What's the cheapest way to play in the dirt? 4x4?

Hello GRM! 

Question 1

I've been wanting to play on some trails, what's the Miata equivalent? Is there something I can just put some ok knobby tires for fairly cheap? I know there are jeeps, but around me in mid-tn they're fairly pricy. I looked at some f150s, some rangers, etc. so what gets me on the trails and goofing off for a low buy in to see if I like it?

Question 2

Anyone local know of places to go play in and around mid-tn?

I like playing with my track cars, but I've been wanting to try out dirt and the MCM special have given me a little push.

Honestly,  you can find cheap jeeps around here pretty easily. And it IS the off road answer to my knowledge. 

We were looking at 80s era stuff,  running and driving for 1500-2500 this summer for my brother. 

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :

Hmmm, I've been looking at jeeps though not hard. Any thoughts on 80/90 f150 4x4 i6? I really love the look of those, though again... I know nothing.

Jeep Cherokee/Cherokee sport.  The boxy Unibody one is literally refered to as the off-road answer around here.   I've seen those in OK shape for $1500-2k, with rough ones under $1K

A jeep wrangler, or Cj-5/7 would work if you can find one at an acceptable price.  If you can weld the ~2000 wranglers can be cheap due to generally repairable frame corrosion.  They are ALL very capable out of the box with some minorly aggressive tires.    These are going to be more like $3000+

Suzuki samurai /Geo Trackers are good choices too, good ones tend to be expensive if the people who are selling them know what they are.  In my area running not totally rusty ones are $3000-5000, but I've seen rough ones for $1000-2000.  

If you can find a rust free one older 4 runners are great.  But they are thin on the ground anymore.  Newer ones carry a heavy Toyota Tax.

Just about anything with a true Hi/Lo range transmission will take you pretty far.  Especially if your goal is to do fire road/mining road type stuff not dedicated trails. 

Buy something, anything 4x4 that isn't rusty and hopefully has low range. Spend some $$$ on diffs. It's all about the diffs once the pavement ends. 

As far as an f150: we ran some fullsize stuff in east Tennessee and western north Carolina. We always wound up with body damage and more trouble due to truck size vs the wrangler and truggy guys. 

That being said,  our 1 ton 4x4 longbed with sold front and rear axles never broke, and worked hard during the weeks between trails. 

The 300 ford six is an absolute animal. I love those engines and the 3 speed manual trans behind them berkeleying indestructible. My newest ford truck experience was 77 though,  so i can't comment on newer versions. 

lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:

Buy something, anything 4x4 that isn't rusty and hopefully has low range. Spend some $$$ on diffs. It's all about the diffs once the pavement ends. 

I'll second this.  I've been out with Jeeps and held my own with a GMT800 with factory LSD rear and ATS 33s.  Offroading is more about control.  Tires and diff helps that a lot.  My easiest day driving was when I got water on my MAF and went into limp home mode.  With no power I found that I could go through anything.

Jeeps are the cheap answer.  But not wranglers.  You want a cherokee (XJ), or a first or second gen grand cherokee (ZJ or WJ).  All 3 are solid axles at both ends, very capable, and cheap.  Aftermarket is a little smaller and more pricey than for wranglers, but there's plenty of stuff out there.  

For a trail rig small and light are the answer. You dont want to try and wrestle a full size pickup through a woods trail. Jeeps are fantastic, as well as samurais. Older toyotas with a solid front axle also do great. Power isn't much of a concern for most situations since you will always be in low range. Some knobby tires and a lunch box locker are all you need to have something halfway capable. 

My jeep did time as a manual then got swapped to an automatic and automatic is better for most offroad situations. 

With all that said, on the trail rides I've gone on the guys with the $500 beater they bought two days before usually have the most fun.

If Jeep listen closely for piston slap, sounds just like rod knock but harder to fix.  98-03  ish are the problem years.

Personally I would look for the best Two door Sidekick/Tracker or step sideways to a Jeep if you want bigger.  Jeep also if you like old stuff. 

Lock the front diff in anything and you are golden.  

Well not 4X4 but what about  about VW based dune buggies. More specifically full tube framed sand rail type buggies. Lightweight can be made to go a lot of places only 4X4's can go and can be fairly cheap also.

Mountain Bike? I'll show myself the door.

Xj Cherokee. They don't have the "Jeep tax" to the degree Wranglers do and are every bit as capable offroad (and more practical as utility vehicles). I mean, they suck to drive (at least mine did) but still, very capable, very cheap. Buy a later one with the HO 4.0 engine.

Montero sport is a sleeper. Similar capability to a 4Runner, but not very loved and can be found super-cheap. Also quite capable offroad (a small step down from the "real" Montero)

4Runner is probably the "offroad version of the Miata" but they don't come cheap, even well-used. 

dxman92 said:

Mountain Bike? I'll show myself the door.

Lol, I do that too! Currently on a hard tail 29er, though I haven't been out in a while!

Loving this info! I'd really like a suzuki, but they seem as expensive as the wranglers.

Good point on the full-sized trucks, though I haven't rulled them out completely.

Jeep.
 

You can buy something else then empty your wallet trying to make it as capable as a stock wrangler/Cherokee. A wrangler with a rear locker and slightly bigger tires is surprisingly capable. 

I like the size of an XJ. They're to go-to for very capable and cheap wheeling around here for sure. 

I bought my 87 Montero for $800 non-running, but like XJs (ive had 4 of those) they are on the way up and getting harder to find cheap in decent shape. On the flip side every time i see a Montero Sport it looks fantastic for its age and reminds me of all the other 90s compact suv's that i DONT see. Time has apparently voted the Montero Sport the least E36 M3ty compact SUV of the 90s, and they are still SUPER cheap and unloved. They're IFS, which matters absolutely none unless you were planning to go past 33" tires.

I am really quite impressed with my first Gen Liberty. Has low range, can handle a decent about of tire, and can be had for cheap ($400 for mine) while being 10+ years newer than most XJs. The 3.7l isn't the stump puller the 4.0l was but it is better than its reputation. 
 

probably a good choice to see if you want to spend more money on something else, like a Cherokee. 

People seem to prefer the XJ(love mine) but for cheap I'd go ZJ. Mechanically similar but not as well loved. Solid axles, good engine options, reliable transmission.

Isuzu or Mitsubishi. 

If you want to be a hero, Chevy Captiva. 

Another vote for the XJ.

Right size between FS trucks and the mini rigs. Good aftermarket. 

Most are hitting high miles now. Watch for floor pan and RR box frame rust that could fail state inspection. HG issues w/ high milers or if overheated. 

Apparently we're overlooking the TRD Pro Avalon prerunner

Although i love the idea of off- trucks, in reality, anything off-camber and rocky scares me in a 4 wheeled truck.  So i choose to take my lifted Land Cruiser to the trails, park it and unload my Yamaha TW200 dirt bike to venture farther.  I get to pick my lines, go anywhere, it's cheap and fun.  Then i load up and drive home in comfort.  

I do love watching the off-road trucks play though.   

For a while I used to see 1st generation Kia Sportages around here, but they've disappeared, largely due to rust taking out the rear frame rails. A southern one might still work though. The Jeep tax is pretty noticeable, even on XJs.