cmon guys pls arm me with some facts two of my mates just bought suzuki sierras and i have just bought my manx they are convinced (and have slghtly convinced me) that the suzukis will be much more capable we have all bought these cars for offroad fun and have decided to limit ourselves to 10g's including purchase there talking diff locks lift kits fuel injected motors snorkels rock crawling gearboxes etc pls tell me i have made the right decision and your opinion why

[ Edited on 22-9-2006 by newoldmanx ]

They are right ... a twin diff locked, EFI, lift kited suzuki will kick the Manx's ass in Rock Crawling .... but they will see nothing but dust on the mild tracks, and you will be in camp with a beer in hand long before they get there on a beach trip.

Suzuki's will ride like shit, role like dices, have no character and will be worth $1.50 in a few years time.

Your Manx will ride much nicer, drive much faster, hardley ever role and have more character then that can ever understand.

The real annoying thing I find about taking my Buggy out with 4wd people is that you are constantly stopping and waiting for them to catch up.........

Also, I agree with Brad, what is going to be worth a lot more in the future.........a Suzuki......I don't think so.

One time me and 4thalasttime off the forum found this big black mud pan that some 4wd club was trying to cross. These were guys with v8 Hilux's and they thought they were good just getting across the mud. That was until we got in there and ripped some second gear donuts and covered them in black mud. They took off after that. Pussies!

Keep the buggy for all of the reasons that have already been given and for this one as well.

In California is the Rubicon trail which is considered to be the ultimate test of off road vehicles. All models of Jeeps have travelled it and Jeep brags about this in their advertising.

A few years ago a group of VW buggies did the trail in record time. Other buggies have done it in the reverse direction which is considered to be impossible by the 4WD fraternity.

Buggies have been banned from it as the trail has been declared as 4WD only.

This reminds me of when I was at the eastern end of the Macdonald Ranges in NT out past Ross River. I needed a permit to travel the last leg. Because I was alone, the buggy was 2WD and it was a declared 4WD track only they refused to give me one and threatened me with the police if I went and returned anyway.

No amount of arguing that my buggy could go anywhere a 4WD could go would change their minds.

Your buggy will out perform a Suzuki without even trying and it will be vastly more comfortable at the same time.

Brad's right. Suzukis are better 4WDs, but who wants a 4WD? They suck fuel and drive like trucks. And I'm also guessing that if your mates really want mental rock crawlers they'd need to spend more than $10K. A 1600 kombi box ($150 from any wreckers), 1640 motor (cheap), 31ich rear tyres, a raised front end and half a brain will embarrass most wanna be rock monkeys on medium trails until they learn to drive properly. While they learn to drive you can get the girls and take pictures of your mates racking up the next $10k worth of repairs to their "superior" machines.

I have a mate who does all sorts of mods on land cruisers and patrols. His backyard business does most of it's work for guys who sound a bit like your mates. CVs, lockers, transfer cases, motors, suspension lifts. He's fixed them all. And the thing that keeps amazing me is that he never busts things on his car and it's near standard. It's his opinion that most of the Toyota stuff is almost unbreakable if treated right. All the customers are the opposite. The strongest motor, the toughest locker and they just smash them to bits. They get him to mod the trucks to stop the problems. He does some amazing mods, simple but really strong. But these guys go out and expect to be able to drive the truck into solid rock and then are amazed when they break stuff. If your mates are really serious, they should go out with standard cars first and learn how to drive. Then when they get the good bits they might actually last.

You do what you want. Know your car's limits and enjoy them. Your mates will get the poops with their cars when they break them too many times and sell them for next to nothing. If you look after ya buggy it will go forever and be worth in excess of $10k.

p.s. Besides, your mates 4WDs can tow you out when you get bogged.

If you are really worried about if you made the right choice spend a few hours in a suzuki on a rough road then do the same in the manx and your back and bones will much prefer the Manx. suzuki are great they can go anywhere but the Manx can go to the same places but so much smoother. After a while i am sure your mates will be trading in their suzuki's for a manx

brad apparently my manx was built at your shop!!!!! its grey,lifted has kombi box and had lightening airbrushed onto the wheels the tinware is red the bloke who had it b4 me bought it off a dude who was going to rent it out .. after hearing all these positive comments i cant wait to give my mates a solid diet of mud ,dust and sand and you guys have reminded me why i didnt buy a suzuki in the first place.... id never be seen dead in a suzuki :pukeand since we will be rock crawling for less than 5% of the time in the bush 40% on the sand 40% and the rest on the road it wont take long b4 their both here on the forum asking bout their brand new 2nd hand manx's thanks fellas cant wait to get im finished now

[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by newoldmanx ]

[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by newoldmanx ]

[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by newoldmanx ]

Great words of wisdom there, Pete! What you say is true; I have to deal with some of these '4WD' morons, too...

i went for a ride on a lowered suzuki sierra the other night it may have looked cool but mate it was the hashest rise out there it felt like the springs were completely missing it bumpes all over the road but u know as the say "omg sic bro"

The one offroad thing a buggy or baja will never be able to do properly is rock crawl. But a stock 4WD can't do it either, you need something set-up for it to do it properly.

The driver makes a huge difference in an offroad VW. A crap driver will get further in a 4WD. A good driver will be able to use the VW's potential and should at the very least keep up with the 4WD, depending on the actual vehicles.

I've had my Baja for 12 years now. It will embarrass standard Hilux's, Landcruisers, Jeep wranglers and pretty much any stock 4WD.

But don't kid yourselves, modified 4WD's will go more places than the VW. Brad had a hilux with twin lockers and mud tyres, and it went up one of the steep hills in his yard like it was nothing. The VW's that have tried (2 Manx's and a Baja) all struggled relatively.

I also had a friend with a seirra that had a turbo fitted and locked diff's. It was pretty amazing too, did some real steep loose off-camber hills that a VW simply wouldn't be able to do (as when the back wheels spin it tries to rotate the car around on the slope).

[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by Baja Wes ]

ok where do i attach the warn to the manx so i can drag it up a big ol gum tree if i want too

that's better! but if I were you I'd let my bogun mates buy the expensive winch and get them to winch you up once they are at the top.



[ Edited on 22-8-06 by pete wood ]

I love nothing better than parking on the top of a stockton dune and watching the 4WD try their best to park next to me. They lumber and lug and dig themselves in deeper and deeper.

There was this one time at band camp, I mean Stockton when I pulled up next to a 50+k Range Rover with the family tucked inside with the tinted windows with the aircon running flatout while dad crawled around and clear the sand from all four tyres. I pulled up next to him in the Baja worth 1k if that and asked if he needed a hand. He just about got wind burn on his eye balls when he saw me out there. What was the killer was that there were another 7 of my mates coming over the hills behind me.

I like to think he secretly wished the kids were at home playing playstation, the wife was at a tuppaware party and he had a Manx / Baja and a fishing rod too.

Does anyone remember that weekend when the 7 brand new BMW A6's blocked Lovatts Lane for the hour it took to get them all pulled out? Wasn't that a tribute to 4WD idiots everywhere.

Quote:

Originally posted by pete wood that's better! but if I were you I'd let my bogun mates buy the expensive winch and get them to winch you up once they are at the top. [ Edited on 22-8-06 by pete wood ]

the buggy is now down at cor getting its final touches ie front hoop rear barwork etc not many sleeps till its all done nowthe proof will be in the testing either ill be buying a zook or they'll be buying buggies we will see