What was your first off-road experience?

[Reinen]

My first off-road experience was in a 1969 Mustang Mach 1. It went as well as you'd think. Getting stuck in puddles I could jump across, bottoming out on the slightest of terrain, spinning tires through everything.

Eventually the Mustang got me too many speeding tickets so in an effort to not lose my license, I switched to one of those new YJs. Worked out great. Doing 55 in Safari Mode felt like doing 90 in the Mustang and I could easily drive on whatever road or non-road I could find.

More places to go, less tickets!

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[Whiskey 13]

Back in the day 4 of us farm boys got together and made a old Volkswagen into our off road buggy. We removed the body, shortened the frame, welded some seats and a roll cage on it, put 12 inch wide farm implement tires on the rear and 7.75 X14 tires on the front. It was less than 40 HP but with no weight it more or less floated over everything. We used it up on the mountain trails and out through the fields and beat the crap out of it, but it took the beating and all of us were hooked for life.

 

[Flip]

I'm absolutely loving these stories everyone and thank you for yours. I could read these all day long.

Lets keep them going.

 

[3TV]

It was a 1961 CJ5 for me. I bought it for $600 when I was 14 years old and had to have my dad drive it to a dirt road where I could take over driving, because I didn't have my driver's license yet. I wish I had a picture, but it would be a black and white picture.

 

[mark203]

1978
Korea, near Uijongbu.
M151, government property, on the books @ about $950.

 

[mark203]

1978
Korea, near Uijongbu.
M151, government property, on the books @ about $950.

Actually, thinking about it, 1970, fall of my first year of high school, staff member had a K5 Blazer and took me out, we ended up nose down in about 5 feet of muddy stream water, got soaked, watch3d the recovery, great time by all.

 

[JJ_WA]

1977 driving a 2 1/2 with a trailer up "the bob sled" to a forward site along the DMZ in Korea. The "road" was nothing but deep ruts from the torrential rain. My truck had air-activated FWD to dig in with the rear wheels. Steep, curvy, bumpy, an overall pretty hairy drive up the mountain. Otherwise, piece of cake! ;-)

 

[Blueliner3]

My dad bought a Toyota 4WD Pickup* on a whim in the early 80s, put some accessories on it (roll bar, lights, bull bar), and drove it on any patch of dirt we could find in Southern California. Riding shotgun up Saddleback Mtn. and going camping at Lake Cachuma and on some property he had in the Santa Ynez Valley are trips that stand out.

I’m sure all our wheeling was done at street pressure (would’ve had to buy a 4x4 magazine at a newsstand in those days to learn about airing down). My job was to jump out (down) and lock/unlock the front hubs when needed. Good times.

* 3rd gen. Hilux in the rest of the world.

Back of the photo stamped: “Kodak OCT 81”

What I wouldn’t give to have that truck today…

 

[MntGoat]

1978
Korea, near Uijongbu.
M151, government property, on the books @ about $950.

Loved that, yank the throttle a.k.a. cruise control, andc45 mph all day. We flopped them all the time 3 people roll back over the integrated cargo net let everything stay in the jeep and pummel the passengers

 

[tk1700]

1978
Korea, near Uijongbu.
M151, government property, on the books @ about $950.

I was at Camp Essayons, 6/37th Field Artillery, 81-82. We would take a cab into Uijongbu for 600 Won ($1). Fun times!

 

[vetygud]

Farm buddy of mine got a sixties Scout with a 4 banger which we got running. Ran it through Iowa pastures and woods. Went off an embankment into a ravine, thought I broke my neck. No damage. We would find parts off of International and Farmall tractors to get and keep it running. It was very basic. Wish it was still around. Ahhh, the good years.

 

[wibornz]

I would show you, but my dad really didn't take pictures back in 1971. Sadly.My dad had me riding dirt bikes off road at the age of 4.

I did own a 1976 Chevy 4x4 truck in high school that we beat on.....often. I did have a lifted 1979 F150. Sadly this is the best picture I have of it.

 

[BobW]

Sorta counts---finding the gate unlocked one spring evening 50+ years ago, drove my '62 bug up the Mt. Lowe fire road almost to the tunnel, blocked by piled up dirt.

 

[Terrymo]

In high school, buddy had a Chevy Luv 4x4 and had just installed a crappy body lift and some “massive” 33‘s. We headed to one of our favorite surf spots in Davenport CA. No need to hike in, we got a badass 4x4 and can drive right down into a bowl and out onto the beach. Well on the way out, the sand was soft and we couldn’t make it back up the slope. A Jeep drove by and yelled out the window for us to let some air out of the tires. We didn‘t believe him and struggled for another 45 minutes and couldn’t get up the sand slope. The Jeep came back by. This time the driver hopped out and walked out to where we were. He said, if you let about half the air out of your tires, I guarantee you’ll drive right out. He walked back to his Jeep shaking his head and muttering something. We didn’t believe him but thought, well we have nothing to lose. Sure as shit the guy was right and we drove right out.

 

[mjohns57]

Stock 2-wheel drive Ford Ranger circa 1990s, in Dunes, Pismo Beach, CA. Aired down, and put some old tires in the bed for weight. Drove all around out there, did better than a old Bronco that was with us as the guy had bald tires. Only stuck once on the way out on a berm that I high centered on. Friend pulled me up with a tow strap.

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