Classic SUVs?

[pappawheely]

I'm going to have to disagree with many of these posts. If you are going to build/drive an overlanding vehicle, you are going to be modifying it. I would rather have something that I can work on instead of having to take it to a computer programmer every time something doesn't work. Modern electronics might be nice when they are new, but once they get older, they can be a nightmare. If you are going to be changing stuff anyways, why spend more on the initial purchase? Start with something solid, simple, and cheap. 70's-90's GM and Ford trucks are solid bases to build whatever you want. They were plentiful so parts are readily available and not too expensive. I pounded on my 79 Blazer for years. I swapped in a 14 bolt rear end and that's about it. I have found there is another benefit to older trucks. For some reason, you can drag a rusty chain across an old truck's hood with no damage. Do it to something with a clear coat paint job, and it's thrashed.

 

[jonnyquest]

Check out this website. You could practically build a truck from scratch. http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/t.aspx

 

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

Check out this website. You could practically build a truck from scratch. http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/t.aspx

Haha might be outside my mechanical ability as of now

 

[Clutch]

I'm going to have to disagree with many of these posts. If you are going to build/drive an overlanding vehicle, you are going to be modifying it. I would rather have something that I can work on instead of having to take it to a computer programmer every time something doesn't work. Modern electronics might be nice when they are new, but once they get older, they can be a nightmare. If you are going to be changing stuff anyways, why spend more on the initial purchase? Start with something solid, simple, and cheap. 70's-90's GM and Ford trucks are solid bases to build whatever you want. They were plentiful so parts are readily available and not too expensive. I pounded on my 79 Blazer for years. I swapped in a 14 bolt rear end and that's about it. I have found there is another benefit to older trucks. For some reason, you can drag a rusty chain across an old truck's hood with no damage. Do it to something with a clear coat paint job, and it's thrashed.

Yeah, but you're into fabbing and working on vehicles. I used to have to maintain a fleet of construction equipment, and had to work on my own vehicles because I was poor...that really sucks when you have to burn the midnight oil wrenching just so you can make it to work the next day.

Have worked on my own vehicles for years and years, and I am well over it...now just want to get in, turn the key, and go. I have a somewhat modern vehicle a '99 Tacoma, even if it is 18 years old, it has a lot of electronic gee-gaws on it. It has 350'000 miles on it...98-99% of all its' failures over the years have been mechanical. Bearings, seals, ball joints, clutches, suspension (have redone the suspension 4 times now) rear ring and pinion took a crap here last year because of a bearing failure. CV joints, timing belt, water pump...that sort of thing.

I have replaced one fuel injector for a leaking o-ring (did them all since it was apart for good measure), brake sensor (which found it it was fine, just out of adjustment) and the exhaust O2 sensors (which didn't really need to, just did it just to do it) and that is it for electrical. So really, not much for electrical failures.

 

[pappawheely]

Yeah, but you're into fabbing and working on vehicles.

Only because I'm poor. :sombrero:

 

[1leglance]

So of course I am going to vote for the old iron as an overlanding rig....and I even daily drive mine
Now my commute is 5.5 miles each way so honestly I could bike except in the brutal Phoenix summer and my rig has been 5yrs of tweaking to get just what I want.
But my smiles per mile is through the roof.
My wife and I have talked many times about a Raptor with a shell, a 4wd van and lots of other rigs, but even she says the Burb has character, is easy to repair in remote areas and matches my granddads 72 truck that is my hot rod.
Oh and really my 70 Burb is an 88 Burb under the shell as it is TBI (custom ecu I can flash tunes on while driving), 700r4, dana 44 front & 14 bolt rear and lots of extras.

 

[tailgunn]

My best grades were in the term that I:
-Went back to the UK for 4 weeks to get married
-Worked the most hours outside university
-Took 6 months to repair the head gaskets on the 4Runner

A couple of people told me "if you want something doing properly ask a busy person"

Good point. I am the same way, except that there is also wife, kids, house maintenance, work, shuttling my son to two hockey teams, boy scouts... plus he will have his license next year so the plan is to get him a daily that will slyly turn into an off roader. He is not going to daily that Travelall- he is getting something with an air bag. Or several.

 

[Clutch]

Only because I'm poor. :sombrero:

Ha ha!

So of course I am going to vote for the old iron as an overlanding rig....and I even daily drive mine
Now my commute is 5.5 miles each way so honestly I could bike except in the brutal Phoenix summer and my rig has been 5yrs of tweaking to get just what I want.
But my smiles per mile is through the roof.
My wife and I have talked many times about a Raptor with a shell, a 4wd van and lots of other rigs, but even she says the Burb has character, is easy to repair in remote areas and matches my granddads 72 truck that is my hot rod.
Oh and really my 70 Burb is an 88 Burb under the shell as it is TBI (custom ecu I can flash tunes on while driving), 700r4, dana 44 front & 14 bolt rear and lots of extras.

Definitely cool, but someone did most of the work for you, right?...and how much do you have into it? About $35-40K IIRC yeah?

 

[1leglance]

Dang my secret is out
Yeah Nick who is here as nobins with a really nice 72 Burb running a Cummins 5.9 and man trans has been my go to mechanical guy. Not because I could NOT do the work myself, but because he does it so much nicer while I am at the hospital earning the cash to throw at him

As to money in the rig I am just crossing the $35k range in the 5yrs I have owned it....bought Black Friday 2011 from the original owner and I could have left it well enough alone but for the creeping desire for modern touches like fuel injection, overdrive and more....it looks like this

Now if we consider me buying a new rig in Nov 2011 what would it be worth today? I consider the money I have put in like making payments except my rig is worth more as time goes by due to the cool vintage factor vs a new rig that is worth less and less.

Not for everyone and not for someone who wants all the modern touches like heated seats and not having to think, but I think it could be for more people if they were willing to resto mod a bit.

 

[Clutch]

Dang my secret is out

Ha!

As to money in the rig I am just crossing the $35k range in the 5yrs I have owned it....bought Black Friday 2011 from the original owner and I could have left it well enough alone but for the creeping desire for modern touches like fuel injection, overdrive and more....it looks like this

It is definitely cool, have always wanted to do something similar. 70's F250 Crew with a modern drive train...but then I wouldn't want to run it down dirt roads, drag branches & rocks down the side of it either after it was finished. Now living back in snow country, no way I would want to drive it in the winter because they use salt and other chemicals here, that and worrying about some knucklehead sliding into me. Daily driving it 60 miles a day wouldn't be the best either.

Have been a gear-head for most of my life...think I am at the point in life, I don't want any emotional attachment to a vehicle. Really don't like Ram trucks....so it would be the perfect truck to buy and go beat the crap out of, you can grab a base model 4WD V6 Regular cab, for under $20K...and then just go flog it. Save the "cool" vehicles for just looking at pictures of them. Come to the same conclusion every time I think about dragging some worn out POS old iron home. Spend all the time and money getting it fixed up, then what I am I going to do with it!!?? Knowing me it would be a street queen like others I owned in the past.

Now if we consider me buying a new rig in Nov 2011 what would it be worth today?

If it were a Tacoma...might be worth more than when it was new.



------


Good show to watch is Roadkill, those guys buy some old piece a crap...then the misery ensues. At least they are getting paid!

 

[borison]

Dang my secret is out
Yeah Nick who is here as nobins with a really nice 72 Burb running a Cummins 5.9 and man trans has been my go to mechanical guy. Not because I could NOT do the work myself, but because he does it so much nicer while I am at the hospital earning the cash to throw at him

As to money in the rig I am just crossing the $35k range in the 5yrs I have owned it....bought Black Friday 2011 from the original owner and I could have left it well enough alone but for the creeping desire for modern touches like fuel injection, overdrive and more....it looks like this

Now if we consider me buying a new rig in Nov 2011 what would it be worth today? I consider the money I have put in like making payments except my rig is worth more as time goes by due to the cool vintage factor vs a new rig that is worth less and less.

Not for everyone and not for someone who wants all the modern touches like heated seats and not having to think, but I think it could be for more people if they were willing to resto mod a bit.

Man I want a 67-72 so bad, I can't ever decide between k20, jimmy/blazer, or suburban.

 

[ExplorerTom]

While what I drive isn't a classic, it is a high mileage (218,000) fairly old (2000 model year) Ford Expedition. I constantly have this conversation with myself. Yes it has high miles and if it were alive it is old enough to drive itself (it would be able to vote in the upcoming midterm elections) but it shows no sign of failure and just continues to run. So I'm in no hurry to get rid of it. I just put $900 worth of tires on it.

 

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

Lot of that makes sense. I love the idea of working on my vehicles more than the actual work haha I used to work on my mustang and so much prefer throwing my money at someone else.

 

[XJINTX]

http://bringatrailer.com/2016/09/12/frame-down-napco-4x4-converted-1956-chevrolet-suburban/

 

[edlaffoon]

It' been said a lot here, the ROI of driving a "classic" is what it's all about. I love my K5(s), but if you want the real story of the pain of owning and daily driving a classic you should check out my thread. Regardless I still love the truck and it is still kicking, should be back on the road this year and I will continue to drive it every day.

Short answer: K5 get's my vote, if you think you need something bigger a 3/4 ton suburban (like Larry's Polar Bear) is one of the best classics you can buy due to availability/affordability of parts and relative reliability.