Even though we drive comfortable modern vehicles, classic 4×4 trucks and vintage 4×4 SUV remain on our bucket lists for future project builds and weekend rides. Old school design, aggressive lines, and boxy silhouettes mean nothing but power, however, there is much more than just the badass looks and rumbling motors.
These vehicles came to us from a completely different era when all the gears and mechanisms were controlled by a highly complex computer called the human brain. There were no digital electronics, no ECU, no traction or crawl controls, or other helpers that would take care of the basic functions of your car. It certainly means less comfort, more things that you should keep in mind and take care of, but on the other hand, it also means fewer problems with repairs. If something doesn’t work, take a wrench and a pair of other tools and replace the troublemaker right in your driveway.
The progress is unstoppable, and vehicle manufacturers keep treating us with technologically advanced features and options that are called to improve our comfort and convenience in everyday life. From year to year, it gets us further and further from the good old classics, but there’s nothing wrong with that because unstoppable development is what makes our planet spinning for thousands of years. Although If you want to stop for a moment and enjoy the good things that you love in your life, classic 4×4 truck or vintage SUV will be the time machine that will take you back in the days when the grass was greener, ecology better and your hair longer.
If you were in love with this or another model in your teen years, but couldn’t afford it back then, then there is a big chance that you still can’t get over it and keep checking your local classifieds just in case something interesting shows up. As the old saying goes, dreams must come true, so why not get your dream vehicle when it becomes obtainable?
Classic 4×4 Trucks and SUV Trends
Classics will never come out of fashion, however, certain trends change from time to time. Some models experience a new reborn many decades after the official production ended, and turn into a great hype for the enthusiasts.
During the last few years, prices on vintage Land Cruiser FJ 60 have started to grow rapidly, the same happened with Jeep Wagoneer and a row of other classic 4x4s, so except for acquiring your dream vehicle, you also make an investment that can bring you a lot of money on the future resale.
OWNING OLD 4X4 TRUCKS
Already imagine yourself behind the wheel of your favorite vintage Land Rover, Ford Truck or International Scout? Let me get you back to the ground for a second and remind about a couple of downsides of owning old 4×4 trucks. If the “for sale” price of the vehicle that you are going to buy looks very attractive from the first look, you should also consider it’s condition. Most of the 25+ years old classic 4×4 trucks require a restoration. Sometimes it can be in a good running condition when you would just need to fix some basic things, but in other cases you need to do a major overhaul of the engine components, drivetrain, transmission, suspension, upholstery and take care of the body and the frame.
AVAILABILITY OF PARTS
Availability of the parts is an important key point of choosing an oldtimer. 1st, the parts can be not easy to find. You may end up sourcing necessary replacement components for months on the internet and wait weeks for them to ship. 2nd, when the parts are rare, they tend to be expensive, which can drain your wallet in a blink of an eye and turn your old 4×4 truck into a money pit.
If the Vintage 4×4 of your dreams was considered fast and powerful back in the day, you may not be as excited about its performance and driving characteristics today, especially in comparison with modern cars. If that happens to be your case, then swapping up the old parts with modern components is the right way to go. Again there are many companies that specialize in building restomods and hot rods on the base of Classic 4×4 trucks, but you should be ready to pay a solid amount of money because the costs of engineering, extensive modifications, and labor can easily compare with a price of a brand new car.
Luckily you’re not alone in your passion for vintage 4×4 so there are many restoration shops throughout the country that can help you to take care of your freshly acquired dream truck.
ICON 4X4
One of the most famous companies that work with vintage 4×4 trucks and SUV is the ICON 4×4 owned by a talented craftsman Jonathan Ward. Their restomods based on classic Toyota FJ50, Ford Bronco, Chevy Blazers and other models have seen the covers of many niche magazines and websites throughout the world. The prices start with about $150,000-$200,000USD but for this much money, you will get a real mechanical artwork on wheels that runs and drives like the best modern sportcar.
CLASSIC FORD BRONCOS
Classic Ford Broncos is a famous restoration shop out of Columbus, OH that is specialized on the 1st gen Broncos as you have guessed from the company name. The restoration quality and attention to details of their vehicles are simply amazing. Mindboggling pictures of their stunning Broncos will not leave anyone indifferent.
NEW LEGEND 4X4
New Legend 4×4 is specialized on vintage SUV like International Scout, Jeep Wagoneer, and other models. They combine classic design with modern technologies and outstanding craftsmanship to make the vintage 4x4s look and run better than ever.
EAST COAST DEFENDER
Land Rover Defender is one of the most iconic offroaders of all times, so if you are looking for perfectly restored or customized LR or even a Range Rover, you should check out the company called East Coast Defender.
It was founded by die-hard Land Rover enthusiasts from the UK who have taken their business to the highest level offering the top of the line restoration and modifications for classic British offroad vehicles.
MOHENIC GARAGE
Our world is multicultural and extremely diverse, but the passion to offroading unites us all. Vintage Hyundai Galloper and its twin brother 1st gen Mitsubishi Pajero are some of the most popular classic 4×4 vehicles of South Korea. Mohenic garage has taken the restoration program for these vehicles to the world-class level so it definitely deserves your attention.
COOL AND VINTAGE
Preserving the vintage feel, style and reliability are the key points of the Cool&Vintage firm from sunny Portugal. They don’t do crazy over the top upgrades and swaps, but instead, they make stunning adventure vehicles that allow you to feel the real soul of classic 4×4 trucks.
If you own a garage and have some basic technical skills than why not try doing the work by yourself. This will save you thousands and bring a lot of good garage time especially if you invite a couple of friends to help you with the project.
The list of all classic trucks and SUV
There is no exact classification or definition of what exactly is a classic or Vintage 4×4 vehicle, but generally, if it’s older than 25 years than it is considered to belong to this category. Since 4×4 established itself as a class after the WWII we consider 1950s-1960s as a starting point for this category.
Basing on this time frame we decided to arrange an information table of the most remarkable classic 4×4 trucks and SUV of this era.
| MAKE AND MODEL | Production Years |
|---|---|
| Chevy Blazer K5 | 1st gen 1969-1972, 2nd Gen 1973-1991 |
| Chevy C/K Trucks | 1st gen 1960-1966, 2nd gen 1967-1972, 3rd gen 1973-1987, 4th Gen 1987- 1998 |
| Chevy S10 | 1982-1993 |
| Chevy Suburban | 4th gen 1955–1959, 5th gen 1960–1966, 6th gen 1967–1972, 7th gen 1973–1991 |
| Dodge Dakota | 1st gen 1986–1996 |
| Dodge Ram | 1981–1994 |
| Dodge Ramcharger | 1st gen 1974–1980, 2nd gen 1981-1994 |
| Ford Bronco | 1st gen 1966–1977, 2nd gen 1978–1979, 3rd gen 1980–1986, 4th gen 1987–1991, 5th gen 1992–1996 |
| Ford F-Series | 1948-Present |
| GMC K5 Jimmy | 1st gen 1969-1972, 2nd Gen 1973-1991 |
| GMC Sonoma | 1982-1993 |
| Hummer H1 | 1992–2006 |
| Hyundai Galloper | 1991–2003 |
| International Scout | 1961–1980 |
| Isuzu Rodeo / MU | 1989–1998 |
| Isuzu Trooper | 1981–1991 |
| Jeep CJ | 1944-1985 |
| Jeep Jeepster / Commando | 1st gen 1948-1951, 2nd Gen 1966-1973 |
| JEEP SJ Wagoneer / Cherokee | 1962-1991 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 1987–1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ, 1997–2006 Wrangler TJ |
| Jeep XJ Cherokee / Comanche | 1984-2001 |
| Lada Niva | 1977-Present |
| Land Rover | Series I 1958–1961, Series II 1961–1971, Series III 1971–1985 |
| Land Rover Defender 90 / 110 | 1983–2012 |
| Land Rover Discovery | Series I 1989–1998 |
| Mercedes G-Class | W460 1979–1990, W461 1990–2001 |
| Mercedes Unimog | 1951-Present |
| Mitsubishi Pajero | 1st gen 1982–1991 |
| Nissan Patrol | 1st gen 1951–1960, 2nd gen 1959–1980, 3rd gen 1980–1989, 4th gen 1987–1997 |
| Range Rover | 1970–1996 |
| Suzuki Samurai | 1st gen 1970–1981, 2nd gen 1981–1998 |
| Toyota 4Runner | 1st gen 1984–1989, 2nd gen 1990–1995 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 1951-Present |
| Toyota Pickup Truck | 1968-Present |
| UAZ 452 | 1965-Present |
| UAZ 469 / 3151 | 1971-Present |