Quote:
Originally Posted by orangefj45
i often use this saying:"just because it can be done does'nt mean you have to". it applies to our hobby in soooo many ways. i know this isn't going to win me any popularity contests around here but i don't think that 4 door wagons make for great rock rigs. they're just too heavy, there's too much overhang and not enough visibility. so unless you're willing to heavily modify, invest a lot of time, money and effort, there might be better ways to go about rock-crawling. 
wagons do make great camping and expedition rigs however. 
sure, you can retrofit different powertrain components intop a wagon to get the power to weight ratio up but then you're still dealing with lugging 6000 pounds or more thru the trail. i bet most wagons will tip the scale at 7k or more once fully loaded for a wheeling weekend. that in turn puts more stress on stock components like drive shafts, axle shafts, pinions, birfs,.......and the viscious cycle begins. 
cutting the roof off and loosing all the glass but the windshield definetly helps in the weight department and brings down the center of gravity. most canopy/boat shops can make custom tops for vehicles. but they're not going to be cheap.
ask me, if you want something with decent interrior room yet nible enough for the rocks, then build a 4runner. if you want to wheel a cruiser in the rocks, then a 40 would be a smart choice.
"flame suit on" 
georg |
Georg...
That is about where I was at and was thinking the 4 runner route.
However, I got nothing for offers on the rig or even a trade for another toyota. I could do a second rig, but Id really have to convince the wife on that idea. We already have 3 cars, and a 4th in suburbia where I live...
SOOOOO, this is where Im at. Chopping the rig and going ahead with the Vortec swap.
The 40's are MONEY to build. Hands down, and theyre fetching top dollar built or not. That is the one rig that the wife really likes and gave me the go ahead on.