2001: A Suburban Odyssey
Brian Waddell's Suburban broke the Jeep Jinx at TTC IX, becoming the first-ever fullsize rig to take Top Truck honors.
Before TTC IX, the scorecard of Top Truck winners read: Jeeps 7, buggies 1, everything else 0 ... until Brian Waddell's "Big Bad 'Burb" became the first-ever fullsize rig to win the competition. The Suburban only captured one event-the Mud Pit-but 2nd-place finishes in the Tank Trap, Frame Twister, and Mini Rubicon allowed it to eke out a narrow victory over another fullsize, an '82 Jimmy built by Stephen Watson, now better known as the owner/mastermind of Off Road Design.
Across the board, Jeeps oddly flamed out at Top Truck that year-a Kaiser M37 managed to finish 5th, but the only two civilian Jeeps in the field finished 7th and 10th, respectively.
Winner: Brian Waddell, Vancouver, Washington
Vehicle: '72 Chevy Suburban
Engine: 454 Chevy V-8, Holley 950
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: NP203/205
Axles/diffs: Dana 60, Eaton/McNamara locker, Detroit
Suspension: Springs over axles
Tires: 44-16.5-15 Super Swampers
2002: A Blue Oval joins the party
The Frog tube buggy didn't win at Top Truck X, but it did set a new Long Distance record, traveling more than 8,000 miles from Tel Aviv to compete at Hollister Hills.
With a Chevy breaking the Jeep Jinx in 2001, we reasoned it would be poetic justice if a Ford could win the following year. And that's exactly what happened ... sort of. John Reynolds' Bronco did sport Ford sheetmetal, a 426 V-8, and a C6 transmission, though the full tube chassis, rear steer, and four-link suspension were likely not factory options in 1973. Regardless, the flexy Bronc' dominated the competition, winning the Tank Trap, Acceleration, and Engineering and finishing 2nd in the Mini Rubicon and Obstacle Course.
Barry Toledano, owner of the "Frog" rock buggy, set a new record for the Long Distance Award in 2002, freighting his rig overseas more than 8,000 miles from Tel Aviv, Israel to Hollister Hills to compete in TTC.
Winner: John Reynolds, La Crescenta, California
Vehicle: '73 Ford Bronco
Engine: 426 Ford V-8
Transmission: Ford C6
Transfer case: Atlas II
Axles/diffs: Custom Strange-Unimog/Detroit Lockers
Suspension: Reverse four-link
Tires: 42-15/16.5 Super Swampers
2003: Night of the Living Bow Ties
Warren Kreyer's M37 awed spectators at Top Truck XI with its trick articulating chassis. He won our Driving Elegant award en route to a 3rd-place finish overall.
The trend toward fullsizes continued in '03, when readers selected only three Jeeps to compete at TTC XI. Chevys and GMCs dominated as never before, capturing five of the top six slots at Top Truck, with Toby Harrell's big-block, twin transfer-cased K-Blazer first among equals. Toby only won two events-the Frame Twister and Tank Trap-but being the only competitor to successfully complete the Trap within the allotted time gave him the edge over a closely bunched field.
Winner: Toby Harrell, San Angelo, Texas
Vehicle: '75 Chevrolet Blazer
Engine: Chevy 466 V-8, Holley 900 Pro-Jection
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: NP203/205
Axles/diffs: Dana 60, GM 14-bolt/ARB, Detroit
Suspension: Springs over axles
Tires: 44-18/15 Super Swamper Boggers
2004: The Dynasty Restored
After a three-year interregnum, Jeeps returned to the winner's circle at Top Truck XII, taking the two top spots and setting a new record in the Mini Rubicon. Brad Austin's 454-powered YJ won the Tank Trap and garnered five top-5 finishes en route to an overall win. Interestingly, Brad's ride was the only one in TTC history to sport different tire treads, front and rear.
Howard Jacques' "Jeepzilla" CJ-7 made hash of our rockpile, blasting through the boulders in a record 1 minute, 45 seconds, though he nicked a cone on the way out and took a 5-minute penalty as a result. Penalty or no, it's still the fastest uncorrected time ever through the 'Rube.
Also in 2004, we dropped our street-legality requirements. The Highway Patrol was grateful to be spared the task of carpal-tunnel-inducing ticket-writing.
Winner: Brad Austin, Mustang, Oklahoma
Vehicle: '91 Jeep Wrangler
Engine: 454 Chevy V-8, Holley EFI
Transmission: TH350
Transfer case: NP203/205
Axles/diffs: Dana 60, GM 14-bolt/Detroit Lockers
Suspension: Custom three-link, coils
Tires: 44-18.5/15 Super Swampers (f), Boggers (r)