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BangShift Question Of The Day: What Car Gets The Off-Road Treatment?


BangShift Question Of The Day: What Car Gets The Off-Road Treatment?

Lately, I’ve had a desire to drag something old-school, overpowered, and slung fairly low into a dirt field so that I could raise hell. Why? “Why not?” is an appropriate enough answer, and would be enough, but I’ll explain why. I was taught how to drive on dirt. Nevermind my few forays behind the wheel at single-digit ages…we are talking full-control, allowed to operate excursions. That one time I stole my aunt’s Mustang II doesn’t apply here. What does apply is learning how to rip donuts in my mother’s 1975 Oldsmobile Omega, Rockfords in a 1973 Mercury Comet, and the fine art of the drift in a Plymouth Gran Fury ex-cop car that had it’s tail bashed in. I learned that a 1975 Dodge Coronet could be used to mow over small trees and was perfectly capable of short-distance flight and figured out how to control a car in mud with a 1979 Pontiac Catalina that had been prepared for a demolition derby.

In short, I was allowed to be an absolute delinquent, but as a driver, that was perfect for teaching me car control that no Driver’s Ed course will ever cover. My sister was taught using a similar method, substituting snow and ice for dirt and mud, and her driving record is just as spotless as mine is, and she’s got zero accidents on her record. (I’ve got one, but that’s another story for another time.)

A car on dirt can be a riot, but what car gets the off-road treatment? One of my weirder concepts is to take a fiberglass S197 Mustang bodyshell, stick it onto a V8 Explorer chassis, turn the engine into a snotty bastard, and boom: AWD Mustang that deserves some romping. I’ll attest that a 1977-96 GM B-body is a stout off-roader as it sits and could only benefit from some decent tires. And there’s enough Subarus out there that just need a small lift to be killer on trails or a good rallycross in some field. Or you could go absolutely mental and dream up some monster like the Kibbetech Crown Victoria. Whatever your flavor, we want to know what car gets prepared for the dirt and how you’d do it!


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5 thoughts on “BangShift Question Of The Day: What Car Gets The Off-Road Treatment?

  1. Lakewood

    A Gremlin body on a Jeep chassis with a V8. There were a couple around the Denver area decades ago. One was named the “Greep”! Saw it tearing up a dried up river bed once. Sounded, looked and performed awesome! A 2WD variant would be cool also, done TT style with long travel suspension. Love all three you have pictured here. There are some very nice examples of Subs driving around out there. Check out the NORRA website for some old school desert race cars!

  2. BeaverMartin

    I’ve always wanted to build a whale body GM B body, like a 96′ Roadmaster Estate into a Subaru Outback competitor. Warm up the LT1, swap over the transfer case and front suspension, axles etc. from a 90s 1500. Vinal wood delete, one off fiberglass body cladding for that mid 90s factory look. I also think a Baja style 61′ Plymouth Valiant would be awesome.

    1. man

      agreed! the easy choice is a police interceptor, maybe a 5speed swap for high speed drifting fun!

  3. Al Mclenon

    I liked the 68 442 that James Garner ran in Baja, do that to another similar era Muscle car, 68 Mustang or Camaro?

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