Our First 4x4s

[FINOCJ]

I've posted some of these before in various capacity, but thought it might be interesting to see some old photos of the 4x4s (or whatever) got us into wheeling....please add your own - backstories just make it better.

My first car/jeep - 1989 YJ 4cyl. bought as is (not built) in 1996 during my senior year high school


from Mt Princeton in 1997:


from Immogene Pass in 1997:


That was sold after 2 years and replaced with a 1984 cj7 6cyl when I was in college that I did a mild build on. IIRC, this was taken in the Baldwin Lakes area near Mt Antero in 1998...


from Iron Chest in 2000:

[Jim]

First vehicle. 1979 CJ-5 with the AMC 304 V8 2BBL

It had headers into cherry-bombs / glass packs

Northern Illinois so no grand mountain vista photos but it was a "fun" jeep to drive.
(specifically when outfitted with the custom, fuel return line and spark plugs in the exhaust kit)






Top end - where the speedo needle would wrap down to the "L" in "Fuel".




Jump 20 odd years for the 1990 Wrangler, 6-Cyl 258/4.2 and some Colorado scenery. While not as much fun to drive (and way more scary over 80MPH), it certainly is more capable and has taken me to many interesting places.

[Tom]

64 International Harvester Scout
No pics

[speedkills]

I don't have any pics of my first sadly. It was a 1970 Chevy full size, with a 6" lift and 36" tires which was pretty huge for back then but I'm sure if I saw it now it wouldn't look nearly as big as it is in my memory. I paid $300 for it, rebuilt the transmission in my back yard with a $150 trans rebuild kit, did cheap block lift for $150, and got used 36" humvee takeoff tires for $150 each. It was definitely a budget build, I had fun with it for a couple of years then sold it for $1500. One of the most memorable parts was how much room I got on the road, every body panel was a different color as it had been damaged multiple times over it's life and had hood, doors, bumper, tailgate, etc. replaced with junkyard parts, plus it had a huge steel front bumper. Growing up in Alaska people could be a little aggressive at times pulling out in front of you on icy roads forcing you to try to slow quickly on ice while they tried to accelerate quickly on ice.

This never happened when I was in that truck.

[Java]

My first 4x4 was a rusted out 79 scout traveller, wish I had some pics. I learned a lot on that rig.
Number two was the YJ below, the first pic is the beach at Key Biscayne with my dogs when it was still tan. It changed color and grew a few times before I sold it.
My FJ60, best money pit ever. Miss it, so glad it's gone.
Flat Stanley, my flatbed Toyota. I REALLY miss that one. The pic with a dog in the back is the reason I sold it, she needed a pacemaker, it got expensive and I already had a couple of cars so...

[Schmitty]

Love the older Jeeps and that polished bullet-hole style wheel looks great.

Y'all saw my first 4wd, the 2001 4runner. Nothing special but it was a capable vehicle. Here's what I think was my first run with the group up on MSV after Max invited me.



I'd like to get an older Yota (preferably a 1st gen 4runner) to build into a proper crawler someday.

[newracer]

My first 4x4 was a '88 YJ Larado, black and silver (trying to find a picture). I didn't wheel it much, just took it fishing and camping. It was also my daily driver.

Then I became more interested in wheeling and was deciding between modifying the YJ or buy a slightly modified TJ. While looking at TJs I came across a highly modified one that was too good of a deal to pass up.



A few years after that my wife wanted a different daily driver, she found a really nice low mileage '07 JKUR. She drove it for a few years, then both my sons did when they came of age, and now its my daily driver and light wheeler.



Even with the TJ being highly modified, Every winter I'd think about going bigger with one-ton axles and at least 40" tires but when adding up the cost I'd quickly talk myself out of it. I had added a few things over the years like a custom cage, comp cut the rear, 37s from 36s, aluminum sliders, and some other interior mods.

About four years ago I heard of a buggy that "might" be for sale since the owner had not been using it much. I went and took a look at it and bought it on the spot, again since it was such a good deal. I sold the TJ to fund the buggy.

[TDash]

hard to find a good picture, if i come across a better on i will post it. my dad's '85 XLT Bronco is the blue and white one on the left

[Snowturtle]

I don't have a picture it was an 83 square body chevy 6" on 35's. Growing up in MI (mud trucks) I've had a few square bodies. One 79 f150 short box (loved her, wish I still had it) she was painted an orange/red. About 6 s10's. This picture is the last one I had. 97 ext on 35's. I pulled her out of my mountain storage and brought it down here to sell. 10k on a crate motor. Trails around Vail and Gypsum. I now own 4 jeeps. A 51 cj3a on 38's, 93yj on 38's, 20 gladiator on 33's and 87xj on 39's

[FINOCJ]

Snowturtle previously posted:

[Mad Maxx]

Back in ye olden days of May 2018, my first spring in Colorado, I got this 1995 Nissan Pathfinder SE.

Living in an apartment near Boulder as I worked there for a whopping $15/hr, I didn't have the means nor money to modify it, but I sent it on all the trails I could anyway.

Later that same year the frame busted apart on one side, I think it must've happened on Middle St Vrain/Coney flats. T'was a fun summer that got me quickly hooked on off-roading.

[a1gemmel]

My first 4x4 was a bone stock '79 Subaru GL I picked up in 2019. I was browsing craigslist for mini trucks and somehow ended up buying that nugget for $1000. I took it out on some trails with a friend with a TJ and was hooked - thus began extensive modifications to fit the smallest all terrains I could find, upping the tire size from 21" to 29"... homemade lift kit, steel bumpers with lights and a winch, body work, swapped the EA71 and 4 speed for an EA81 and 4 speed with low range. It was a lot of fun and I took it on a bunch of smaller trails like Switzerland, Gordon Gulch, 68J, Rollins Pass... but ultimately with a 1.5:1 low range and unchangeable open 3.90 axles it just didn't have the traction or gearing to do anything steep or technical. Not to mention the "big" tires tending to break parts in the steering and suspension frequently. If I had the chance, I'd probably buy it back and build it right with solid axles and a suzuki transfer case.

[FINOCJ]

a1gemmel previously posted:

[The StRanger]

Got plenty of story’s but no pics (think the first wife Burnt them all)
not mine but I got my first 4x4 Fix in an old CJ3A my uncle owned, lots of off road, not really
crawling, he updated to a first gen Jeepster Commando. (I could drive that) think I was like 14 or 15.
Right after that my dad bought a another Commando. Same thing, no drive.
We did a lot of running Utah West Desert and Little Sahara sand dunes.
I has Hooke
they both hooked up with Skyline Jeep Club outa SLC and started runnin The uinta range and Utah high country.

[TDash]

The StRanger previously posted:

[jayson44]

my first 4x4 was an 83 CJ5 I bought when I moved to TX. joined a Jeep club and got her dirty as soon as I could. 4cyl eventually got swapped for a SBC, homemade rock sliders and bumper, 31" Swampers, and a few other things here and there. it got the nickname Daisy because it reminded one of the club guys about Daisy Duke's CJ from the show.





J.

[JLWILLYS21]

I don't have pics readily available from the 'film' days, but I'm sure I could drag out a few photos from storage. My first 4x4 was my first new vehicle: a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport XJ. I drove that thing, stock, on almost every trail between Denver and Buena Vista. It went everywhere and was lots of fun to learn in. Everywhere we went modified Jeep owners would be amazed that we could conquer Red Elephant Hill or Spring Gulch in a stock XJ.