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One Of A Kind: 1987 Bradley GT 4×4!

Tired of boring modern vehicles that all look the same? This interesting one-off custom may be just the ticket! After shopping, you won’t have to look too hard to find this custom-built vehicle (a Bradley GT body on a 1989 Toyota 4×4 chassis) in the parking lot. First of all, the shocking-yellow paint job can’t be missed, and the giant tires and engine literally stick out. This amazing DIY hybrid blends the fiberglass Bradley GT II body with one of the most reliable and capable truck chassis ever built. The listing here on eBay has enticed eight bidders to prod the market value above $4000, not yet meeting the seller’s reserve. The Buy It Now of $14,500 more closely reflects the engineering and fabrication value. It’s not easy to follow through on your vision and create a running, driving, one-of-a-kind vehicle.

Though not show-quality or harsh weather-friendly, the exterior engine presentation will catch the attention of motorheads from three to 103. The (presumably 3.0L) Toyota V6 may not have the epic reliability of some four-cylinder Toyota engines, but it’s benefited from having many components replaced and runs and drives “good” according to the seller, despite the illuminated Check Engine light.

The curvaceous Bradley bodywork with the 4×4 stance, giant tires, and brush guards easily create daydreams of driving this vehicle in a post-apocalyptic race for some rare and valuable commodity like gas, or water, or the last box of Pop-Tarts. Whatever the challenge, unless it’s hot laps at Road America, this flashy yellow steed gives you a good chance of victory.

Instruments and other mechanical bits well-integrated into the Bradley kit-car interior deliver controls and vital information. The five-speed manual transmission adds to the fun.

This shot shows the truck chassis before it slipped underneath the kit-car body. Now we recognize the challenge of fitting a body designed for a rear-engine Volkswagen Beetle over a sizable front-mounted V6. Check out videos of the vehicle’s creation here on YouTube.com. What movie scene would you recreate while driving this sporty beast?

Comments

  1. Avatar RayT

    To answer your end question, Todd: I would never, ever, EVER drive this. Nor would I ride in it. Or stand within 50 feet of it if there was even the remotest possibility that any random human might be watching.

    And I have driven some absolute doozies in the past. I actually once spent a week with a Suzuki X90, though, in fairness, I don’t believe anyone noticed….

    But this is something I love, and, with more discretionary funds on tap, might even buy, if only to display it in a sealed underground bunker. It is even wackier and more senseless than those old prewar cars that had their bodywork stripped off and were converted into replicas of steam locomotives. A better example of the “Hold my beer” philosophy I have never seen. It is, in short, wonderful, and I applaud BF for featuring it.

    In short, this maybe be the most pointless, ball “kit car” build in automotive history. I believe whoever put it together deserves a medal. He is an absolute genius!

    Like 4
    • Avatar Todd Fitch Staff

      Hello RayT – LOL you’ve summed up many people’s thoughts I’m sure. Definitely not a daily driver but to the builder, I quote Pink Floyd: Shine On, You Crazy Diamond!

      Like 3
      • Avatar Dave

        What movie scene would I recreate, you ask? Marty McFly driving towards the drive-in theater screen.

        Like 0
  2. Avatar Rick

    Not his first “odd”ysee in weird vehicles. Note the mongo-tired barge in the background. My kind of evil genius!!

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Mitchell Member

    Shame it’s $14.5K. Dirt Every Day or Roadkill would flog this car with glee.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Blyndgesser

    I’d like to see it reenact the final scene from “Harold and Maude.“

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Don

    It appears that someone has an awful lot of time on their hands. The boat looks interesting alson.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar TimM

    I never can understand why someone takes an aerodynamic sport car body and jacks it up off the ground and takes away all the ability for that car to have any handling!!! I believe also that the Bradley is a fiberglass body and back in the 80’s a buddy of mine bought a fiberglass bronco body and he asked me (since I have two) if I would help him install it!! It took a couple of weeks working on and off along with our full time jobs!! It looked good and he he used it regularly trail riding and towing a boat!! Well now the body has cracks everywhere and he hasn’t driven it in over ten years!! I guess this is just a word to the wise!! However I think you see my point!!

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Bmac777

    I can’t say much about this car, but your mistaken about the lack of handling.
    Those 80’s Toyota 4wd trucks with their stock ride height handled great and even better with those bigger meats on there.
    A few of my friend’s had them, which I drove a lot, racing in the city , weaving through traffic, cranking some hard corners and winding parkways and when everything is tight they’re as good as most cars.
    I don’t know why people think that any vehicle that rides higher than a standard car is going to have no handling and be in constant risk of rolling over.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Blyndgesser

      Physics.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Bmac777

        Exactly!!
        Except that actual physics would prove my point,
        Width,height ,mass,body roll/flex, point of acceleration in relation to degree of cornering…etc.
        I never said they handle like a 911, But if I’m wrong there would be hundreds of thousands rolled over Toyota trucks

        Like 0
  8. Avatar Danno

    I think I actually prefer this to the “normal” ones.

    Like 7
  9. Avatar JMB#7

    Excellent Beach Vehicle. I don’t think I would take this vehicle through the woods & brush, (with a fiberglass body). But this would be “the cats meow” on the beach or sand dunes, or even the high desert. Probably has a much lower CG than the same ride height with the Toyota steel body on it.

    Like 2
  10. Avatar gerardfrederick

    This is an automotive perversion.

    Like 1
  11. HoA Howard A Member

    Well, I think it’s really neat. Certainly not your run of the mill Jeep Wrangler. We don’t know the story why someone would join 2 unlikely vehicles into one, but they did a lot of work. I think it would be relatively stable, although a modern ATV with a foot of suspension, power steering, AC/Heat, and 6 power ports, does the same thing, but where’s the fun in that? Cool find. Would blow these cowboys away out here, fo sho.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar DayDreamBeliever

    RNM at $4,350.

    Like 0

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