Project Vehicle

[BruceTS]

OK, I'll be starting a new project vehicle soon, but first I'd like to toss around a few ideas.....

I finally took delivery on a 1GR-FE 4.0L V-6 engine, RA60F 6-speed transmission and all the electrical to get it running. It came out of a 2005 Tacoma that rolled with only 125 miles on the odometer.

Now here's the dilemma...... what type of trail rig should I build? Should I keep it street legal or a trailer only buggy.

OK if I build a street legal rig, I have everything to make it smog legal, so the options are to drop it into a FJ40 or a Jeep. Yes that's right a JEEP! Well why not they are much cheaper to acquire. So I'll have a Jeep with a Toyota drivetrain, the best of both worlds....

Or should I just build a tube buggy and be done with it, the problem is, I'm limited to where I can wheel it, but then there would be no worries on breaking....

OK let the debating begin, let me hear your thoughts or ideas.......

[AxleIke]

Since you already have a street ready truck, maybe a tube buggy. I think the tube buggy elliminates the need for smog, and allows you to take wheeling to a whole new level, since you don't have to care about body, and rolling.

[neliconcept]

im not one to really say much but if you were to make it a tube buggy, do you have a tow rig to tow it with? i doubt the runner even if its SCed can handle towing another rig and being safe. thats just my opinion, make it streetable but a trail only type deal i guess.

just my worthless .02

[Cheese]

Isn't it hard, even impossible, to get a street driven trail truck cleared in Commiefornia?
It would have to be emissioned, etc. and jump through a bunch of hoops.

No sense in a pure tube car with a tow truck.

No sense in a streetable rig as you already have one of those that gets emissioned, etc.

Randy's old bash buggy is the sweetest plain jane tube car I have seen. Reliable drivetrain, cage around it, cage around you, put it on 40s and get it done.

[sschaefer3]

OK if I build a street legal rig, I have everything to make it smog legal, so the options are to drop it into a FJ40 or a Jeep. Yes that's right a JEEP! Well why not they are much cheaper to acquire. So I'll have a Jeep with a Toyota drivetrain, the best of both worlds....

That is exactly what I did. I have a 1948 Willys Tube Machine with a Toyota Drive train. In Arizona you don't need much equipment to pass it off as a 1948. It's not a competiton machine or an extreme rock buggy, it's just something to have fun with and a tax write off. I have no aspirations to be a pro rock cralwer.

Beep Beep I built a Jeep. I have been working on it since October of 2005, still trucking on it.

[Tanto]

Bruce, I think a tube-buggy is what will make sense with your level of experience. That way, you can get everything the way you want it and not have to work around pre-existing restrictions. Sure you'll have restrictions on where you can wheel it, but your 4Runner should be able to take you to wheel all the other places your buggy can't.

I don't think it would be too much of a hassle to get the vehicle to pass smog since the engine is practically brand new, but still.

[Albuquerque Jim]

When I build an off-road only rig it will be a Formula Toy style. I will start with an existing truck and swap a F-Toy chassis from Hendrix and have a good base platform to customize from.

[SteveO]

I'd say buggy it. You already have a great street rig that can handle plenty of trails. But, you know you will want to push the limits of this thing and see what it can really do on the nasty trails. Take your time, tube it out, and have fun with it.

[BruceTS]

The reason I was thinking about keeping it street legal, was mainly to have a back-up DD. If I build a Jeep, It'll go up most of the trails I currently can't with my 4Runner. Mainly Wrecking Ball and Outerlimits out in Johnson's Valley.....

I should add, that I have the complete wiring harness/electronics out of the Taco as well.... So building it streetable wouldn't be much more work. As for getting it smogged, wouldn't be that difficult, especially if the donor vehicle is exempt from regulation.

Either way, it'll fully caged and link suspension, most likely with Diamond axles........

[waskillywabbit]

F-toy buggy.