Potentially building a 2nd gen. Trooper... Thoughts? Opinions?

Aegis

K9 Handler
Evening guys and girls,

So. The time has come for me to go ahead and get going with a build. A little bit of background, as far as my off-roading/overlanding experience: None.

Yup. That's the truth. Barring some trips down some poorly maintained service roads, and the occasional cruise through a field, this is all new to me. I've spent PLENTY of years modifying cars, and they've usually been ones that are a bit less than simple; mostly Audis and Volvos. I'm used to having to turn a wrench, and I'm used to things not always working perfectly. I've grown up camping and backpacking, but it'll be a new experience to me involving a vehicle.

Here's what I'm looking for/looking to do:

1. Build a rig that not only will be suitable for some off-roading, overland camping, and expedition type trips, but also can serve as my daily driver.
2. Have something that'll comfortably transport me, the misses, and our 90 lb. Rottweiler x Doberman.
3. Start slowly and introduce myself into the world of off-roading, with hopes of getting good enough and comfortable enough to tackle terrain as would be presented in the Vermont Overland Trophy.
4. Safely and comfortably get my brood off of the beaten path for weekend/extended trips that DON'T involve a KOA or some other pay-and-park type deal.


The first car I ever drove was a 2nd generation Trooper. It was this strange color of purple (I'm sure they called it deep blue, but it was frigging purple, lol), and I loved it. It was such a great car to learn with, and it never left us hanging, even in the crappiest of winters.

... I'm also considering a Disco2 and a ZJ with a 5.2 as build options. The Trooper's hard to find with leather (which is petty, I know, but I've never been a fan of cloth seats), but outside of that, they all have their plusses and minuses. I'm looking to see what everyone's opinion is. I know there'll obviously be a push for the 'Zoo around these parts, but I'd love to hear you guys out a bit and pick your brains, if that's cool.


Hopefully there'll be some info passed along here that I haven't managed to gleam in the thousands of pages, posts, and threads that I've read. I really am excited to get on out there... Now if I can just figure out what I'm doing it with, lol!


Thanks in advance, and nice to meet all of you!

- Jeff
 

Aegis

K9 Handler
any pictures if you found one yet?

Haven't found a particular one yet, still working out which vehicle I'm going to settle on. What I'll be looking for is a 4-door 2nd Gen... Not too concerned as to whether or not it has TOD, but definitely want to be sure it has the G80 LSD. Also, unfortunately, it has to be an automatic -- has to be accessible for the misses as well.
 

BigSwede

The Credible Hulk
A Trooper is very easy to set up for expo work, most of it is there already.

If I were you I would install OME rear coils, probably 929s, which will give you 2" of lift (I don't care what ARB says, 2" is what you will get) and the ability to carry a full load without riding the bumpstops. The 2" lift will allow the installation of up to 33" tires (such as 285/75) without a problem, and I wouldn't go bigger than that anyway without regearing the differentials (regearing options are limited anyway).

That really is enough to get you going, most of the running gear is quite stout out of the box. But if you are going to do some tougher trails with moderate rock crawling, you should consider beefing up the tie rods (see Independent4x), and get some rock sliders (rocker panel protection). And you can go beyond that to a winch and winch bumper, HD rear axle links, etc....it never really ends lol.
 

Aegis

K9 Handler
The Expeditions West Trooper has always been in the back of my mind when I consider a Trooper vs. other vehicles. I love how it looks, and it certainly is a capable rig! :)
 

Aegis

K9 Handler
Thanks to everyone who's hopped-in here, I really appreciate it. I'm still weighing the options of what I want to go with, but I've ruled the ZJ out at least... Just getting a better feeling about either the 'Zoo or the Rover, although now I'm actually considering a P38 as well, hahaha.
 

XterraOverland

New member
As pretty as a P38 are, you Dont want one, Electrical Nightmare, and very pricey to play.

Dico 1 is great. But how tall are you? I owned 1, I am 5'10.5" And The seat could of used another 2"s for me to go back and be comfortable. You have to watch for headgasket issues, dropped liner issues, and Overheating issues as well. I love a D1. And Rover guys will tell you there the best thing since sliced bread. But think of it this way if your 80 Miles from the nearest parts store and something breaks. I bet you its a 3-4 day wait/order on those parts. It was a 3 day wait for a Transmission line for me. So your stuck.

If you have something like an Isuzu that uses some GM parts. Or a Jeep that every body and there mother has, Parts are easier and quicker to source.

Im currently debating between a Trooper, and a 91-94 Explorer with ttb front end (Ride of an IFS and almost as much flex as a Strait axel)
 

Aegis

K9 Handler
As pretty as a P38 are, you Dont want one, Electrical Nightmare, and very pricey to play.

Dico 1 is great. But how tall are you? I owned 1, I am 5'10.5" And The seat could of used another 2"s for me to go back and be comfortable. You have to watch for headgasket issues, dropped liner issues, and Overheating issues as well. I love a D1. And Rover guys will tell you there the best thing since sliced bread. But think of it this way if your 80 Miles from the nearest parts store and something breaks. I bet you its a 3-4 day wait/order on those parts. It was a 3 day wait for a Transmission line for me. So your stuck.

If you have something like an Isuzu that uses some GM parts. Or a Jeep that every body and there mother has, Parts are easier and quicker to source.

Im currently debating between a Trooper, and a 91-94 Explorer with ttb front end (Ride of an IFS and almost as much flex as a Strait axel)


... Hm. That's good to know; I'm 6'3", lol...

It's really coming down to either the Trooper or the Disco2, I think... But going and sitting in a Disco may be the deal breaker if I don't comfortably fit, haha! :)
 

kenaiking

Observer
I just went through the exact same thing. I sold my truck for another Subaru and needed a family camping, hunting and play rig. Looked at XJ's, ZJ's, D1's, D2's, Cruisers and opted for the trooper.

I had really wanted a Land Cruiser but every one I looked at in my price range was a POS. I then thought a D1 or D2 would be the ticket. They were very cool but parts and maintenance were way out of what I wanted to pay. In that time I missed out on a 99 trooper that was awesome but then a 2001 popped up and I snagged it.

I truly love it. They best part was my kids thought it was the coolest thing ever and my wife enjoys riding in it.

Mods are simple, parts are reasonable and after a few mods it's a great trail rig.
 

BigSwede

The Credible Hulk
Fortunatly the only GM parts on a 2nd gen Trooper are the crappy too small auto trans. That causes enough problems!

No, there are other GM bits but they are minor...stuff like the coil packs on the 92-97 and the fuel pressure regulator to name a couple off the top of my head.
 

BigSwede

The Credible Hulk
Back in 2000 I was stuck with a less than year old total lemon of a Dodge Durango. It had to go and I was looking for a replacement... ...Coming from a 1st gen Trooper background I heard a radio ad for the new Troopers on the way home. Went back out the next day and drove one. 2000 S model 5spd 3.5 v6. Holy cow, comfy, roomy, quick, quiet, and less new than the Disco used.

Funny thing is, the Trooper had more cargo volume than the Durango of the time (90 cubic feet vs. 88 for the Durango), even though it is quite a bit smaller. All hail boxy SUVs!
 

Aegis

K9 Handler
Funny thing is, the Trooper had more cargo volume than the Durango of the time (90 cubic feet vs. 88 for the Durango), even though it is quite a bit smaller. All hail boxy SUVs!

That's one of the big selling points for me of the Trooper... Plenty of room for me, the misses, the pup, and all of our gear. I'm having a really hard time with this, haha!


A weird question: how hard is it to source a leather interior for the 2nd gen Troopers? I'm really not a fan of cloth interiors, and with the pup, it'd be especially nice to be able to wipe everything down. Plus, I like me some leather, lol :D
 

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