[Rimjob]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Cyrano

If you can find one, a VW Thing makes a good survival vehicle. It has as few parts as it's possible for a 4 wheel vehicle to have, no radiator to worry about because it uses the utterly reliable air cooled 2000 CC VW Boxer engine, and it has a mechanical voltage regulator, so no EMP worries. It gets excellent gas mileage, a manual transmission and has an integral oil filter, and it's simple to maintain. It's not fancy, but that just means there's less to break down. That would be my choice, especially if I could get a West German Army surplus model.

I guess this guy couldn't choose between the Hummer and the VW Thing!!! lol



THATS RIGHT!!.. ITS a VW THING!! This guy definitely had some extra time on his hand!

[Rimjob]

Quote:       Originally Posted by JohnRaven.exe

To the original poster....... If you want a STOCK suv/truck for a SHTF off road vehicle, stay away from the ford and chevy... I have a 1992 Toyota 4Runner (4x4) and it is completely stock. Compare a '92 4Runner to the same year of any domestic and the 4Runner will smoke them on the trails. All I would really have to do right now to make my (STOCK) truck a very capable off road vehicle would be to add a locker in the rear... You can't say that to a stock 92 ford or chevy. Now, back to the topic For off-road vehicles I would use my 4Runner as my main way of transportation. Second would be my 1986 Yamaha XT350

OH YEAH!!! Thats what I'm talking about! Wasn't that one of the years that they made 'em so's you could take the back roof off.. It wasn't exactly an easy chore as I recall, not something you'd want to put on and off everyday anyhow... But a really cool feature nonetheless! Wish I could find me one that wasn't too tore up, just to play with!.

My buddy had one back in high school and I agree they can handle their on in the woods.. I would probably dare to say it handled mud better than the H3.. Then again we did a lot of stuff back then that I'm not quite ready to try with the h3 just yet! lol

[JMcDonald]

My Suzuki Samurai has never been stuck since I learned how to drive it right. Right now all it has is a spool rear end, but is still on stock-sized worn ~26.5" street tires. Next week I should have my 29" MTs on 8" rims (up from 5") so I should see a big improvement.

It is big enough for two people to sleep in with relative comfort, weighs a scant ~2100 pounds (I actually pushed started it in sand once by myself, heh), and has no ECU.

Last weekend I pulled out a 3500lb Tacoma that was stuck in sand (he was trying to follow me, and motor-boated his way about 10' into that sand and got stuck).

At the moment it always has the following gear:
-Winch (3000lb, with a lift block to double that force when necessary).
-Hi-Lit jack (36" capacity, have used it several times).
-20' Tow Strap
-5' of .375" chain.
-Four 6' Tie straps
-Duct Tape
-Two sets of nice leather gloves
-50' of Rope
-Foot-powered air pump
-A towel
-A blanket

Ill post pics.

[Rimjob]

Quote:       Originally Posted by JMcDonald

Ill post pics.

please do!! They used to be everywhere round here..all jacked up with crazy paint jobs and so forth, but I haven't seen one in a while.

[JMcDonald]

Actually, I found a pretty recent pic. This is how it sits now:


Last time out I was going through a trail a little fast, and slid out a little wide and the back tire hit a huge stump and punched a big hole in it. In putting the spare on, I realized I had no air in the spare, so after driving slowly back to the road, we walked to the corner to get a can of air to fill it. The next day, I picked up that foot pump, heh.

I also caught the speedo cable on a rock and tore it, so I need another one of those, heh.

[Rimjob]

Are the new wheels that same dark color??, cuz it sure does look good! I bet you're gonna freak when you get to MTs on there!! I remember back in the late 90's I had a 93 V6 rodeo and it just had the reg ol rims and tires. I saved and saved and finally bought new wheels and Dueler 31.5" x 10.5 tires and they put 'em on one day while I was at work.. When I saw them on there the first time I was stoked! I'm sure you will be to!

[JohnRaven.exe]

Quote:       Originally Posted by AllAlaskan

^ I would argue on that one My dad had a 89 S10 pickup with a Factory 2 inch lift and had a posi in the back and would go any where and out did His buddys Toyota Tacoma. Also to be honost I would rather have a Jeep Wrangler over an explorer just to make it known lol. But i would consider a 4runner too they are very good vehicles. Only problum is most the ones I see people want more than they are worth

Eh, fair enough I guess... But I would still take a Toyota over any domestic

I do agree on the J(H)eep over the Ford Explorer though... Yuck!
My old neighbor had a pos mid 90's Explorer with a ''custom'' pvc body lift... Moron.

Quote:       Originally Posted by Rimjob

OH YEAH!!! Thats what I'm talking about! Wasn't that one of the years that they made 'em so's you could take the back roof off.. It wasn't exactly an easy chore as I recall, not something you'd want to put on and off everyday anyhow... But a really cool feature nonetheless! Wish I could find me one that wasn't too tore up, just to play with!.

Nope! The ones with the removable tops were 1st gen 4Runners... They stopped making them in either 89 or 90, not sure which...

I would LOVE to own a 1st gen '85 4Runner with the solid front axle and a 22RE

...I love Toyota's.......

[mos19k]

One of my guards has the 4 door Wrangler as do some of the off road club members. They all say that they love the new model. It's not as nimble as the 2 door model and it is a bit wider but it seems like a fair trade for the amount of space you get. Personally I'm looking at buying another Cherokee and make it my off road project car. This is what I want the end result to to be.

[tlarkin]

what if our infrastructure goes out and there is no gas? Or you would have to manually siphon it out of pumps?

I am telling you, bicycles, always a good call.

[KGunner]

I have a 92 Ford Bronco.

It doesn't matter what the 4x4 is but instead the driver behind the wheel. I took the Bronco on trails with my uncle's Landrovers with lifts and tires and all that fancy stuff and kept up just fine. Went to a place called Carnage Canyon after I got my 33'' tires on, and was keeping up with Jeeps on 35s just fine because I knew how to drive it. If you don't know how to navigate a trail, it doesn't matter what you have, you will mess something up badly.

[musicmaniac]

If I could have any vehicle? It would be a 4door 4wd Cherokee with the same high output 4.0 I6 my old one had, with about 4-6 inches of lift, 31 MTRs, ARB lockers front and rear, Warn bumper front and back(the rear one with the swing away tire carrier) and winch, a nice cargo rack on the roof. HOWEVER, I wouldn't be afraid to take this thing once it is done either.

As it sits now it has a full cage, 31" BFG ATs on the rear and 205s up front, 1600 single port (temporarily while I rebuild and beef up the 1835 dual port in my garage). Interior still needs a good bit of work, but it is moving along. Putting the new KYB gas charged shocks on this weekend. And hope to build a roof rack and light bar for it before too long. Just gotta get my welder to my new home from my old man's house. Right now it has the seats out of a Ymaha Rhino up front and no rear seat. Trying to decide if I want a rear seat or wnat to put a nice big fuel cell back there instead. But, I am sure I will end up with a back seat so I can take my wife and son out sometimes too. Here is my photobucket album with all the pictures of it as it was when I bought it a few weeks back. Only a few minor things have changed... So far.

[olddawg]

i been driving alot of riggs in my time on this planet. after alot of thunkin...lol... i would have to get out and drive a landcruzer.. an fj40 as a scout all around rigg.. and i would grabb another fj55 wagon for haulen my female and gear .. they both got great 3.9 motors in them and most parts on an old toyota from the junk yard will fit. the got a ton of tork and climbin to them . short wheelbase for getting around most things.
they dont have an itty-bitty driveline on them like a jeep so that you twist the crap out of them when the going gets tougher.. the things i did in mine growing up in Montana.. ahhh good memories...lol...you can get a lift from most places due to the fact that any toy 4x4 stuff will fit.. i have yet to do a rebuild before 275k on any of the ones i had. not so with my chevy`s and jeeps...sorry fellas..fords tend to not last much longer back home also.. or maybe i just got a monday or friday model...
you can put disc-brakes on them in a kit for about 400 bucks..you can snokel them ,lift them, cumputerize them, all kinds of stuff and the damn ugly little buggers keep on rollin.if they werent any good why has toyota been making them for so damn long and why do they have a complete factory outside of mexico city that still produces them for export all over the damn world.. hell folks here are just now finding out how good the little buggers are.. ive been driving them since 75.. but to be fair i also drive my 66chevy panel truck, and my 69 shovelhead.
you couldnt GIVE ME a hummer.. h-2 or h-3 those turds are just on a simple s-10 frame guys. dont buy into the hipe...if i didnt have a landcruzer..i would have a 3/4 ton chevy truk with a fiberglass camper on it. 6inch lift 350 p/s p/b painted o.d. green or desert tan.. thats what i do when i get one them some guy thinks it`s cool and buys it from me..if you guys want a real military HUMMER... call down to az .. they do sell offs and you can buy hummmers that have been cut in half for sale to the public.. you got to weld them back togther but you guys that want one can get them... the cost is 10k each. there is a guy here that buys them up...fixes them up ... and sells them to the guys taken tours out to the old indian ruins.. but THE BST RIGG FOR WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE Damn fan has been and will always be a good string of horses guys.. you dont need gas, oil, parts, just a river or lake, and some grass and you will alway be on your way..okay im done ... got alittle long winded there.. sorry for that.....just tryin to help a bit.

the olddawg

[olddawg]

i been driving alot of riggs in my time on this planet. after alot of thunkin...lol... i would have to get out and drive a landcruzer.. an fj40 as a scout all around rigg.. and i would grabb another fj55 wagon for haulen my female and gear .. they both got great 3.9 motors in them and most parts on an old toyota from the junk yard will fit. the got a ton of tork and climbin to them . short wheelbase for getting around most things.
they dont have an itty-bitty driveline on them like a jeep so that you twist the crap out of them when the going gets tougher.. the things i did in mine growing up in Montana.. ahhh good memories...lol...you can get a lift from most places due to the fact that any toy 4x4 stuff will fit.. i have yet to do a rebuild before 275k on any of the ones i had. not so with my chevy`s and jeeps...sorry fellas..fords tend to not last much longer back home also.. or maybe i just got a monday or friday model...
you can put disc-brakes on them in a kit for about 400 bucks..you can snokel them ,lift them, cumputerize them, all kinds of stuff and the damn ugly little buggers keep on rollin.if they werent any good why has toyota been making them for so damn long and why do they have a complete factory outside of mexico city that still produces them for export all over the damn world.. hell folks here are just now finding out how good the little buggers are.. ive been driving them since 75.. but to be fair i also drive my 66chevy panel truck, and my 69 shovelhead.
you couldnt GIVE ME a hummer.. h-2 or h-3 those turds are just on a simple s-10 frame guys. dont buy into the hipe...if i didnt have a landcruzer..i would have a 3/4 ton chevy truk with a fiberglass camper on it. 6inch lift 350 p/s p/b painted o.d. green or desert tan.. thats what i do when i get one them some guy thinks it`s cool and buys it from me..if you guys want a real military HUMMER... call down to az .. they do sell offs and you can buy hummmers that have been cut in half for sale to the public.. you got to weld them back togther but you guys that want one can get them... the cost is 10k each. there is a guy here that buys them up...fixes them up ... and sells them to the guys taken tours out to the old indian ruins.. but THE BST RIGG FOR WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE Damn fan has been and will always be a good string of horses guys.. you dont need gas, oil, parts, just a river or lake, and some grass and you will alway be on your way..okay im done ... got alittle long winded there.. sorry for that.....just tryin to help a bit.

the olddawg

[olddawg]

didnt mean to double post sorry fellas...lol

[musicmaniac]

Haha! Welcome aboard olddawg. Good first, second, and third posts! LOL!! Glad to have ya! Did you mean you are from AZ too or just that you can get them old chopped up military HMMVs here?

[Rimjob]

Quote:       Originally Posted by olddawg

you couldnt GIVE ME a hummer.. h-2 or h-3 those turds are just on a simple s-10 frame guys. dont buy into the hipe... the olddawg

First off let me welcome you to the Forum!! Its a GREAT place!

Secondly,
you're just wrong (except the part about the horses)lol.. The H3 IS built with the beginnings of the Colorado chassis, but it is a far cry from the "same" finished products.. Sounds like you are the only one that has been caught up in the hype.. or Hipe as you put it..

Keep in mind that I'm not claiming that the H3 will outperform anything you have or say that you are going to get, just that the H3 can hold its own..

I know I know. you probably read something somewhere or saw some jackass that didn't know how to drive get stuck, but other than that what do you really know about it??

Taken from autoblog.com:

There are quite a few folks out there don't believe that HUMMERs are fully capable off-road vehicles. Most of those who have actually driven HUMMERs off-road believe the opposite is true... and they often get called names because of that. We've owned an H2 that saw dirt once, driven the H3 and H3T, ridden shotgun in an H3 Alpha at the Baja 500, and pre-run the first section of the Baja course in an H2 modified with nothing other than bolt-on shocks. We've not only seen what HUMMERs can do, we did it. We're believers.

In this blogger's version of the debrief after a Moons Over My Hammy, the finding was that the Hummer AND the Landcruiser will go anywhere you point them. Period. Anyone who says otherwise is, quite simply, incorrect. The only difference is in how they do it. The H2 is a thoroughly mechanical machine that overcomes obstacles with locking diffs and brute force. The Landcruiser substitutes some of that rawness with an electronic aid that will achieve the same end. The only thing we would change on the Landcruiser for off-road work is the steering: it really is Lexus-light, no matter what you're doing. Unless the wheels were positively stuck, you could always turn the wheel with two fingers. But we would take either truck anywhere.

Still, the doubters would not be swayed. "The H2 is still absurd," they said, "but it had the right tires, and that's what this is really all about." The H2 could not get a fair trial; it had just done everything the non-believers wanted it to do, but now it was only because of the tires. We rebutted: Hogwash. The H2 covered every trail and had plenty left over, and that's what this was really all about.

after even the semi-capable H2 went everywhere the landcruiser guys went, trying to stop it, they still want to bash it..

"It was in the parking lot afterward that the smackdown came. We were walking to the H2, about to enjoy the long drive home, when we heard: "The Jeep Rubicon is really the best off-roader out there because it's got locking front and rear diffs and 33-inch tires." We turned and said "So does the H3T.""
----------------------------------

So the next test is due out next month (H3T vs Rubicon).. Not that it will change your mind, but for people that like DATA instead of rumors and conjecture it might me informative..

[larmus]

i still think this is as "viable" as anything:

http://static.flickr.com/139/323354239_ab016bf84a.jpg

couldnt resist...hahahaha.lol.

[Ironcowboy]

If gas wasn't an issue i'd use my truck. Its a jacked up (3" lift, with 33x12.50's mud terrain tires) It will go about anywhere, and its an extended cab, so i have room for any guns and gear i need, plus whatever i want in the bed (bike, extra gear, gas can's, ect.) In a real SHTF i'd get a cap, and then i could sleep in the bed, could then go anywhere.

[AllAlaskan]

Ya Like I said before some people may need diffrent things in a vehicle. I meen heck if your single and alone you could use a 4 wheeler or bike but if you have a family like my self that wont due lol. But I will give it to the Toyotas they do make excellent offroad vehicles.

[Rimjob]

Quote:       Originally Posted by larmus

i still think this is as "viable" as anything: http://static.flickr.com/139/323354239_ab016bf84a.jpg couldnt resist...hahahaha.lol.

LMFAO!!

Good one..