One Bizarro ’65 Wagoneer Chop Job Up For Grabs

Subaru-powered and off-road ready.
www.thedrive.com

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If you were looking for a sign to take that desert voyage of your dreams, this is it. 

Tucked away “somewhere in California,” is one sand-bustin’ Franken-curiosity for a nice, round $100k over at Race Dezert

Touted as a ‘65 Wagoneer, the ride is, in fact, a collage of mostly custom parts, from lights to gauges, enclosed in a handful of shaved Jeep panels. Fueling the beast is a rear-mounted, questionably-supercharged Subaru boxer four with a swooped up ECU, sending power via a KCR 4-speed gearbox. It’s riding on what appears to be King remote-reservoir off-road racer shocks and extra-capable Yokohama tires with an ER spare in the back. No power ratings are listed, but one could assume that it’s capable of jamming up to 300 horsepower. 

In the driver’s seat, you’ll find the original dashboard still intact — but that’s about it for any visible sign of Jeep-ness. All the gauges have been dutifully revamped next to an aesthetically-appropriate radio in the center. You’ll be strapping into a couple of Beard racing seats between aluminum panels on the floorboards and door interiors. And feel free to really let the fun/danger begin, as the off-roader is equipped with a solid roll cage with a healthy amount of tie-in points from the firewall to the steering column. 

Don’t let the rear doors fool you. While there is a mounted seat with a safety harness for one additional passenger in the back, they’ll be cozied up to the motor, suspension and fuel cell.

And while that silhouette might not be everyone’s cup of tea, we find it a welcome departure from the traditional grit-in-the-teeth desert buggy.