BRONCO'S MAGIC

Owner: Global Pyrotechnics Vehicle: Custom 3-D Bronco body with Ford F-series bed, built by L.D.I Kustom Koncepts. Engine: 510 cu.in. Chevrolet Carburetion: Supercharged, Alcohol Injected Horsepower: 1,500 Suspension: Combination 4-link coil and nitro shocks Tires: 66in Height: 12.7ft Width: 12.4ft Weight: 11,029lbs Broncos Magic made its first appearance in late 2001, and was a truck that was responsible for quite a few Australian firsts, which included the first truck officially sanctioned by the National Rugby League (NRL), the first 3D bodied truck and the first truck to perform a wheel stand on demand. Owned and operated by Global Pyrotechnics, the purpose behind the design was to appeal to a wider audience, namely the NRL whose football seasons are much a staple of Australian sporting culture, attracting millions of enthusiasts per year, and even more in terms of profit&ldots; a business in which the promoter was keen to be part of. Nevertheless, the image of the truck become rather tired and so the owners made the decision to move away from the football theme, in favour of a fresh new paint scheme and overall change of theme, hence the truck would eventually become Outback Thunda. Previously touring extensively as The Rock, the truck was brought back to the Sunshine Coast, where it would undergo its extensive rebuild at the hands of Lindsay Houston and the team at L.D.I. Kustom Koncepts. The first and most obvious addition to the truck was the 3D body, built to represent the equine mascot for the "Brisbane Broncos" NRL team. Building such a 3D fibreglass body, modelled in such a unique style, had never been attempted before, so the challenge set would most likely push the boundaries of many craftsmen. However, the team at L.D.I. Kustoms had made the task seem effortless, as they managed not only to pull off this truck, but three others at the same time. Since building Broncos Magic, L.D.I. Kustoms have repeated their 3D craftsmanship skills on other trucks, including Bear Foot USA and Scooby Doo. Along with the body work came a modification to the chassis at the rear of the truck. This alteration would allow the truck to perform wheel stands relatively easily. Brackets were welded to the main chassis which allowed the attachment of a weight transfer box. The box was essentially a water tank, which would allow adjustment to its total weight. In theory, the ability to perform effortless wheel stands was an attractive idea , however in practice the truck performed rather awkwardly, and the extra pressure placed on the chassis and rear shock absorbers placed these parts at greater risk of wear. After a year, the weight transfer box would be abandoned when the truck underwent another major rebuild to become Outback Thunda. Almost ironically, Outback Thunda would gain a reputation for performing outrageous sky-wheelies and slap-wheelies, without the use of any ridiculous wheelie devices.

Rich wrote, "Here is a 3d bodied truck. It was originally called Lunatic, then changed to Rock and now Bronco's Magic. It has a weight transfer box in the back and is now known as Australia's only wheelie monster truck." Thanks for the picture and info, Mark Hurley and Richard Scott.

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