I have had a few which were very capable but for really rough going and deep snow there were two which stood out. The first is a 1962 Dodge Power wagon. Power is just a figure of speach here because it is powered by a 265ci flathead six which probably makes all of 95 horsepower. It is geared very low though and it is hard to stop. The pto winch will move the world if you can find a place to hook up. I've used it to skid logs, and to pull other vehicles out of some tough situations. I've driven it through three feet of water with a muddy bottom and once parked it in the middle of a sizeable stream running through our field during the spring flood so I could use it as support for a footbridge. I once broke through the ice with my '91 diesel and broke the front driveshaft trying to get out. I walked home (about six miles at minus 16, wearing only jeans and a flannel shirt) and went back up with the old PW and my wife. I drove through the hole past the '91, put my wife in the 91 to steer but told her to just leave it in neutral. I pulled the '91 out, removed the broken shaft, got it turned around, then drug it back through the water hole. After this, Sharon was able to drive it on home. The Power wagon would start at thirty below although it took a bit to get the gear oil warmed up enough to get it to move very fast.
The second stand out was also no powerhouse nor was it much to look at. This was a 1982 Lada Niva. This was a Russian Fiat SUV which I bought for 200 bucks. It barely ran but seemed to be otherwise sound. This was a full time 4wd with an open diff between front and rear but with a locker which could be engaged by pulling a lever next to the hi-lo lever. The engine was, IIRC, a 1200cc four. Might have been 1400cc. Anyway, I rebuilt the engine and it was back on the road. It had tall, skinny sixteen inch wheels and independent suspension. It rode well and kept its wheel on the ground in very rough going. At the same time that I had this, I also had a 1970 Bronco which was also a pretty good off-road rig. I once stuck the Bronco in the snow in a draw behind our place. My son drove the Niva straight over the bank to have a look then straight back up to go get some gear (come-along, hi-lift jack) and back down again. We unstuck the Bronco and I tried to follow the Niva out and couldn't even come close. While I flounder around in the Bronco, my son encouraged me my driving the stupid Niva in a circle around me while beeping the horn. Later Nivas looked similar but were not quite as good after being saddled with a bunch of safety equipment and emissions control. They also started fitting them with fatter fifteen inch wheels and tires and this just didn't work as well. I always thought, if a Japanese company had copied this vehicle. it would have been perfect. The suzuki Samurai was decent but not even close as far as comfort and ability went. When the Niva engine blew up we retired it but it remains one of the best snow vehicles I've had. Only the old Power Wagon could beat it and not by much. GD
