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Episode #213 - APA Pod Cheap Overland Brainstorm

Episode #213 - APA Pod Cheap Overland Brainstorm

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About this episode

The hosts kick off with a candid and humorous chat about a recent vasectomy experience before diving into their main topic: planning a budget-friendly overland vehicle build. They discuss the challenges and excitement of creating a capable off-road rig on a $5,000 budget, emphasizing practicality over flashy gear. The conversation covers the pitfalls of overlanding, the importance of reliable components like tires and gearboxes, and the appeal of a no-frills, functional adventure vehicle. Their banter blends personal stories with automotive passion, setting the stage for a new, affordable overland challenge.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

project car

"I think this is PCP, Project Car Progress."

A project car is a car that someone works on to fix up or change. People buy these cars to learn how cars work or to make them special.

Car

Honda S2000

"Hard to see. It's the pink s 2000. Okay."

The Honda S2000 is a small, sporty car with two seats that is really fun to drive because it can go very fast and turns well.

Concept

cheap car challenge

""So it's, you know, last time we did a, an APA podcast official cheap car challenge was for the rally was the $3,500 rally cars were that included the price of the car, the build.""

A cheap car challenge means buying a car that doesn't cost much money and fixing it up or using it for fun activities like racing or driving off-road. It's about having fun without spending a lot.

Concept

off-roading

""...because overlanding is awesome. Uh, off-roading is fun in general, like really fucking fun.""

Off-roading means driving a car or truck on roads that aren't paved, like dirt or mud. It can be a lot of fun but needs a strong vehicle.

Car

Mercedes Sprinter

""...off-road van lifestyle stuff, like a Mercedes Sprinter van that tops out at like 200,000.""

The Mercedes Sprinter is a big van that people use for work or to turn into camper vans for adventures because it has lots of space and is dependable.

Company

ARB

""...land cruisers that are outfitted with every piece of ARB merchandise, even the air freshener.""

ARB makes special parts and gear for cars that help people drive better on rough and off-road places.

Car

Toyota Land Cruiser

""You've got, you've got land cruisers that are outfitted with every piece of ARB merchandise, even the air freshener.""

The Land Cruiser is a tough SUV made by Toyota that can drive on rough roads and is popular for outdoor adventures.

Part

rooftop tent

"Like having your rooftop tent on the top of your SUV with the shovel, with the gas cans, with the water and this and that all strapped to the side of it to go down a couple of dirt trails twice a year."

A rooftop tent is a tent that sits on top of a car. It lets you sleep above the ground when camping, which can be safer and easier to set up.

Term

MPG

"And you keep that on your car and take all the MPG hits for it and all that. Because it just like, it's butch and it's a look and it's actually a look."

MPG means how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. If you carry heavy stuff on your car, it uses more gas and goes fewer miles per gallon.

Term

lift kit

""And this cool skid plate and this, you know, this lift kid and that and like the budget will prevent us from doing a lot of that...""

A lift kit is something you add to your car to make it sit higher off the ground, so it can go over rocks and rough roads easier.

Term

skid plate

""And this cool skid plate and this, you know, this lift kid and that and like the budget will prevent us from doing a lot of that...""

A skid plate is like a shield under your car that stops rocks and bumps from hurting important parts when you drive off-road.

Concept

scope creep

""It's a slippery slope. It's scope creep. It's all of that when you start like locking in for your overland build.""

Scope creep means when you start adding more and more things to a project, making it bigger and harder to finish than you first thought.

Concept

overland build

""It's all of that when you start like locking in for your overland build.""

An overland build means changing a vehicle so it can travel far off-road and carry everything you need to live and camp along the way.

Term

all-season tires

"like daily grind tire that they offer or all season."

All-season tires are special tires that work well in most weather, like rain or light snow, so you don’t have to change them every season.

Concept

high mileage

"That are heavily depreciated and have huge miles and they might be garbage, right? Sure. Probably 30% of those are serviceable that are out there."

High mileage means a car has been driven a lot. Sometimes that means it might have problems, but not always.

Concept

depreciation

"That are heavily depreciated and have huge miles and they might be garbage, but I promise you some of them aren't, right?"

Depreciation means a car loses value as it gets older or has more miles. So, a cheap car might be old or used a lot.

Concept

off-road capable

"And, you know, for, for most people, it's hard to sell something that's off-road capable and has 230,000 miles and has bad paint because somebody's not going to buy it to take it off-road."

Off-road capable means a car can drive on rough or bumpy roads, not just smooth streets.

Term

timing belt service

"Or, and, and maybe you've got to do a timing belt service and, um, and, and, and some,"

The timing belt is like a rubber band inside your car that helps parts move together correctly. Changing it on time keeps your engine running safely.

Car

Nissan XTerra

"Um, which one? No, we were going to XTERRA land for a while. I sent you a few XTERRAs."

The Nissan XTerra is a small SUV that can go off-road and is good for camping or outdoor fun.

Term

CVT

""If those XTERRAs had a jack-o fucking CVT in it, right? But they don't have a good auto gearbox.""

A CVT is a kind of car transmission that changes gears smoothly without you feeling the shift. It helps the car use fuel better and drive smoothly.

Car

Suzuki Samurai

"...be a little troublesome. Same with like a Suzuki Samurai, you cannot afford for that price point. I think..."

The Suzuki Samurai is a tiny SUV that can go off-road easily. It might need some fixing because it's old and parts can be hard to find.

Car

Nissan Pathfinder

"It is. It is. But what was a pathfinder? Like a first or second gen pathfinder?"

The Nissan Pathfinder is a big car that can carry families and go off-road. The first and second versions were tougher and better for outdoor driving.

Car

Land Rover Range Rover

"Those LR3s are probably the most reliable range Rover Land Rover ever made. Yeah. Because the LR4 is j..."

The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can drive well both on roads and rough terrain. The LR3 version is known to be more dependable than some newer models, which is why people talk about it a lot.

Term

daily driver

""It's my daily. It's just on, you know, it's on, like,""

A daily driver is a car you use every day to get around, like going to work or running errands.

Term

cats

""Everything's perfect. It just needs cats.""

Cats are parts in a car's exhaust that help clean the smoke so it doesn't pollute the air as much.

Term

transmission

"So the, I saw our next terror where it was like, oh, transmission's bad. It just needs a trans."

The transmission helps the car go faster or slower by changing gears. If it's broken, the car might not move properly or at all.

Car

Infiniti QX56

"Yep. Um, first gen, Infinity QX 56. They're so fucking cheap."

The Infiniti QX56 is a big, fancy SUV that can carry lots of people and has a strong engine. Older models are cheap to buy but still nice.

Car

Ford Bronco

"...ng play. Are you ruling out like S10 Blazers and Bronco Ts for this exercise? No. And they're kind of fu..."

The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV that can drive on rough roads and trails. People like it because it looks cool and can handle outdoor adventures well.

Car

Chevrolet S10 Blazers

"... Is an interesting play. Are you ruling out like S10 Blazers and Bronco Ts for this exercise? No. And they're..."

The Chevy S-10 Blazer is a small SUV that can drive on rough roads and is built tough like a truck.

Car

Ford Explorer

"...ou get in two door explore. I've been looking at Explorer Sports because they're cheap. Any gen. Yep. Two ..."

The Ford Explorer is a family SUV that can carry people and stuff comfortably. Older versions are cheap and good for those who want a simple SUV.

Car

Toyota RAV4

"...in SoCal, but it's a little too rough. Early CRX RAV4, two door manuals. Probably going to be a little..."

The Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV that many people trust because it doesn't break down and uses little gas. The old two-door manual ones are special and hard to find.

Car

Acura SLX

"...'re running out of territory here, man. Accurate SLXs aren't coming up too often. Yeah, I've been look..."

The Acura SLX is an older SUV that can drive on rough roads and is not very common. It's strong and built to last.

Car

Jeep Grand Cherokee

"...been, you know, like your your what it does. WJ, Grand Cherokees. I was going to say, yeah, no, no looking at the..."

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a big SUV that can go off-road and is comfortable to drive. The WJ version is liked because it works well and is easy to find.

Car

Jeep Commander

"...know how cheap you can get a fully equipped Jeep commander for, dude, very, you know, how sick. Very, how s..."

The Jeep Commander is a big SUV that can carry many people and has a strong look. You can find good ones for cheap if you look.

Brand

Chrysler

""I think we have some Chrysler reliability baked in, of course.""

Chrysler is a car company from the United States that makes different types of cars. Sometimes, people think their cars can have problems more often than others.

Term

Carfax

"They ran a car fax. There's some service records in it. No accidents. OK."

Carfax is like a report card for a car's past. It tells you if the car has been in accidents or had repairs, so you know what you're buying.

Part

water pump

"Yep. Timing belt, water pump, valve covers,"

The water pump moves water inside the car's engine to keep it from getting too hot.

Part

valve covers

"Yep. Timing belt, water pump, valve covers,"

Valve covers are parts on top of the engine that keep oil inside and protect important engine parts.

Term

Michelin Latitude

"but they're just like Michelin latitude."

Michelin Latitude is a type of tire made for bigger cars like SUVs that helps with smooth and safe driving in many weather conditions.

Car

Lincoln Aviator

"We didn't name. Dude, let us know because I'm Lincoln aviator. Yeah, no."

The Lincoln Navigator is a big, fancy SUV that is very comfortable and has a strong engine. Many people buy it for luxury and space.

Car

Mercury Mountaineer

"Yeah, no. Maybe maybe mercury mountaineer. You're just naming the same vehicle, dude."

The Mercury Mountaineer is like a fancier version of the Ford Explorer, a family SUV. It has nicer features but is very similar inside and out.

Car

Suzuki X90

"And I know we have an obligation to be kind of goofy and off color with our choices. So ML 430 X 90 and you have to sleep in it. So yes, yes, with your legs hanging out the bed you made."

The Suzuki X-90 is a small, funny-looking SUV that only has two doors. It's not very practical but is interesting to some people.

Brand

Sega Dreamcast

"So shout out Sega Dreamcast. Sega Dreamcast."

The Sega Dreamcast is a video game system from the late 1990s. It had some fun racing games that people still remember and enjoy today.

Car

Toyota Corolla

"You know how we like to do this Toyota Corolla. Ten more than Nissan Sentra."

The Toyota Corolla is a small car that many people like because it doesn't break down often and uses gas efficiently. It's similar to other small cars like the Nissan Sentra and Honda Civic.

Car

Nissan Sentra

"... to do this Toyota Corolla. Ten more than Nissan Sentra. Eight more than Honda Accord based on EPA ratin..."

The Nissan Sentra is a small, affordable car that uses little gas and is good for everyday driving.

Car

Honda Accord

"...n more than Nissan Sentra. Eight more than Honda Accord based on EPA ratings for blank models."

The Honda Accord is a very dependable car that many people buy because it doesn't break down often and uses gas well.

Term

EPA ratings

"Eight more than Honda Accord based on EPA ratings for blank models."

EPA ratings are numbers that tell you how much gas a car uses and how clean it is for the environment. They help you compare different cars to see which one saves more gas.

Car

Honda Prelude

"...hapes, equals or beats Corolla, Sentra and Honda Prelude Coupe in room. Blank wagon."

The Honda Prelude is a small, sporty car that is fun to drive and looks different from regular cars. People who like sporty cars often like this one.

Car

Cadillac Ctsv

"...that's like, what even is available in like two? CTSV wagon back in the day was a more recent one. But..."

The Cadillac CTS-V is a fast and fancy car that looks nice and goes really quickly. There was even a wagon version that could carry more stuff.

Car

Rivian R1S

"...liances and I guess you have like, what, maybe an R1S and R1T, I guess."

The Rivian R1S is a new electric SUV that can drive on rough roads and has lots of modern features. It's part of the new wave of electric cars.

Car

Rivian R1T

"...nd I guess you have like, what, maybe an R1S and R1T, I guess. But like, what is, like what is even a..."

The Rivian R1T is a new electric truck that can carry heavy things and drive on rough roads. It's part of the new electric vehicle trend.

Car

Honda Civic

"...ke what is even available right now? That's, the Civic isn't even a coupe and a sedan anymore. No, righ..."

The Honda Civic is a small car that many people trust because it lasts a long time and doesn't use much gas. Lately, they don't make it as a two-door or four-door like before.

Car

Volvo XC70

"Anyways, oh, I don't want to do it either. That that that XC 70 that I sent you. Oh, yeah, dude, that'd be cool."

The Volvo XC70 is a wagon car that can drive on rough roads and is very safe and comfortable inside.

Part

tire pressure sensors

"And also basically all of the tire pressure sensors were dead. So I did those two set of four tires, all new pressure sensors."

Tire pressure sensors are little devices in your tires that tell you if your tires don't have enough air. This helps keep you safe while driving.

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