I think I'm done with racing.

Yep, racing got to be wild expensive for me so now I just instruct for local club track days about 5-6 times a year (and my track time is free).

Several local forums have fun little 4X4 trail outings to learn about new trails (although it looks like you have plenty around you!).

For those that are reading, old Subie's also make decent woods vehicles depending on the trails you encounter. Here's my S model Forester. Lift and tires are next...

I've been wanting a 4x4 for a while. Jeep pr Bronco, preferably. My wife and I took the 2wd Exploder around the mostly-decent gravel roads of the local WMA and had a great time. I figure for now I'll see how far I can go with a stock 2x explorer and if I start getting stuck I'll look into buying a 4x4.

But man I want a Jeep.

I think the problem around my area is that all the off road parks are just full of hillbillies and rednecks that just want to be loud and obnoxious.

However, I did go to Badlands in Attica, IN with Psuedosport one time and we were in his XJ trying to get away from the rowdy bunch. We ended up wheeling with a group of Wranglers until the trails became too much for a stock XJ. It was funny because the guys spotting were like "How the hell did you get this far in a stock XJ?"

We did see a Stealth of Saumrais that were driving the ATV trails.

My cousin goes every couple years to Moab to wheel with a Grand Cherokee club. His WJ is lightly modified and is actually pretty capable.

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid: I am going to Moab this coming fall with some buddies really looking forward to it

BBC

Why does it have to be racing OR offroading? This is why I have a driveway full of cheap cars! XJ-R for racing and the other Cherokee for offroading.

Lesson is, buy lots of Jeep Cherokees (XJ).

In reply to miatame:

I have a yard and shop and garage full of stuff now. So much stuff that half of it doesn't get used. I'll hang onto the Abomination. I still enjoy driving it and so does my wife. She's the RE for SCR-SCCA so going to most of the SCCA autocross events will still happen. It's not going to be the, be all and end all, though.

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

I would love to go to Moab or Rubicon, or any number of places. Unfortunately, around here, "Hey y'all, watch this." is the off road drivers motto. Way too much, go out, get stuck and break stuff, and not enough go places and see things. Local clubs seem to be nonexistent so far, other than the local Jeep group. I'm not sure they want a Samurai hanging out with them. I'll keep looking.

In reply to Toyman01:

I'm out on Folly beach, recently relocated from NY. The girlfriend and me would love to check out the forest/some trails. I've got a fairly stock XJ that I'd hate to see get banged up with serious offroading. Let me know if you want someone to tag along next time.

In reply to Markde:

I'll be sure to give you a shout. Banging one up isn't my idea of fun either. When we went Sunday, it was 98% gravel roads. The rest was pine straw, mud and water around a pretty neat pond.

I'm thinking a tent on the point would be pretty close to heaven.

I'm right there with you guys. I bought a Wrangler not to rock crawl but to drive everyday and enjoy some trails and moderate off road stuff. I bought it for the fun factor I guess. Yeah, I guess I could of bought a 4x4 XJ but I really wanted to experience a JK.

I annoys me to no end when people come up to me and ask me why I didn't put a 6" lift and 37s on my Jeep. It's my DD not my mud toy. If I screw it up, I don't have a backup.

I have a friend who has a 2007 JK. She put a 3.5" lift and 35" MTs on it. The most off road it has ever seen was a sandy trail with a few mud puddles. That it too much compromise for a DD to me.

I like to explore trails and play in the mud. I'm happy with the way my Jeep sits now. Maybe 35s after the 33s wear out.

In reply to stanger_missle:

Those huge looking tires on the Samurai are 33s. They seem monster big on that little thing. It reminds me of the Stompers I used to play with when I was a kid.

Holy crap! I remember those! I had 4 of them

Yeah, you don't need a monster truck to have fun. Plus you can still drive it on the highway without dying.

My aunt had an 87 Samurai JX with a spring over axle kit and 33s. It was light metallic green. I absolutely loved that thing. It was not fast or comfortable but it was a blast. I got to drive it about a dozen times when I got old enough. She parked it when the valve seals started to go. I begged her to sell it to me for years but it sat for about 6 years. She eventually sold it to her son's buddy's girlfriend for next to nothing. I don't know what happened to it after that

I keep my eye out for one but they are either heavily modified/ragged out or pristine time capsules that people want a fortune for. I'm super jelly that you found a tin top

In reply to stanger_missle:

This one has the SPOA kit, 33s, the 1.6L, 8 valve, Tracker engine conversion, and the interior and entire underside have been coated with bed liner. No carpet, no frills, no nothing. I'm probably going to put A/C back on it to combat the heat and humidity around here.

It came to me with a set of 5.38 diffs, front shock and mounts, and a YJ spring conversion in the back. I'm planning on installing that stuff and I'm going to do lockers in the diffs while I'm at it. Other than that I'll drive it until the engine dies...

Then it will be time for the TDI engine conversion.

In reply to Toyman01:

That is exactly what I wanted to do to my aunt's Samurai. A Tracker conversion or TDI to replace the terribly underpowered 1.3 carb'd hamster wheel and bedline the interior. I got really excited after seeing how feasible a TDI swap was but she still wouldn't sell it to me.

In reply to stanger_missle:

Word of warning. Stay off Craigslist.

In reply to Toyman01:

Yeah, it doesn't help that there is a big Zuk shop in Tampa. They build some monsters and seem so absorb all of the affordable Zuks in the local area to turn into $20k show machines

Either I find backyard engineered mud trucks, pristine show trucks or super low mileage retiree haulers. I just want a decent driver for about $3k or so...

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/4186199436.html

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/4176833142.html

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/4198295144.html

Not that I'm an enabler or anything. These are about 2 hours from me. The same area I found mine.

STAHP IT RIGHT NOW!

It's bad enough that I've been looking at $1500 Foresters. You people....

In reply to Tom Suddard:

My son has been looking at Troopers and Cherokees, so don't feel too bad. He wants something 4WD, but still needs to haul three kids on occasion. I've been tempted by a few Subarus, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with a flat engine.

BTW how did your engine swap on the Trooper turn out?

Gratuitous pic:

In reply to Tom Suddard:

I'm thinking DIY off roading should fit into Grassroots Motorsports umbrella pretty neatly. Y'all already absorbed the Subarus. When are you going to write an off roading column or 8?

In reply to Toyman01:

It turned out awesome! I still have a bug or two to work out, but I'm thrilled with it. It doesn't drive like a fire-breathing, engine-swapped monster, but rather like a normal, torquey truck that would have been sold new.

In reply to stanger_missle:

Nice Jeep! I'm looking for a canoe now to haul on top of mine.

In reply to Tom Suddard:

The 3.4 in my daughters Camaro always seemed to have plenty of torque as did the one in the Venture my wife used to drive. Glad to hear it went well.

Off Roading for fun is hard to beat. While not 4 wheels I bought myself a street legal off road bike (Beta 520RS) and it is nice to go on my own schedule , no having to load up unload etc, just put on all my gear and in 10 minutes me and a buddy are scooting down some great single track. I sold my 01 YZ125, 96 KTM 300 and the 77 Elsinore and only I kept my vintage YZ125. Lots of floor space in the garage and I spend far less time working on vehicles.

Keep a car for autocross and some track days and have fun with the Suzuki, most people do no realize how go off road they can be. Less is more, not having to buy tires for 6 or 7 different cars plus all the regular work eats up time that could be spent driving.

           Tom

GRM should totally do an offroad article or two. It's motorsports, and it doesn't get much more grassroots. You don't even need a monster truck to have fun, you'll have just as good a time stretching a less capable vehicle at a lower risk level.

If the writer wants to visit Moab, just give the word. I'll play tour guide, and can arrange for a world-class guide and a range of vehicles.

That last picture of the XJ is on an obstacle called The Wedge. It's all about spotting, very little about equipment. And it's really cool to drive up.

Some kid driving my truck back in 2002.