SHTF Vehicle of Choice?

78 F250. I have 100 gal bed tank for it. Throw all my crap and head to barn bug in there. Set up defensive posture, neighbors there have a cornfield and cows plenty of wood for burning and deer are out there, a stream that trickles all year long. Only issue its within 30 miles of mass pike and i84
 
What would you guys rather have, a WRX or a Mazda CX-5? I know neither is ideal for SHTF. I think a manual WRX would be awkward trying to shoot my AR out the window while driving.
 
I changed my mind...I've been assigned as the wrecker mech for this particular vehicle, so if the shit actually does hit the fan, activated or not, I'll be in this bad boy.

viewer
 
Another_David said:
I went to Kuwait in 2007. A big wig (old money) Kuwaiti I was working with told me, "when Saddam invaded in 1991, everyone with a SUV 4x4 drove to Saudi Arabia. Many people just had cars--Mercedes, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Porsche--so they had to stay and live through the invasion. Now everyone has SUV." And they did! He had a Suburban and a brand new $100k Mercedes.

Of course when he says "everyone" he means the Kuwaitis and not the foreign labor force, which were driving shat boxes.
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I worked in a speed shop in the early 1990's.. I was worked with a tech that was building a vehicle for a guy from Saudi Arabia. He was building a Bug Out Vehicle.
He took a brand new suburban, powered with a 454, equipped with a Weiand supercharger, a roll cage, fuel cells galore, custom push bumpers, a gazillion lights, custom suspension, off road tires and wheels and a (then unheard of) GPS system. He built this thing to allow he and his family to escape across the desert, and FAST.
The Saudi guy flew over to inspect the vehicle a few times during the build process. It was built and shipped..
 
Boghog1 said:
what is the current equivalent of the CUCV?
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I don't consider this my "Bug-Out Vehicle", it's more for building my Bug-Out location. I bought it on e-bay from Michigan. Landed at my buddy's house on the South Shore today. He's going to go all through it for me and then we'll discuss some upgrades. The Generator & Compressor were the main reason I bought it. I'd never heard of this before but the front axle has Warn locking hubs with positraction. My buddy drove it around his back 40 today and said he couldn't believe what it could do.
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
I don't consider this my "Bug-Out Vehicle", it's more for building my Bug-Out location. I bought it on e-bay from Michigan. Landed at my buddy's house on the South Shore today. He's going to go all through it for me and then we'll discuss some upgrades. The Generator & Compressor were the main reason I bought it. I'd never heard of this before but the front axle has Warn locking hubs with positraction. My buddy drove it around his back 40 today and said he couldn't believe what it could do.
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The trucks with locking hubs use the tru-lock limited slip, the ones with no locking hubs or drive flanges are open diff fronts. All CUCVs use a 60 front with a 14 rear Detroit locker, the Detroit is basically a spool when under power or torque from the drive shaft.
The transmission is a HD26 case Turbo400 and the transfer case is a NP208, its not the best transfer case as far as overall brute strenght, that would be a NP205 but it will get the job done.

The 6.2 GM diesels are not power makers compared to other motors in its class like a 6BT or even the smaller 4BT but they are stone cold reliable and can run and monkey piss. Great truck and it will fit the bill for what your asking it to do along with day to day thing like plowing and towing.

Jason.
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
I don't consider this my "Bug-Out Vehicle", it's more for building my Bug-Out location. I bought it on e-bay from Michigan. Landed at my buddy's house on the South Shore today. He's going to go all through it for me and then we'll discuss some upgrades. The Generator & Compressor were the main reason I bought it. I'd never heard of this before but the front axle has Warn locking hubs with positraction. My buddy drove it around his back 40 today and said he couldn't believe what it could do.
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youre lucky, the m1008 i had did not have LSD in the front, but still was Godzilla in the woods. the amberlamps versions and mechanic's units like yours usually had LSD up front and some had AC. i think m1028 and m1031 had LSD in front. i am keeping an eye out for something with ac. the first thing i would do is convert it to 12v since most of it is 12v anyway. there's a big converter on the firewall behind the air cleaner that steps24v to 12v. another thing i would do is get it on some taller tires since you will go 55 to 60 max.
 
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rudiewhitebwoy said:
I don't consider this my "Bug-Out Vehicle", it's more for building my Bug-Out location. I bought it on e-bay from Michigan. Landed at my buddy's house on the South Shore today. He's going to go all through it for me and then we'll discuss some upgrades. The Generator & Compressor were the main reason I bought it. I'd never heard of this before but the front axle has Warn locking hubs with positraction. My buddy drove it around his back 40 today and said he couldn't believe what it could do.
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looks like you have an np205 transfer case, thats another plus of your particular model, what did it set you back cash wise, 5 to 6 grand? is it converted to 12v, i see only one battery?
 
CTpatriot said:
looks like you have an np205 transfer case, thats another plus of your particular model, what did it set you back cash wise, 5 to 6 grand? is it converted to 12v, i see only one battery?
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$5,500.00 + $938.00 to have it shipped from Northern Michigan. I thought l saw two batteries back to back in the video, thought it was weird, on my 2004 GMC Sierra the batteries are port & starboard


It's a 24v with 2 alternators. It is a NP 205 transfer case because of the PTO. I guess AC only came on the Ambulances.
 
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I was thinking about something like this. Can travel over water, land or cars on the interstate (but not trucks, limited to the altitude it can get). Ground effect. hoverc9.jpg
 
Wigs are great systems, but I would only use it over water. On the hiway (even if you clear all the cars and lt trucks you still have over passes and overhead power lines.... not to mention being low enough over the startled masses that they can take you out with a pic pipe

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
$5,500.00 + $938.00 to have it shipped from Northern Michigan. I thought l saw two batteries back to back in the video, thought it was weird, on my 2004 GMC Sierra the batteries are port & starboard


It's a 24v with 2 alternators. It is a NP 205 transfer case because of the PTO. I guess AC only came on the Ambulances.
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the original batteries they had were 2, almost double a normal size. i watched the video again and there also looks to be a tiny battery hiding next to the radiator. in a 12v normal setup a mismatch will constantly drain one battery. i would get some advice whether this will happen in your setup or just spring for two matched size and age batterries
 
noxin said:
That was pretty awesome, but two major issues...
1 - No storage
2 - Moar muffler!

That's a sick course too
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What do you mean no storage? You can easily strap stuff to the sides, front, top and back.
 
Do any of you guys actually have any cool SHTF/off-road vehicles that you have built up?

I started tearing my '01 Duramax down to pull it into the garage for the winter. It sat for 6 months due to a broken leaf spring hanger, turned the key the other day and it fired right up and I pulled it back into the driveway.

12043181_1646912058866895_6855979074579263039_n.jpg


I plan to rebuild/repair any rot, replace all the fluids, filters, bearings, and rubber, and then overbuild as much as I can afford, starting with the front end. Then stuff some meaty 33"s into the wheel wells because it currently looks like it skips leg day. If I have any money left over I will order up some EFI Live from ATP and get it moving a bit more efficiently and, of course, faster. RhinoLine EVERYTHING, and reassemble. My goal is to be bombing around by early summer.

Once I start to limp the Allison, I will likely go full retard with it. I love this truck, and I am glad I got the urge to rebuild it.
 

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