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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semi trucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.ROY — Gregg Gunzenhauser owns several non-traditional vehicles, but he recently let KSL take a look at two of his most unique — or crazy.
The first is a 1975 Bricklin SV-1. Malcolm Bricklin’s short-lived Canadian car company produced what was supposed to be an economical sports car with an eye on safety: It had 5-mph bumpers, rollcage and no ashtray. Gunzenhauser’s was built with a 351 cubic-inch Ford V-8. Bricklins first came with an American Motors 360 (yes, they're out of business now, too) V-8.
The cars were muzzled by the smog equipment of the day (making no more than 175 horse power), but were often compared to Corvettes, although the power gull-wing doors were much cooler. Bricklin’s factory couldn’t meet orders and it folded after two years. Other cars were built out of remaining parts.
Gunzenhauser’s Bricklin has been traded around, but he said it had only 3,600 miles on it when he bought it in 2005. He upgraded the carpet and the power gull-wing doors, and has put about 6,000 miles on it, taking it to car shows.
He said he wasn’t excited about the color of the car, but couldn’t pass up such a low-miles specimen. He has now embraced the green with a Kermit the Frog theme. Since the cars are made from color-infused composites, not painted steel, it’s a bigger commitment than a tattoo.
His other green vehicle is an olive-drab/camouflage 1987 Oshkosh M985 HEMTT (Heavy Expandable Mobile Tactical Truck.) It’s an 8x8, built for the U.S. Military to do things like heavy hauling, towing and launching rockets. Gunzenhauser’s is configured with a crane on the back. He said it has undergone at least two major rebuilds when it was on active duty, and had only 5,000 miles on it since its last overhaul.
Gunzenhauser claims it gets 4 miles per gallon empty, 2 miles per gallon when loaded. He takes it to car and/or military events, filling the 156-gallon diesel fuel tank. It weighs about 20 tons and can carry 10 tons. It's about 34-feet long and tops out at 62 miles per hour.
What would possess someone to want something so… big?
“It’s cool and nobody else has one,” Gunzenhauser said, adding, “I have a tendency to have vehicles rare or unusual or both.”
You can catch a look at his 1987 Oshkosh M985 Heavy Expandable Mobile Tactical Truck at the Ogden Veterans’ Day parade on Saturday, Nov. 12.
Brian Champagne has reported on cars for more than nine years. He holds a master's degree in communications from the University of the Pacific and teaches at Utah State University. Contact him at iaabfl@yahoo.com.
