Survivor
Classic Ride: '85 Chevy S-10 Blazer
Proud owner/hometown: Brandon Roberts/Claremore, Oklahoma
The dirt: A 2-inch Superlift suspension and a 3-inch Performance Accessories body lift help make room for a set of 31-inch TrXus MT tires mounted on 15x8 Progressive aluminum wheels. Dressing up the exterior is a Grizzly brushguard. A K&N air filter helps the stock 2.8L V-6 breathe a bit easier.
Oh, and...: It sure doesn't look like a 22-year-old rig.
Steppin' Up
Classic Ride: '79 Ford F-350 Stepside
Proud owner/hometown: Dana Bishop/Stockton Springs, Maine
The dirt: This truck belonged to Bishop's dad. Bishop built the truck in honor of him after he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. The F-350's long list of mods includes a 466ci V-8 that makes 500 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque; a C6 transmission with shift kit and 3,000 rpm stall; a Dana 60 front axle with Detroit Locker; a Dana 60 rear axle with Detroit Locker and Moser 35-spline axleshafts; 4.88:1 gears; 44x19.5-16.5 Boggers; 9-inch Superlift suspension lift; and a 4-inch body lift.
Oh, and...: The little girl pictured with the truck is Bishop's niece, and she insists the truck is actually hers, not Bishop's.
Green With Envy
Classic Ride: '72 Ford F-100
Proud owner/hometown: Jeremy White/Santa Rosa, California
The dirt: This great-looking truck has a 390ci engine with an aftermarket camshaft, an Edelbrock intake manifold and 650cfm carburetor, and dual Flowmaster exhaust; a four-speed manual transmission with granny-low; an NP205 transfer case; a Dana 44 high-pinion front axle with welded diff gears; a Ford 9-inch rear with limited-slip diff; 4.10:1 gears; a 6-inch suspension lift with Pro Comp ES9000 shocks; a 3-inch body lift; 38x14.50 Toyo Mud-Terrain tires; 15x10 Black Rock Crawler wheels; and custom bumpers with forward- and rear-facing Hella lights.
Oh, and...: White is only 16 years old, and he did all of the work on his truck himself-with some help from his dad.
Trail Toy, Eh?
Classic Ride: '79-'84 Toyota pickup
Proud owner/hometown: Lou Parker/Wittenborg, Nova Scotia, Canada
The dirt: Parker's Toy is a conglomeration of six model years of Toyota pickup. It sports a 22R four-cylinder engine with header; power steering; a 2-inch suspension lift with modified Revolver shackles; a rear spool; 4.37:1 gears; 35-inch Boggers; rear, a box-mounted radiator, gas tank, and battery; a custom rollcage and tube doors; a Magnum 9,000 winch; and a rear pintle hook.
Oh, and...: This Canadian says he loves leaving his house and being able to wheel for miles and miles without his tires ever touching pavement.
Diesel Bonanza
Classic Rides: '80 Chevy K30 and '84 Chevy military-spec K30 rock buggy
Proud owner/hometown: Ty Freed/Bruceville, Indiana
The dirt: The tow rig features an intercooled 5.9L Cummins diesel engine with 4-inch-diameter exhaust and a modified injection pump and turbine housing; a 47RE automatic transmission with Mag-Hytec pan; an NP205 transfer case; a Dana 60 front axle with Mag-Hytec cover; a Corporate 14-bolt rear axle with Detroit Locker, a Mag-Hytec cover and TMF disc brakes; a 4-inch suspension lift with dual shocks and custom TMF rear leaf packs; 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires; Alcoa aluminum wheels; a TMF front bumper with Warn 8274 winch; and an aluminum flatbed. The rock buggy features a 6.2L diesel engine; a TH400 transmission; an NP203/205 ORD Doubler with triple-stick shifters; a Dana 60 front axle with a Detroit Truetrac; a 14-bolt rear axle with Detroit Locker and disc brakes; 4.56:1 gears; 6-inch Superlift suspension lift with ORD rear shackle flip and greasable front swing shackles; ORD crossover steering; 38.5-inch cut Boggers; "cheap" factory steel wheels; and a bobbed rear frame with the rear axle relocated forward 18 inches.
Oh, and...: Freed is an Automotive Technology Program Coordinator at an Indiana University.
Wild Animal
Classic Ride: '75 Ford Bronco
Proud owner/hometown: Sean Gaudette/Sterling, Massachusetts
The dirt: Power comes from a fuel-injected 399ci stroked Windsor V-8 putting out 376 hp and 498 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. All that power is routed through a beefy drivetrain that includes a 4L60E transmission; a Dana 20 transfer case; a custom high-pinion Dana 44 front axle with a Detroit Locker, a Performance Unlimited tie rod, track bar, and pitman arm, a Chevy disc-brake conversion, and Warn hubs; a Ford 9-inch rear axle with spool and Warn 31-spline full-float axleshafts. The front suspension system consists of B.C. Broncos 4.5-inch single-rate coil springs and offset radius-arm bushings, Twister radius arms, James Duff Stage 2 shock mounts, Johnny Joint lower shock mounts, and dual Rancho 9012 shocks. The rear suspension features BC Bronco's 4.5-inch leaf springs with 6.5-degree shims and James Duff shocks and Stage 2 shock mounts. This lift combines with 4.88:1 gears to make running 35-inch Super Swamper SSRs on 15x10 Mickey Thompson Challenger wheels plausible. Other mods include a 22-gallon fuel tank; Wild Horses twin-stick transfer-case shifter; Kayline soft top and doors; door inserts; Tuffy rear box; Corry Kittle Rock Ski's and bumpers; and a Warn XDI 9,000 winch.
Oh, and...: By now, Gaudette has probably upgraded to the planned Dana 60s and hydraulic-assist steering.
Simplicity In Motion
Classic Ride: '88 Chevy Blazer
Proud owner/hometown: David Walls/Mesa, Arizona
The dirt: Walls has found that simplicity is the right recipe for exploring the Arizona backcountry. His K5 Blazer sports a 350ci V-8 engine with a TBI spacer, a K&N air filter, and an after-cat exhaust; a 700R4 transmission; an NP208 transfer case; 10-bolt axles with rear diff guard; Rancho RSX shocks; 31x10.5 BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires; and a grilleguard with a pair of KC lights.
Oh, and...: Walls says that the Blazer has taken him everywhere he wants to go, and he wouldn't change a thing.