New members, introduce yourself here

[jpswift1]

Howdy
i am new to 6x6 world.. I had a chaparral 6 wheeler as a kid and would like to find another one.... I'm also the Mayor of our city Menomonie, WI. and I am looking for a couple of machines to adapt algae fighting equipment on to get in and out of our bays...I also sing in a barbershop quartet called CHIPS look us up on line at chipsbarbershopquartet.com If any of you are going past on Interstate I-94 look me up and I will give you a Menomonie welcome..... We are located 60 miles straight east of Minneapolis MN. but in Wisconsin... 200 miles straight west of Madison, WI. Is there any 6 wheeler events around my area?

Welcome to the site, Randy! That's quite a background of information you have there. I just checked out your website and your Youtube videos. You guys are very talented! The Chaparrals were good machines, but the one major flaw of them was that their thin ABS bodies were very susceptible to cracking. Was yours a white or an orange one? They pop up every now and then on Craigslist and when us members find a deal we usually post it in the ebay/craigslist/classified section here on 6X6World. As far as machines that could be used for algae fighting, the Recreatives Max Buffalo Truck comes to mind. Give Galen a call up at Recreatives. He's a great guy to talk to and he'll most certainly help you out and chit chat about vintage 6 wheelers too. Amphibious Six-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Vehicles: MaxATVs - Call 1-800-255-2511

And here's a cool vintage pic of a Chaparral 6 wheeler.

[AK_Taxidermist]

Hi! I’m Terry. I’m from Dillingham, AK, which is 327 air miles SW of Anchorage. No roads in or out of our community… if you want to get here you have to hop a plane or stowaway on one of the barges.

By way of introduction, I am a family man (wife, three kids: 10, 13 and 22) of 46 years young. Predictably, in living in rural AK, my spare time finds me hunting, fishing and trapping as often as I can, and I do a bit of taxidermy on the side. Also, my family is heavily involved in our church. (Dillingham Bible Fellowship- Southern Baptist)

I have a lot of experience with other types of machines (4 wheelers, snowmachines; my 1985 Fourtrax 2x4 is a beast when it comes to snow plowing... honest) but this is my first time as an Argo owner. I’m a utilitarian type- it’s all about function and for me that usually refers to how it ties to hunting.

Thanks to all those on this site who contribute their experiences and expertise so newbies like me can hopefully shorten the learning curve just a bit.

P.S. The caribou was the latest hunting adventure, from a couple of weeks ago. The wind chill was -35.

[Mike]

Hi Terry, welcome to the forum and thanks for such a great introduction. Since you are so isolated, did you purchase your Argo from someone locally or did you have it shipped in?

[AK_Taxidermist]

I found it on Craigslist- Anchorage. I had previously had good success with Craigslist, having purchased 2 snowmachines and my Fourtrax on there. (and they all worked out well) I had a friend (who is a mechanic) who happened to be in Anchorage when this was for sale. He went by and looked it over and took it for a test spin. To get it to me it was shipped in via air cargo. I could have opted for the barge and saved a bit... but this was faster.

[Mike]

Very cool. That worked out well for you.

[rockcrusher]

HI There. My Name is Lance & We are from Wisconsin. I have been riding 3 wheelers, 4 wheelers, & dirt bikes for over 35 years, restore cars, tractors, & even a few boats, but I have never owned a 6 wheeler. I love a good project so I bought a Amphicat 0079 which is ugly but in pretty decent shape. I have read many things on your site & really enjoy it. We are rock crushers & I can't wait to run this around the quarry & through the ponds.

[Mike]

Hi Lance, welcome to the site. It sounds like you have the perfect place to play with your Amphicat. Have fun!

[hotdoo]

Hi, I restore snowmobiles as a hobby. I have often wondered since back in the '70's the snowmobile magazines would show 6x6's for summer time use,but they soon fell out of favor for some reason. I started a thread on a vintage site and was directed to this i site,so here I am. Dan H/hotdoo

[Mike]

Hi Dan, welcome to the forum.

[RiGruNNeR]

Hey all, newb here, starting my early 80's 8x8 rebuild with sprint engine swap
pics and posts to come
cheers

[Mike]

Hi RiGruNNeR, welcome to the forum.

[cantillon]

i found this place last night.i was trying to figure out the origin of the strange 6 wheeled creature i got from craigslist. ive been modifying powerwheels for my son now for a few years, and he is pumped on the new to me roamobile.i ALWAYS wanted a 6x6 as a kid, and finally got to drive one last year.once i get some extra cash, i will be buying one for daddy.

[USR52]

ATV to A.R.V. Conversion.

G-day guys, and greetings from the land down under!

Well, I just joined yesterday and my name is Rick. and I live just outside the Sydney area. Now what I'm going to say next might seem a little strange ( but please ) ...by the time you finish reading this, it should all make sense.
I don't actually HAVE an ATV - sound strange for a guy WITHOUT one to join a site like this BUT! I would LOVE some help here with a project - but what makes it nearly impossible here ( in Australia at least ) is that in all my 52 years, I think I only ever saw 1 6x6! - and that was when I was about 14yrs old at High school where some of the kids worked on it as a project.

Getting BACK on subject though: I'm trying to find a small version of a 6x6 ( a kids size ) ...I think I remember seeing pics of one a year or so ago.
The reason isn't for what you might all think....its not for a child at all, - I'm a computer software designer that works with robotics, and I'm looking to create an Autonomous Rescue Vehicle or ( A.R.V. for short ).

I have had a bit of an interest in intelligent robotics from Aircraft that can fly from place to place and take off and land ( under most conditions ) on their own.
What I'm looking for here is to be able to build a ground based "drone" that can be used for many various tasks like:
Crash Scene Rescue ( for aircraft ) as well as a smart probe that can carry Camera equipment for CCTV for rescue personnel to show images, as well as carry out " sniffing the air " for toxic particles in the air ( before we send a rescue party in of course ) as well as heat, and light and temp sensors, communications equipment , and air bottles, first aid kids ( etc ).

So! - ( and here's the thing )... I need advice on a model that you people think might be the best to use ( given the space for storage on the unit and its size ) - I don't think I'm going to need a full sized 6x6 because of its limitations in width, but a smaller - child size version might be perfect.

The SECOND issue is where would I get one? ( not here in Australia that's for sure! ).. I guess since I'm going to modify it heavily anyway even a wrecked one would do as ( for starters ) I wont need the original engine because I will be installing an electric motor instead ( fumes and stuff don't go too well in an enclosed area lol ).

SO! wit ha WEALTH of information out there from you guys, I hope to get some great advice on which model to get ( and hopefully where ) as well as now that you all know what I want one for - I'd LOVE some ideas on storage configurations for equipment and other stuff......and oh, - am I a company?.......nope, just a guy with a hobby that wants to build something that bight be able to direct this ting to some child stranded in remote areas of the country. ( be it in the bush - or even a remote "return to Home " automated Rescue / Recovery for a sinking boat that's stranded that can paddle ( with mods of course ) out to sea - and with a combination of G.P.S. guidance and much needed supplies on board, help to sustain those on board till real help arrives.

I guess sometimes it " ain't" all about the money.... we lost 2 kids during a life saving competition due to rough weather. I'm just thinking that if one of these is assigned to a group of 5 kids - if ANY of them gets into trouble, its a short distance away, and would recognize the swimmer is in trouble and move into position to allow the swimmer to either get in or hang on till help arrives. the bottom line is the things that a small ( or even a full sized 6x6 or 8x8 ) are incredible.

Anyhow - back to you guys, and I hope I can count on you for some great advice.
Many thanks in advance.

Rick.

P.S. - I would actually LOVE to try one of these things at some point in my life too! - they look AWSOME! ...who knows?... someday!

[Mike]

Hi cantillon and Rick, welcome to the forum.

Rick, there are actually a handful of Australian members on the board with 6x6 ATVs so you may be able to find one within a somewhat close proximity to where you live. I think a toy 6x6 will give you some trouble with navigating bad terrain. I would look for a small but full-size 6x6 like an Attex. Outfit it with tracks and hydraulic motors that could easily be controlled with servos or linear actuators for simplicity. Try copying your post out to it's own thread in the General Discussion forum for a better response since this is mainly an introduction thread.

[USR52]

Thanks mate! - will do.! - cheers!