I have never met any off roader that would not love to have a 40,000 buggy, myself included, and I could possibly have one if I sold my old YJ. Problem is I have such a hard time parting with that jeep. Part of it maybe that it was my first wrangler, but mainly because it just plain works. Now granted it’s not running 3-D at the gulches or the hammers but for a trail rig it’s great. Stock axles, stock shafts, 4:56’s, lock rites, rubicon express 4.5 in. extreme duty springs, and a rough country 3 in. body lift with cut fenders, not an extreme build by any means. Now it’s not a truck you can tattoo a peddle to the floor and I don’t compete with it. For competition a buggy trump bodied rigs. There is higher initial cost to build a buggy but if you have a heavy foot or going to compete in a series it is cheaper in the long run. Buggy’s have no body panels or glass to deal with and let’s face it bodies have a shelf life when off roading. It is only so long before body mounts crack, seams split, metal fatigue, or just plain rusts away.

After 5 years on the trail my old YJ has cracked the tube in three places at the body mounts and buddies just don’t have this issue. If you are just getting into the off road sport a body vehicle maybe for you. If you plan on running the same rig for over five years I would highly recommend a buggy. Not only will it last longer it’s resale is higher than a well built bodied rig with a lot of body damage. Also, the price off buggies have dropped in recent years, and used buggies are common on the market now. I recently found an all Toyota buggy with all new running gear for 16,000. It is hard to buy a build a jeep that is a capable for that price. Many off the buggy builders such as Sosebee’s Performance often have used buddies for sale. Another option is to buy a buggy that is someone else’s unfinished project. Purchasing a buggy in this way can make it no more expensive than a good truck or jeep.

| More...