- Messages
- 5,152
- Reactions
- 11,452
I grew up in the SW Idaho deserts in the 1950s-mid 60s....it was only creeping into the 63-64 epoch that any of us had $ to start feeding the 4x4 frenzy.I did not grow up 4-wheeling like some of y'all did.
We learned how far such as 54 Plymouth/51 Ford/55 Oldsmobile/49 & 53 Cadillacs/55 Ford utility wagon could actually be relied upon in the sandy washes & sage brush trails. 41 Buick business coupe did pretty well. A 45 CJ2 was recruited. My personal favorite was Gertie, a 65 VW bug that actually did travel most of my favorite dirt bike trails....sometimes balanced on 2 wheels...
Someone discovered limited slip rear ends, someone else bought a 4x4 Suburban "Zero" and the race was on. The balance between traction, actual power, clearance, urge to do unnecessary dumb Outback Things, and the cash in your pocket till next pay day, was a never ending struggle. A 1928 Model A sedan had particularly good off road usefulness...if we could keep it running between outings.