LVS dragon wagon (USMC). I drove one of these for 6 years. Good times. They are pricey, short on accouterments, but the articulating joint in the middle made them much more highly maneuverable that they at first appear.
any one know anything about old military vehicles?
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LVS dragon wagon (USMC). I drove one of these for 6 years. Good times. They are pricey, short on accouterments, but the articulating joint in the middle made them much more highly maneuverable that they at first appear.
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LVS dragon wagon (USMC). I drove one of these for 6 years. Good times. They are pricey, short on accouterments, but the articulating joint in the middle made them much more highly maneuverable that they at first appear.
That thing got A/C and cruise control? Helluva grocery go-getter.
But... handy for group grain buys!
M_C
OP
OP
rycov
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Nice! that would fit all my kids!
Just finding the thread - interested as I am in military vehicles and brewing now. If there is a military property disposal depot somewhere near at hand, the HUMMVs are beginning to be retired. Good side is the capacity and relatively simple maintenance. Bad side is most will have very high mileage. Most should have decent maintenance records but by the time they are let go of, they may have sat in a depot somewhere for a while. I'd love to find one of the older M-151 jeeps I drove the first half of my Army career, but they were cut in quarters and sold as scrap metal. Many have been reconstructed by private companies and are available again but at a price. The CUCV, the military version of the diesel powered Chevy Blazer, had mixed reviews but would be an interesting all around vehicle. Bad stuff included the idiot light to let you know there was water in the fuel filter. That usually came on just before you blew a glow plug. They were also all on a single key, so you would want to either have new locks and ignition switch installed, or do like we did and use a chain wrapped around the base of the drivers' seat to secure the stearing wheel. Otherwise, dont leave anything in there you mind losing. Then the thing I'd truly like to get my hands on is the old M-114 armored recon vehicle, the small light track with a Chevy 283 V8. Declared obsolete somewhere between the time I graduated from the scout course and my arriving at my first unit in '74. There are a few that didnt get towed out as targets in tank gunnery ranges.
Tom Oxley
Tom Oxley
Jklinden said:
Many TJs came with the D44 rear, Rubicons come with D44 front and rear. JKs all come with D44 rear. The TJ is a great vehicle but lacks storage space if you require a back seat, LJ is a cure for that problem but they're still up there in price. CJs had terrible rust problems and weak frames and YJs are ugly, though decent vehicles if you don't mind leaf springs in a light weight vehicle. Cherokees are great, I drive an 01 Sport model and it's easy to work on and has plenty of room. If you're leaving towards the military vehicles you should look into GMC/Chevy Blazer CUCVs. They're 4x4, can be bought cheap with low miles and are super simple to work on. Most have the GM 6.2L diesel which is reliable enough but won't win you any races, takes a couple weeks to get up to 70mph haha
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Only thing I know about military vehicles is that my brother totaled a GamaGoat.
I'd love to have a Jeep but hate the milage aspect. I already drive a gas hog and need something with decent mileage that can pull the occasional trailer.
I'd love to have a Jeep but hate the milage aspect. I already drive a gas hog and need something with decent mileage that can pull the occasional trailer.
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JeepDiver
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Only thing I know about military vehicles is that my brother totaled a GamaGoat.
I'd love to have a Jeep but hate the milage aspect. I already drive a gas hog and need something with decent mileage that can pull the occasional trailer.
Define Decent mileage. My 07 JK unlimited gets about 17 in town and 22-25 hwy. Not great, but compared to the 12-15 my 02 TJ got, not bad. I also have a led foot, when my wife drives it, she kets a couple more mpgs
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That's just it, I'm not sure. I'd love to have the MPG of a 4 cylinder but one that could still tow a car on a trailer.
Not going to happen.
I drive 2 vehicles a day. 1 is a 2003 GMC 2500HD 6.0 liter V8 and the other is a V-Twin 750cc. One gets a bout 10MPG the other 50+.
I just got rid of my JK a few months ago. My commute changed and now includes two bridges. It was okay dealing with one bridge it could barely make it over, but two became just too much. I should have never got rid of my TJ five years ago.
JeepDiver, you must have stock tires if you're really getting gas mileage like that. I had 33's on both Jeeps, which aren't really even too big, and my mileage was nowhere near 20, no matter how I drove.
JeepDiver, you must have stock tires if you're really getting gas mileage like that. I had 33's on both Jeeps, which aren't really even too big, and my mileage was nowhere near 20, no matter how I drove.
fishsniffer
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My wife drives a 1997 Grand Cherokee. It's had it's problems here and there but nothing that drained the wallet. Engine, transmission and transfercase are all original and not rebuilt. I had to rebuild the rear axle around 200,000 miles, but that was no biggie. It currently has 260,000+ miles on it and I just the other day replaced the factory stock alternator. It goes like a mule. 15 city / 22 Highway with a tailwind.
I've had my 98 TJ (Jeep Wrangler) since 99. There isn't much left of it. The engine and trans are stock and they have seen some VERY HARD Miles.
I've had my 98 TJ (Jeep Wrangler) since 99. There isn't much left of it. The engine and trans are stock and they have seen some VERY HARD Miles.
JeepDiver
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Yep, it's stock with the Automatic transmission. Sahara so it has the 18inch tires so ~31s. If I get in the mountains it goes down, but in town or on the hwy it does good. It was great on the East Coast (DC area), but some of the big hills/mountains out here do make me want to shoot it at times. Right after I got it, did a ~500 mile road trip where I had the cruise set 90%, and it hit 25mpg, but haven't seen that in a while.
One thing I have noticed is if the air filter even thinks it's dirty, the MPGs go way down.
Jeeps are sweet but any old truck with a carburator, manual trans and two solid axles will be pretty tough. Avoid efi or tbi because of the electronics crap.
I'd say look for a Chevy k series, a landcruiser fj60 or older, so like 87 and older. Dodge ram power wagons and if you must a ford f series or gen 2 bronco.
I'd emphasize a Chevy or a Jeep because parts are cheap and plentiful. They was a military Chevy pickup. I believe some of them were diesels with really low gear ratios.
I'd say look for a Chevy k series, a landcruiser fj60 or older, so like 87 and older. Dodge ram power wagons and if you must a ford f series or gen 2 bronco.
I'd emphasize a Chevy or a Jeep because parts are cheap and plentiful. They was a military Chevy pickup. I believe some of them were diesels with really low gear ratios.
I figured the stock tires without a doubt. Automatics on Wranglers actually help too (well all cars nowadays really). Both times I was crushed getting rid of my Jeeps, but at the times they were killing me. I was getting divorced when I ditched the TJ for something more economical, and this time with the JK it was just brutal for my commute. I swear I could have taken the bridges faster on a bicycle! And on windy days? Forget it!
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