Jalopnik: Off-Road

Lada Oka Transformed Into Mini Monster

Mark Arnold — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:15:00 EDT

The standard Lada Oka is your typical eastern European econobox; humble transportation that makes a Tata Nano feel macho. But apparently there are some Russians who look at the poor little thing and see the perfect starting point for an all-terrain monster. We have no idea what the thought process was that led up to the creation of such an awesome machine. Given the choice between this and a Jeep or a Hummer, we'd take this every time. Check out the gallery below and see what it originally looked like here. [English Russia]

V8 Citroen 2CV For Safari Hoons

Mark Arnold — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:00 EDT

Amidst the sea of high-dollar muscle cars and carnauba-soaked hot rods, the last car you'd expect to see on the main floor of Autorama is a small French car. Any sort of Citroën 2CV would be distinct, but when it's one sporting safari survival equipment, off-road suspension, and a small block V8 under the hood, it looks fantastically wacky. Drivetrain and suspension bits come from an old Suzuki Samurai, hence this car's name: "Le Sami." No House of Kolor pearl ghost flames here; Le Sami has been ~~painted~~ coated with a thick layer of spray-on bedliner— yes, the stuff for pickup truck beds. That coating not only makes the car scratch-resistant, but also adds a degree of rigidity to the weak Citroën structure. So while most of the other cars on the show floor will only be driven off of trailers and over mirrors, this 2CV will be driven not just on the road, but off the beaten path as well.

In Russia, Monster Van Saves YOU!

Mark Arnold — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST

It's said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Clearly this is the philosophy behind these new ambulances designated for unforgiving rural byways of Russia. Who needs paved roads? Heck, who needs roads at all? And why stop there? By the looks of it, these things could ford a river with ease. So really, you don't even need dry land to drive on. If we happen to be vacationing at our dacha and, while out for a spot of motoring, see one these beasts approaching in our rear-view mirror, we're definitely getting out of the way, no siren or flashing lights needed.

[via English Russia]

Chicago Auto Show: Jalopnik Rides The Jeep

Mark Arnold — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

With the vast amount of floor space at McCormick Place for the Chicago Auto Show, Chrysler decided to put some of it to good use by setting up their "Trail Rated" challenge. Wert, Wojdyla and I piled into a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and proceeded through the course, bashing our heads against the roll-bars. The Wrangler made quick work of the rocks, logs, and steep ~~hills~~ ramps. Wanting a bit more of a challenge, we asked if we could get a ride in a Compass (or even an 18-1 Patriot) on the trail... but we think they must not have heard us. Oh well. Hmm... wonder how those DUB Chryslers would fair?

UNICAT All-Terrain "Land Yacht" Will Take You Anywhere, Do Anything

Travis Hudson — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST

Mahalo Daily got a little face time with the UNICAT, an all-terrain, go-anywhere RV. This is really the love child of an RV and a tank. It comes with a 16-speed ZF gearbox, 480hp engine, queen-size bed, attachable "escape vehicle," deployable motorized raft, air conditioning, electric generator, full range of kitchen appliances, GPS out the wazoo, two 120-gallon gas tanks and more. All for the low, low price of $600,000. There's 8-12 month waiting list to get one. Something for the survivalist who craves comfort and mobility, perhaps? Or that die-hard fan of "Ark II?" Click to see Mahalo's video tour of the UNICAT. It may not be all that pretty on the outside, but when you have a vehicle of this magnitude, who gives a damn?[Mahalo Daily]

Tomcar Light Armored Vehicle: For When You're Under Fire And In A Hurry

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:45:00 EST

Whether you're patrolling the DMZ or just hunting with a bunch of drunk rednecks, an extreme off-roader with NIJ Level III bulletproof glass and armored plates isn't a bad idea. Throw in a liquid-cooled 1197 cc, 4-stroke Subaru three-cylinder engine and you'll be able to get away from the bad guys or Big Earl before something unpleasant happens. That's just what Tomcar, maker of a host of light off-road commercial and recreation vehicles, is offering up for security firms and governments. Though small, this capable dirt devil can carry approximately 440 pounds of ammo or gear in its cargo box.

We'll take three for Jalopnikonia please, just send the bill c/o Ray Wert, Royal Oak, MI 48067. [Tomcar USA]

First Finishers Hit Cabo in Baja 1000

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:59:14 EST

Despite our best laid plans conceived in March, we never quite make it to the Baja Peninsula in November for the most testis-outward off-road race on this continent. It's the Baja 1000, a thousand-mile-plus jaunt from Ensenada, Mexico down to the rich-gringo playground of Cabo San Lucas. It's largely an affair of the unlimited-class trucks, buggies and motorcycles into which most corporate dollars pour, though anyone with a Volkswagen and a dream can attempt the combination of searing heat, talcum-grade dust, quicksand, blazing speed and free beer that is the Baja (see the brilliant Dust to Glory for more). Yesterday, the first finishers crossed the line, and Baja watchers know them as the somewhat usual unlimited-class suspects. In the TrophyTruck class (the pickups), it was Riviera Racing's Mark Post, Rob MacCachren and Carl Renezeder in a modified Ford F-150; in motorcycles it was the Honda factory team of Robby Bell, Johnny Campbell, Steve Hengeveld and Kendall Norman. Next year, we're going for sure. Click through for current results (ends Friday). (Photo: Getty Images)

40th SCORE Tecate Baja 1000 Distance: 1,296.4 miles

TrophyTruck
Winner: Rivera Racing
Drivers: Mark Post (San Juan Capistrano)
Rob MacCachren (Las Vegas)
Carl Renezeder (Laguna Beach)
Time: 25 hours, 21 minutes and 25 seconds
Average speed: 51.13 mph

Buggy
TBD

Motorcycle
Winner: Honda factory team
Riders: Robby Bell (Sun City)
Johnny Campbell (San Clemente)
Steve Hengeveld (Hesperia)
Kendall Norman (Santa Barbara)
Time: 24:15: 50
Average speed: 53.428 mph.
(It was the sixth straight Baja 1000 overall win for Hengeveld and the 10th overall title for Campbell.)

Land Rover on the Range: Driving the Bowler Nemesis

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:15:21 EDT

What would happen if you took the running gear from a Range Rover Sport, crossed it with the running gear from a Land Rover Defender? You'd get the off-road rallying version of a Land Rover Sport. It's a vehicle that reminds us of the Range Stormer of 2004 concept, only with less pretense and more actual gruntability. It's the product of Bowler Off-Road, an off-road racing manufacturer from Derbyshire, best known for its Wildcat off-road rally car, which won the privateer category in the past two Dakar Rallies. The two-seater shares 40 percent of its parts with the Range Rover Sport, but is is shorter and lower, and rides on a purpose-built spaceframe chassis. The body is but a shell of glass-reinforced polyurethane. Under the bonnet (that's hood), there's the familiar 4.2-liter V8, converted to run on E85 bio-ethanol, computer-remapped to achieve 510 horsepower, instead of the stock 385. It's a Dakar bargain at £120,000, and the company says a roadgoing version is on the way. Lock up your cactuses. [Car]

Maximum Hoonage: Syncro de Mayo

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:45:00 EDT

When I was about 10-years-old I went camping at Pismo Beach in a Volkswagen Vanagan Syncro Westphalia. My friend's father was an editor at Trailer Life magazine and VW had given him a 4x4 van to play with. For those who have never been, you're allowed to drive cars on the beach at Pismo. I'll never forget taking the Syncro on the sand and deliberately trying to get it stuck. Couldn't do it, despite my buddy's dad's worst efforts. That viscous coupling was something else. The camping was a blast, too. I can only imagine how much fun these dudes had beating the snot out of their Syncros. Why, they look like they're having as much fun as Se7en owners. You owe it to yourself to check out the gallery. Tip of the Green Bay Packers starter cap to eltonito for the hook up. Cabo Tahoe, dude. [roadhaus.com]

New 2008 Jeep Liberty Is Afraid Of Cameras, Goes "On Road, Off Road"

Ray Wert — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:45:00 EDT

When we first saw the new 2008 Jeep Liberty at a pre-New York Auto Show briefing session we can't help but feel very sad. One of us has been a proud owner of a Jeep Liberty and truly enjoys taking his little baby bug off the beaten path whenever possible. While we're not at all impugning the capabilities of this new small SUV all about lettin' freedom ring, we were a little bit disappointed that it in many ways looks like and feels like (the interior) a re-badged Dodge Nitro. Still, in this new commercial for Jeep, the boys n' girls at BBDO (we think they've still got the account — who knows these days?) are trying to show off the off-road capabilities of "The New Small SUV" from "The New Chrysler" by watching as it can't seem to stay on the road. We know that feeling all too well.

Hoon of the Day: Sand Dune V8 Madness

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:00:00 EDT

The lure of the LS1 is not lost on the hoons of Saudi Arabia, who shoehorn them into old Nissans and wood it up the side of near vertical sand dunes. Watch as Othman Al Tayyar executes a perfect three-point turn in his LS1-powered Nissan Patrol. There's more of this sort of bad craziness here. (Thanks to Andy for the tip)

Bruce's Baja Bug!

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:45:00 EDT

A man had or has a cousin named Bruce. In the 1970s, Bruce built a Baja Bug, apparently before the style became somewhat codified as a classic icon of Californian backyard engineering. It features a wacky cue or six, but after growing up surrounded by custom Beetles, the fact that we see fewer and fewer on the road these days makes us nostalgic for the days when any nutball with a wrench would cut up a Bug and make it his own. Here's to you, Bruce.

Off-Road Clocks Galore

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:30:00 EDT

I am so getting this, putting it on a chain around my neck and going out for coffee singing, "I can't do nothing for you, man. Flavor Flav's got problems of his own." That's actually a normal morning for me, minus the 10-inch Suzuki Samurai wall clock. One AA battery not included.

[4x4 Clocks on eBay]

Catch of the Day: Toyota HJ45 Diesel Troopy Land Crusier

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Some good friends of ours decided to play "hoon and the hill" with our WRX this weekend. Translation: $1400 for a new clutch. That is sadly not the only financial reason we're not all over this righteous example of Toyota's fully realized Australian potential. A few quick facts: this Troopy is right hand drive, it seats 11 in bench seat comfort and someone dropped a diesel into it so the seller is claiming 20 mpg. Bidding is sitting at $12,000. Get it whiles its hot.

HJ45 Diesel Troopy 20 MPG Clean Landcruiser on eBay

Roudi Rodded Audi on eBay

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:00:00 EDT

This vehicle obviously was built to do two things: chew bubble gum and kick ass. And it's all out of bubble gum. A Ford truck chassis, Audi 5000 body, a crazy man from South Carolina, a 390 and a custom-perforated front skidplate all hatched a plot to make something outrageously badical. And the bidding's only at fifteen-hunnert! Can't beat that! Can't beat that with a stick! [Thanks to Haller for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Roudi Audi [eBay]

Related:
Yeehaw! Rock-Climbin' '74 Challenger [Internal]

You Wish Your Hummer Could Do This: Pinzgauer!

Murilee Martin — Tue, 29 May 2007 09:30:41 EDT

So far, all the Down On The Alameda Street cars have been, well, cars. But old trucks are cool, too, and it goes without saying that we approve of any street-driven vehicle with six-wheel-drive...

I've seen this thing around town enough to know that the owner doesn't just dust it off for the occasional car show; this war wagon goes out and gets the groceries!

See, all those SUV posers who say they "need" four-wheel-drive when we all know their tires have never left asphalt... the Pinzgauer lets them know their ersatz-o-phalli come up woefully short.

But you know if The Big One hits, this thing is going to be cruising over the rubble like so many speed bumps!

Now, if we had one of these as the Official Jalopnik Staff Car (we're working on it, though they're still balking on getting us an Official Staff Trabant) we'd pretty much have to put spinners on all six wheels and as many 9' whip antennas as we could fit.

The Steyr logo indicates this Pinzgauer was built before 1985; perhaps some of our all-wise commenters can give us a more accurate date on this vehicle. – Murilee Martin

Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle [Wikipedia]

Related:
Boy, Where's The Feuer? [internal]

Sun Valley Harvester Scout Traveler

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:30:00 EDT

Peppered among the Sun Valley, California industrial buildings, refuse transfer stations, and donut shops are a few junkyards we frequent. Motoring along the way between home and junkyards are a couple of used car dealerships. Always on the lookout for a Citation X-11 or Hang Ten Duster on-the-cheap, we scan the lots on our way down into the valley. Sitting there where Glenoaks and Sunland come together for quite a while has been this fine Inernational Scout - complete with slot mags and sun-baked Southwestern style vinyl package. We would pick it up but it's still a bit too soon to put on the tinfoil hat and implement the move to the high desert hideout. – Mike Bumbeck

Verdict Reached Re: Mickey Thompson Murders, Appeal Imminent

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:00:00 EST

This case has been brewing for sixteen years and today, a jury has finally come down with its decision. Supercross godfather Mike Goodwin has been found guilty for the deaths of Mickey and Trudy Thompson. The jury also agreed with the special circumstance charges of lying in wait and multiple murder, although the prosecution has chosen not to seek the death penalty in the case. Predictably, there will be an appeal. According to public defender Elena Saris, "We don't believe justice was served. We believe passion controlled and there was a Hollywood version of events." [Thanks to Scott for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Ex-associate guilty in murders of racer Mickey Thompson, wife [Contra Costa Times]

Related:
Large Mickey Thompson Murder Enchilada [Internal]

French Muddin' in a Tercel 4WD!

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:30:00 EST

We admit that this vid runs a little long and features some repetitive feats of mudding skill, but nevertheless, it's pretty entertaining to watch what these French off-roaders pull off in their 2nd Gen Tercel 4WD wagon, which only seems to be equipped with a snorkel. And presumably the optional extra-low 1st ratio. – Davey G. Johnson

The Extra-Large Unicat: It Means it, MAN

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:45:00 EST

In case a Unimog-based Unicat go-anywhere RV simply isn't voluminous for you, the company does build an all-terrain 6x6 based on a MAN TGA chassis. Featuring GPS, a sixteen-speed ZF gearbox, 480hp, xenon headlights, a terlet, a shower and the all-important Very Loud Horns, the Unicat EX70-HD is "in charge" writ large. This is a manly vehicle, not to be purchased by showboating poseurs, but rather those who aspire to Bondlike studliness. We're pretty certain the collected works of Ennio Morricone and Lalo Schifrin come pre-loaded in the stereo, but you might call Unicat to check. You'll need them. [Thanks to Jeff Musical for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

EX70-HD [Unicat]

Related:
The Unicat! [Internal]

A Passel of Land, a Passel of Landies

Davey G. Johnson — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:00:00 EST

While at the LA Auto Show, I found myself on a similar nicotine-ingestion schedule as outgoing Land Rover Design Director (and very nice chap) Geoff Upex. A couple of months before, my cousin Pierre and I had run up the road in the hills above Dublin to visit Trevor, whom I hadn't seen in two decades, but will always remember that he taught me that if you wanted your model cars to look dusty, leave them on top of the TV. Trevor excels at tinkering and making things dirty, so it only makes sense that dude owns many, many, many Land Rovers in varying states of repair. Standing in a concrete courtyard in Los Angeles two weeks ago and looking at some of my photos of the disassembled trucks sinking into the Irish farmland, the man who'd been designing the vehicles for 23 years commented, "Land Rovers do that. They sort of return to the soil, don't they?" – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
More Land Rover [Internal]

The Zen + Math of Rock Crawling in the FJ Cruiser

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:43:06 EDT

An ex-girlfriend with whom I still have somewhat of a volatile relationship lives in Birmingham, Alabama. This would generally be rather unimportant, other than I felt like I needed to go and stare down the city she bailed on me for. So when Toyota offered me and three other various internet personalities a shot at going rock crawling outside of the 'Ham in celebration of the new FJ Cruiser, I figured I may as well take them up on it. The ex and I had had dinner plans for a month, which she suddenly and unceremoniously flaked on a couple of days before I left.

Toyota had put us up at the Tutwiler, which touts itself as the grand dame of Southern hotels. And while the people were nice, the cotomer sevis left something to be desired. It wasn't an uncaring attitude; it was just general ineptitude, which, for a hotel described by said ex as the Claremont or Fairmont of Birmingham, was somewhat (and I'm being rather generous here), below par. Plus, Birmingham is like Sacramento without the ready access to the Sierras or the sea. And although I met some very nice people, the overriding attitude — while hospitable — was "You're in 'Bama now, son. Don't you dare ask about the UT game while Auburn's playing." Toto, we're not in Pedro, anymore. We're about to squeal like pigs.

Even the other Southerners wandered around whistling or singing "Dueling Banjos" when out of earshot of the Alabama types. So while it's safe to say that I felt entirely worthless for being outvoted in favor of this podunk backwater (and I tried to like it — I swear), I'll readily admit that the Grayrock ORV park was an absolutely stunning locale, and the weather was note-perfect for a day of attempted Toyota-bending.

Toyota's taking a grassroots approach to the marketing of the FJ via its Trail Team program, sending crews out to various crawlin' and muddin' events across the nation in an effort to get the hardcores into their new small ute before they launch a mainstream campaign. And after spending a day attempting to break a black-cherry colored model, I have to say that I'm a believer. And with that, let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.

Number one, let's talk about the seatbelts. The front belts are anchored in the rear clamshell doors. Which means if you attempt to open a rear door while the driver or passenger is still belted in, strangulation-related hilarity ensues. Furthermore, on steep inclines, the pretensioners lock, precluding hanging your head out the window, forcing you to release your belt. Then, when the recon is done, you can't put it back on before you get to level ground, which means that you're in danger of bouncing yourself into the roof.

Beyond that, the rear area is devoid of oh-shit bars. And given that the FJ is capable of some serious oh-shitness, that seems like a serious omission. Also, it'd be nice to be able to open the rear doors without having to crack the fronts. We pulled a lot of Chinese firedrills while crawling the trucks, what with photogs jumping in and out and spotters making rapid ingress and egress over serious terrain, and the door setup left a lot to be desired. It's definitely a DINK-mobile. If you have kids and don't go off-road, there are certainly better choices. Also bad: a thermometer that only works over 15mph. On the road? No biggie. But when you spend your day creeping at 10mph in 4WD low, it's a rather amusing to see the thermo reading 45F when it's actually around 70.

But here's the thing. The FJ is the real deal. Our trucks were only slightly altered to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous journos and OHV enthusiasts. Here's the mod list: Full-length custom skidplates, ARB bull-bars with Warn winches, TRD cat-back exhaust systems, TRD wheels shod with more serious off-road tires, and a set of Toyota rock rails. Frankly, if you're going to do mild rock crawling, the rock rails and tires are the only musts. Toyota's equipped the truck with an electronically-locking rear diff, as well as a rather ingenious traction-control system.

And this is where the zen of rock crawling comes in. The first trail I tackled was rather ironically-titled "Bunny Slope #3." About 2/3 of the way up the course, there was a pretty technical section involving a few bomb holes and ruts on one side with alternating rocks, which required some serious spotting. The obstacles come so close together that it requires some sort of preternatural photographic vision/memory that I simply don't have. It took maybe ten attempts to finally power over it using only the onboard traction control.

Later in the day, we tried it again, with Will, one of the Trail Team guys, behind the wheel. It'd taken Tim, who'd spotted me on my attempt, an age to get over it just ahead of us. Will simply engaged the locker and powered straight through in one try. However, that doesn't signify a triumph of old-school lockers over the electronic mind of the traction control system. In other situations, the electronics didn't act so much as a nanny as a guide. Toyota likes to say that they've equipped the FJ with a toolkit, and that's exactly what they've done. The traction control and the locker can be engaged and disengaged at will. And while I think, as a PR move, they used the traction control to show off its technology, there were situations where obstacles could've been traversed more easily with the locker engaged. But that's what's really pretty amazing about the FJ — on the road, it's a very smooth vehicle. And offroad, even in basically-stock trim, it's ridiculously capable for a vehicle at its price-point. You could spend more to get less, easily

The Wrangler is more basic; less advanced and a little less cutesy. With the FJ, if you're going to swap out axles, you're negating the advantage of the traction control, which is truly one of the truck's best features. And with an independent front end, it's hard to lift the thing to the skies. But as a weekend-warrior trail-runner that can double as a work-week commuter, the FJ is hard to match. It's hipper than the H3. It's the metro boy that can pull off the hairy chest to the Liberty's Cialis-popping twink, and it won the respect of a crew of Alabama Jeepers who wanted to see it fail. I'm not a big Toyota guy. Sure, I like my Starlets and early '70s Celica GTs. I *heart* me some '80s post-Hilux and 'glass-backed 4Runner action, and I've always had a soft spot for FJ40s and 55s.

But to be honest, the FJ Cruiser, while largely due to government regulations, is a bit too padded for my tastes, is a ridiculously serious machine for the price; especially in an era of watered-down crossovers. I bought my SUV in V8, rear-drive form because I wanted a station wagon for tow/haul duty. If I were in the market for a genuine off-roader for weekend blasts and work-week slogs, the FJ's combination of styling, prowess and general civility makes it an absolute must-consider. But if I had a family, I'd probably lean toward the Liberty for everyday practicality's sake. And then I'd spend my days lamenting that I hadn't bought the FJ. It's not a perfect vehicle, and it's aesthetically a tad overwrought (although I do dig the basic styling of it) but let it not be doubted that the FJ is incredibly good at what it does.

And here's the deal. I went to 'Bama in a rather bothered state. I was frustrated with the reptitive frustration of the repetitive frustration of the repetitively-frustrating BS I was going through with the aforementioned ex; it seemed like a never-ending slog. But the nature of crawling taught me something. The whole raison d'etere of the sport is that it is a never-ending slog; there's a peace to it — even as you're smoking your tires on slick rocks or high-centering the truck so brilliantly that you could literally change all four tires with no worry of the thing tipping over on you. And well, that, friends, is why God gave us the electric winch. – Davey G. Johnson

Disclaimer: Toyota paid for my flight to Alabama, my room at the Tutwiler, all of my food and drink, gas and insurance on the vehicles.

[Gallery]

Take The Mulletheads Off-Roading: Which Package Was This?

Ray Wert — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 11:38:24 EDT

This is something you definetly don't see every day — and probably wasn't included in that Hot Rod survey from a while back on how you'd like your Camaro cooked. This one's a Pontiac Firebird modified for off-roading. A nice option for the mulletheads looking to park on top of the trailer. – Ray Wert

Related:
What Flavor of Camaro Do You Want? [internal]

Germany or Florida? Snorkelizing A Metro!

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:30:00 EDT

We're alone, sitting with our empty glass. Our four walls follow us through our past. We were riding on a Paris train. We emerged in a London rain. And you were waiting there, swimming through apologies. We remember searching for the perfect words. We were hoping you might change your mind. We remember a soldier sleeping next to us. You put a snorkel on your Metro. Yes folks, of course it's from Florida.

Lifted: Or the Story is in the Soil: All-Terrain Subaru Wagon on eBay

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:40:41 EST

Oh hells. We just made a Bright Eyes reference. Please take us out to a field somewhere in Nebraska and pretend they're Charles Starkweather. Please. Nevertheless, we couldn't resist this Subie on eBay. We've always liked old Subaru wagons, mainly because they remind us of various girls we've adored over the years. Subarus and Volvos. But this thing's nuts it's fully outfitted for serious off-roading, including a freaking snorkel! Check the eBay page, because there's a vid of some serious stream-crossing hoonage that's definitely worth seeing. [Thanks to Michael for the tip.]

1986 Subaru GL Wagon [eBay]

Rebuilding a Jeepster Econo-Style

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 08:36:25 EDT

A Michigan man, suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (an old lady blew a stop sign and totalled his Isuzu Trooper II), decided to take matters into his own hands and rebuild a dilapidated Jeepster Commando that he'd traded a Dodge Diplomat for years before. So with $2,500 bucks worth of insurance money in his pocket, he decided to chronicle the build on his webpage. We love personal pages like this, as they're a refreshing respite from corporate-sponsored how-tos in mainstream car mags. Plus, we've always dug Jeepsters.

Project No-Bucks