oof, gl with that lol
Works getting done on and moving forward, just wanted to touch base.
I’ve got two segments done already and looking to do 3 more to make this finish on a good note before I get to work on my active Challenge I’m hosting.
- Post sections as they’re done
- Post all sections once they’re done
- Who cares your magazine sucks
- I Smell Toast?
0
voters
How did I not know this was a thing? I like making off-roaders.
2 Likes
My offroaders are better than yours 
Caravan Special
Winter in the desert
If you’re thinking of heading to the dry warm desert to escape winter then you’ve probably thought about a camper and a truck to haul it. We tested several older models that present themselves well for a get away. these are all very affordable on the market currently as they’ve aged out of favor. Don’t let that deter you from getting one and having blast on the trails.
The First up is the Grizzley by Drake.
It was a great all around SUV, the only real issue we had was the rear springs where a little soft when hauling around our cheap 6,000lbs camper behind it. The engine and differentials did a great job and were fun for light off-roading with the camper detached and waiting for you to call it a day. It is also well suited for a winter back up vehicle. These old Grizzleys are solid built light SUVs well worth the money.
@fallenvalkyrie
Factory specs are bellow
HP 136
Torque 165
Weight 3425
Price 19,600
MPG 18
Model Year 1990
Next up is the TomaHawk by Gladatior
This SUV is another solid choice for you weekend or seasonal get away. It is more suited to inexperienced drivers as it has TCS, but that also makes it a little cranky off-road. The factory tires will need to be swapped out for some good AT tyres before you head to far off-road. this old truck has some series power under the hood. Solid trucks, they do tend to have leaky roofs as there’s no hard top versions.
@Chaedder
Factory Specs bellow
HP 244
Torque 285
Weight 3440
Price 21,200
MPG 17
Model Year 1990
Our third choice would be an older Minivan like the FHM Alltrek by VMC
This option is readily available and offers lots of space for camping, it will need AT tyres and you should try to get a V6 version as the little 2.2 I4 seemed to strain on inclines, then again again if its just you and or a couple friends other you could just throw the back seats away and drive it as a sleeper camper rather than dragging the big heavy camper behind of you. It does lack ground clearance so off-roading is easy to get high centered.
@myself
Specs Below for I4 alltrek
HP 96
Torque 111
Weight 26,520
Price 13,300
MPG 17
Model Year 1982
Part 1 of 4?
5 Likes
The grizzley looks oddly simmilar to my Excapade… hmmmm… Coincidence? I think so.
Great stuff so far. You have me hooked and ready for part two!
3 Likes
Truck in review 1990 VS 2024 Nostalgia
On paper Stats
1990 Vulcan Excapade VS 2024 Vulcan Excapade
Top speed 121 - 137
0-62 9.09-8.44
1/4 mile 16.60 - 16.36
G-force .716G - .685G
mass 3699LB - 4856LB
HP 250HP
Torque 265
The new Excapade does everything you remember the 90’s model doing as good as the nostalgia makes you remember it being. The new model has the same power out of a refreshed version of the 3.2 I6 that fans loved (turns out the truck we were testing had a replacement engine in 2012 so that’s why our test turned out the same power numbers)
The Vulcans success in 1990 model was remarkable selling near 50,000 SUVS in 1990 alone, the understeering issues quickly came to light and sales stalled to only 3,500 models in 1996 when they discontinued the lineup.
Now 28 years later Vulcan is banking on nostalgia to bring them market stability once again. The new model will cost just under 42,000 and a well dressed Heritage edition will run near 44,000. This is quite the mark up considering the base model (after inflation to 2024) would be 28,940, is it worth it? To find out we went to Italy to test out a NOS 1990 model and a show room 2024 Version of the same model.
First impression these are very familiar, the face lift looks great and the interior is clearly better build quality that the 20 year old its mimicking. The real issue is if the fans will see this as a Successor or just a cash grab by Vulcan trying to get the nostalgia of 90s kids remembering their parents driving them around or off-roading after school.
They both performed well in our lite off-roading and on the street. Honestly the damned thing still has understeer when driving spirited. We’re not sure if that was engineered or not. They have plenty of flex for crawling and they do ok on hills. It Feels like a modern take on a classic right down to the issue that made its sale fall off, but the modern systems make braking feel much more solid. The projected sales number is near 100,000 units to be sold in 2024 so it may be even bigger than the 90s model. time will tell.
In closing if you want to have a cruise down memory lane and don’t want to deal with rust and repairs that come with a 20 year old project then grab one of these bad boys. We’re not sure how this SUV cleared the EPA with its 16MPG in 2024, but we wont say nothing if they ask.
Part2/4?
3 Likes