Buggys vs Modified Vehicles

JeepinLee

JeepinLee

Builder of all things covered in rust
Joined
Mar 7, 2024
Member Number
7583
Messages
63
Starting this thread to help with my personal dilemma hopefully and maybe others. I've personally built several jeeps between my personal stuff and helping friends with fab work. I parted out my ls swapped TJ to buy my house. Now 5 years later I'm ready to start building my off road toy, I've really wanted to build a full tube chassis buggy with jeep skins for a long time now but I'm starting to second guess this choice and just build up my budget beater zj I have currently. I need at least 2 seats and a place for my dog to stand/place to put a 3rd seat

Buggy plans would be cj6 based, 3.9/904/300 on 9s with sxs sticky 37s (living in Michigan really doesn't need 40"+ tires)

The zj is mint rust free platform with the 5.2 - build would be you basic build with either one tons and 40s or retubed JT/JL axle and 37s and hybrid exo cage.

For those who have built both would you make the same choice again? I know they both have their place and a lot has to go on personal preference. My build may only get wheeled a couple times a year but id like to use it as my summer daily as my commute is only 10 miles. Here in northern Michigan you can get away with driving just about anything

IMG_8647.jpeg
 
Sounds like you should probably stick with the ZJ. Being in a buggy in cold, wet, and muddy conditions (aka Michigan) is miserable. That said, if you want to wheel the hardest stuff around, a full body rig will never compare. The visibility afforded by a buggy, as well as the freedom of not worrying about smashing body panels and glass makes technical driving far more enjoyable.
 
Depends on what you want to do with it.
Road driving you'll want a windshield and probably wipers. Windows and a roof are up to you.

Wheeling depends on how hard you want to go; my jeep is too fat to do buggy stuff well, and too buggy to do road well (but I'll do road with it anyway). 6mpg gets old in a hurry, and 42s don't help. But I have a bit more engine than you're planning and I built with a specific goal of that the skinny pedal would be fun.

CJ6 dimensionally or legitimately? Mine is legally a DJ5 but dimensionally very close to a JK; I couldn't bring myself to buy and chop up a CJ6 or CJ8 for what I was doing. But at a glance to a non-jeep-guy, it's "just a big jeep". To actual jeep guys it's a bucket of WTF that just gets worse the closer they look.

If your area/weather is such that top and doors are preferable most of the time, I'd build bodied. Getting a full top adequate for keeping heat working and rain out onto a buggy is difficult/expensive.

I enjoy the buggy thing a lot, being able to door surf it against a rock and not worry about it is pretty freeing.

All of which being said... I took apart my buggy to build my jeep, and now I'm putting my buggy back together (and keeping my jeep). So... both?
 
I've had this same debate with myself for a couple years now

my normal wheeling lends itself to a full bodied rig, drive to and from the trail, camp out of the rig on the trail, the trails i do the most i wheel and have fun and don't feel like I'm missing out on the fun

vs

buggy would be trailer to different trails that allow for camper access and harder trails, for me that would be moon rocks and the hammers

but all of my buddies have full bodied rigs and drive to the trail which is also a big point, if they all had tube chassis rigs and trailered to the trail it would make more sense to go that route as well
 
You cannot drive a buggy on the street where I live. My crawler is my daily driver right now because my truck is down waiting on parts. It isn't fun to drive, but it's better than renting a car or not showing up to work.
 
Sluggy said:
Just keep the zj mild for all the back country adventures that don't need big tires to enjoy the scenery and build a buggy. Best of both worlds, everyone needs more than one 4x4...
Click to expand...

This is the path I took. Rather than try to build a do it all street legal rig, which I had in the past, This time around I opted for a full buggy and a moderately built TJ that still does very well on the street. Probably spent less money all in than I would have trying to build a jeep to keep up with buggies and have two vehicles that are both extremely good at what they were built for.
 
i would absolutely do it again but to me the ultimate decision is how hard do i want to wheel.

beating the life out of a raisin'd out YJ for years was the answer. My wheeling evolved to where it was a no brainer the direction, that i NEEDED to go. building and torturing a vehicle is what this hobby has always been about for me and when you go buggy.... you realize its two totally different experiences.

all said, the best is two or MAYBE three rigs. have a mild built fair weather wheeler for your take it easy cruising with the wife days or driving to work if that's your thing... rainy/mud/snow day rig that is closed in but can bring the hurt on most terrain... then the buggy that you don't mind taking into hell, rolling it over and laughing at it.
 
sounds like you've built enough so you get it but if your having cold feet on building a buggy now, it's really gonna hurt when your at the, "this is taking way too long" and "i don't have anytime for this" and the 500 dollars to death stage sets in.... :rockon:
 
1777569430880.png



Personally I'm not about the raisin ****box life, I guess the full size vehicles I've had were nice enough I didn't want to smash the panels into a wall, so there's not much overlap between the two personally.

Full size: streetable, climate controls, probably has windows and panels to stay out of the elements

Buggy: can beat the **** out of it and looks the same, comparatively a million times easier to work on things since you have complete access

There is a world where they kind of overlap, huge build out the ass rig doing easier end of hard trails and being able to drive home. But I like having a stock/mild Toyota to go put around on stuff and then have a buggy for playing with the big boys, and each one is great at doing that.
 
I am probably going to morph my scout into a buggy and build my DD bronco with 35s or 37s. I like the idea of having a rig to drive to the mountains and camp out of and run mild trails, then another to tow out to the hammers and beat on in the desert and the rocks. I would build a buggy but enjoy driving the scout to work every now and then. I am also close enough to the mountains I can do a quick mild wheeling run after work.

Now I have three vehicles, where registration and insurance run me about $2k a year. :homer:
 
Sluggy said:
Just keep the zj mild for all the back country adventures that don't need big tires to enjoy the scenery and build a buggy. Best of both worlds, everyone needs more than one 4x4...
Click to expand...

This what I was going to to say. Keep the ZJ mild and get out and about while you build.

Coming from open top jeeps a 4 door suv isn't going to be as good for hard wheelin, too much glass and non-replaceable pillars. I did the same thing years ago from a stretched samurai to a 1ton 90s 4runner. Loved them both, but swore I wouldn't build another hard core 4door suv. Currently have a different 90s 4runner that's on a small lift, 35s,locker and a winch. It's perfect for getting out, driving down the road, dirt roads, and still decently capable.
 
Last edited:
ScottRS said:
CJ6 dimensionally or legitimately? Mine is legally a DJ5 but dimensionally very close to a JK
Click to expand...
It would be a cj5 legally but a cj6 dimensionally with a short hood like my brothers 5 in the pictures. I have tub skins and a cowl for a cj5 I parted out with a ***le along time ago.

RTH said:
sounds like you've built enough so you get it but if your having cold feet on building a buggy now, it's really gonna hurt when your at the, "this is taking way too long" and "i don't have anytime for this" and the 500 dollars to death stage sets in.... :rockon:
Click to expand...
Don’t think it’s cold feet but more of a right choice. My usage amount, where I live, and the group I wheel with is my hold up. I tend to hang out with the smaller tire guys and build around smaller tire. I’ve just always wanted to start with nothing but the outer shell of a jeep being the only constraint. As for 500 dollars to death I know all about it. Your not buying any parts in the hobby for less then 500 anymore. A buggy will be a multi year build with my wife as she really wants to learn welding, wiring, painting and wheeling. Zj axle swap would be a couple month project over winter
 
  • Like
Reactions: RTH
After going tons 42, the vehicle usually ends up in buggy state for usability. Hard to justify daily driving $5gs worth of tires every day to be worn down performance wise, let alone getting a flat on the commute. The frame/body gets heavily chopped for fitment, or its awkwardly tall unbalanced. Tire choice is a compromise with mud terrains being ok offroad and swampers being miserable on road.
 
Another point to a buggy.

If you're anal about how your rig is built, a buggy may be a better option. My current rig I've spent so much time cutting out old ****, I would have been better off starting from scratch.
 
Michigan guy here. I’ve had multiple Jeeps from stock to heavily modified stretched/tons/LS swap/stickies. Now I have a buggy and a JLUR. For what you are describing and MI weather, if you only want one rig and do mostly local wheeling, I’d stick to a full bodied rig. There’s nothing in MI that justifies a buggy.
 
Correct answer is you need both.

A buggy is a whole different mindset when looking at stuff and trying lines. No glass, no worries just go for it.

Northern MI screams full body and a damn good heater :laughing:

My vote is buggy cause you can build it exactly how you want it which is fun. Keep the ZJ and wheel it.
 
white-rhino said:
Michigan guy here. I’ve had multiple Jeeps from stock to heavily modified stretched/tons/LS swap/stickies. Now I have a buggy and a JLUR. For what you are describing and MI weather, if you only want one rig and do mostly local wheeling, I’d stick to a full bodied rig. There’s nothing in MI that justifies a buggy.
Click to expand...
I really don’t winter wheel anymore because I hate pulling my nice stuff on an open trailer. I figured if I can run 37s for around Michigan it would make some of our man made stuff fun for a day here and there and throw on big tires for out of state. I’m going to build around a 40 to make sure I can.
YotaAtieToo said:
Another point to a buggy.

If you're anal about how your rig is built, a buggy may be a better option. My current rig I've spent so much time cutting out old ****, I would have been better off starting from scratch.
Click to expand...
This is the main reason I want a buggy. You sacrifice so much to get good suspension geometry or whatever. Starting on something that my only constraint is the dimensions of a body sounds amazing.
 
white-rhino said:
It sounds like you may want to wheel harder than my interpretation of your first posts.
Click to expand...
Yes 100% want to wheel harder now that I have to funds in life to. I try to stay away from the full throttle beat down and steer towards the technical stuff. Im down to give stuff the beat down I just hate braking stuff. In Moab I was trying to shove my little zj down all the hard lines I felt safe doing without a cage. Moab is really the inspiration for something more purpose built after the wife gave the green light for a big tire build. I figure something with 9” axles could get away with 37s for areas like the big bolder field at R&V or what they’re building down at Holley that would keep wheeling here pretty challenging and enjoyable for my style.
 
I totally get where you're coming from. The area I live has nothing to challenge a locked rig on 35s, less a buggy. But you still have that itch to travel to harder stuff.

I don't see a point in swapping from 40s to 37s for more challenge though. If you're bored on 40s, you'll probably be bored on 37s also. Although if you get sticky 40-43s for out of town trips, and dot 37s for road driving and local trails, I guess that makes sense. There is a run that started near where I used to live where everyone puts ~31s on their rigs and goes to the rubicon. Never made it, but looked like a pile of fun.
 
I live in California, 4 hours to Rubicon/Fordyce, 8 hours to Johnson Valley. My use case will be different than yours.

JV and Sand Hollow I'd want a buggy.
Rubicon and Slickrock I'd want a full bodied rig.
Fordyce you could make the argument either way, but I'd probably choose buggy.

My wheeling buddies from college are mostly in buggies, or full raisin vehicles.
My wheeling buddies from home are in mostly streetable wheelers on 40+" tires.

I wanted to be able to go on any trip/trail reasonably comfortably.

I ended up with a JKU on 1 tons and 40s, I have stickies and DOT tires depending on the trip.

Air conditioning is really nice.

Not missing out on 2+ years of wheeling was really nice.
 
JeepinLee said:
Yes 100% want to wheel harder now that I have to funds in life to. I try to stay away from the full throttle beat down and steer towards the technical stuff. Im down to give stuff the beat down I just hate braking stuff. In Moab I was trying to shove my little zj down all the hard lines I felt safe doing without a cage. Moab is really the inspiration for something more purpose built after the wife gave the green light for a big tire build. I figure something with 9” axles could get away with 37s for areas like the big bolder field at R&V or what they’re building down at Holley that would keep wheeling here pretty challenging and enjoyable for my style.
Click to expand...
There’s nothing in Moab other than Area BFE that I wouldn’t wheel with a full body rig on 35/37” tires. 40’s preferred.
RE Michigan, anything at R&V can be run with a full body rig. Honestly the same at Holly Oaks but you need 40’s and preferably stickies. (Re “they” building stuff = me). The Notch and MT Magna are my creation. We are working on a new feature with $50k worth of rocks ranging from 12”-48”.

While owning a buggy in MI, I stand behind the statement that you don’t need a buggy in MI. (Which is why I go out of state multiple times a year). That said, I can keep you entertained for a day at Holly Oaks with a buggy.
 
I'm also in the mindset of have both, having the right tool for the job makes it more fun. I just put 35s on the JL that serves DD/camping/exploring duties. The YJ isn't quite a buggy but the back 2/3 is pretty much a buggy in Jeeps clothing now and front will get linked and tubed soon too. And I'm strongly considering building a small full tube car for more nimble technical crawling.

PXL_20260129_224828183.jpg
 
Jeffh555 said:
I live in California, 4 hours to Rubicon/Fordyce, 8 hours to Johnson Valley. My use case will be different than yours.

JV and Sand Hollow I'd want a buggy.
Rubicon and Slickrock I'd want a full bodied rig.
Fordyce you could make the argument either way, but I'd probably choose buggy.

My wheeling buddies from college are mostly in buggies, or full raisin vehicles.
My wheeling buddies from home are in mostly streetable wheelers on 40+" tires.

I wanted to be able to go on any trip/trail reasonably comfortably.

I ended up with a JKU on 1 tons and 40s, I have stickies and DOT tires depending on the trip.

Air conditioning is really nice.

Not missing out on 2+ years of wheeling was really nice.
Click to expand...
Forgot to mention, driving a Jeep on 40s around town is fun.
 
Jeffh555 said:
I've been on the Rubicon when those guys came through. It did not look like fun to me. Very dusty, lots of waiting.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the rubicon any given weekend?

white-rhino said:
There’s nothing in Moab other than Area BFE that I wouldn’t wheel with a full body rig on 35/37” tires. 40’s preferred.
RE Michigan, anything at R&V can be run with a full body rig. Honestly the same at Holly Oaks but you need 40’s and preferably stickies. (Re “they” building stuff = me). The Notch and MT Magna are my creation. We are working on a new feature with $50k worth of rocks ranging from 12”-48”.

While owning a buggy in MI, I stand behind the statement that you don’t need a buggy in MI. (Which is why I go out of state multiple times a year). That said, I can keep you entertained for a day at Holly Oaks with a buggy.
Click to expand...

I've only been to a few trails in moab one time, but after doing "7 and 8 rated" trails realized it's not all that hardcore. Still amazing, but I get what you're saying.
 
If both isn’t an option, I’m team full bodied rig. As long as you aren’t having to skip trails that your buggy friends are doing that a full body rig can’t, as the main asterisk.

I’m all for the rig that will get used more often, and generate more smiles. It’s just a painful fact that the less amenities a vehicle has, the less it seems to get used in general. It makes sense if you actually need a buggy to keep up with the Joneses. But if you don’t need it, requiring a trailer and being open to the elements just means you’ll drive it less than your full body jeep.

Granted if you’re like me, the build process is a huge part of it. I love building for the sake of building. So that gives me satisfaction on its own, and has already tempted me into buggy builds in the past fir the sake if building lol.

But truth be told, I’m a unibody jeep guy, and v8 ZJs and WJs are amazing all purpose platforms. I’ve had the opportunity to build quite a few of them, the only downside is the serious dedicated effort in the initial build (like any jeep/buggy you want to perform well). They can do everything you want basically anywhere depending in the scale of your build, (and your comfort with wrinkled sheetmetal lol)

IMG_2816.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh