Would you be interested in a get together to go offroading?

Yeah sure! Bring on the mud!!!
43% (9 votes)
yeah, as long as its near me
29% (6 votes)
Don't know, I am nervous about taking mine offroad
10% (2 votes)
Take my baby offroad? Are you mad it could get dirty!!!
19% (4 votes)
I don't even have a 4x4 Daihatsu!
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 21

Comments

Could be fun

As I have said to people who havn't had a 4x4, they can get you into situations that would be impossible with an ordinary car .... and then get stuck.

If you are out mud-plugging on your own, then it's better to be a bit careful, but if you can count on someone else for a tow, then there isn't so much risk in being adventurous.

As an example about getting into a 'sticky' situation, way back when I was coming back from Uni in a LWB landrover to my mum's in Derbyshire. Going up the M1 it started to snow heavily, so I hit the yellow lever and passed the line of traffic creeping along in the slow lane. Muggins hangs a left to head for the Peak District and has to use 4WD for some hills. Now going up hills usually involves some going down the other side at times. So muggins is at the top of a long down slope .... engage a low ratio and gently roll down under engine braking .... hang on a min, the walls are going by a bit quick .... bu**er, I'm sledging!

Now the road is pretty straight except for a lefthander with a pond on the apex. OK it was cold enough for me to be able to walk on the ice, but it certainly wasn't cold enough to support a landy. Time to step out of the door !

Before I stepped out, I tried a little throttle to increase the engine speed, so the wheels could possibly start to grip again. When I managed to get things gripping, I eased off the juice and managed to keep it under control.

Stopped and changed trousers !

Hi guys Well up for this,

Hi guys

Well up for this, depends on where it is I guess but I do wanna see how she does in the mud etc, think it would be good to have some kinda thing to get together tho. Also, could be a mad idea, but have had thoughts bout converting a sporty into a two seat pickup? i.e so the backs always off but there's a kind of sealed cab? may just be an insane idea, but anyone got any thoughts? could make her even lighter, guessing if your gonna do anything like racing in em the suspension n shocks will need stiffening up tho? I'm thinking like bobcat style, anyone seen those?

Chaos

Off Roading Poll

Too right!!! thats what theyre for !! just let me know where and when and i,ll be there !!..well as long as its in the NW !!

off road club??

I have used my sporty off road on many occasions and enjoy doing so.

After going to a LandRover trials event and upsetting a few people I don't think I'll be invited back in a hurry (unless I get a LandRover). I wasn't allowed to compete but as a freind was setting out the course I got to drive the sections. All I can say is at one point I drove over a landy coil spring that was lost on the mud gulley (a 6' drainage ditch 2' deep in mud)and after passing the sticken 8V to go through the last gate I asked "is that how you do it?".

So if anyone is interested maybe we could get some sort of club organised......

Off-roading

I was thinking of putting a poll like this on here, but Lurch has beaten me to it! There are quite a few off-road sites that have open days where you just pay your money and have the day off-roading as much or little as you like - this would probably be a good way for those interested to do it , if we all arrange to go to one particular event.

A company who organises them in various locations is 4x4 Funday. I've been to there events before and they are very good - just pay £30 per vehicle and drive all day, most sites have easy bits for beginners where theres no chance of damage, as well as harder sections. Look at www.4x4funday.co.uk/offrd.html for a list of events (I'm thinking of maybe going on Boxing Day if anyone else is interested).

Another place that looks good but I've never been is Devils Pit near Luton, again with easy and hard bits (£26 for the day). www.devilspit.co.uk

What do people think?
Nat

getting down and dirty

Thanks for the info on a couple of places. The 4x4funday looks the best bet to arrange something as they have a number of sites around the country so best to pick one that'd be the best for the most people to get to.

An official event for users of the site could be around the end of Jan to give people time to restore their cash from after xmas, and possibly get time off work if needed.

I suspect I would have to remove my sillbars for mine to be safer offroad because as you can see by http://www.daihatsu-drivers.co.uk/?q=node/view/540 the brackets holding them to the frame underneath hangs quite low. Daihatsu didn't seem to have offroading in mind when they designed their sillbars!!! Yup they are genuine Daihatsu Sillbars rare or what! Smile
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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, S/Steel Sillbars, more to follow!

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Re: getting down and dirty

It wouldn't be shining like that after, Lurch!! Im sure if you leave the sill bars on you'll soon an obsticle to remove them for you!! (they are pretty low, aren't they!!)

Of the 4x4 Funday sites, Wildmoor (Bromsgrove) is about 4 miles from my house, and Aston Cantlow (Henley in Arden) and Farley Quarry (nr Telford) are good for me too. Aston Cantlow one looked fun at easter (i saw it but didnt go on it) - plenty of mud and lots of open space so no chance of hitting anything (unless you tried the tracks in the trees!).

I could do the 11th of Jan probably, but then not til feb cos of exams and a skiing holiday.

How about anyone else?

Nat

getting dirty with Nat

Cos of the rain and spray the sillbars aren't shining atm anyway. They are handy in stopping doors openning into mine and making it look nice and thats about it.

If you want to go offroading at one of them ones you mention above on the 11th jan then i may well be interested. Especially as we are not too far from eachother really.
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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, S/Steel Sillbars, more to follow!

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off road day

Since being out in Iraq and getting some very helpful suggestions for my sporty from the fellow drivers on this site, I have now carried out the following work.
Fitted bullbar and spots but welded instead of bolted bullbar,
fitted larger A/T tyres (225/75/15) complete with wheel spacers (big difference)
removed the rear seats and all the carpets,
removed all mud flaps and made some heavy duty longer ones for the back only which can be raised out of the way for off-road use,
various asthetics work and have now started on the engine and running gear.
I have taken my Sporty off-road on the Army cross country driver training circuit with very good results, even managed to un-bog myself when two wheels were off the ground at the same time and my wife was causing my left ear to shrivel up and die. The sporty is quite a capable vehicle and I would definetley join in an off road day. I,m up in North Yorkshire but am willing to travel so please keep me informed of any plans concerning a funday. Best regards to all...Gaz.

Wheel Spacers

I was wondering where did you get the wheel spacers from as I am considering getting some to stabilise mine a bit.

Also on Funday front. There may possibly be 1 or 2 in the new year by looks of it. Hopefully I will try and progress some planning of them over the weekend.

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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, S/Steel Sillbars, more to follow!

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Wheel spacers

Hi Lurch,
Got the wheel spacers from Scorpion racing for 180 quid inc V.A.T.
There is another place to get them from which mainly deals with Suzukis. Only problem is if you have steel wheels, you cannot refit the plastic inner hub-caps. Very small price to pay for the difference in stability. Scorpion are on the internet but I can give you details if you cannot find them.
Look forward to funday.
All the best...Gaz.