Here's a fun topic, lets hear your ideal "Best" SHTF machine! Mine, is ether the 42 Dodge WC-22/27 I have stashed, or my new to me 50's Willy's Jeep Truck! Both are simple Four Wheel Drive with VERY basic electrical systems, and simple but Robust drive trains, both are super easy to find basic parts and consumables for, and are even kinda thrifty on fuel! While they are FAR from modern, lacking even power brakes or power steering, and forget A/C, ( Both have tip out windshields ) and cowl vents, THATS it for Modern or Luxury. I would LOVE to get my hands on a late 90's Mercedes Benz Mil. Surplus G Wagon, those are about as bomb proof as it gets, but DAMN are they spendy! I know Monkeys from outside the U.S have a different collection to choose from, but please share anyway, be cool to see what is out there in the great wide wirld!
This thread is useless without pictures. I figure a 14ft jo-boat with a 40 pound thrust motor with an on board 12 vt. Solar panel will get me around to catching enough fish for trade items like eggs and stuff?
POST SHTF/fall of civilization? Only one thing makes any sense Why? Simply because tractors don't make new tractors..... And their *exhaust* does wonders for the Rose bed..
People always ask me: What should I get? My Answer is always a 1970's American Iron Full Size Pickup, brand isn't important, in the 70's they were mostly ALL good, with a few notable exceptions! General Motors had filipped the world on it's side with the re-design of 1967 establishing what would become the STANDARD for American Pickups we see even to this day, with the 72 GMC 4X4 with 4 speed and 454 as my Dream Truck. Any of the Ford F-250's with V-8 and 4X4 and 4 speed would make an awesome truck, and the Dodge D series FST 4X4 Pickups would be awesome,, HOWEVER, here's where things get funky, DODGE offered the PowerWagon package to the civilian market during 70's and you better know what your getting into if you get one, Trust me, they are amazing, but also full of heart ache! I had an absolutely Awesome 74 Power Wagon 1 ton 4X4 with 440 and automatic, this truck was LOADED with all the options, and had been well cared for, BUT, being a true PowerWagon, it was just different enough to be damn near impossible to get parts for, electrical, brakes, and axles were Specific to them, and NOBODY carried or could even get parts, it was ether a specialty gov supply shop through the DoD, or Junkyard and rebuild! As long as you can deal with it, they are bomb proof, but unless your mechanically gifted, I recommend avoiding them. I fought mine until I decided to tear it all down and "Convert" it to standard with later 1 ton axles and brakes from a much later truck ( Including 4 wheel disk brakes), and installed a painless wiring kit and I-did-it steering column with all General Motors electrical parts! It was not cheap of easy, but fixed the issues once and for all, and turned it into the amazing pickup it always was meant to be! Jeep, here is another brand where things get funky, with the AMC take over, Jeep got needlessly complicated, and nowhere did that effect them more then the full size line up, with the J series Pickups and Wagoneers, You could have a AMC powered Jeep, or one of the funky Buick powered ones, and then there was their funky Quadra-Trac Drive train you always want to avoid! As long as you get a Purebreed AMC Jeep, you should be mostly Okay, outside the Quadra-Trac, but it's workable if your mechanically inclined! International, Here is an awesome truck most have no idea exists, and while build quality absolutely sucks, they are actually decent trucks, but require a bit more know how, and patience, as parts can be tricky to source, even for the Navastar Dealer network. Then we have the smaller trucks, and I always say stick with Toyota from the early 90's when they brought out the Hilux and you should be fine! Ford and Mazda teamed up to make one of the best of the best in the little Ford Ranger, and as long as you do your homework, with a Ranger, you can do almost anything, and in fact, I would even put the Baby Ford ABOVE Toyota for reliability and durability, as well as being a bit easier to work on and source parts for! Plymouth! What can I say, if your lucky enough to even see one in the wilds for sale, BUY IT NOW, don't even think about it! They are super rare, Super valuable, and Super Cool, and because they are twin brother to the Dodge line, super easy to work on and get parts for, but beware, folks will get super mad at you is you modify one! I have a super duper ultra rare 76 Plymouth Trail Duster Turbo 440, they were a special order package that were only sold through a hand full of dealers and they are as rare and desirable as it gets! I scored mine in the late 90's before such things were well known, and while it needs a full restoration and converted back to it's original specs, I do have all the parts to do it right! Before I found it, I never even knew they existed and i'm pretty savy with Mother MOPAR stuff! Like I say, if you DO find a Plymouth, GRAB IT!
For a liquid fueled vehicle, I would prefer: with PTO winch. Alternatively, if I was still i the Great Basin, this would be my choice.: with PTO and a winch crane or headache bars on the rear.deck.
This is my UIV. Urban Insult Vehicle. It has served me well for hunting, camping, fishing, skidding logs, pulling trailers, clearing a LONG driveway, and all around off grid Grocery Gitter.
Electric car. Of you have solar, batteries and inverter you can charge it. If you can turn it on and get rolling faster than about 10mph it will charge. Also no sound. No gasoline or exhaust smell. Almost no thermal signature.
Just saw this guy the other day, this thread reminded me of his channel. https://youtube.com/shorts/7GJTVwB1Fnc?feature=share
Golf carts are bad ass you can get 36v charge controllers and charge them straight off solar panels. Can't do that on more advanced electric vehicles.
Here she is complete with authentic factory Oregon Camouflage! Had been parked outside under a Yumoungous old growth Douglas Fir in the Oregon Coastal Rainforest near Astoria, the sellers add just said Old Plymouth SUV, been sittin for years, don't know nuffin bout it, bring a trailer and beer! I wasn't expecting much, let alone what a rare gem I would discover, it was complete and almost rust free, and the interior was actually decent, though needing a good deep cleaning! The real magic was when I popped the hood and saw the bundle of wires, hoses, and pipes and that hairdryer sittin there complete and untouched! A quick scratch of the fender and there was the factory TURBO emblem outline, with both in a baggy in the glove box! Paid $900 for it in 94 while home on leave, thought it might be a good family rig for the wife, what it turned into is something else!
Always wanted one of the Chevrolet CUCV's the Army used, during the 80's, until they replaced them with Hummers. Only problem is, I like most of them, so choosing one is tough! Powered by a V8 diesel engine that would burn just about anything. Upgraded from the standard 1 ton, to 1.25 ton, 3 speed automatic that won't get you there fast, but was "private-proof" (important, in the Army!). Manual locking hubs, 4WD, leaf springs all around, and drum brakes all around, if I remember right! Damn near bulletproof, mechanically speaking, too! M1008 was the most common, and still the easiest to find. You can still occasionally pick one up at an auction, too! M1028 was the "big brother" to the M1008, with upgraded axles. Also occasionally found as a dually. VERY sought after! M1031 was the maintenance truck version. And the M1010 was the ambulance version, with an electric-powered A/C unit above the cab, and a diesel-powered heater under the aluminum box. VERY popular, to convert to all-terrain campers! Finally, The M1009, the Chevy Blazer used by the Army. They were rated more for highway use than the trucks were, and are popular for the removable top, that looks like a truck cap on the back. Some folks have upgraded their CUCV's, from the 700 tranny, to the 700R4, which gives an overdrive gear. Easy to maintain 70 mph with that transmission. I have heard of a couple folks that put a turbo on the diesel, too.
The CUCV was ok, but between having weak head gasket clamping and running two 12 volt alternators in series to get 24 volts, swapping in a later 6.5 turbo and upgrading to a pure 12 volt system would be a good idea. BTW, disc/front, drum/rear...definitely add the 700R4 if you're planning on street use.
Actually, the better engine was the 6.2 with the banks turbo kit and the later 700R4 swap! The 6.5 were notorious for snapping the cam which toasted the block and made for a real headache to find a replacement ! The smart fellas swapped to Cummins, or to be cheap, a 6V71 or even better the last of the Silver 92's, the legendary 6V92 silver Eagle and Eaton 5 speed trans! Couple of fellas I know have done the Detroit swaps, which are actually pretty cool, you can add Jake Brakes to them, upgrade them to any power levels you want, and they are stupid proof reliable as long as you set them up properly to start with! If there were no such thing as Cummins and Caterpiller, I would be runnin Silver 92s in everything! Another really common old school swap is the old school bus Cat 3208 turbo, if your careful, these can be turned up pretty good and they fit with out a whole bunch of work, like the Detroits, they are stupid proof if set up properly from the get go and you take good care of them!
Geez! You guys put me to shame... I was thinking my boots...of which I have 3 pairs....Maybe a plain old bicycle? I guess I need to make my pitch to the finance minister for an increase in budget.
