New page in the wheeling book for me

#1
Well the FJ40 has been sold. The guy is coming to pick it up this weekend. Getting Tons, a v8, and 39.5 inch Irocks. I don't have time/patience to fool with it so its time for it to go.

Now its on to decide the next page of offroad yeehaw. I am going over several scenarios.

The scenarios are based around the possibility of a possible 45-50 mile partial commute from Greenville. Im looking at possibly getting another place up there in December/January and will drive back and forth a few times a week for work.

Option 1. Keep 80, lock it, bigger tires, and buy a car.

Option 2. Buy the yota truck with all the typical yota truck stuff done: longs, duals, flatbed, ect. Keep 80 also, and don't have anything to pull it (yota truck) with worth a crap. Hopefully yota truck will be halfway streetable.

Option 3. Buy yota truck, sell 80 and buy car. Try to drive yota truck and bum a tow on a big trip or drag dad along for his truck. ( and father son bonding of course)

Option 4. Sell 80, buy yota truck, buy excursion with v10 or 3/4 ton burb and trailer.

Option 5. Sell all my crap and buy some sort of stupid used Jeep product. The price of a rubicon LJ is frightening. bump spending 15-20 grand on a 8+ year old truck.

Option 6. Sell all my crap and buy some sort of stupid New Jeep Product. Keep it simple: stock stealies, 285s, a handshaker, and a winch. 2 door or 4 door. A new warrantied vehicle is mighty enticing. Especially considering they also cover maintenance for 2 years.

I like option 6 because I hate towing stuff, hate maintaining 1 vehicle let alone 3 (truck, trailer and rig) and If I end up back in Gville I probably wont have room for stuff again. I loved that 99 tj I had. It drove well enough and I liked the maneuverability and the manual trans. Jeeps are just plain fun to drive everyday.
 
#2
Well the FJ40 has been sold. The guy is coming to pick it up this weekend. Getting Tons, a v8, and 39.5 inch Irocks. I don't have time/patience to fool with it so its time for it to go.

Now its on to decide the next page of offroad yeehaw. I am going over several scenarios.

The scenarios are based around the possibility of a possible 45-50 mile partial commute from Greenville. Im looking at possibly getting another place up there in December/January and will drive back and forth a few times a week for work.

Option 1. Keep 80, lock it, bigger tires, and buy a car.

Option 2. Buy the yota truck with all the typical yota truck stuff done: longs, duals, flatbed, ect. Keep 80 also, and don't have anything to pull it (yota truck) with worth a crap. Hopefully yota truck will be halfway streetable.

Option 3. Buy yota truck, sell 80 and buy car. Try to drive yota truck and bum a tow on a big trip or drag dad along for his truck. ( and father son bonding of course)

Option 4. Sell 80, buy yota truck, buy excursion with v10 or 3/4 ton burb and trailer.

Option 5. Sell all my crap and buy some sort of stupid used Jeep product. The price of a rubicon LJ is frightening. bump spending 15-20 grand on a 8+ year old truck.

Option 6. Sell all my crap and buy some sort of stupid New Jeep Product. Keep it simple: stock stealies, 285s, a handshaker, and a winch. 2 door or 4 door. A new warrantied vehicle is mighty enticing. Especially considering they also cover maintenance for 2 years.

I like option 6 because I hate towing stuff, hate maintaining 1 vehicle let alone 3 (truck, trailer and rig) and If I end up back in Gville I probably wont have room for stuff again. I loved that 99 tj I had. It drove well enough and I liked the maneuverability and the manual trans. Jeeps are just plain fun to drive everyday.
What kind of wheeling are you wanting to do with whatever you get?
 
#4
Build the 80 up more, buy something to drag it around. Older diesel or gas dually. That toyota truck is cool but small with little room to carry stuff for expo type stuff.

I want a 62 or wagoneer since melissa wants me to sell my truck to buy something auto.
 

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
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#5
Option 4 is good idea, but a 5.4 triton or 5.3 chevy would pull that yota fine, especially if you could find an open runner or aluminum trailer. Look for Tahoe or Suburban with 3.73s and 5.3 and you'd be good to go.

Option 5: you can find LJ's cheaper than that, just have to be quick on the deal. Non-Rubicons in good shape show up for under 10K.

That being said, you pretty much can't have it all with one rig. That yota would be very capable, but not very streetable. No matter what you do to the 80, if you're going to keep it nice it will never do what the yota will, and if you build it too far it won't be streetable. You really need two rigs :).
 
#6
I had this long response typed up and erased it b/c I know you won't listen to any of us, you will go do the opposite of what we all say:flipoff2:. Damn hipster...
 
#11
What kind of wheeling are you wanting to do with whatever you get?
Any kind. I like the harder stuff, but it seems the majority of the stuff I do now is trails/dirtroads in the mountains. The rest is just driving around with 1-2 Harlan trips a year. In the summer when I have free weekends I usually take off to the beach which is another + for a wrangler.
 
#13
^ thats a good looking TJ.

Build the 80 and pick up something to daily with keeping the cruiser still roadworthy. I saw a drop top fox body the other day i liked, would give you better mpg, blown hair, and vanilla ice factor.

Your hard on **** (4runner lasted 15 minutes in harlan...) a mini truck isn't going to last with that, it will end up like the 40, another project that you have to work on, which i know you don't like.
 
#16
Get a daily beater. Some small, economical, used, and possibly fun car. My Lumina (while doesn't fit the small car part) is ungodly inexpensive. It costs hardly anything to own and operate.

Example: I'm up for tires soon. I got 50k out of my current tires and according to discount tire, out the door, I'm looking at $476. Not bad and I should be able to get more than 50k out of this set as I'll keep the car aligned this time.

Half highway, half city/stop and go, I'm getting an average of 23 mpg. Not stellar but considering I'll spend more on gas this month than I will for 6 months of insurance for the thing, its not that bad.

You could pick up a Civic or something like that, and then beat it into the ground. No one would care. That would allow you to have and wheel whatever you want.

I've been commuting 40~60 miles a day for the last three years. It sucks but it is what it is. Its nice on the weekends to put the car in the back of the garage and then drive the rover around (when it isn't hopelessly broken). But if I was driving the rover everyday, my gas bill would bring the suck.

Also its nice that I can start packing/doing whatever to the truck before a wheeling trip and then afterwards, I don't have to fool with it. Oh its dirty inside? Get to it later. But Monday morning I hop into the blue car and off to work I go. No problems.

If you could budget ~$5k for a whatever car, I think you'll be happy. Many are still out there and available. Below that, its a gamble on finding something decent. You can get something, not have a car payment, and be a lot more comfortable instead of wondering, "WTF is that noise" on your way to work.
 
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