THE SCOTTSDALE

BUILT, NOT BOUGHT

- WORDS BY JOHN PANGILINAN

This year appears to be the year of the Bronco. The highly anticipated and long-awaited return of the iconic Ford looks to regain its place among the off-road elite. Soon you will see many on the road and on the trails. Sean Jennings is one person who couldn't wait for the new Bronco, so he decided to build his own modern version.

Sean grew up drawn to the outdoors where he would spend his free time camping and fishing. He served two tours with the Marine Corps and would often find himself out in nature riding quads, dirt bikes, and hitting the trails. After his time in the military, he went to college studying marketing and graphic design, and now works with clients in the automotive and firearms industries. His diverse background has dovetailed, where his love for the outdoors, passion for all things automotive and his creative vision have aligned to build custom vehicles.

What began as a project for a client to build a marketing vehicle quickly became a personal project after the original plans were scrapped. Sean had always wanted an older Bronco, and when plans fell through with the client, he decided to make the purchase for himself. The timing was right for the Idaho native, who lived in Arizona at the time, a place where he could enjoy the vehicle all year round.

Sean found the vehicle locally from a gentleman who only used it to haul his mountain bikes. It was in good condition with a mild restoration, but it still had its fair share of issues, which he knew needed to be improved. Initially, a few minor cosmetic changes were done after the purchase as the vehicle was used for daily driving and as a weekend vehicle to hit the trails and camping. Like with any of these projects, he wanted to add his signature touches to make the Bronco his own, but after almost a year of daily driving, he decided he wanted more out of the vehicle.