BABOOZLE
Caught the Bug
So one thing I love about my JK is that I can build it for 37s and still take trips on the freeway at 70+ MPH and remain be comfortable. Most of my vehicles have never had A/C, electric windows or a stereo. So it's really nice to have something more on the extreme side and still have a dependable daily driver. A cousin of mine is a Toyota/build not bought guy. He has a late 80s 4 runner on 39s. He likes to critique my jeep because I have so much money invested into it. I agree that I do but I feel that my jeep is still the better all around vehicle. I'm sure he doesn't go over 55 mph with his. So the question is, can you build a vehicle that performs as well as a JK in all aspects for cheaper? Let's say the vehicle to compare it to is a JKUR on 37s. What is better? Let's try and keep it to average Joe skills.
The downfall of the JK is that the initial investment is expensive. But it has a ton of aftermarket support and a decent drivetrain. I could only come up with a couple of candidates that may be built to come close to a JK. My first choice is a late 80s early 90s K5 Blazer with a solid front axle. Slightly shorter wheelbase than a JKU, TBI 350, and it wouldn't take much to put 37s underneath it. I owned one once and I enjoyed driving it. Other choices would be a Toyota 4 runner or truck with a V6 and solid front axle swap. But who knows how much more you would need to do to the axles to support 37s.
Areas to consider: Cost, aftermarket, drivability, comfort, labor to build, off road performance, and vehicle size.
The downfall of the JK is that the initial investment is expensive. But it has a ton of aftermarket support and a decent drivetrain. I could only come up with a couple of candidates that may be built to come close to a JK. My first choice is a late 80s early 90s K5 Blazer with a solid front axle. Slightly shorter wheelbase than a JKU, TBI 350, and it wouldn't take much to put 37s underneath it. I owned one once and I enjoyed driving it. Other choices would be a Toyota 4 runner or truck with a V6 and solid front axle swap. But who knows how much more you would need to do to the axles to support 37s.
Areas to consider: Cost, aftermarket, drivability, comfort, labor to build, off road performance, and vehicle size.