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AND *NO*, I WAS NOTABDUCTED BY ALIENS – thank you very much. With the EVO out of service since the Spring WGI event, you know… the one where it snowed! And spending time with my wife Corey T during the Red Clay Rallies, I’ve gotten a serious taste for offroading, because #iusedtotrack.
That being said, I can’t just follow the pattern and build the same lifted Toyota or Jeep that everyone else has. One evening while sampling some post-event brews and discussing my options with other folks that Corey T runs with in her offroading club, I laid it all out there and was determined to prove that just like in road racing this sport could be done on the cheap. And the bar was set … the bet: I couldn’t beat “the big boys” and their $70k rigs with some $5k underdog. (sounded like an “(Insert Track Car)” vs Miata battle all over again).
The build
Over the course of this season, I had to buy, build and prep a vehicle for the Red Route Rock Flow climb that was going to be held on the November 2nd, 2019 weekend at “The Cove” in Gore, VA. This build started life as a 1987 Suzuki Samurai, with 1985 Toyota 22R engine and tranny, 1987 Toyota FJ Axles and a 1996 Nissan Altima Alternator……LOL – It’s a Toyota-Suzuki… so we call it “TOYzuki” for short.
Essentially, I have relocated the steering and converted to hydraulic ram steering courtesy of a 8″ Rock Ram, I have replaced every bolt in the vehicle with grade 8, replaced 80% of hoses, reinforced the frame, rebuilt the entire front axle, rewired 80% of the electrical system, fabricated and installed seat brackets, seats, harness bar and harnesses, did a basic tune up, plugs, wire, distributor, rotary button, rattle canned it, added some LED’s and installed a subwoofer.
Oh, and replaced the alternator 3 times, replaced 2 radiators, installed/attempted to install 4 radiator fans….. Belts all replaced…. suspension tuned and adjusted for max droop.
On to the main event!
So, I came, I saw, I proceeded up a Red Route Rock Flow (think Black Diamond in skiing). I was cruising up it and then I ceased to be able to see due to smoke. I had to kill the engine, feel around to find my harness release and get out. Good news! It was the radiator line, bad news… it was the radiator line and I was in the middle of a rock flow.
Leaving the Toyzuki stranded, I drove all over the country side. No cell service, so I was unable to call ahead, but no one had the hose in stock anyway. I did find something I could make “work” #macgyver. Clamped it on, got about 100 yards up the flow… and blew the hose completely off. Apparently, the angle I had chosen for the hose was likely too much for a piece that was originally meant to be straight.
I had no more coolant or water, so I was only able to fill the system about half full. I spent the next 3 hours, going 100 yards, shutting off, cooling… #lather-rinse-repeat.
Got back to camp after a generous tow…fixed it all properly and got all my required fluids. I let the truck run for about 30 minutes and made sure temps were good. Unfortunately, by then it was dark and the park doesn’t allow night wheeling. Next day I jump in, started down the trail and the truck just shut off. I started it back up, went 10 feet, died, repeat cycle 10000x more times with varying short distances. I diagnosed it as a fuel issue, but the rebuilt carburetor I had on the back of our tow rig… no bueno.
Sunday, middle-of-nowhere, and therefore nothing was open – so, I was done. Even though I didn’t make it all the way to the summit, I still feel that all-in-all, I had the better truck but… the folks I bet against… well, theirs actually ran the entire time. So in the end… I drank a lot and worked on my truck a lot. LOL. Win-lose, whatever. Someone asked me about “GoPro videos” – nope. I got nothing. I don’t even know where our cam is…
What’s Next?
Over the winter is the perfect time to put in a new carburetor and mechanical fuel pump. I plan to do a propane conversion, install a double ram, trim body panels to allow for 42″ tires, and likely upgrade axles. But now that the bet is over, I get to really build it with no budget! LOL. And to the folks at GTM that keep egging me on about going on History channel’s “Truck Night in America” – we’ll see, but for right now, I think I’ll get back to fixing the truck and some R&R.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://club.gtmotorsports.org/toyzuki-vs-the-world/&media=https://club.gtmotorsports.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Resized_20191101_154225-1-1.jpg&description=GTM member Doug T recounts his adventure building a "cheap offroader" to compete in a climb up the Red Route Rock Flow at The Cove in Gore, Virginia.){kind=link}