By now you have undoubtedly looked through these pages to see if your favorite truck or trail rig is here. If it is, you probably feel a sense of glory knowing that there are others out there who know your rig is the very best 4x4 ever. If it’s not here, you think we are a bunch of morons, and you’re writing your “Cancel my subscription” letter right this very minute. If you haven’t sent that hate mail yet, take comfort in knowing that of these 10 4x4s, our staff only owns two—for now anyway—so we are humbled by our own 10 best list. If you happen to own one or more of them, you better think twice before leaving it unlocked tonight….
’51-’52 Willys M38 Flatfender
Why we’d swipe it:
•To add it to Péwé’s collection
•To prevent someone from restoring it
•Enzo Ferrari said it was the only true American sports car
•Not everyone will know the year or the model, but even your 9-year-old daughter will know it’s a Jeep
Péwé—“Best made of the flatfender line. The military took a CJ3A and put all types of brackets and gizmos on it. Good-looking, strong, nimble, and reliable, this rig is great stock-restored, or modified to your wildest dreams. If you want a builder, this is the base to start with.”
’73-’77 Ford Bronco
Why we’d swipe it:
•SVO catalogue, anyone?
•Fullsize drivetrain in a maneuverable package
•We can get tired of all the CJ-ME2s
•Full convertible
Kennedy—“One of the most popular 4x4s for both enthusiast and Sunset Boulevard civilians alike. We’d take any of the ’66-’77 Broncos, but we’d want the Dana 44 up front with disc brakes and the crossover steering that the later-model trucks came with. We can leave the hardtop at home and hit the trails just like our Jeep buddies—except we don’t have to swap out the entire drivetrain to play in the rough stuff.”
’77-’87 Chevrolet/GMC K30
Why we’d swipe it:
•The drivetrain is worth more than the truck
•454, TH400, NP205, Dana 60, 14-bolt rear
•No IFS to complain about out on the trail
•Gives you an excuse to buy a 12,000-pound winch
Kennedy—“These trucks have all the magic numbers: 454, TH400, NP205, Dana 60 front, and 14-bolt rear. Lift it with soft springs and you can run any size tire you want. Get an early model if you want to play with a four-barrel, or hold out for an ’87 with fuel injection for idle-anywhere convenience. At a time when everyone wants an open-knuckle Dana 60 up front, you can save your money for other modifications.”
’78-’79 Ford Bronco
Why we’d swipe it:
•We have a 460 that needs a home
•C6, NP205, Dana 44, Ford 9-inch— where is the weak link?
•Fullsize with coil sprung front suspension
•We want to see more of these on the trail
Huber—“I’d pick the ’78-’79 Broncos (but then, I’m a bit biased since I own one). All were equipped with either a 351 or a 400 V-8, an NP435 or C6 tranny, an NP205 T-case (or optional NP203), a Dana 44 front axle (straight), and a 9-inch, 31-spline rear axle. It can also run 33-inch tires without a lift and 35s with only a 4-inch lift. Plus you can take the roof off!”
’94 Land Rover Defender 90
Why we’d swipe it:
•Aluminum body won’t rust
•Pat Gremillion said he wants one
•Those Brits still owe us for bailing them out of WWII
•We like Buick-powered 4x4s
Frazier—“The yuppie ‘It drives itself off-road’ D90. What more needs to be said? Defenders between ’90 and ’94 had V-8 engines and five-speed LT85 gearboxes. The Defender aspires to full comfort, including power steering, accessories galore, A/C, and interior trim. But at least you can get one with about 70,000 miles on it for cheap. Shyeah, right? The purchase will set you back a measly $30,000.”
’67-’69 Kaiser/ Jeep M-715
Why we’d swipe it:
•Dana 60 front, Dana 70 rear
•Has a storage compartment that doubles as a mailbox
•Why settle for a wimpy 1-ton?
•There is more to Jeep than CJs
Péwé—“Beefiest Jeep ever, this incarnation from Kaiser holds the record for fewest built and the biggest number of fans. Slap some 44s on the stock rig and go have fun. Just remember to bring your earplugs.”
’73-’75 Chevrolet/GMC Blazer/Jimmy
Why we’d swipe it:
•Every parts store stocks your parts
•Last of the full-convertible-top K5s
•Lift it for less than $300
•Wheel it all weekend, and then use it to tow your buddy’s trail rig home
Kennedy—“There is one of these trucks for sale in your town at this very moment and you can lift it with the money you make from returning all those empty bottles in your garage. You can swap in any V-8 truck engine Chevrolet ever made and wheel in open-air style with the last full-convertible truck from GM. Sure, you are going to do severe body damage on the tighter trails, but if you’re under 6 ½ feet tall you can sleep in the back and don’t need to bring a tent when you head out for the weekends.”
’97-to-present Jeep Wrangler TJ
Why we’d swipe it:
•One of the four solid axle trucks you can still buy new
•Huge aftermarket following
•’Wheels better off the showroom floor than many trail rigs
•3-year/36,000-mile warranty
Hazel—“I feel dirty saying this, but order a 4.0L version with a five-speed and a Dana 44 rear, pull the sway bars, and you’re in bidnez. It sucks that weenies can go buy these, throw on a lift, tires, and lockers, and totally spank most trail rigs, but that’s the case. It’s the ’64 GTO and ’87 Mustang all over again.”
’76-’83 FJ-40 Toyota Land Cruiser
Why we’d swipe it:
•So we could practice replacing Birfield joints on the trail
•Pound for pound one the most overbuilt 4x4s to leave the factory
•We’ve seen them roll, catch on fire, hole the oil pan, and still run up Sledgehammer, all in one day.
•FJ stands for Foreign Jeep
Frazier—“Cruisers are cool! Hard-core, non-destructo, power-fest-o. We’ve seen more than a couple HolyLand Cruisers. When we tell you about all the trauma they’ve seen and survived you’ll be a believer too. Talk about a seized engine—JB welded a quarter-size hole in the oil pan, sutured together the hood (a result of a serious rollover), and replaced several Birfields. You can take them to the end of the earth and back.”
’99-to-present Ford Super Duty
Why we’d swipe it:
•The biggest, the baddest, and available with a six-speed
•Makes having a diesel cool
•U.S Military has chosen it to be its ComBaTT vehicle
•We can’t afford to buy one
Huber—“I’m going straight to hell for picking a late-model! But not before I shake up this Top 10 list. Anyway the Duty is cool with max strength, Powerstroke diesel option with six-speed manual and dual-alternators, straight axles (still!), tough transfer case (with an available P.T.O.), and lots of aftermarket options. Ya gotta have a tow vehicle.”