lupinsea
08-18-2009, 06:06 PM
Ok, here's a question I'm struggling with. I think I know the answer but I'd like to talk to everyone here about some advice.
What do I do with my sandrail?
Not sure if everyone knows but I have a sandrail that I built several years ago. This was back before I had a Jeep and just had a little Samurai that I'd tow to trail heads. Used to take the Samurai down at least annually to Sandlake on the OR coast for some dune riding and got interested in the sandrails there.
So I built my own sandrail.
Lot of close consultation with a pro-sandrail builder. Put about $8-9k into it between having a professional build the frame, selecting solid components, sourcing an 100 hp EFI watercooled engine, getting strong CV joints and axles, IRS and AL beam IFS suspension, 4-point pro-grade racing harnesses, disc brakes, aluminum Douglas rims and brand new stagger cut sand tires, turning brakes, marine grade throttle cable, adjustable pedals, the works. Even custom built a special trailer for the sandrail, too.
It's light (~650 lb.) and fast and just flies over the dunes. A real blast to drive. And it should be reliable as I wanted to balance some decent power (but not too much) with some stouter running gear (3-rib bus transmission, bus axles, and bus CV joints).
Only problems is that I've only run it one weekend after spending 2.5-3 years building it. That was the shake down run.
Toward the end of the build I graduated, got a sports car, met my future wife, bought a Jeep and really got back into the Jeep'n thing. Kind of forgot how much I loved the Jeep'n thing and general 4x4 trail riding, actually. So I never got back around to the sandrail. It's been sitting in my aunt's garage for nearly 4 years now.
I hate the idea of selling it but really, I don't see getting back into the rail thing. The dunes are so far away (5 hr drive one-way, min). Camping rates at the state parks seem high, especially for extended weekends. Gas to go down and back, plus racing around the dunes. Finding time to do all that driving to get to the dunes, then turn around and drive home a couple days later. And now that I have a young son here who's only 1 yr old . . . Sometimes it seems tough just to get out on the local trails with my Jeep.
On top of this storage is an issue. I keep it at my aunt's place and she'd been patient but . . it just sits there and I never use it.
Thoughts?
Should I just go ahead and sell the sandrail and trailer?
Should I hang on to it for another several years until my son is old enough to join me?
I don't neeeeed to sell it, we aren't hurting for money, but I don't know what else to do with it since I don't apparently use it (I did mention I haven't driven it in 4 years, right). If I do sell the sandrail I can use the proceeds to do more fix-up work on my Jeep. But this isn't a great time to sell stuff with the economy in the crapper and unemployment high.
Part of the reason I hesitate on a sale is that I put so much effort into building the sandrail and that most on the market are pretty crappy that I highly doubt I'd ever get another. So maybe do I hang onto it for another 3+ years so my son and I can enjoy it together? But would we? And another 3 years of it just sitting around for a "maybe" seems silly.
Photos of my sandrail.
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A91554229C9E11D9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A9159E969C9E11D9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A91568A89C9E11D9.jpg
What do I do with my sandrail?
Not sure if everyone knows but I have a sandrail that I built several years ago. This was back before I had a Jeep and just had a little Samurai that I'd tow to trail heads. Used to take the Samurai down at least annually to Sandlake on the OR coast for some dune riding and got interested in the sandrails there.
So I built my own sandrail.
Lot of close consultation with a pro-sandrail builder. Put about $8-9k into it between having a professional build the frame, selecting solid components, sourcing an 100 hp EFI watercooled engine, getting strong CV joints and axles, IRS and AL beam IFS suspension, 4-point pro-grade racing harnesses, disc brakes, aluminum Douglas rims and brand new stagger cut sand tires, turning brakes, marine grade throttle cable, adjustable pedals, the works. Even custom built a special trailer for the sandrail, too.
It's light (~650 lb.) and fast and just flies over the dunes. A real blast to drive. And it should be reliable as I wanted to balance some decent power (but not too much) with some stouter running gear (3-rib bus transmission, bus axles, and bus CV joints).
Only problems is that I've only run it one weekend after spending 2.5-3 years building it. That was the shake down run.
Toward the end of the build I graduated, got a sports car, met my future wife, bought a Jeep and really got back into the Jeep'n thing. Kind of forgot how much I loved the Jeep'n thing and general 4x4 trail riding, actually. So I never got back around to the sandrail. It's been sitting in my aunt's garage for nearly 4 years now.
I hate the idea of selling it but really, I don't see getting back into the rail thing. The dunes are so far away (5 hr drive one-way, min). Camping rates at the state parks seem high, especially for extended weekends. Gas to go down and back, plus racing around the dunes. Finding time to do all that driving to get to the dunes, then turn around and drive home a couple days later. And now that I have a young son here who's only 1 yr old . . . Sometimes it seems tough just to get out on the local trails with my Jeep.
On top of this storage is an issue. I keep it at my aunt's place and she'd been patient but . . it just sits there and I never use it.
Thoughts?
Should I just go ahead and sell the sandrail and trailer?
Should I hang on to it for another several years until my son is old enough to join me?
I don't neeeeed to sell it, we aren't hurting for money, but I don't know what else to do with it since I don't apparently use it (I did mention I haven't driven it in 4 years, right). If I do sell the sandrail I can use the proceeds to do more fix-up work on my Jeep. But this isn't a great time to sell stuff with the economy in the crapper and unemployment high.
Part of the reason I hesitate on a sale is that I put so much effort into building the sandrail and that most on the market are pretty crappy that I highly doubt I'd ever get another. So maybe do I hang onto it for another 3+ years so my son and I can enjoy it together? But would we? And another 3 years of it just sitting around for a "maybe" seems silly.
Photos of my sandrail.
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A91554229C9E11D9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A9159E969C9E11D9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-03-24%2011.56.49%20-0800/Image-A91568A89C9E11D9.jpg