17ETHOS27of American muscle, the 5.0-liter Ford Coyote V-8, tuned to
Ward’s spec and producing 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque.
A stainless steel, ceramic-coated Borla exhaust system adds
a bit of throaty musicality, and power is routed through an
AX15 five-speed manual transmission. The driveline is ready
for off-roading, with an Atlas transfer case routing drive-
shafts to Dynatrac differentials equipped with ARB lockers.
Ward selected the shortest shocks manufactured by Fox Rac-
ing in order to preserve the Bronco’s stock proportions, and
the suspension is configured with a radius-arm front and
four-link rear setup. As you can imagine, those 21st century
underpinnings endow the Roadster with a performance
envelope belied by its 1960s-era aesthetic.
My Land Rover and I met Ward and his stallion at a
sprawling private orchard not far from Santa Susana Air-
port, a dusty outpost where Steve McQueen was known to fly
his Stearman biplane in the 1970s. At first glance under the
warm California sunlight, the trucks seem starkly different.
The Rover was built when the sun had already set on the
IT’S SO SIMPLE
YOU COULD
SPIT ON IT, PEE
IN IT, USE YOUR
T-SHIRT AS A
GASKET, PUT IT
BACK TOGETHER
IN THE FIELD,
AND PARTY ON.