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The Samurai

That body looks much nicer now, but how long will it take you to get a bunch of dents and scratches?
 



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Well this rig isnt going to be pushed as hard as my Explorer -- so it probably wont get too much dent/scratches. But even if it does get beaten up, thats what sheet metal and the Hobart is for :D
 






but they look so much better beaten up :D
 

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31's -- ride height.
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So does this move under it's own power now?
 






Dang..it's veeerrrryyy tempting to sell my X, buy a new winter beater (Used Suby or maybe a new Ford Edge AWD :D ) and build me up another Sammy. After wheeling with my X last time, it made me depressed to know how much better the Sammy was offroad than my Explorer is....
 






So does this move under it's own power now?
Yeah. It has moved under its own power for quite a while. But we just werent happy with some things so we worked on it a bit over the holiday.

This Samurai will probably be out there sometime after the New Years so you'll see it in action :D

Dang..it's veeerrrryyy tempting to sell my X, buy a new winter beater (Used Suby or maybe a new Ford Edge AWD :D ) and build me up another Sammy. After wheeling with my X last time, it made me depressed to know how much better the Sammy was offroad than my Explorer is....
I was thinking the same thing. We have another Samurai chassis with a body that has been cut up but everything else is there. I was thinking of removing the body and building a quick cage, swapping in the 14-bolt and the Dana 60, running links all around, some air shocks, and 37"s -- that would be an ultra cheap build.

But I know I'd never forgive myself after all the work I put in the Explorer. But if you want that chassis, my brother is letting it go for $400. Comes with a body that has been cut up, but the entire drivetrain has not been touched (as in all stock) and is all there.
 












Yeah. It has moved under its own power for quite a while. But we just werent happy with some things so we worked on it a bit over the holiday.

This Samurai will probably be out there sometime after the New Years so you'll see it in action :D

Coolio:D:thumbsup: But will your X ever see the California Sunshine??:cool:
 






will your X ever see the California Sunshine??:cool:
Of course of course :D. I just gotta finish school and I'll be making plans to move somewhere either in the mountains (Colorado) or further west.
 






that build went fast. and came out dam nice
 






Thanks but by nature, all Samurai's come out nice :D
 






Got it up to third gear today, felt good but didnt have any shocks so any bumps on the road was a little iffy

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In front of a Burb:
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Interior needs a bit more TLC but the tank is finalized. We also sliced up the old hitch that used to be on my Explorer and adapted it to the Samurai.

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This is the "ladder" thingy that supports the gas tank / fuel cell from underneath. A temporary pipe is at the end of the muffler just to get the exhaust away from the open floor -- but it will get a bent pipe and will exist on the rear-left corner.
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For now the vehicle is back in its storage spot. My brother is going back to San Diego tomorrow morning so next time it'll move is around Christmas. But other than the small things Ive mentioned, we only have a both bumpers, a tire carrier, shocks, something to cover the rear, and thats probably it -- then its off to the West coast! :D
 
























My buddy has one. we coverted it to a straight axle with yoda axles and wrangler leaf springs. it sits tall with 37's on it. yoda power steering box as well and 6:1 gears in the transfer case. ill try to get a picture of it too. Its a beater so the body is in rough shape but everything else is solid and built to wheel hard. basically hold it to the boards everywhere and its unstoppable. :)
 






yeah it's definitely different from an Explorer. Even just test driving it around on some mounds last time over the summer, the Zuk has a different feel to it. Its not as big and lumbering. And this time around, even though it doesnt have shocks yet, I felt like I can control it a lot easier than my Explorer (but maybe thats inherent of full hydraulic steering in the Explorer).

If I were to build a buggy, I would definitely take lessons from a Samurai and aim for something as small as possible, maybe with a Civic 1.6L
 






Front cross member notched for winch:
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Rear bumper almost finished:
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Rear bumper with LED lights mounted, and "L" shaped rear shackle in the rear to clear bumper :
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Front shock hoop:
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Front bumper with winch fairlead holes and turn lights mounted. 2" receiver hitch also welded onto front cross member:
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As it will be shipped to CA:
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We drove it around hitting 55 mph and it felt good. The front shocks are stiff so some adjustables will probably be swapped in once its there in CA.
 



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IZ, the sami looks amazing! You guys did a great job!!

Bumpers....sick!
Spare tire mount....sick!
Shackles....sick!
Shock hoops....sick!
Colors....(making me) sick! :p: j/k
 






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