I’ve always had the itch to travel and have been scratching that itch most of my life. No matter where I go I always end up with way too many pics of 4x4s that I’d snap in the street from the sidewalk, hanging out taxi windows, and even standing in the middle of the street hoping to catch a good ¾ shot so I could read the side badge. This is all typically completed as my family looks on in fear of my safety or often in embarrassment as locals check out the crazy American. One of my latest treks brought me to Santiago and Vina del Mar/Valparaiso, Chile. I usually simply keep these pics for my own enjoyment and also to show my dad (for who I also shoot every motorcycle I see), but I thought maybe some of you readers might like a peak as well. I’ll try to dig out some of the others I’ve collected over the years and post them here. Enjoy.
That awesome yellow beast shown above in the lead spot is a Nissan Patrol. Not sure what year or series this is. Looks like it has a rear removable top. Rolling on Cooper Discovery Radial SST tires with very stylish yellow spoke wheels. Solid front axle with spring under leafs. Killer zigging and zagging stripe, big trailer mirrors, sliding rear window, Winch in the factory-looking bumper. Solid body on frame construction. This is one of the coolest 4x4s I spotted dury the trip.
This is a Daihatsu Rocky, which was made 1987 to 1998. I believe this is the first gen model made between ’87-’92. The Rocky uses a 1600cc engine with a DOHC or SOHC depending on year. Is it just me or does it remind you of a Suzuki Sidekick? Was there some cross-brand badging going on here?
2.5L Turbo diesel quad cab mini pickup 4x4. Is this a Nissan? Toyota? Why can’t I think of who uses those wings?
The Hyundai Galloper II reminded me of a Mitsubishi Montero. It has an Intercooler diesel and Kumho tires.
I saw a lot of these Intercooler diesel Mitsubishi SUVs . It might be a two door Montero? Has BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA tires and a TJM front bumper. This looks like a fun trail cruiser even.
Early Suzuki Samurai. Love the 8-slat grille. It’s an LJ model, I believe the LJ50, but it’s also called an SJ10 by some. It was released in 1976 to foreign markets and offered a 539cc, 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine.
A rear shot of the Suzuki LJ. It’s a predecessor of the Suzuki Samurai, which was offered in the U.S. beginning in 1985/86.
Korando? What the heck is a Korando? It’s a Daewoo model I believe.
Ramsey winch under the Korando. Pretty sweet factory-esque setup.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. I didn’t spot a lot of Jeeps around the cities I visited and the ones I did were so quick going by that I couldn’t get a shot off. Oddly, there was also an FJ40 Land Cruiser that evaded me on more than one occasion. In one instance I nearly threw my camera in to the street after tearing it out of my pocket too fast.
Daewoo Musso with Diesel Turbo Intercooler. Check out the sweet door scoop.
This is here for my dad. He spent many years carting around motorcycles and a truck load of kids in a 2-door Chevy Luv pickup. That thing brought me on more adventures than I can count. If only they had a 4-door back in those days I might have been able to ride out of the rain, rather than in back with a Sears canvas tarp tied down over our heads. I also recall an occasion in the early 1980s at Hungry Valley SRVA north of Los Angeles when Dad let me ride on his motorcycle tied in the back of the truck as he traveled the access road out to the highway. Yeah, that was really safe, Pop. But damn was it fun.