Bryan Bagwell- Salem, Oregon
1983 Toyota pickup
My ugly truck is a 1983 Toyota. It was originally red from the factory. The previous owner painted it with bedliner which is flaking off terrible. The bed has some decent rust holes, and the floorboards are pretty rusted out too. The fenders were replaced with blue ones at some point, and I replaced the doors with white doors. So now the truck is black, blue, white, and red.
I bobbed the bed, installed an Aussie locker, and rebuilt the rear third. It has a Trac-Lok in the front, diff armor, 4.7:1 transfer-case gears, Trail Gear crossmember, and rebuilt front knuckles with new wheel bearings, calipers, and rotors. The rear end has new wheel cylinders, shoes, drums, and axle seals. The front has a homebuilt tube bumper with a 6,000-pound Warn. It has a 20R engine from a '78 Celica. The suspension consists of homemade rear shackles, Trail Master shocks, and in the front are Old Man Emu springs with Marlin Crawler shackles and Pro Comp shocks. It has an internal 'cage as well.
My girlfriend calls it a "rat rod." I am sure the neighbors love seeing it parked in front of the house.
Jack Erekson- Lund, Nevada
1980s Chevy pickup
This has been in the household for about six months. It was purchased for $100 as is for the 6.2L diesel for another project, and was promptly claimed by my 13-year-old son as his. (He even gave me the $100 from his lawn mowing jobs right then and there!) The bald TSL Swampers actually still hold air for about two weeks at a time. We look forward to good times at Moab with our rigs.
Jim Lacer- Lebanon, Oregon
1979 Jeep J-20
This is what is left of my '79 J-20. I bought it three years ago to use the running gear under my '55 Willys pickup after keeping the blackberry bushes knocked down and the mud stirred up. The coolest thing about a rig that looks like this is there is nothing you can do to hurt it. It still runs and drives, and I can't bear to dismantle a rig that still has some life left. I'm trying hard to kill it but it will not die-and when it does, the Willys gets a new lease on life. Spending too many years rusting on the Oregon coast, the top and the box had to be amputated and the floor boards are almost gone.
Kurt Goodman- Middletown, Delaware
1974 Dodge PowerWagon
Here is our beloved DRV (deer retrieval vehicle), originally a '74 Dodge shortbox Power Wagon used for just about anything at the hunting camp in the southern tier of New York state. It ended its road life after seven years as a service/plow truck in a gas station when it went end over end in a traffic accident. I've had possession of it since 1981, and had to do extensive repairs just to get it to start. (Notice the inner tube and hose clamp used to seal the right front lockout hub!) When I went to pick it up with my new girlfriend (now my wife), she asked if I was hauling it to the junkyard. Now she knows better! With chains on all four wheels, it works excellent as a log skidder and firewood hauler. The bed even dumps with the aid of the once-used snowplow pump. It still starts and runs fine after sitting unused for 10 years (when this picture was taken). Guess Dodge just doesn't make 'em like that now.
Ryan Roy- Auburn, Maine
1985 Toyota pickup
I've got one ugly 'Yota that I use on a weekend basis up to my camp in Andover, Maine. I use it regularly for my own personal skidder to pull trees with, and to go bird hunting. I've owned it for three years now. My girlfriend and her son go wheeling with me every chance we get, and as you can see, we're not afraid of a little carnage. The most expensive thing on my truck is my 34/10.5 LTB tires.
Randy Swartz- Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
1966 Ford Bronco
I have a '66 Bronco U14 half-cab. It has a straight six-cylinder and three-speed on the column. I bought this truck early last year off of an eBay auction. I bought it for what I thought was a Dana 44 front diff only to learn that this year Bronco used a Dana 30. It spent most of its prior life as a plow truck in eastern Pennsylvania (where I live), so it had rust everywhere. I was going to scrap it, but it still ran and drove fine, so I decided to make it a first-time rock buggy project for my son and I that we named "The Lil' Turd."
Brian MacDougal- East Haddam, Connecticut
1970 International Scout
This is my cosmetically challenged 1970 International Scout that I've had for about seven years; we call her "Trusty Rusty." In the summer, she is used primarily for a habitat for birds and mice (the birds really like the glovebox). When winter comes, her job becomes hauling firewood and plowing snow. The rear section of the Scout was removed, because of rust, and was replaced with a custom flatbed made from scrap 2x4s and shipping pallets. The driver-side door was removed, using a large hammer, after the top hinge broke. This had the added benefit of being able to see while plowing snow, because the wipers don't work. Thirty-eight years of being exposed to the elements has brought out her inner beauty, literally.
Jack Erekson- Lund, Nevada
1991 Nissan Pathfinder
This Pathfinder was bought from my brother already beat-up. I have only had this for about six months, but have big plans: Solid front axle, double transfer cases, rollcage, and winch for starters. I have removed the fenders, cranked up the torsion bars, and cut up the rear fenders. The 35-inch Boggers were donated by my brother-in-law. This usually resides with no doors, but during the school year, this is my daughter's daily driver and she prefers keeping as much dust out as possible. Also she enjoys heat.