Wombat (Vombatus ursinus):"The
wombat is the largest burrowing mammal. Indeed, it is such an accomplished
burrower that early settlers called it a 'badger'. However, its closest relative
is in fact the koala. With its short tail and legs, characteristic waddle and
'cuddly' appearance the wombat is one of the most endearing of Australia's
native animals." (from www.parks.tas.gov.au)
The Rig's History
Like thousands of other folks in the U.S., my off roading began with the
purchase of an Isuzu Trooper. In '93 our family purchased a vehicle to take us
off the beaten path for a reasonable price. Strong sales in the States have made
used Troopers easy to find for reasonable prices. We found ours at the DFW
Metroplex. Not knowing what to look for, but assuming that the V6 was a big
power gain over the 4cyl (ha!), I purchased a clean '89 5-speed equipped with
the 2.8 GM motor. At that time, $8000 was a good price for a truck, with 80k
miles. Though I would do some things differently in retrospect (see Buying
Advice), overall we have been very pleased with our rig.
Beginnings of The WomBAT
Soon after purchasing our Trooper, like many of you, I wanted to improve it for
trail exploration. Perhaps it was the vehicle's utilitarian, almost Land
Rover-like looks, but it seemed destined for more than just
ski/snowboard/hunting trips. Consequently, I learned three important facts.
Few after-market performance products are available for the truck.
One should invest in real rather than poseur equipment.
The truck is more capable and sturdily built than I expected.
Since those early revelations I continued to build our Trooper as a serious
every wo/man's rig. What does that mean? Certain improvements can be made
without breaking the bank, while still unleashing the capabilities that our
Japanese friends designed in. That's the purpose of this project, to demonstrate
what improvements can/should be made to allow more thorough enjoyment of a
Trooper. In other words, we're building a Wo/man's Basic All-Terrain
Trooper, or a WomBAT (an acronym inspired more than a little by two
sturdy down under mammals: Vombatus ursinus and Jackaroo owners). With that in
mind, this project will focus on the two primary weaknesses of pre-1992
Troopers: Power and Traction.
Over the coming months, the write-up of the WomBAT will focus on what I and
my peers have learned regarding improving Trooper Power and Trooper Traction. My
hope is that fellow Trooper owners can see what changes provide the greatest
off- (and in some cases on-) road performance improvements. We will detail
costs, installation difficulty, and other purchasing considerations. I hope to
inspire a renewed excitement about this stout vehicle, and to help make yours
even stouter.
Please mail Sean Michael if you
want to discuss this truck or its modifications
Untitled Document
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