Old Capital Car Club member Bruce Baggarly is preparing to show off his prized possession and family heirloom in the car show Oct. 18 at the Deep Roots festival.
“I was encouraged by my granddaughter, Harmony Brynteson, and the club to share this story with our local news,” said Baggarly. “Harmony recently shared her journey with art, and this is another story that connects to our local community.”
In the summer of 1974, 14-year-old Baggarly was working at his cousin’s body shop when a “beautiful Bronco” came into the shop. It was a U-15 wagon with a three-speed V-8 302 engine bought brand-new in 1971, , but its new owner, Dean Allgood, wanted some minor body repair done and a color change. Allgood owned the Ford dealership in Wilkinson County and purchased the Bronco back after selling it three years prior to Milledgeville local Frank Chambers. Baggarly and his cousin sourced an Imron red paint to replace the green color, touched up the body, and installed a stripe kit, all upon Allgood’s request.
“I will never repaint the Bronco,” said Baggarly. “That paint job means so much to me and to my father-in-law. He was a great guy and a great father-in-law. When I started dating his daughter in ‘74, I was working at the body shop, but he later hired me part-time at his dealership and I worked there until he closed in 1980. He was a good man.”
Allgood and his wife, Elaine, used the Bronco to ride the dirt roads near their home in Wilkinson County, going mud bogging with their son Jody, and driving it for their daily commute to Gordon Ford, Baggarly said.
Allgood’s daughter, Susan, loved the Bronco as well and would sometimes drive it with her friends or her boyfriend, he added.
Baggarly stated that his wife once drove a friend in it without her parents’ permission, found the “three on the tree” gear setup to be confusing, and rode to her destination in low gear. Out of frustration, she slammed the passenger-side door and broke the vent window, which Allgood noticed but never fixed. It remains broken today, but sentimental to Susan’s childhood shenanigans.
“There’s a lot of memories associated with the Bronco, and I hope that continues,” said Baggarly.
In 1982, Jody unexpectedly passed away at just six-years old and Allgood and his wife stored the Bronco in their barn, likely overcome with grief and the connection it had to their son. It stayed in that barn until 2009, when Dean Allgood passed away, and Susan took ownership of the vehicle, promptly giving it to Baggarly.
“I rebuilt the entire fuel system, installed a new carburetor, and replaced the wiring, but it still has the original engine. I’ve kept as much of the original Bronco as possible,” said Baggarly. “The Bronco is currently in my will to be left to my daughters so I plan to keep it restored and pass it on to our family.”
In 2013, Baggarly and his wife moved to Milledgeville to be closer to family. In 2018, after battling cancer for five years, Susan passed away. Baggarly describes her as a godly person, kind-hearted, and well-known around the community. She led women’s bible study at Northridge Church and Baggarly has remained involved with the church since her passing.
“But before she was gone, she rode in the passenger seat of her dad’s old Bronco around our neighborhood a few times and got to see five of her six grandchildren play on that same old bench seat and slam the doors a time or two,” Baggarly read from a Hagerty magazine article he wrote in partnership with his daughter, Celeste Orr.
In 2021, Baggarly joined the Old Capital Car Club and has remained a member, helping raise money for local organizations, attend car shows, and socialize with other car enthusiasts. Every Saturday at the local Bojangles, he showcases the Bronco amongst other cars.
“I keep the Bronco running as a labor of love, a tribute to Susan’s family and to my own love for classic cars,” said Baggerly. “And through the Old Capital Car Club, I am able to give back using that Bronco. We donate annually to organizations like Meals on Wheels, ARF, the Georgia War Veterans Home, Comfort Farms, and more. And the organization is open to anyone, so I encourage others to get involved.”