Top Ten Dirt Cheap Compact Off Road Simple Conversions
 

Let's make this list! Think offroad utilty vehicle. Something that's simple, tough, reliable, that you could use for hunting, working on a small farm, off roading, etc.

Let's say all in around $3k as a base price, obviously if you want to get fancier that's more.

Evolving List
* 86-91 Isuzu Trooper
* 84-85 Toyota Pickup
* Samurai (years?)
* F150 (92-96)
* Jeep - CJs? (Years?)

Honestly, the f150 i have is a great one.

Well I'm gonna say a trooper. 5 speeds don't break. Rear axles don't break.....IFS meh but cheap and simple to run and fix.


For something small I would for for a samurai. Very small in size. Small motor. And solid axle.

Samurai.

Cheap, small, huge aftermarket support.

Light, simple and tough, good mileage to boot.

And the roof comes off!

My pick would be an '84-'85 Toyota pickup. The 22R is underpowered but the rest of the truck is solid and with the solid front axle and leafs modifying one is cheap. I used to have an '84 extra cab.

Any particular year range for the Troopers or Samurais?

Jeep.

I would say First gen troopers because they are so simple, 1986 - 1991

Needs considerable refinement. Probably the CJ years with carburated SBCs?

Any with the 4.0.

You don't want the 86 Toyota it has IFS.

Correct, just the '84 and '85.

I think I know some one with a 85 Toyota 4x4 may be able to get it cheep if anyone is interested Cough John storage Cough.

How about... oh i dunno, a black cj with an amc motor. 😜 Cant beat a jeep for compact plus offroad calability. Rigid frame, solid axles, 4wd, and enough power to spin it all. ;)

Do a sbc conversion and you cant stop it.

Actually the CJ's have a C channel frame that's not all that strong. An FJ40 has a much stronger frame that's boxed and more romm for the driver. When my brother was looking for his first truck he wanted a CJ but he couldn't fit in it (6'5"). He ended up buying a '69 FJ40.

The old FJs are superior to the CJs and that's just the way it is. However, they ain't all that cheap. CJs are less.

Before I got my 91 new, I almost got an old FJ with its straight six. It was cool, but the folks didn't want any more used cars that were unreliable. I beat the hell out of my Jeep and it just kept on tick'n. It has the old AMC based 2.5 I4. Just not a lot to go wrong.

And then there was the Antichrist:mad:. A Jeep J-series truck with an AMC 401 big block and solid axles. I wish we still had it. :thumbs_up:

That is fucking awesome! Though I'm pretty sure it's not dirt cheap. ;) Good for "end of the world as we know it."

That is pretty fucking cool.

Somebody build one.

I have enough projects right now.

Me too. I volunteer Phil. He only has two projects going on right now.

I volunteer Adam.

My projects primarily involve exploiting Motorgen talent, soooo. . .

I want to do that to an ISUZU box truck