Posted on 10/27/2015 1:03:16 PM PDT by w1n1
Toyota makes a great truck, and the diesel Tundra is now at the top of my list. But then I got to (over-)thinking: if you’re going to get a SHTF pickup from them, then there’s a much better option, depending on where you live: the Toyota Hilux truck is popular with Middle Eastern jihadis because of its versatility and reliability.
“The Toyota Hilux is everywhere,” Andrew Exum, a former US Army Ranger who is now the US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, told Newsweek. “It’s the vehicular equivalent of the AK-47. It’s ubiquitous to insurgent warfare. And actually, recently, also counterinsurgent warfare. It kicks the hell out of the Humvee.”The Hilux is apparently a durable truck that has proven useful for terrorists who are fighting against lightly armed special forces."
Yep, the Hilux is indeed the AK-47 of trucks, which is about as good of an endorsement as you can get for a SHTF truck. The reason it didn’t make my list, though, is that it’s pretty much impossible to get your hands on one here in America, especially a diesel version. Read the rest of the story here, what's your take on this?
Real Humvees are available from http://www.govplanet.com starting auction price $7500. I’m sorely tempted.
Dagnabit, some low as $5000. My wife would so hate me for it...
Several years back I built a 79F250 4X4. Big Danas, 205 case. Old school desert racer suspension. Minimal electronics to screw up, lotsa steel. I only wish I had swapped in an old Detroit diesel. Would have been the ultimate survival rig.
1969 Chevy Blazer.
Even an EMP won’t knock out my monster vehicle.
That isn’t the one that a Abrams ran over is it? ;-)
Real HMMVs are not that great for personal use. They suck fuel and are not very maneuverable in congested areas or woodlands. They excel at four wheeling in the open desert, but a more moderate vehicle is generally a better choice. Of course, if it comes with the M60, then that’s another story.
The Hilux has gained a reputation for exceptional sturdiness and reliability during sustained heavy use or even abuse, and has been referred to as "The Indestructible Truck"[citation needed]. This was further reinforced on the BBC motoring show Top Gear, when a 1988 diesel Hilux with 305,775 km (190,000 mi) on the odometer was subjected to extraordinary abuse (in series 3, episodes 5 and 6). This consisted of driving it down a flight of steps, scraping buildings, crashing headlong into a tree, being washed out to sea, and being submerged in sea water for four hours, driving it through a garden shed, dropping a caravan onto it, hitting it with a wrecking ball, setting its cabin and bed area on fire,[31] and, finally, placing it on top of a 73 m (240 ft) block of apartments that was next destroyed by a building implosion.[32] Although it was now suffering from severe structural damage, the truck was still running after being repaired without spare parts, and with only typical tools that would be found in a truck's toolbox, such as screwdrivers, motor oil, and an adjustable wrench.[33] The Hilux rested as one of the background decorations in the Top Gear studio.
Well, I can’t seem to find a Jeep at/under $5000.
Top Gear did a couple of episodes where they explained exactly why these are so ubiquitous: they are nearly indestructible (set on fire, driven into the ocean and dropped from the top of a demolished building and they STILL could be made to run).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk
The video of the attempted destruction is on YouTube. Absolutely amazing.
Back when I was senior Ed at Off-Road.com, there was a devoted but small (due to their cost) following of Hummer guys. They do have some great advantages but their size and weight make them less than ideal in many cases. You gotta do some crazy stuff to get them through a lot of areas.
The good side is they CAN do a lot of crazy stuff and survive it. The bad part is you do a lot of damage and waste a lot of time in the process. The Jeep used to be the standard but their small size made them impractical for the opposite reason. By the time I left active participation in off-roading, the trend was toward bigger vehicles, though smaller than a Hummer.
Enemy or embed?
That one should have to ask is a real tragedy.
I wouldn’t. When functional they are hard to beat for rough terrain.
When functional....
Those prices are only starting bids, not final costs. Plus add a 10% auction fee to the final price.
What is it vehicle manufactured before 1970 is likely
“EMP proof
“??
I used the Hummer tires as well. Bricks but rugged bricks.
The only issue I see is about a 90/10 weight bias with that monster up front. How much firewall did you have to cut? Get EVERYTHING you can relocated as far back as possible.
I kept the C6 but it’s the race tranny out of one of my old trucks (all the mega beef auto tricks). I thought about a standard but either way there’s issues. Clutch or Tranny fluid? Pick your weak point. I figure you can always find a junker to salvage from in a mad max world and the C6 will probably work a bunch of miles with thinned out motor oil if you HAD to.
“Even an EMP won’t knock out my monster vehicle.”
You might want to keep a spare alternator. Oh, and battery powered pump you can drop into a gas station’s tank, as their pump won’t be working.
Around 1970, electronic ignition systems were introduced. The older breaker points & condenser design is less vulnerable. Some engines of the ‘70s - ‘90s can be retrofitted with the old ignition systems by swapping distributors, etc.
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