Buggy or build up?

[wentz912]

So I got to thinking about it and kind of figured that it is pretty damn hard to four wheel a daily driven yota as much as I really would like to do that.

So that kind of led me to my next sort of minor idea, which one is in all actuallity cheaper to do in the long run? buil up a full bodied rig like a toyota and daily drive it or build a trail only Truggy/tube buggy or something like that off of spare parts and junkyard bones. I realize that it would be more difficult to build a tube chassis than to build a full bodied rig but isn't there also the middle ground where yould build a tube body off of a pickup frame or the like? I would really like to build a nice capable rig, and at the moment it just really doesn't look like thats a possibility for making my yota into, due to my needing it as a daily rig. I've got access to a tube bender and a couple of guys that have built one before so the tube chassis wouldn't be a huge deal ya know.

Just wanting to know which is the better investment for my money in the long run.

 

[skrause]

That's similar to the conundrum I'm in at the moment. The only constant is they are ALL expensive. :booo:

 

[wentz912]

Yeah I realize that either and/or all ways are expensive and can be heavy on the wallet I'm just trying to figure out which would be a better investment to make. The fact that I'm 17, a junior in high school, and enlisted in the army only compounds my problems.

 

[skrause]

Better investment? As in resale value? You will never get out anything near what you put into a rig, unless you find a sucker with more dollars than sense. You don't have to have tube and coilovers to have a "capable" rig. Also keep in mind that if you build a full awn truggy or buggy you'll need a tow rig that you can also DD, as well as a trailer. Your sig says you're deploying or changing post in June? Would you rather spend the next 6 months hemorrhaging money on a buggy or wheeling the piss out of what you have now? A mild build (sas, small lift, etc) can be done quick and reasonably cheaply so that you're not losing valuable wheeling time.


oops, wrong year. It's 2007 now isn't it. :redneck: Me so deedeedee :haha:

 

[wentz912]

Better investment? As in resale value? You will never get out anything near what you put into a rig, unless you find a sucker with more dollars than sense. You don't have to have tube and coilovers to have a "capable" rig. Also keep in mind that if you build a full awn truggy or buggy you'll need a tow rig that you can also DD, as well as a trailer. Your sig says you're deploying or changing post in June? Would you rather spend the next 6 months hemorrhaging money on a buggy or wheeling the piss out of what you have now? A mild build (sas, small lift, etc) can be done quick and reasonably cheaply so that you're not losing valuable wheeling time.


oops, wrong year. It's 2007 now isn't it. :redneck: Me so deedeedee :haha:

I know i can wheel the livin piss out of the rig I've got now as long as I keep what i'm doing reasonable to the capabilities of the rig, I'm actually talking about after I get back.

And to tell you the truth, I'M the idiot :looser: :looser: :looser: :looser: , I made a typo in my sig, i don't leave until this summer, then come back for my senior year of high school.:cheer: :cheer: So that's actually when I'm looking at building a buggy or building up my yota that I've got already, I was jsut startin my research super early ya know?

EDIT: and as far as the having to tow it bit, I have trails on my own property, and i have family that I would be able to borrow a tow rig and trailer from. so thats not really a problem.

 

[rooinater]

you don't live on the top of getchil hill in the marysville area? sounds like how one of my buddies eric was able to do it.

i'd say just build a truggy. then you still have a cab to hideaway in and turn the heat on! or you could cut the hell out of your cab... if you have a good platform for what you'll be building... just build it and get a cheapo dd that you won't be inclined to modify.

 

[skrause]

Ah, in that case I'd say go coilovers/links. As far as chassie a truggy is easier to build but you still have sheetmetal, which if it stays relatively straight while you wheel the piss out of it is like a trophy to show that you don't have to pinball through the trail. Buggies are more forgiving of this abuse, but they're more work to build because you're starting from scratch. They also seem to come packaged with an elitest attitude that us ladder frame leaf spring guys find annoying. :redneck:

 

[GRNTACO]

That's similar to the conundrum I'm in at the moment. The only constant is they are ALL expensive. :booo:

:haha: :haha: :haha: :haha: You are FUN-NAY.

 

[GRNTACO]

If I had it to do again I would have started out with a buggy and kept my Tacoma street legal.

I figure I might as well keep going with the Tacoma until it is time for it to be stripped and running gear transfered to a tube thingy.

 

[Mark m.]

You should just buy mine. $8000

 

[PORTER]

If you have the money to do it starting out with a buggy is the way to go. I have been there and done that and wish i would have seen the light long time ago. I have less money into my almost bulletproof S&N Fab rig, than most people have into their TJS etc. And I could sell it for damn near what im into it for. Well built buggys by a reputable shop still fetch a good price.

 

[TB-F]

You should just buy mine. $8000

No, you should buy mine It's cheaper and pre-beat-up for you'r tree-pivoting enjoyment.

$5500

 

[wentz912]

you don't live on the top of getchil hill in the marysville area? sounds like how one of my buddies eric was able to do it.

i'd say just build a truggy. then you still have a cab to hideaway in and turn the heat on! or you could cut the hell out of your cab... if you have a good platform for what you'll be building... just build it and get a cheapo dd that you won't be inclined to modify.

Nope I live in between Kalama and Kelso, WA, about an hour North of Portland.

Yeah thats what I really like about the truggy deal, cept now I dont know what to use as a platform for the build though, anybody had any succes with usin a late 60's to early 70s ford highboy as a starting point? I know where a couple of are here pretty local for <500 that have frame left and they run.

 

[wentz912]

You should just buy mine. $8000

I would since that looks to be a super sweet rig:corn: BUT, i definitely lack anywhere near the funds, but other than that, that is basically 100% the same as how I would build up a truggy if I went that way, the only difference being possible what platform i started off with.

 

[rooinater]

when do you leave to basic? you could afford it after bootcamp. it's a lot easier in the military to get random loans... trust me i've been doing it for the last 4 1/2 years i've been in the marine corp. are you starting at e1 or doing one of their quick accel programs the army has to get promoted faster?

 

[wentz912]

I leave for basic in the end of June this year. And it's not only the being able to afford it, its not wanting to totally tear apart my fairly mint condition truck to build a wheeler out of, especially when it gets good mileage for a pickup and is pretty easy to maintain. I've only been wheeling it for the past year, year and a half and I've already sunk it twice, destroyed all my steering components except for the box, blew out a tail light and krinkled the rear quarter panel, dented the fender, tacoed one rim, and peeled the bead out on another. And I haven't even gotten to play in the rocks yet!

 

[no excuses]

just buy another cheap toyota and start from there.:clappy:

 

[wentz912]

yeah but can you find a running toyota with full width running gear for less than $500. Not that I'm aware of. Do the downsides of starting with a fullsize rig like im talking about outweigh the pros by that much?