We at MyStarCollectorCar believe the vintage vehicle hobby should always include a learning experience whenever possible because there are many variables in the equation.
A good example was a spring show that included a 1971 ARO M461 built in Romania during that country’s time as a nation locked behind the Iron Curtain of Soviet-era Russia.
Jim Sutherland
We had no idea these Commie Jeeps even existed, so the 1971 ARO M461 was a complete mystery vehicle for us. The vintage military vehicle had a Dodge Power wagon/Jeep vibe to it, likely because its Eastern bloc builders lifted the best features of both North American-built military vehicles when they created an ARO M461 for the Romanian army.
The proud owner of the ’71 ARO was a colorful car guy named Bill Dick, and he was able to fill in the blanks on his oddball vehicle’s history. Bill purchased the vehicle back in 1979 from a guy who won it in a poker game in Alaska and eventually moved the ARO to southern Alberta Canada where he sold it to Bill.
Bill used it as a daily driver and discovered why he needed to upgrade his unusual Romanian army vehicle. As mentioned, Bill lives in Alberta, Canada, a place with real winters, consequently the ARO’s heating system was woefully inadequate for cold weather driving.
The ARO still had its underpowered original engine, so Bill formulated his game plan for a resto-mod on the military vehicle. His plan started with a 1976 Ford F250 4×4 donor pickup that supplied the new foundation for his project.
Bill cut about two feet off the Ford’s frame so it would fit under the ARO’s body. He eventually added a newer Ford 302 small block with fuel injection on the top end because he wanted an efficient fuel management system in the mix.
He mated the Ford engine to a C-6 automatic transmission for a solid and dependable powertrain combination because Bill intended to drive his unusual military vehicle after he completed the project.
The process was not an easy one because nobody had ever combined a Ford powertrain with a Soviet-era military vehicle, so Bill was blazing a new path in this area. One of the more unsettling obstacles was an incident when Bill was run over by his ARO and dragged about 25 feet before he was able to free himself from the truck.
The damage included a collision with a neighbor’s vehicle, along with a partially collapsed lung for Bill. Nevertheless, he was determined to complete his project, with a little help from his car guy buddies.
Bill wanted to keep as much of the 1971 ARO’s style as possible, including its original paint, while making it more drivable in modern North American traffic in the bargain. He added power steering, power brakes, better seats, tilt steering and a Ford heating system as upgraded creature comforts.
The result is a truck that Bill daily drives during the summer months and is now more than able to handle higher speeds on the highway. He can easily maintain a 70 MPH pace-and even took his ARO resto mod up to 85 MPH- but added “If something goes wrong, it’s Billy in a blender”.
It’s a good thing Bill is an outgoing guy because his 1971 ARO M461 gets plenty of attention and even more questions at a car show. We at MyStarCollectorCar were numbered among the curious onlookers.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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