- First Name
- Erik
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2021
- Threads
- 8
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 567
- Location
- Bloomington IL
- Vehicle(s)
- 1979 Bronco
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
When we hear the word, "Bronco" it means more to my brother, Kris, and I than just a hunk of metal and plastic that people drive. To us, BRONCO means decades of family tradition...heritage...and legacy...
Ford Broncos have been in our family since my Uncle Dick Conrad, a Ford employee for over 40 years, bought the VERY FIRST Bronco ever sold at our local Ford Dealership back in 1966. That little yellow half-cab became infamous in our small community because when most people were stuck in the snow and unable to move around, there he was pulling people out of ditches and saving the day. He had to drive a vehicle he could count on to make the 1:45 trip to and from Ford's Chicago Heights stamping plant every day to work 3rd shift...no matter what the road conditions were back in the late 60's!
Uncle Dick's son, our Cousin Rick, is 13 years older than I am and he followed in his Dad's footsteps. Cousin Rick always had several Broncos in the 70's & 80's...and he would let my brother and I watch/help him wrench on them in the back of his garage. Then, he would take us out with the top off and jump railroad tracks with Kris and I hanging onto each other for dear life! That began our deep rooted passion for Ford Broncos and vintage Ford 4x4's.
Kris and I dreamed of a day when we could help families make the same kind of memories with a Bronco that we did when we were kids...
We have been buying, fixing-up and selling old Ford vehicles since I was 15 years old (I’m 47 now and Kris is 45). Broncos, Rangers, Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Explorers, F-150’s…if it had a blue oval on it, we were tinkering with it and flipping them for beer money. We’ve literally owned THOUSANDS of Ford vehicles over the years, but we always had the most fun with Broncos…especially the Gen-1’s…they were just so friggin cool and no two rigs were the same!
Growing up, I was blessed with artistic talents. I would draw, cartoon, sketch, sculpt…I loved to make something interesting/eye catching out of nothing. I think that’s why I loved the Ford Bronco so much…it was a blank canvas and each one was a new art project for me. On top of that, I was pretty good at building relationships and understanding what people wanted. The issue was that I wasn’t very knowledgeable from a mechanical perspective…but that’s where my brother, Kris and Cousin Rick would come in.
I would find the vehicle and come up with the vision, then they would build it for me to sell!
In 2013, what we were doing in our garage started to grow quickly. Ford Broncos were becoming more and more popular and we noticed that our customers’ budgets were also getting bigger. Each new build got a little more elaborate and more expensive to complete. We literally grew step-by-step with the Bronco market…and our customers loved what we were able to build them.
When the Coyote engine became a realistic option for our builds, the lid completely blew off and we have been blessed with a waiting list for our Broncos ever since then. We have been buying/building/customizing/selling about 75-100 Broncos a year and have been fortunate to build Broncos that have won some of the top awards at the most prestigious auto shows…SEMA, World of Wheels, Autorama, etc. We’ve had so much fun the last 10 years!
3 years ago, Ford Motor Company contacted us and asked if we would consider becoming a QVM (Quality Vehicle Manufacturer) participant and upfit modern Ford 4x4’s for dealerships to sell…like Roush, Shelby, Tuscany, SCA Performance, etc. We were blown away. I grew up as a massive Carroll Shelby fan and have always dreamed of putting our spin on modern Ford’s, just like he did. I guess it was a natural path with the new 2021 Bronco being introduced. We had customers asking us to build their 2021 Broncos over 2 years before Ford even unveiled what it looked like!
Most folks don’t know that Chris Svensson (Designer of the latest Ford GT) was leading the Bronco design effort at Ford and back in 2017, we built a relationship talking about the Bronco…old and new. He became a customer when he saw our 2017 4-door SEMA Bronco, the 4 Horsemen and he appreciated the build because Ford was planning its own 4-door version of the Gen-6 Bronco. (He also loved the marine-grade vinyl we used in our Broncos) We were planning a date where he could show our 4-door Bronco to his Ford design team, but he suddenly grew ill and tragically passed away…God rest his soul!
It’s an honor to think that we may have had a little influence on what has now become the 6th Generation of the Ford Bronco! I only wish Mr. Svensson could see how the marketplace has embraced the vehicle and how HUGE it is becoming!
Today, Maxlider Brothers Customs is giving the newest Bronco as much attention and focus as previous generations. We are PROUD to be part of the Bronco community and marketplace. We are EXCITED to show you all what we have planned for this vehicle. We have been the BRONCO HEADQUARTERS for a long-long time, and we intend to continue to be the foremost authority on the Ford Bronco…no matter what generation!
We will be releasing tons of new parts over the next few months and can’t wait for you to see them…and we will continue to customize new Broncos so our clients can make life-long memories with their families just like we have for decades.
Thank you for reading…God Bless!
Erik Barnlund, CEO
Maxlider Brothers Customs
MaxliderBros.com
Ford Broncos have been in our family since my Uncle Dick Conrad, a Ford employee for over 40 years, bought the VERY FIRST Bronco ever sold at our local Ford Dealership back in 1966. That little yellow half-cab became infamous in our small community because when most people were stuck in the snow and unable to move around, there he was pulling people out of ditches and saving the day. He had to drive a vehicle he could count on to make the 1:45 trip to and from Ford's Chicago Heights stamping plant every day to work 3rd shift...no matter what the road conditions were back in the late 60's!
Uncle Dick's son, our Cousin Rick, is 13 years older than I am and he followed in his Dad's footsteps. Cousin Rick always had several Broncos in the 70's & 80's...and he would let my brother and I watch/help him wrench on them in the back of his garage. Then, he would take us out with the top off and jump railroad tracks with Kris and I hanging onto each other for dear life! That began our deep rooted passion for Ford Broncos and vintage Ford 4x4's.
Kris and I dreamed of a day when we could help families make the same kind of memories with a Bronco that we did when we were kids...
We have been buying, fixing-up and selling old Ford vehicles since I was 15 years old (I’m 47 now and Kris is 45). Broncos, Rangers, Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Explorers, F-150’s…if it had a blue oval on it, we were tinkering with it and flipping them for beer money. We’ve literally owned THOUSANDS of Ford vehicles over the years, but we always had the most fun with Broncos…especially the Gen-1’s…they were just so friggin cool and no two rigs were the same!
Growing up, I was blessed with artistic talents. I would draw, cartoon, sketch, sculpt…I loved to make something interesting/eye catching out of nothing. I think that’s why I loved the Ford Bronco so much…it was a blank canvas and each one was a new art project for me. On top of that, I was pretty good at building relationships and understanding what people wanted. The issue was that I wasn’t very knowledgeable from a mechanical perspective…but that’s where my brother, Kris and Cousin Rick would come in.
I would find the vehicle and come up with the vision, then they would build it for me to sell!
In 2013, what we were doing in our garage started to grow quickly. Ford Broncos were becoming more and more popular and we noticed that our customers’ budgets were also getting bigger. Each new build got a little more elaborate and more expensive to complete. We literally grew step-by-step with the Bronco market…and our customers loved what we were able to build them.
When the Coyote engine became a realistic option for our builds, the lid completely blew off and we have been blessed with a waiting list for our Broncos ever since then. We have been buying/building/customizing/selling about 75-100 Broncos a year and have been fortunate to build Broncos that have won some of the top awards at the most prestigious auto shows…SEMA, World of Wheels, Autorama, etc. We’ve had so much fun the last 10 years!
3 years ago, Ford Motor Company contacted us and asked if we would consider becoming a QVM (Quality Vehicle Manufacturer) participant and upfit modern Ford 4x4’s for dealerships to sell…like Roush, Shelby, Tuscany, SCA Performance, etc. We were blown away. I grew up as a massive Carroll Shelby fan and have always dreamed of putting our spin on modern Ford’s, just like he did. I guess it was a natural path with the new 2021 Bronco being introduced. We had customers asking us to build their 2021 Broncos over 2 years before Ford even unveiled what it looked like!
Most folks don’t know that Chris Svensson (Designer of the latest Ford GT) was leading the Bronco design effort at Ford and back in 2017, we built a relationship talking about the Bronco…old and new. He became a customer when he saw our 2017 4-door SEMA Bronco, the 4 Horsemen and he appreciated the build because Ford was planning its own 4-door version of the Gen-6 Bronco. (He also loved the marine-grade vinyl we used in our Broncos) We were planning a date where he could show our 4-door Bronco to his Ford design team, but he suddenly grew ill and tragically passed away…God rest his soul!
It’s an honor to think that we may have had a little influence on what has now become the 6th Generation of the Ford Bronco! I only wish Mr. Svensson could see how the marketplace has embraced the vehicle and how HUGE it is becoming!
Today, Maxlider Brothers Customs is giving the newest Bronco as much attention and focus as previous generations. We are PROUD to be part of the Bronco community and marketplace. We are EXCITED to show you all what we have planned for this vehicle. We have been the BRONCO HEADQUARTERS for a long-long time, and we intend to continue to be the foremost authority on the Ford Bronco…no matter what generation!
We will be releasing tons of new parts over the next few months and can’t wait for you to see them…and we will continue to customize new Broncos so our clients can make life-long memories with their families just like we have for decades.
Thank you for reading…God Bless!
Erik Barnlund, CEO
Maxlider Brothers Customs
MaxliderBros.com
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