Complete opposite of an R8

[R84ME]

HARRISON wanted me to post these, said the airborne R8 pics are next!

[smoothy]

R8 Rubicon Trail edition?

[harrison]

No , just my R8 on San Fran type street. Seems I get airborne occasionally ,need a photo to be sure, will work on this. It will be a down hill attempt for softer landing without busting anything.

[mstams]

Funny. I used to drive a HUMMER. Went through five of them.

My last one was an H1 Alpha Open Top.

[SDR8]

The H1s are so much more impressive than the other Hummers. The H2s & H3s are just boxy versions of their truck or big SUV frame and drive train. The off-road abilities of the H2 & H3 is nothing special. The H1 could do so much more, but was limited by its wide size and weight. I know there are lots of SUVs & trucks that will perform off-road alright, but nothing like a vehicle set up or designed for it. It can be fun to play with street vehicles off-road but, they are not really the right toy to play hard with.

[harrison]

S D ...show me one of yor freinds H1s or H2s getting air. My last Hummer , an H1 could'nt even hit 70 MPH . It climbed real well , pulled out anyone stuck in the sand/mud , but was uncomfortable and drank deisel like a pig. I can climb the same stuff and twice as fast and in Caddillac comfort. The H3 , after the proper suspension set-up and engine mods is the BEST BANG for your truck buying buck . Trust me I have been there . H2s ...I run circles around. A stock H3 is the weakest sauce truck out there. An embarassing ride. I fly off that little rise several times a day when I am in the Az. I take the back roads to visit my freinds. I am sure alot of people have crapped their pants from my rides. Older fellows flat out refuse to go offroad with me . Inline 5 Cyl. ,Rancho susp.,#9000 shocks, 13 in. total lift/level kit, 2 in. Billet spacers all around, Throttle body spacer,chipped, Pulstar spark plugs, Flowmaster exh., header, Straight shot intake, 35" All Terrain T.A.s, Monsoon sound system, All for @ 40,000.00 new. And is a show car ! Bring It !! I want to take you wheelin' ! Most girls need help getting in and out...a plus! Pismo Dunes is my second favourite playground next to Az.

[SDR8]

Harrison,
I am not trying to bad mouth your H3. It sounds like you have spent a fair amount of time and money to upgrade that H3. I am sure it works well for you. To me a street vehicle (which is reasonably safe and comfortable on the street) will never compare to a vehicle that is intended solely for off-road. It is fun to take a street vehicle off the street, but they won’t take the abuse or perform as well as something designed for non-street (off-road, track, etc.). It is nice that you don’t need to trailer them there, but it also sucks when you break something and are stranded. Most people are also a little too cautious with street vehicles, because they want them to stay nice.

The H1s were built like tanks. They are too heavy and wide to do a lot of things. They are slow, ride rough and are thirsty, but could crawl all over and take a lots and lots of abuse. That is why our military uses them. Their independent suspension, tire inflation system and sheer over-construction were impressive.

I know that real toys which are built strictly for off-road are very impressive. I have been in crawling buggys and jeeps that went places I would have never imagined (and seen them break, roll, get stuck, etc.). I have been in rails that were insanely fast and flew over the sand. There are also trucks and buggys that were a blast in the desert. I have seen trucks and SUVs used and abused off-road a lot, and they usually broke, got squeaks and rattles, bent or developed other forms of damage. There is no perfect vehicle. It all involves compromises and limitations. It just depends on what you want the vehicle to do well. Any time you start to try to add luxury or comfort to something you will be reducing the performance or capability.

To me the H2’s and H3’s are very similar to other GM products and not spectacular. I am sure there are differences. I am sure that with the right tweaks and changes they can do a lot, but they do not inherently have that impressive off-road ability that many people have come to believe they should have. I have been surprised by the off-road abilities of the BMW X5, Mercedes ML and other luxury SUVs. The current traction control and suspensions have come a long way. You could most likely take a Ford, Chevy or Dodge 4x4 truck and make changes and it should perform better off-road. Stock Jeeps are not as impressive as ones that have been tweaked or altered for a specific purpose.

I am glad you like to use your H3. By the way, how did you end up in the rut? Was it intentional for a picture? Were you going too fast and missed a turn? Just wanted to see if you could make it over it? Did you make it over it or did you need to go backwards to get out? Were you able to get out yourself, or did you need help?

[harrison]

You are so very right. Compromising is what takes alot of thought . My little toy just seems to keep taking a beating and still keep on ticking. I am just lucky I guess. Hollywood AND the hills have been visited for many a good time. As for the rut situation...The road fell out in the front...I was assisted by an Onstar tow truck to get out of this one. No charge either. That tumbleweed you see is 7 ft. tall. Most H3s never see the rough stuff. I have complete faith in Rancho suspension stuff. I HAVE put it to the test. I thought our '95 Wrangler was tough but I finally broke the transfer case . Will keep trying to break the H3 as it has bumper to bumper warranty.See gallery for Pismo dune pic. The girl is one of my secretaries, Maggie, a real multi-tasker !

[SDR8]

hehe, cool. I did not think you had made it out yourself, especially forward. The rut kind of dwarfs your front tire. I was not sure if you had a wintch or other gear to get yourself out of that. As I said, it is nice you like it and are using it. Keep having fun...

[smoothy]

S D ...show me one of yor freinds H1s or H2s getting air. My last Hummer , an H1 could'nt even hit 70 MPH . It climbed real well , pulled out anyone stuck in the sand/mud , but was uncomfortable and drank deisel like a pig. I can climb the same stuff and twice as fast and in Caddillac comfort. The H3 , after the proper suspension set-up and engine mods is the BEST BANG for your truck buying buck . Trust me I have been there . H2s ...I run circles around. A stock H3 is the weakest sauce truck out there. An embarassing ride. I fly off that little rise several times a day when I am in the Az. I take the back roads to visit my freinds. I am sure alot of people have crapped their pants from my rides. Older fellows flat out refuse to go offroad with me . Inline 5 Cyl. ,Rancho susp.,#9000 shocks, 13 in. total lift/level kit, 2 in. Billet spacers all around, Throttle body spacer,chipped, Pulstar spark plugs, Flowmaster exh., header, Straight shot intake, 35" All Terrain T.A.s, Monsoon sound system, All for @ 40,000.00 new. And is a show car ! Bring It !! I want to take you wheelin' ! Most girls need help getting in and out...a plus! Pismo Dunes is my second favourite playground next to Az.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBj4BdpFVJ0[/ame]

Its amazing what you can do when you have someone else (i.e. taxpayer) footing the bill for repairs