School me on sand cars

[BIGRED9158]

As most of you know I am having a kid in December we currently have a 2 seat rzr xp turbo. The wife has gave me permission too upgrade the offroad toy I am leaning towards a sand car we are mostly glamis people but we do toss in either a Johnson valley or octillo wells trip. I have some questions for those with sand cars

1.what do you like about your sand car compared to a utv

2.Did anyone of you go from a utv to a sand car and wish you would have stayed with a utv

3.what should I be looking for in sand car?

4.my budget is 25-30k I would like a v8 but open to other options am I crazy to find something in that budget

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Are you missing a zero?

 

[BIGRED9158]

Are you missing a zero?

I don’t think so a member has a car with an ls listed in the classifieds for around 35k

sold

sold

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[manxman]

I don’t think so a member has a car with an ls listed in the classifieds for around 35k

I'm the member with the car listed, actually 2 cars listed. Have owned around 40 to 50 sand cars and at least 15 sxs's. Call me some time and I can answer most of your questions honestly with no biased. (760)802-6040 Scott

 

[Thunderhead1]

Both have their pros and cons.... what does the majority of your group run?? Consider that, sometimes they 2 dont play together unless you have seasoned crew.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Sand cars don't really like hard pack unless we are talking a dual sport car. They rip in the dunes

Buy in is higher for a nice sand car and the maintenance cost's will be way higher.

apples and oranges....I think the who do you ride with is a great take.

 

[HotRod82]

IMO - one important factor is what everyone else in your group is running. If your group is all sxs's go with the sxs. Especially in the dunes, the big cars typically take very different lines and run at different speeds so when everyone is in similar equipment it makes the riding more fun.
I recently got back into the dunes and went with the sxs for this very reason and I was always the buggy guy.

 

[riverroyal]

infant in December, you are 2 seasons away from worrying about the car seat in a sand car. Just my opinion from being in the EXACT same scenario years back.
Keep the RzR, you wont have time for a sand car

 

[BIGRED9158]

infant in December, you are 2 seasons away from worrying about the car seat in a sand car. Just my opinion from being in the EXACT same scenario years back.
Keep the RzR, you wont have time for a sand car

I completely agree with you on this but when the wife says you can buy a new toy I am not going to say no

 

[BIGRED9158]

We have a mix of sand cars and utvs in our group the guy that leads has had a sand car and utv so he makes the ride fun for both types of vehicles

 

[GreenEnergy28]

Sand cars are great in the sand, not so much in hard pack. SXS are pretty good at both but not great at either IMO. Took my sand car to Johnsen Valley and had a good time but it definitely isn't really built for that. I have a Honde 3.5 with a well built 091 and it is pretty reliable. As mentioned above, the Mendi is a better trans but a used rebuilt will cost you $7-8k.
My car is listed now since my wife is over the Glamis scene.

 

[DaveH]

if SAND is your thing........ill take a buggy any day over a SXS. simply more fun to drive, you can work on them without having to buy mainly OEM parts.........

 

[HBCraig]

I know very little about sand cars but have friends and family that have owned some. The brands were Sandcars Unlimited, Dejong and Buckshot. From looking at them and rising in them the Dejong and Buckshot seemed the nicest. The SCU is nice but it was quite up to par with the other too. No offense intended just an honest take

 

[BIGRED9158]

Here is a few cars I have been looking at

2004 SCU 4 seater

2004 Sand Cars Unlimited 4 seater, Honda V6 J35 turbo intercooled @ 350hp 91 octane, Brand new Mendeola 2D, Brand new 930CVs and 300m axles, King bypass and coilover all four corners, Electric Po...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Sand rail dunebuggy sandwinder

2006 Sandwinder dunebuggy Sandwinder sandrailSandwinder sand railStock ls engine mefi ecm 2d tranny. 934 cv axlePci hea...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

This one is above budget but I feel like it’s a lot of car for the money

2006 extreme Performance eco

2007 Extreme Performance Eco 1, Cadilac Northstar V8 and a Mendeola 2D, 930 empi cvs, inside stereo system, 4 wheel disk brakes with cutting/turning brake, beadlocks, full interior, crow seat belts, 4...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Suspensions unlimited

Suspensions unlimited ultra lite350hp turbo ecotec 4cyl built by CBMMendeola md4sFox shocks15” omf beadlocks33” bla...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

 

[DaveH]

that SCU turbo honda would be a GREAT car. only BS I smell is 350hp on 91.......that's a motor that makes about 220 hp stock. known weak rods in them, 10psi is brave which might get you to 300.

still....fairly light car... bet it hauls ass. price is cheap compared what it would cost to build.

 

[QC22]

sometimes they 2 dont play together unless you have seasoned crew.

Yeah. Meet you at Charley Brown's

 

[69hondo]

This topic is great. You are going to get a bunch of opinions. I am a buggy guy and can say that universally you cant beat a SXS. Now that being said no SXS can compare to a buggy in the sand. I have had a lot of performance toys and nothing is like the buggy. It is the most exciting thing to drive. when you hit a transition and the car leaps into the opposing angle bowl and the car just works you get back on the throttle and the g forces as you are flying around that bowl. You set all your senses into overdrive and you adrenaline is going. Its so fucking fun.

Yeah you are going to have to "work" on it but honestly if you just do basic maintenance and keep an eye on things you can have a reliable buggy. I am overkill, I service my Cvs constantly even though they dont need it but that was the way I was taught and would rather be safe then stuck in a dune somewhere. I run my car hard all the time. I will always say I am going to be easy on it but they put me out front and as soon as we start going I am all in.

I think what you need to do is make sure the family is comfortable in the buggy. Has the wife been in one before and has she been out in the big dunes in one.

Oh and you cant go wrong with an SCU.

 

[GreenEnergy28]

IMO, the Extreme is a very nice car but the N* engine would have to go. Not very hard to do.
The 4.6 N* V8 was rated at around 300 HP and weighs in at 400+lbs
The Honda J35 V6 is rated at 300 HP as well weighing 50lbs less without the head gasket issues the N* is infamous for.

The SCU car with the turbo Honda looks like a nice ride. He started the listing at $39k and has dropped it. Car was sold 2 or 3 seasons ago and the new owner rewired it. He hit me up back then about the wiring in my car.

 

[endobear]

Wife and i preferred my sand rail In the the dunes over the SxS. It was alot more fun and just felt safer.
Kids also liked the sand rail more.

 

[69hondo]

Everyone is also going to tell you to stay away from the 2D trans. While I get that in your budget you are not going to get into an S4 car. Nothing wrong with a 2D car. They can live a long life if they are taken care of. .

 

[GreenEnergy28]

that SCU turbo honda would be a GREAT car. only BS I smell is 350hp on 91.......that's a motor that makes about 220 hp stock. known weak rods in them, 10psi is brave which might get you to 300.

still....fairly light car... bet it hauls ass. price is cheap compared what it would cost to build.

I disagree. The J35A4 is good for 300hp stock, no smog equipment all day long. Turbo with low boost will easily give it 350hp on pump gas. All crank HP numbers of course.

 

[69hondo]

The SCU you posted is also the only 4 corner bypass car for the price. Big plus there.

 

[Thunderhead1]

Yeah. Meet you at Charley Brown's

My point exactly.... Cant keep my foot off the Skinny pedal .

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Do you do your own work or pay people to do it?

The maintenance on a sand car is a lot more labor intensive and expensive if you are paying people to prep the car. If something brakes, it is a lot more effort to get it fixed.

A SXS you order the part and throw it on for the most part as you know. Maintenance is changing fluids and filters. You are not servicing transaxles, CVs, etc.

The trade off is flexibility and ease of use with a UTV, for better sand only performance out of a sand car.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Here is a few cars I have been looking at

2004 SCU 4 seater

2004 Sand Cars Unlimited 4 seater, Honda V6 J35 turbo intercooled @ 350hp 91 octane, Brand new Mendeola 2D, Brand new 930CVs and 300m axles, King bypass and coilover all four corners, Electric Po...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Sand rail dunebuggy sandwinder

2006 Sandwinder dunebuggy Sandwinder sandrailSandwinder sand railStock ls engine mefi ecm 2d tranny. 934 cv axlePci hea...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

This one is above budget but I feel like it’s a lot of car for the money

2006 extreme Performance eco

2007 Extreme Performance Eco 1, Cadilac Northstar V8 and a Mendeola 2D, 930 empi cvs, inside stereo system, 4 wheel disk brakes with cutting/turning brake, beadlocks, full interior, crow seat belts, 4...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Suspensions unlimited

Suspensions unlimited ultra lite350hp turbo ecotec 4cyl built by CBMMendeola md4sFox shocks15” omf beadlocks33” bla...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

That first car is sweet. I wonder if you could run it as is and then swap an LS in there when $ allows....

 

[DLC]

If looking for a double duty type of car Glamis & OW

I like the SCU and the extreme - probably lean towards the extreme due to the v8, I’d rather have a fairly stock v8 than a bumped up 6


i had a mid engine VW late 90’s and it was a ton of work prepping and cleaning before each trip and after each trip…
im sure things have changed since then.

you might want to wait a little bit and see what happens w/ the economy, keep an eye on 4 sale listings, I think people are on the edge of selling off toys….

but ya never know

edit-
I think buying the BEST car for you is way better than buying A car.

 

[BIGRED9158]

If looking for a double duty type of car Glamis & OW

I like the SCU and the extreme - probably lean towards the extreme due to the v8, I’d rather have a fairly stock v8 than a bumped up 6


i had a mid engine VW late 90’s and it was a ton of work prepping and cleaning before each trip and after each trip…
im sure things have changed since then.

you might want to wait a little bit and see what happens w/ the economy, keep an eye on 4 sale listings, I think people are on the edge of selling off toys….

but ya never know

edit-
I think buying the BEST car for you is way better than buying A car.

I am with you on waiting I think after Christmas prices are really going to drop the blue car with the v6 started out 35k firm now down to 33k firm my wife found that car on Facebook market place and made him an offer of 30k cash and he laughed at it

 

[DaveH]

Do you do your own work or pay people to do it?

The maintenance on a sand car is a lot more labor intensive and expensive if you are paying people to prep the car. If something brakes, it is a lot more effort to get it fixed.

A SXS you order the part and throw it on for the most part as you know. Maintenance is changing fluids and filters. You are not servicing transaxles, CVs, etc.

The trade off is flexibility and ease of use with a UTV, for better sand only performance out of a sand car.

i dont know why this seems to be the mentality that SXS's are so inherently more reliable. Ive seen plenty of blown CV joints, front diffs, belts etc etc on SXS. its a machine just like anything else. maybe the difference is people go buy these things brand new and run them for a few seasons, sell them and claim how reliable they are. but in the end, age and mileage wreac havoc on anything you bring to the dunes. and if paying a SXS company $150 an hour to work on it is cheaper then you doing it yourself then go for it.

 

[DaveH]

I disagree. The J35A4 is good for 300hp stock, no smog equipment all day long. Turbo with low boost will easily give it 350hp on pump gas. All crank HP numbers of course.

if it is a 3.5 then yes you are correct.

 

[DaveH]

I am with you on waiting I think after Christmas prices are really going to drop the blue car with the v6 started out 35k firm now down to 33k firm my wife found that car on Facebook market place and made him an offer of 30k cash and he laughed at it

because it would probably be more then 100k to build new and he probably bought it and has only spent money upgrading it. some that have these types of toys can actually afford them and will keep them rather then dumping them. i doubt the price will drop much more. if haggling over a couple grand is a deal breaker then this isn't your sport. and when the guy stands FIRM that also tells me the car is really worth it.

 

[HotRod82]

This topic is great. You are going to get a bunch of opinions. I am a buggy guy and can say that universally you cant beat a SXS. Now that being said no SXS can compare to a buggy in the sand. I have had a lot of performance toys and nothing is like the buggy. It is the most exciting thing to drive. when you hit a transition and the car leaps into the opposing angle bowl and the car just works you get back on the throttle and the g forces as you are flying around that bowl. You set all your senses into overdrive and you adrenaline is going. Its so fucking fun.

Yeah you are going to have to "work" on it but honestly if you just do basic maintenance and keep an eye on things you can have a reliable buggy. I am overkill, I service my Cvs constantly even though they dont need it but that was the way I was taught and would rather be safe then stuck in a dune somewhere. I run my car hard all the time. I will always say I am going to be easy on it but they put me out front and as soon as we start going I am all in.

I think what you need to do is make sure the family is comfortable in the buggy. Has the wife been in one before and has she been out in the big dunes in one.

Oh and you cant go wrong with an SCU.

Totally agree about buggies, a well setup car is completely awesome. Have you ever driven a fast 2 seat long travel UTV? I came out of a buggy (several of them) and now have a fully built 3 pedal turbo Yamaha and it has totally converted me. The instant direction changes with 4 wd in the dunes open up a ton of lines in the dunes that a full size car cannot compete with. I miss the huge power at olds and the drags, but the dunes are insane in a fast UTV.

 

[DaveH]

Totally agree about buggies, a well setup car is completely awesome. Have you ever driven a fast 2 seat long travel UTV? I came out of a buggy (several of them) and now have a fully built 3 pedal turbo Yamaha and it has totally converted me. The instant direction changes with 4 wd in the dunes open up a ton of lines in the dunes that a full size car cannot compete with. I miss the huge power at olds and the drags, but the dunes are insane in a fast UTV.

you are correct. how much $$$ do you have in this thing? bet its not cheaper then a car.

as for comparing the dunes to the hill or drags.....well I don't go to the drags or shot the hill all day so that tells you where my priorities are and how my car is setup./

 

[EmpirE231]

10 Years or so ago I was in the same boat. Family was growing and it was time to sell the prerunner... I was leaning towards a RZR SxS.... and my friends tried to talk me out of it, because SxS's are gay lol. I ended up with a turbo honda sandcar w/ a 2D, bypasses etc etc really nice car for 25k back then. Used to always be @ ocotillo, barstow, etc before hand... but now with the sandcar, it was Dumont and glamis trips on the regular. Glad we went with the sandcar... because we are all about the dunes now. A sandcar is absolutely the best experience out in the dunes. Took the buggy one time to ocotillo, and would never do it again.... not fun out there with a buggy.

10 years later, still love doing the sand, and glad we went this route.

now if you want variety, and still want to do desert rides often, go the mountains etc etc... then hands down a SxS is gonna be your best bet. Just keep in mind it'll be fun in the dunes, but it wont be sandcar fun.

out of those options you posted, I would go with the SCU or the extreme. Sandwinder is not known for a good build quality

I wouldn't let maintenance scare you away, if you are semi mechanically inclined. Also as far as reliability goes... the friends we have that actually drive the SxS to their potential are always blowing belts, breaking axles, even had a few that broke their trans etc etc..... so I wouldn't just lean towards SxS if reliability is at the top of the list either. Sandcars that usually have reliability issues either have way too much power for their trans or CV combo, they might have bad CV angles (stay aways from no name builders) or they are wayyy to heavy and overbuilt.

Good luck with the hunt. I'd have a lot more money today if I never got into this hobby lol.... oh and BTW, my youngest daughter was ripping around in the buggy @ 6 months old (on the left).

 

[69hondo]

All kinds of cars on Racedezert.

Here is a Sandlimo for decent price. Joe makes a ggod car.

2008 4 Seat Sand Limo

2008 4 Seat Sand Limo3.5 V6 Honda4 Speed Mendeola 930 CVsPCI Trax Blue Tooth with Car to Car 4 Head SetsKing ShocksDu...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

 

[Boatymcboatface]

2D v6 scu would be my choice I wouldn’t touch a v8 2D. Brother in law ran a car set up just like that for 10 seasons with no issues and he flat out drove that thing! Friends in his group had similar set ups and switched to v8 power and all had trans issues of some sort.


If sand is your thing that SCU you showed or one similar would be my choice I’ve been in a dejong and a SCU on the same day in the dunes and the SCU is just a better lighter car for that stuff. Now when it comes to desert the SCu stays home and my brother in law brings his teryx and my buddy still brings his dejong.

If both is your thing and maintaining a car isn’t a big deal then go dualsport dejong or SXS but just know that dejong if used for dual Purpose desert and dunes it’s going to cost you!

 

[evantwheeler]

The transmission alone in my sand car cost more money than my XP1k…..

Over the life of the ownership of both, ive had more fun in the sxs due to its versatility. Dunes, JV, parker, havasu, goodsprings NV, i used the shit out of my SXS and i loved it. @69hondo explanation of driving a sand car is spot on, its the only reason i cant get myself to pull the trigger on selling it. I dont use it enough to justify the cost, but wholy shit is it an amazing driving experience. I made the switch because i was constantly on the edge of wrecking trying to keep up with big well built sand cars in the dunes, i was the only sxs in my group.

You can have fun with a cheap sand car, but i would absolutely NEVER buy anything other than a name brand car with solid maintenance history. A turbo V6 honda 2d car will put a big smile on your face, but it will be much more expensive to operate and maintain than your sxs if you actually use the car. I would only consider an alumicraft, suspensions unlimited, scu, JP Designs. I am not personally a fan of any Tatum or Extreme Performance cars that would be in your budget. Single shock car would be fine, we have two single shock 4 seat chassis in our group that run with us, they are smaller lighter chassis but do just fine.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

i dont know why this seems to be the mentality that SXS's are so inherently more reliable. Ive seen plenty of blown CV joints, front diffs, belts etc etc on SXS. its a machine just like anything else. maybe the difference is people go buy these things brand new and run them for a few seasons, sell them and claim how reliable they are. but in the end, age and mileage wreac havoc on anything you bring to the dunes. and if paying a SXS company $150 an hour to work on it is cheaper then you doing it yourself then go for it.

I didn’t say they are more reliable. I said they are easier to fix, get parts for and maintain.

The difference is financing for the non RDP members and a warranty.

 

[evantwheeler]

i dont know why this seems to be the mentality that SXS's are so inherently more reliable. Ive seen plenty of blown CV joints, front diffs, belts etc etc on SXS. its a machine just like anything else. maybe the difference is people go buy these things brand new and run them for a few seasons, sell them and claim how reliable they are. but in the end, age and mileage wreac havoc on anything you bring to the dunes. and if paying a SXS company $150 an hour to work on it is cheaper then you doing it yourself then go for it.

I never understood how people managed to break so many parts on a SXS? I drove my XP1k like Robby frickin Gordon for 3,000 miles. Factory belt went at 2100 miles. I put a primary on it around 2500 miles. Upgraded the suspension arms due to finding a good deal on a used aftermarket kit, but had the factory ball joints, tie rods and tie rod ends until 3k miles. I drove that thing like i dreamed an off road truck should be driven as a kid, and it never once let me down. I think it all comes down to being a decent drive and how you operate the machine, and a lot of luck with getting a batch of good parts. Some machines are just lemons to start with.

 

[getch]

Like mentioned earlier your gonna get different opinions. First off, IMO most sand cars do not belong in the dirt. With that budget your also gonna probably end up with a 2d, which is fine IMO BUT... you need to drive it appropriately. We tried the SXS route coming from prerunners (trucks) and the wife did not like it. We had a 4 seat turbo S, and it was bitchin in the dunes but they are so light compared to a buggy or truck, and the wife hated the shaking that caused. Another big thing is that helmets are not required in a sand car.

You can always upgrade the drive train on a sand car, so find a car/chassis you like that's priced appropriately for its motor trans combo.

There's also something to be said about small motor cars, as we race a 10 car. I can tell you that a big transmission is fun... a lot of fun. It's one of the smallest motor cars I've driven in the dirt and ironically its also the fastest thing I've ever driven. 5 speed sequential and full throttle whenever possible, no babying the trans, just shift and drive as fast as you can.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I never understood how people managed to break so many parts on a SXS? I drove my XP1k like Robby frickin Gordon for 3,000 miles. Factory belt went at 2100 miles. I put a primary on it around 2500 miles. Upgraded the suspension arms due to finding a good deal on a used aftermarket kit, but had the factory ball joints, tie rods and tie rod ends until 3k miles. I drove that thing like i dreamed an off road truck should be driven as a kid, and it never once let me down. I think it all comes down to being a decent drive and how you operate the machine, and a lot of luck with getting a batch of good parts. Some machines are just lemons to start with.

UTVs handle hard use well. They don’t handle abuse well. The general population does not know the difference.

 

[rivermobster]

As most of you know I am having a kid in December we currently have a 2 seat rzr xp turbo. The wife has gave me permission too upgrade the offroad toy I am leaning towards a sand car we are mostly glamis people but we do toss in either a Johnson valley or octillo wells trip. I have some questions for those with sand cars

1.what do you like about your sand car compared to a utv

2.Did anyone of you go from a utv to a sand car and wish you would have stayed with a utv

3.what should I be looking for in sand car?

4.my budget is 25-30k I would like a v8 but open to other options am I crazy to find something in that budget

Good questions. I've never Owned a sand car, I've Always been a quad guy. But I have Lots of seat time in Glamis.

Big V8 cars are nice for sure, but if you get stuck, it's not good. Keep this Firmly in mind. It's not a good spot to be in.

SC vs. SxS? No comparison. SUV's are Way underpowered in the sand. Power to weight is Everything. They don't have enough power, to me.

You should be looking for a the lightest car you can find, with the most power.

Think, light, whippy and agile.

Sounds like @manxman should have you covered.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

Here is a few cars I have been looking at

2004 SCU 4 seater

2004 Sand Cars Unlimited 4 seater, Honda V6 J35 turbo intercooled @ 350hp 91 octane, Brand new Mendeola 2D, Brand new 930CVs and 300m axles, King bypass and coilover all four corners, Electric Po...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Sand rail dunebuggy sandwinder

2006 Sandwinder dunebuggy Sandwinder sandrailSandwinder sand railStock ls engine mefi ecm 2d tranny. 934 cv axlePci hea...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

This one is above budget but I feel like it’s a lot of car for the money

2006 extreme Performance eco

2007 Extreme Performance Eco 1, Cadilac Northstar V8 and a Mendeola 2D, 930 empi cvs, inside stereo system, 4 wheel disk brakes with cutting/turning brake, beadlocks, full interior, crow seat belts, 4...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Suspensions unlimited

Suspensions unlimited ultra lite350hp turbo ecotec 4cyl built by CBMMendeola md4sFox shocks15” omf beadlocks33” bla...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

In the sand only no hard pack on those, i would absolutely pass on the Sandwinder. The SCU would be my first choice as you could sell the Honda and put a junk yard 5.3 all aluminum with just a cam upgrade and run awesome, yet not necessary anytime soon.
The Extreme isn’t bad at all specially if you could get her for 35.
And the SU is a nimble car specifically with that light weight engine but there will be more maintenance involved.
Personally she’s not born yet, so go find an old Teryx or rzr 900 for a temporary fix, and wait till the end of the upcoming season and i think you’ll see a lot more car for that money pop up specially as we’ve all lost with the red wave stolen from us.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

UTVs handle hard use well. They don’t handle abuse well. The general population does not know the difference.

Some people just drive through brick walls instead of around.

 

[6 balls]

You should be looking for a the lightest car you can find, with the most power.

Think, light, whippy and agile.

Agreed… Out of the four cars shown above, the SU would be the most fun to drive!

 

[02HoWaRd26]

I'm the member with the car listed, actually 2 cars listed. Have owned around 40 to 50 sand cars and at least 15 sxs's. Call me some time and I can answer most of your questions honestly with no biased. (760)802-6040 Scott
View attachment 1170810 View attachment 1170811

You also cannot go wrong with at least spending a little time on the phone with Scott he’s owned a car of every breed from low dollar low hp to high dollar high hp.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

I’ve heard the helmet thing mentioned and I just don’t get it. Why would your prefer a chance to crack your head open if you can avoid it? Just get a open face helmet if you hate them that much! Most guys that say they don’t like helmets wear a hat and big headsets when driving anyway not much if any more weight than a helmet if that’s the excuse not to wear one?

 

[getch]

I’ve heard the helmet thing mentioned and I just don’t get it. Why would your prefer a chance to crack your head open if you can avoid it? Just get a open face helmet if you hate them that much! Most guys that say they don’t like helmets wear a hat and big headsets when driving anyway not much if any more weight than a helmet if that’s the excuse not to wear one?

For me there's a time a place for them, but being forced to wear it all the time is annoying.

 

[rampster]

I currently own both, I have a funco gen 4 and a can am x3 rs. The biggest difference is the stability in the sand. The funco just feels solid and planted and rarely does things that may scare you. The can am on the other hand can feel tippy and well they do roll on a regular basis. The funco is more maintenance but I have a great group of friends that enjoy doing such things. Because Sandcars are typically bigger you will end up with a bigger trailer and possibly bigger truck and thats a PITA. My advice do whatever allows you to get out more often, thats the key to happiness in my opinion.

 

[Icky]

I bought a used SCU last year, northstar /2d. I spent a few dollars before I ever drove it. Way better then a sxs for glamis, my 3 year rides in the back with his car seat and a neck collar. It's a single shock car, so it will never ride like a bypass car, but it gets us around.

 

[69hondo]

I bought a used SCU last year, northstar /2d. I spent a few dollars before I ever drove it. Way better then a sxs for glamis, my 3 year rides in the back with his car seat and a neck collar. It's a single shock car, so it will never ride like a bypass car, but it gets us around.
View attachment 1170921 View attachment 1170922

Damn! somebody landed on the throttle. That's some twist.