Each year, a host of attendees at the NW Overland Rally in Plain, Washington participate in the Trophy Challenge. This is a lighthearted competition that mixes semi-precision driving and Nerf gun shooting! Go too fast, get disqualified. But if you complete the course above the set time and shoot some cups with the Nerf gun, you could be crowned the winner! I put together this video from the 2023 NW Overland Rally Trophy Challenge for you, so enjoy!
Continue reading →Mitsubishi Pajero Radiator Redo
Well, if you’ve ever wondered what a 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero radiator looks like, behold. You may be wondering: why is Andy here with a Pajero radiator? Well, wonder no more. Here’s the scoop.
Continue reading →Adding a Light Bar, Lights, and Armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek
Our goal with our Crosstrek was to add just a bit more capability to it. We want to hop in it and go pretty much anywhere we want (within reason). So after we added the 15×7 Reika Seeker wheels and 215/75/15 BFGoodrich KO2 tires, we added a light bar, lights, and armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. You can see how we did this in our Subaru Crosstrek video above.
Continue reading →Finding Our Long-Lost Suzuki Sidekick, The Teal Terror
Before our JDM Pajeros or Delicas, before our Jeep Cherokee, we had a great little 1995 Suzuki Sidekick. We called it The Teal Terror. We sold the Teal Terror in 2016, and I always wondered what happened to it. Well, we recently found out. Check out our sister site, Subcompact Culture for the whole story.
Continue reading →Early Morning Airport Vibes, Wanderlust, and Travel
Since the pandemic, I haven’t flown a lot. I used to fly all the time, but thanks to the Covid-19 thing and a back injury that sidelined me in 2021 and part of 2022, most of my travel has been on four wheels. But last November, I had to fly to the ’22 SEMA Show…
Continue reading →Will Maine Reverse Course on Delica Deregistration in 2023?
It’s been over a year and a half since we first heard about Maine pulling Delica owners’ registrations on legally registered and imported vans. This was a story Crankshaft Culture broke and I’ve been working on for months. We’ve talked with the SEMA Action Network, been interviewed for numerous news articles, and even written about…
Continue reading →Is it Time to Stop Obsessing Over the Manual Transmission?
Today, Subaru debuted its 2024 Impreza. It’ll be available only as a hatchback. It’ll now be offered in sporting 2.5 RS trim again, and it also drops the manual transmission. That’s right—no more manual Impreza—it’s CVT or nothing. Subaru also recently debuted its 2024 Crosstrek, but hasn’t officially said no manual transmission. But does the…
Continue reading →Our Mitsubishi Delica On TFLoffroad
We drove the Travel Tractor, aka our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear, to the Denver area to pick up an Egoé Nest Supertramp camper setup. While we were there the crew from TFL invited us over to have a walkaround done on our Mitsubishi Delica on TFLoffroad, their 4×4/overland-centric channel.
Continue reading →2022 Alcan 5000 Rally: The Video
Partnering with Subaru of America and Subaru Motorsports USA, we tackled the 2022 Alcan 5000 Rally in a new Subaru Outback Wilderness. There were good roads, bad roads, lots of bugs, 1,500 miles of dirt, and amazing camaraderie, scenery, and wildlife. We put together this video of some of the event’s highlights; we hope you enjoy.
Continue reading →Ferrari-Powered Subaru WRX = Insane Rally Car Build
I popped into Primitive Racing last week to pick up some mud flaps and skid plates for our new Crosstrek. The company’s owner, Blake Lind, was showing me around the shop when something in the corner caught my eye. There was a V8 nestled in the bay of a WRX stage rally car. I had…
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