Finally took a smart for some legit offroading.

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/30/2018 at 19:14 • Filed to: gambler 500

Due to complications in mounting new rubber to Imperator Slowiosa Mk2, I decided to take Tucker on the Gambler 500.

Not only did I navigate the trails and even rock stairs without any actual body damage, but the car beat out 12 cars and trucks that couldn’t survive the same trails.

By the end of the weekend we got sufficiently muddy. At the second offroading park I am also credited with saving 10 or so cars from being perpetually stuck in deep mud.

Apparently I also win the award for the smallest vehicle towing a large vehicle . In this case, I towed an early 90 s F-250 that was towing a large car dolly.

The scooter did come along for the ride. I had some crazy unrealistic hope that we’d get the new tyres mounted. Instead it stayed strapped to the bed of another Gambler... until that truck rolled twice.

Despite appearances it survived the double tumble unscathed and started with a quick flick of the start switch. The truck it was strapped to was less fortunate.

My plan is to finish the offroad mods in time for the Spring Gambler 500. Tucker even managed to impress the trail experts and guides. As one of them described it: The car’s like a highway legal side by side.

DISCUSSION (32)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:25

This is peak oppo. I'm very happy that this is a thing. This is definitely the best thing I've ever seen a smart car do. Keep being you.

dogisbadob > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:31

That’s awesome!

I’m sure you’ve seen this commercial before :p

Frenchlicker > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:31

I kind of wish I would have bought him when you offered him up for sale to Oppos. Then again I wouldn’t have had your vision.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:32

Yeah! Go get’em little car.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:47

I feel like I want to do something similar now.

AestheticsInMotion > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 19:49

Yes yes yes

CTSenVy > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 20:03

You get tons of points for even thinking about doing that, and an infinity more points for pulling it off. You are AWESOME!

Future Heap Owner > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 20:16

T his is great! Nice work.

Valkyrie Girl :Riding into Valhalla all shiny and chrome > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 20:56

I Love it. I really like that shot of T ucker in the center of all the trail branches.

E92M3 > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 21:11

I HAVE to do this one day. This looks like it coul d be more fun that track days.

tromoly > Mercedes Streeter
09/30/2018 at 22:18

To be fair they took a dozer and graded the entire Gambler loop flat earlier this week, it really wasn’t technical by any means.

Also who in their right mind thought they could go 40mph in a motorhome through Laurie’s Holler, amazing no one died with that one.

Mercedes Streeter > tromoly
09/30/2018 at 22:37

True, though my team got there so late that the Gambler route was diverted through a sketchy (for a car, at least lol) trail because of the aforementioned RV collapse. We also stayed there until about 6:30 because we lost three of our vehicles (Mazda truck rolled, Buick lost an axle, and Escort lost a fuel line) and tried to recover them. I ended up getting bored and exploring outside the safe zone lol.

South Fork was way more fun at night when you couldn't tell if what you were driving on was solid or not.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Mercedes Streeter
10/01/2018 at 02:34

Hell yeah!

You know, come to think of it, the approach and departure angles on Tucker are probably excellent.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Mercedes Streeter
10/01/2018 at 13:15

That is awesome! I am so happy to see it out on a trail!

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:09

I wish i could have witnessed this.

vondon302 > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:10

What no picture of the rolled truck?

Sounds like a blast!

Mercedes Streeter > vondon302
10/02/2018 at 15:21

Kinja'd!!!

By time I got there it was already put back on its wheels. He got it running and steering again. 1 weak steering pin that wasn’t stock (from previous owner) did him in.

shop-teacher > CTSenVy
10/02/2018 at 15:26

I’m claiming credit here. When she told me her scooter wasn’t done, I told her to jump into Tucker, and send it.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:29

That’s awesome! My only regret, is that I was elsewhere and the Gambler, and didn’t get to see this.

450X_FTW > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:32

Congrats, as you have now done more off roading than 90% of jeep wrangler owners.

Just Jeepin' > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:41

If you haven’t seen it, the first episode of Car Masters on Netflix includes a Smart car converted for off-road(ish) use in a vineyard.

(As with many TV shows, the first episode is a bit of a mess; it gets better, really .)

Cé hé sin > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:42

Assuming that a 451 is at least something like a 452, I couldn’t imagine finding enough solid bits to attach a tow bar and then go on to shift a really big thing with it. My car just has the crash structure behind the subframe holding the engine and gearbox.

Kinja'd!!!

Mercedes Streeter > Cé hé sin
10/02/2018 at 15:55

The 451 tow bar bolts to the frame through the rear subframe. :)

CalzoneGolem > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 15:55

This is making think you need a rainbow paint job/wrap on this smartboi.

Kinja'd!!!

Cé hé sin > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 16:00

I still wouldn’t like to try it!

Mercedes Streeter > Just Jeepin'
10/02/2018 at 16:01

I have seen it! I love the build they did, even though they were a little careless in the disassembly process (I imagine they did that for humor/drama) . Ya gotta be careful with these things, if the computer detects something isn’t working, the car doesn’t go! :)

To date, that’s the best lift I’ve seen on a smart. They utilized the core stock parts and essentially just extended and beefed up the suspension. Other builds are so crazily custom that there’s hardly a smart under there anymore, but this preserves so many stock parts that the traction control system probably still works.

Mercedes Streeter > Cé hé sin
10/02/2018 at 16:03

Me neither! I’d only tow super duper heavy stuff for short distances, like track pits or in this case, a dozen or so feet.

CTSenVy > shop-teacher
10/02/2018 at 16:31

Shop-teacher, being a positive influence for Oppo yet again.

How did you do?

Just Jeepin' > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 16:38

I imagine they did that for humor/drama

I ’m not sure, Caveman generally seems pretty eager to tear things apart, so...maybe?

I admit I wasn’t sure how much clearance they gained; it looked like the IFS(?) system in the back still was just a few inches up, but A) I didn’t pay that much attention, and B) I’m a solid axle guy (and just barely knowledgeable about that).

What’s the factory clearance on a Smart?

Mercedes Streeter > Just Jeepin'
10/02/2018 at 17:17

Stock clearance is 5.5 inches for the W451. My current ground clearance is something like 6.5 inches (larger than stock tires). A fully realized version of my lift kit should see me have similar ground clearance as a JK Wrangler (give or take 12-14 inches)

Their lift should be good for about the same , however they removed the car’s bumpers, belly pan, and shaved the fenders, so it looks like it sits even higher even though it really doesn’t.

While I love their build , I am not a fan of aesthetics. I like a clean look that preserves as much of the original body as possible (I’m not shaving my fenders or bumpers) but they went for “monster truck”, which I don’t think is a look a smart can pull off.

Further, I’m pretty sure a vineyard’s harvest doesn’t require a crazy offroad build. I bet ya a stock smart with good rubber can do the job just as well.

Kinja'd!!!

FerioDreams > Mercedes Streeter
10/02/2018 at 20:06

What are these off-road mods you speak of?

Just got a smart 451 and I am definitely enjoying it. I saw the Daystar kit but is there another way??

shop-teacher > CTSenVy
10/03/2018 at 07:25

I do what I can :)

We did 492 miles on scooters! I’m working on a full write-up. It might be ready today, but tomorrow is more likely.