting from Firewire LEDS. Headlights, taillights, rock lights and interior lights are all low-energy-consuming, high-output Firewire LEDS. A custom-mounted and modified set of powered AMP Research retractable steps—or as Rutledge calls them, “the wife mod”—make it super easy to get in and out of this lifted Bronco, while also not hanging down to get hung up on the trail.
Dream Come True
Rutledge’s ’74 Bronco dream project debuted to the world at the 2017 SEMA Show in the Weld XT booth. The whole project came together in only two short months after sitting idle for years. With the encouragement of his wife and family, harassment from his friends, and a host of amazing and generous sponsors, Rutledge was able to finally realize his dream diesel Bronco build.
Since SEMA, the Bronco has received a few more finishing touches, like a custom-made S&B intake filter kit, and will be used primarily as a show truck over the next year. Rutledge plans to attend such shows as the Lone Star Throwdown, Carlisle All-truck Nationals, ODSS events and many others. He also hopes to get the Bronco out on some off-road trails in 2019 and truly use the truck for what it was built to do.