Bow Tie By Design
Wrenching for years behind the scenes at Off Road Design and having a hand in many of the epic fullsized wheelers to roll out of the shop, it was Tom Cherry's time to get out and wheel. Outfitted with a full line of Off Road Design parts and putting its legendary transfer-case Doubler to good use, Tom's Bow Tie creation made light work out of some of the toughest obstacles using virtually all over-the-counter parts.
The Down & Dirty
Driver: Tom Cherry
Co-driver: Stephen Watson
Representing: Off Road Design
Stomping grounds: Colorado
Vehicle: '85 Chevy K-30 cab/'82 Blazer frame
Engine: 400ci
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: NP203/205 ORD Doubler
Front axle: Dana 60, Lock-Right, 4.56 gears
Rear axle: 14-bolt, Detroit Locker, 4.56 gears
Suspension: 4-inch Tough Country with ORD rear shackle flip
Tires & Wheels: 40-inch BFG KM2 M-Ts on 17-inch Trail Ready bead locks
Other Stuff: Off Road Design front bumper, Warn 8,000-pound winch, Edelbrock Pro Flo injection, custom cage and bed
Built for: Everything
Side Kick'n
To go on the Ultimate Adventure once and survive is impressive, but to get invited back again, is just asking for it! This year's returning readers John and Gary Lambert had their work cut out for them as they had a dead transmission and blown rear differential on the first day. So did they pack it up and head back towards the Green Mountains of Vermont? Of course not. They got dirty, fixed it, and kept on moving.
The Down & Dirty
Driver: John Lambert
Co-driver: Gary Lambert
Representing: You the reader!
Stomping Grounds: Vermont
Vehicle: '93 Suzuki Sidekick
Engine: Chevy 4.3L
Transmission: TH350
Transfer Case: 4.7 Toyota
Front Axle: '85 Toyota, spool, 4..10 gears
Rear Axle: '85 Toyota, factory Toyota electronic locker, 4.10 gears
Steering: Hydraulic assist
Suspension: Coil front, leaf rear
Tires & Wheels: 37-inch BFG KM2 M-Ts on 17-inch Poison Spyder bead locks
Other Stuff: Full cage, custom bumpers and rock sliders, Warn winch, aluminum radiator
Built For: Rocks
Blues Brothers
With the Bronco looking cleaner and definitely better built than the day it rolled off the showroom floor in '68, Patrick Deming along with his brother Steve cruised through the Ultimate Adventure virtually trouble-free. Getting the most points for the shiniest paint job, it was great to see such a well-polished rig navigating some of this country's toughest trails.
The Down & Dirty
Driver: Patrick Deming
Co-driver: Steve Deming
Representing: You the reader!
Stomping grounds: California
Vehicle: '68 Ford Bronco
Engine: 347ci stroker
Transmission: NP435
Transfer case: NP203/205 Doubler
Front Axle: Dana 60, chromoly shafts, CTM U-joints, Dedenbear knuckles, ARB Air Locker, 5.13 gears
Rear Axle: Hybrid 9-inch with Unimog portals, ARB Air Locker, 5.13 gears
Suspension: Custom 5.5-inch, Cage radius arms, four-link rear with King coilovers
Tires & Wheels: 40x14.50 BFG KM2 M-Ts on 17-inch Raceline bead locks
Other Stuff: 2-inch body lift, custom bumpers, Warn 8274 winch, Comp Cam, 351ci Lightning heads, roller rockers
Built for: Rocks
Country Time
Quite simply one of the easiest vehicles to point out, and one of the hardest to spot on the trail, Greg Higgs passenger-side-drive (we know, it's just funnier to say it this way) Suzuki combines Hemi power and a barrage of custom parts to make this beefy 'Zu go anywhere he pointed it. And no, he doesn't go through the drive-thru in reverse. We asked.
The Down & Dirty
Driver: Greg Higgs
Co-driver: RJ Lynn
Representing: Rough Country Suspension
Stomping grounds: North Carolina
Vehicle: '87 Suzuki SJ-410
Engine: 5.7L Hemi
Transmission: 45RFE
Transfer case: 4.3:1 Atlas II
Front axle: Spidertrax housing, Currie 9-inch center, Detroit Locker, 4.56 gears
Rear axle: Spidertrax housing, Tru Hi-9, Detroit Locker, 4.56s
Steering: PSC full hydraulic
Suspension: Custom four-link with coilovers
Tires & Wheels: 39-inch BFG Krawlers on 17x9 American Racing
Other Stuff: Fab Fours front and rear bumpers, Ramsey 9,500-pound winch, aluminum links, rear suspension winch
Built for: Big rocks