In the past few years each OEM has built a very appealing off road buggy of some sort. the Ford EX concept, the Jeep Hurricane concept, and the Hummer HX concept. 

I wonder what it would take to get each of these out on one ultimate buggy wheeling trip?

I'm sure their lawyers will hate the idea, but I bet their marketing, design and engineering guys would love it.

hmmmmmm

87 Jeep Grand Wagoneer SJ

Its not very often we run across treasures like this. On a visit to one of my favorite shops, T&J Performance Center in Orange, California I found this Grand Wagoneer sitting out back waiting to be serviced. This is perhaps the nicest Wagoneer I’ve seen. It’s definitely not a trail vehicle, but that’s ok, it has its place – I sure wish it were my garage!

This Wagoneer would be a great Sunday only cruiser.   

All I wanted to do was clean up the shop.

I had these 4 44-inch Super Swamper TSL tires in my shop from the big mud tire test, and I had 4 16.5-inch mag wheels.  I decided they would look great on Clampy so I got them mounted on mag wheels.  Then as I was installing them I realized I needed special mag wheel lug nuts.  I drove around town until I found them.  The only one's I could find were for a 9/16-inch lug stud, and Clampy has 1/2-inch.  No problem I wanted to upgrade anyway.  I went to buy lug studs and they were on back order.  by now I'm on day 3 of the shop cleanup project .   In the end it took me all week to clean up the shop because it involved tearing apart and rebuilding my front and rear hubs at the same time.  ridiculous.

by the way, yes they do rub a bit, but now I have my very own 4cylinder monster truck.

No work for me!

Holiday weekends are usually a blessing and a curse. For the most part it means relaxation, but if there is any considerable stretch of asphalt between you and your end destination it can mean spending long hours stuck in traffic, which is about as much fun as scrapping 3-day old pizza off a plate. This Labor Day I found myself, amongst other things, out and about in the California OHV’s and even ran across Tech Editor Fred Williams as he was just getting the ’08 Land Cruiser plopped back onto all fours. Well, I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday weekend and here are a few photos of mine to enjoy. And no, I wasn’t stuck in Project Super Cross, but I was really close!

As full-time automotive photojournalists, we get to experience all kinds of cool adventures. Recently I was invited to General Tire’s test facility in Texas to check out the new Grabber Competition tire. The visit to their facility included all kinds of neat activities like high-speed racing in Ford Mustangs, wet-track testing and racing, and a favorite pastime of all photographers: hanging out the side of a helicopter chasing vehicles down.

The Grabber Competition tire is an aggressive off-road race tire designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen-reinforced body construction. The tire is built to endure the harshest off-road race conditions on any terrain. The Grabber also features a newly-developed competition-specific tread compound. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37x 12.50R17 for class 1, 7S, 7 unlimited, 8 and trophy truck.

I have this idea that Jeep (or Hummer or Toyota, or Nissan, or Ford, or VW or anyone else) should make a mini 4x4

The utv market is booming, the small Mini Cooper and Smart car market is booming.  So why not a really small capable 4x4.  Would you be willing to support an IFS or fully independent 4x4 if it had lockers and 3 or 4 to one low range?  Something light enough that it would actually survive off road?  I am the last guy to support independent suspension IF IT BREAKS EVERY TIME YOU GO OFF ROAD!   But I have seen the Yamaha Rhino's get abused and keep going and I think that a small short wheelbase 4x4 might ride better with full independent suspension making it more sale-able to the general public.  Plus as much as I want a solid axle truck, I realize that the OEM's can probably make an aweseome IFS/IRS vehicle if they don't get caught up in trying to make it car like and all sissy-fied.  We don't want another Jeep Patriot or Compas, or Rav-4. We want a Flatfender we can drive every day.   It would need to come with the same size tires as the Rubicon JK, but also get 30 miles per gallon.  Daily driver, small wheeler, camper tow behind.  All for $18,000 or less.  Keep it super simple.  Re build the flatfender Jeep or Samurai.  The aftermarket will be there to support it.  Farmers and ranchers and hunters will all buy one rather than a UTV that can't be driven on the street.  Make it work, get good mileage, and be light weight.  A commuter car for the 4-wheeler.


Challenge to the OEM's- get your best designers, engineers and marketing folks, take them 4-wheeling, hunting, farming and commuting through a big city.  Then lock them in a room with a Rhino, Razor, Mini cooper, Smart car, rock buggy, Samurai, and a Flatfender and see what they come up with.

 

Am I crazy?

I always say I like to build my vehicles so that gravity is my weak link. 

What I mean by that is when I hit the throttle I want everything to stay together and the truck to  either move forward or launche straight into the air.  Sometimes it doesn't go that way.  I was on a photo shoot of a good friend's truck this weekend when I rolled our 2008 Land Cruiser project vehicle.  Actually it wasn't a complete roll but rather a flop onto it's side.  I had only recently fitted the Cruiser with an ARB bull bar and luckily so as it kept us from going all the way over onto the roof.  I was down in a dry river bed and came up the side, but when I went straight the trail made a quick left hand turn.  There was a huge wash out in front of me and the Cruiser dove into the ditch and started pivoting to the passenger side.  I mashed the throttle hoping to drive out of it, but it was too late, there we were stuck.  As it turned out the front bumper was caught in the dirt and the rear bumper also thus suspending the middle (and very expensive part of the truck) over the wash out!  My friends (thanks friends!) through a winch line to the Slee Off Road rock sliders and pulled the silver bullet back onto it's tires, and then gave it a tug backwards up out of the ditch. 

The ARB bumper got a few dents, but nothing bad, the front and rear lights on the passenger side need replaced, but amazingly still work, and other than the big plastic rear bumper (which will hopefully be replaced by an after market bumper eventually anyways) it didn't turn out too bad.   



Some people say no ones wheels their luxury SUV's, we sure as heck do.

Low tech tricks can save the day.

About a year ago Web Editor Jason Gonderman and I were invited to spend a weekend in the hot (I mean scorching) Vegas desert to help take pictures for 5.0 Mustang magazine (one of our many automotive publications here at SIM). Helping to document Tech Editor K.J. Jones journey as he battled it out for a top ten spot on PINKS All-Out television show I ended up spending most of Friday night clearancing K.J.’s rear fender wells for his new super sticky drag tires were hooking up with more than just pavement. So in the cover of darkness and with only about a thousand onlookers and camera men running around I took a little low budget 4x tech and implemented it on a 600HP plus ‘Stang. All-in-all it was a great experience and if you ever thought 4x rigs were trailer queens go take a look at the parking lot of the next drag race you attend!

It seems there's more than one of us on staff that has problem with old vehicles, I'm in the same boat!

Every time I see an old Jeep or 4x4 truck for sale I start looking around for the extra cash to buy it. This 1954 Jeep is only $300 bucks and sits just a couple of miles down the road from me, it's been a tough battle keeping myself from jumping in the truck, driving down the road, and buying it. I already have three projects I'm building. Now $300 isn't a lot of money, but I already have three projects I'm building and I have better places to spend the cash. 

I just keep telling myself, there's too much body rust to fix, there's too much body rust to fix!

I have a problem.

If I'm driving down the road and I see a cool truck I'll pull over and check it out.  Even when I have plenty of work to do, and the possibility of getting run over in the street while I take photos.  here is the latest cool truck I've seen, an old Dodge Town Wagon.  put this on my list of trucks I'd love to have some day.

Last Tuesday I picked up an 09 Suzuki Equator from the company’s press fleet. I’ll have this two-wheel-drive truck until our four-wheel-drive Equator arrives next week. The 4x4 will be floating around the staff for a year or longer as a project for build-up and review purposes.

So far I’m impressed with the truck; it gets great fuel economy on the highway and around town. I’ve found that the Equator is roomy and comfortable inside the cab, with good all around visibility from the driver’s seat. The 4.0L V6 engine is peppy and offers great acceleration and performance. It’s been a while since I’ve had a truck and it’s been a handy rig to hauling stuff out to my desert pad. So far I’ve made three trips to Home Depot, and one to the local landfill with a giant load of junk I didn’t want to haul on the inside of an SUV. The staff can’t wait to get a hold of the 4x4 and get some trail time in with it.

I was on a trip to Oregon this week and came across this awesome example of a rugged work truck. 

The hood badge says Ford 750, but I'm not sure the whole story.  I think the hood isn't original to the rest of the truck.  The crewcab model looks factory, but the bed has definitely been shortened along with the frame and the tools used might very well have been a torch or a chainsaw.  It has a closed knuckle drum brake front axle that looks to be a low pinion Dana 44 with some sort of steering ram assist, and the rear axle is a Dana 60.  A neighbor said it is owned by a man who works as a logger and he drives it down the hill every day before heading off to the woods to fell some trees.  It's a bit rough around the edges, but it has that perfect looks of a truck that is used daily for work.  if you know any more on this truck please comment.

UPDATE!

CHECK THIS OUT!  You can still get a Ford F-750 

California Lawmaker Trying to Sneak by a Bill to Require ANNUAL Emissions Tests for Vehicles 15-Years Old and Older!

Committee Hearing set for August 28. Call Now!!!

From the SEMA Action Network

Click HERE to visit their site.

"In an effort to avoid public scrutiny, California Assemblyman Dave Jones (Assemblymember.jones@assembly.ca.gov) has amended a completely unrelated bill with language to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older.  This represents an obvious attempt to sneak through legislation in the closing days of the legislative session that had been previously defeated (A.B. 616).  The new bill is designated as A.B. 3053.

While pre-1976 motor vehicles would remain exempt under existing California law, this proposal ignores the fact that vehicles 15-years old and older still constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.  Furthermore, the bill would direct that the funds generated through annual inspection fees be used to scrap older cars.  This represents another attempt by California legislators and regulators to scapegoat older cars.

This is the type of activity that fuels distrust in public officials.  SEMA caught this lawmaker’s underhanded attempt to circumvent public process and is now calling on you to help defeat A.B 3053 before it’s too late.  

Time is of the Essence!  We Urge You to Call the California Senate Appropriations Committee (List Below) Immediately to Oppose A.B. 3053"


California Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Tom Torlakson – Chair
Phone: 916/651-4007
Email: senator.torlakson@sen.ca.gov

Senator Dave Cox
Phone: 916/651-4001
Email: senator.cox@sen.ca.gov

Senator Sam Aanestad
Phone: 916/651-4004
Email: senator.aanestad@sen.ca.gov

Senator Roy Ashburn
Phone: 916/651-4018
Email: senator.ashburn@sen.ca.gov

Senator Gilbert Cedillo
Phone: 916/651-4022
Email: senator.cedillo@sen.ca.gov

Senator Ellen Corbett
Phone: 916/651-4010

Senator Robert Dutton
Phone: 916/651-4031
Email: senator.dutton@sen.ca.gov

Senator Dean Florez
Phone: 916/651-4016
Email: senator.florez@sen.ca.gov

Senator Sheila Kuehl
Phone: 916/651-4023
Email: senator.kuehl@sen.ca.gov

Senator Jenny Oropeza
Phone: 916/651-4028

Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas
Phone: 916/651-4026

Senator George Runner
Phone: 916/651-4017
Email: senator.runner@sen.ca.gov

Senator Joe Simitian
Phone: 916/651-4011
Email: senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov

Senator Mark Wyland
Phone: 916/651-4038

Senator Leland Yee
Phone: 916/651-4008

A massive split.

Monster earth movers are a blast. Recently I spent a little time backing up some of my old pictures and what not, when I ran across this massive yellow center-pivot dump truck. It was one of two that belonged to a good friend of mine from back home. During the week they were used for developing a neighborhood and shuffling dirt out of what called the “bar pit”. Though not really what I would consider hard core 4-wheeling spot the bar pit was a little place that we could legally go off road not too far from home. Every now and again when we got tired of beating on our trucks and Jeeps my buddy would unlock the big boys and we would have a little fun with the center steers and heavy equipment. A truly unusual driving experience as you feel almost unstoppable as you float atop the single air seat and just crush everything in your path!

I just got back to Los Angeles and as I drive the streets of this sweltering city I'm thinking back just 24 hours when I was hiking through the woods in Ontario, Canada at the Quin trail outside of Renfrew. 

    I don't go to Canada that often for work, but I've been there about 4 times in the past 6 years for various wheeling trips, and I must say it's always been fun.  (even when I came home sick as a dog after a snow run that put me in bed for a week).  There is something about Canadians, they have that no holds barred type of attitude.  At least the one's I've met.  They like to build wacky 4x4's and they're not afraid to load up the family and go hang out in the woods for a long weekend.  Oh and their biggest coffee and dough nut shop, Tim Hortons, doesn't sell espresso.  Here in LA it's all this fancy 4 dollar coffee garbage, up there it's black, hot, and served with something fattening-like it should be.  But let's get back to the story.  BF Goodrich sponsors about 5 or 6 new trails every year and writes a nice big check to the local club members to help them keep the trail open, clean and available to the public.  This year I went to the trail event for the Quin trail and had a hoot hiking through the woods watching my Canuk friends climb over dirt ledges, up slippery rocks and through mud holes.  The trail isn't super technical, but having some lockers definitely helps (of course that's true for just about any trail).  I rode up the hard side of the trail and we had a stock Rubicon JK with us that had no real trouble (other than some driver's error) (I guess it wasn't really error, just some camera crew who was scared of scratching up their rental jeep) (I tried to explain to them that skid plates are for skidding, but they were busy with their cameras and boom mikes etc, anyways back to the story at hand).  Let's see, the Canadians were great hosts (they had a dead pig for dinner-one of my favorite treats), the BFG Folks were great at helping me find the trail head and my flight home, and there were even some OEM representatives that were looking to see if this event should be supported by other major corporations (yes it should be, if we want our trails to stay open).  Of course this brings me back to the real purpose of the trip, trying to find Sasquatch.  I've been on the lookout for the hairy big foot creature ever since I was a small boy back on the farm, and with the recent news of some yahoos claiming they found him I got my hopes up that the secret might be revealed (do a google search and you'll read the whole story), luckily it was all a scam.  I say luckily cause that means that my Sasquatch capture and release (S.C.A.R.) project vehicle can move forward.  Stay tuned and I'll keep you posted on the build up.  So to re-cap, thanks BFG for helping keep great trails open, thanks Canadians for being welcoming, fun to wheel with, and liking roasted pig, and thanks to Bigfoot for keeping the dream alive.

We install the first 2 1/2-ton ARB Air Locker!

After a long wait the ARB 2 1/2-ton Rockwell Air Locker is finally in the states! After letting in sit in my office for a few weeks we finally got around to dropping it into a truck that we know will test it thoroughly. Without giving away too many details I will tell you that the install went relatively smoothly and we only ran into one interesting hiccup. So, without further adieu here are a few teaser shots of the Air Locker and the exclusive install. And for those of you wanting more; be on the lookout for the January ‘09 issue (on news stands October 2nd) for a complete install and review!

Source

www.arbusa.com

It's been a rough summer, my buggy didn't get finished for Ultimate Adventure, my Army truck broke down, and my new engine in Clampy broke a motor mount the first time out wheeling (too much torque). But sometimes I get lucky.

I recently got to spend a few days up in Monterey with the folks from Dodge checking out the new Dodge Ram and after the weekend I needed to get to Santa Barbara, California for another event.  As luck would have it the Dodge folks lent me a new Challenger SRT for the drive to Santa Barbara.  I'm not much of a car guy, as you would assume from my job here at 4WOR, but the 6.1 liter Hemi engine actually had me considering going to the dark side and getting a car payment.  I wonder if it comes with a tow package?  I can see it now, headed to Moab, Buggy or Clampy on the trailer behind this mad towing machine!

Don't quit your day job....

On a recent trip up to Santa Barbra, CA I ran across this guy claiming to have the ultimate hippy van. It was decorated with trolls, dolls, shells, and some stuff even I don’t know how to describe. If you have a friend that claims that they have the ultimate hippy van maybe you should line them up with this guy and they can battle it out over an intense game of hacky sack.

While in pebble beach this weekend for the Concourse d'Elegance car show I saw a ton of amazing collector cars and one very big tow rig.

This is the Freightliner Sport Chassis P4XL.  It is a limited production truck with a Cummins ISC 330 diesel putting 1000 ft/lb to the ground at the rear tires.  Towing rate just under 30,000 pounds with a 15,000 tongue.  Oakley sunglasses signed up for the first three trucks as mobile advertising vehicles.  And the one I saw had Italian leather interior with a suede headliner and 4 TV's.

Every year the richer than rich decend on Pebble Beach near Monterey california for a giant weekend car show. 

This year I had a chance to attend and you wouldn't believe how out of place this truck guy is walking around the gazzilionare car collectors.  Lucky for you I was able to find a 4x4 in the mix of all these Bentleys, Masseratis and Rolls Royces.  In fact the black Lamboghini in the back of this photo is all wheel drive.  Not exactly an off roader, but I'm willing to bend the rules a little and let it count as a 4x4.  I doubt they'll let me drive it or even get close enough to leave nose prints on the window, but from afar it was pretty cool even if the ground clearance leaves something to be desired.

Windshield banners can say a lot about a person.

Generally speaking, I am not a huge fan of stickers and when I saw this banner wrapped accross the windshield of a brigh red TJ I almost died laughing. From what I gather it belonged to an older lady, so that's cool, but it still cracks me up. Thought I would share.

Hogs, girls, and my crazy dad.

My dad is a huge motorcycle enthusiast as well as an avid off roader. And on his trip back from the Sturgis bike rally this year he took a major detour and decided to ride down and hang out with me in hell-a (LA) for a few days. Before he left he decided to donate one of his old point and shoot cameras to me and wouldn’t you know he even left me some pictures on the camera. After cruising through the lot of them I found a few cool random ones from what appears to be a bike/ hot rod show he went to. Enjoy.

I think it's time to build a mud truck.

After spending so much time cruising the country in my Super Duty I think it’s time for me to build a mud truck. I haven’t decided what type of truck it will be yet, but lets just say I think it will rock in more ways than one…..until then here are a few pics of a little muddy trail that I found in the outskirts of Oklahoma.

I don’t know how people live in Los Angeles! It’s a great city, but there are just too many people in it for my liking. I had to travel from our Anaheim offices in Orange County to the old Petersen building on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown LA for a staff meeting yesterday. Driving back to Anaheim took me an hour and twenty minutes. The drive one way is only 38 miles.

Yahoo maps tells me the commute is a distance of 37.54 miles. I left the Petersen at 4:55 p.m. and about 45 minutes later I had made it a whopping 8.5 miles. The traffic did lighten up a bit after I made it through some major interchanges. I finally made it back to Anaheim at 6:20 p.m.  The toughest part of the commute was driving out little red 2007 Jeep Wrangler JK, it’s a manual. Left leg in (depressing the clutch), left leg out, left leg in, left leg out, etc …

I was actually going to try and count the number of times I had to depress the clutch to kill the boredom, but I lost count somewhere around a 100, I am sure it would have been somewhere in the thousands. This isn't the kind of traffic you can keep the vehicle in first  gear and slowly keep crawling, its stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, etc …

My recommendation to anyone contemplating a move to Los Angeles, sell your manual transmission vehicle or keep it for a trail only rig.     

After building a patio at my weekend palace this weekend in 105-degree heat, I decided to relax a little and take my old '67 Commando out of the garage and out for a spin on the trail behind my house. Needless to say, I wound up stuck in the soft sand. As I was turning a corner on the trail the front tire hooked in the soft sand shoulder and pulled me in.

The moral of the story, always carry a shovel when four-wheeling an old jalopy like this.