As you can tell, my mind wanders quite a bit when it comes to this topic.

The other day I was eyeballing miatas and the flyinmiata site ( ) and got thinking about a new track project. But then I reconsidered because buying a cheap under-powered shitbox and spending thousands to make it race-ready would be like doing the civic all over again (not a road I want to go down--lots of money and frustration). Now, the civic needs a lot of work, but its a lot closer to race-able than a stock miata.

But then I got thinking... what if I get a dual purpose real-estate/camping vehicle. I could spend a little dough, resurrect the civic and have all my bases covered, so to speak.

So... I was thinking trade the infinitah for a '96+ 4runner 3rz (4cyl, don't call me a pussy, its almost as powerful as the 3.4, but better mileage) and swap in a toyota electronic locker rear axle. This car would be suitable for RE duty, and suitable for camping, but would not be able to handle the kind of off-roading I do in the current shitbucket. I would also have to try to be very careful with it off road to try and avoid body damage, etc... I love the capability/shittyness of my current truck... I'm not afraid to do some pretty serious wheeling in it, but I would hesitate to drive it to Steamboat, Utah or wherever I might go on longer camping trips because A) its hardly capable of highway speeds B) its ancient and has 230k miles.

Then the civic: If I went 4runner + civic route, I would want to drive the civic pretty regularly to save on gas. I would have to get it sorted out mechanically (fix current motor, ditch current motor in favor of something with more balls), and probably put the interior back together... or at least from the B-pillar forward.

Pros:

-only own 2 cars (I have three now, but only drive 2)
-one of them is suitable for track/autox (I can autox the g20, but it has no place on the road course)
-don't loose all that $$$ I've spent on the civic over the years
-learn how to do body work (fixing rust & sunroof on civic)
-a truck that I can actually drive cross-country

Cons:

-a truck (albeit a nice one) becomes my DD
-more money spent on gas
-I don't know if I can keep a camping/wheeling rig presentable and dent-free
-it would probably end up costing a bit more than just keeping the g20


Cliffs: I wanna trade the infiniti and the shitbucket for a 4-runner and fix up the civic.

Lee is not allowed to post in this thread h:

 

I say go for it.

 

Go for it.

 

You are going to wheel but you cry about body damage while wheeling?

Stick to the malls kiddo

Not saying go run into a tree or anything but seriously body damage does happen and if you are overly worried about it you will miss out on some of the best and most fun trails because of it.

 

See, that is one of my concerns. I need a presentable car for work, and if that car sees the kind of abuse I dish out on the shitbucket, it probably wont stay presentable for long. 'twould be a bit of a balancing act. That said, I'm not sure exactly how having dented up doors and fenders would affect my business. h: :edit: If it weren't for work, I'd be perfectly happy smashing up a $7k 4-runner.

But you're right, thats what I love about my current truck. I can take it to Left Hand, Carnage, Gillespie, etc and beat the snot out of it and let inexperienced friends drive it... no worries.

 

You could just build an exo cage


ick I can't believe I suggested that...but it does work even though I hate the look of them.

 

exo =/= presentable... I think smashed up would be more work-friendly than an exo cage. h:

 

You never explained why presentation is so important.
Is it just because it wouldn't look right in the company lot or something? If thats the case then you are looking at the wrong sport.

I mean this in all seriousness because I know a lot of button down tie wearing guys who show up to work in Truggys all the time then go make multi-million dollar deals.

 

Real estate... It's actually in my company contract, although it's not enforced in any way. I need to have a presentable car for showing properties and driving clients around... What I show up in on a day-to-day basis doesn't matter as long as I've got something nice when I show houses. I could feasibly even borrow my mom's car or something to show houses in. :dunno:

So with that in mind, I could probably do sliders and maybe bumpers, and that would be about it in terms protection and still fit into the "presentable" category.

And we're talking a mostly stock 4runner with factory locker and slightly larger tires here... I'm not going to be trying to tackle the crazy lines or anything... the goal for me is to be able to get my friends and camping gear to a remote location. My nearly-stock pickup can get me most of the way through carnage if I pick out the easiest line.

 

Keep the infinity, sell the truck and buy a runner you can beat on without needing it for work.

If you sell the Infinity then buy a designated work vehicle and don't dual purpose one, you will regret that decision to the end of time if you do.

this is as honest an answer as I have to give you.