What Made You Fall in Love With Off-Roading?

[SierraBronco]

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[5GENIDN]

You married well!

 

[Broncoup]

Growing up my family would always go on Jeep rides. I learned how to drive with a '53 Willys on and off the roads. Then, when I was old enough to buy a vehicle. I bought a '70 Toyota Landcruiser and my dad put a 283 engine because I blew up the 6 cylinder that was in it. I wheeled it in Montana. So, I married my husband and he came with a '74 Bronco. We still have the '74 and currently being restored. Now, we're a 3 Bronco ('74, '22 and '24) family. We've belonged to 3 4x4 Clubs in 3 states. Our youngest son has the fever, too!! He and Dad restored '79 CJ 5, which was his grandpas. He also has '89 Bronco II, and lastly '22 Jeep Gladiator. So, we've been wheeling for 3 generations.

 

[RNC]

My High School had 2 kinds of car guys; Muscle cars, and 4x4's. I fell in with the 4x4 guys. Jeeps, Broncos, Scouts, Blazers, Ramchargers. Our hangout was an abandoned quarry with 2 lakes, forest, and off road trails. We loved the outdoors, fishing, hunting, shooting, mudding, country music, and girls. Bonfires and drinking beers at the quarry didn't bother anyone, and kept us away from the cops. The muscle car guys were always street racing and getting pinched.

 

[Pops]

1987, taking my Jeep XJ to places that would’ve taken 8 hours to hike into.


Edit: and I didn’t have to leave a car at a trailhead overnight by having to hike in!

 

[Scott R Nelson]

What got you into off-roading?

Off road motorcycles got me into off-roading. I have been riding motorcycles off road for more than 50 years - I've had 25 bikes so far.

When the Bronco was first announced it sounded interesting. I went ahead and put $100 down to get in line, but wasn't sure I would buy one. Then my wife kept telling everybody I was getting one, so I went ahead and ordered it as soon as I could order one.

Been totally happy with the Bronco ever since. I go to mostly the same places on the motorcycles and the Bronco, unless it's a long ways away, like Moab, then the Bronco. My wife won't get on the back of a motorcycle, so whenever she's willing to go up in the hills, that's also the Bronco.

Gratuitous photo from up in the hills of Idaho:

 

[BAUS67]

Petersen Off-Road Magazines....

I still have all my old issues stored away in my closet.

I guess that's why I think a 2DR on 40s the most bitchin set up.

 

[Felix808]

It beat the heck out of walking to the places I wanted to be

 

[Oldhippie]

It beat the heck out of walking to the places I wanted to be

yeah me too…while I did a lot of walking (folks seem to think “hiking” is special somehow) in my younger days I never enjoyed it plus carrying an ice chest sucks..

 

[McG]

dad took me to the mountains and let me drive when I was 12 or 13. First on a manual toyota pickup then an XJ.

 

[Original Bender]

Everyone has that moment that got them hooked.

Maybe it was your first trail, a trip, a friend who introduced you to it, or just wanting to build your dream rig.

What got you into off-roading?

Dad had a business with radio tower sites on remote mountain tops. Childhood was off roading to these sights. It was a 78 Blazer with a small block 400 I grew up in. Dad only did it for work. He did it so much for work he rarely went off roading for fun lol. As a kid, I was hooked.

 

[crenca]

...Of course, I learned a valuable lesson. Never fail to secure your replacement battery down. If I remember correctly, the hold down on that one broke off when I removed the old battery, and I thought (as kids will do) ahh, I don't really need that part anyway...

I did vehicle inspections for my local club's annual off road event last year:

https://chilechallenge.org/

After not having a fire extinguisher, the battery not being secured was the most common requirement folks did not meet. The folks with mostly stock rigs was one thing, but the heavily built/buggy guys that had loose batteries - and would argue that it was not necessary - surprised even me.

 

[Snacktime]

My training wheels.

 

[ducksface]

it it is quite a driveway

 

[Scedwin]

I've always loved getting dirty so the relationship was inevitable.

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