Scott Bunge

 

NAME: Scott Bunge

FAMILY: Girlfriend Patti & her two girls. My old black lab traveling buddy, Gulliver

EMPLOYMENT: Engineering Manager for local manufacturing company

A BIT OF LIFE HISTORY: Born 1962, raised on a farm 30 miles south of Missoula MT. As kids, we spent tons of time fishing, riding dirt bikes, doing farm work and having a ball. Five days after high school, I arrived at USAF basic training, and spent the next 4 years as a flight line jet mechanic on B52 and KC135 aircraft. In our free time we fished, worked out, rode dirt bikes, worked on hot rods, and went four-wheeling: in general had a lot of fun. Following the military, I moved to western Washington to check out the coast and go to college. I paid for school by fixing cars and boats in the winter, and as a crewman on Alaska commercial fishing boats in the summer. There wasn’t enough cash to have a motorized hobby so did lots of human powered fun stuff. After graduation, I landed my first Engineering job at a Bellingham WA company making industrial uninterruptible power supplies. Spent lots of time on the water and enjoying motorized and non-motorized outdoor activities. Got married, moved back to Montana in 1995 then got divorced. Worked as Electronics Engineer for a Missoula manufacturing company before starting my current job in 1998. I’m enjoying the things I’ve always loved, including; hiking, fishing, riding dirt bikes, four wheeling related stuff, and learning.

4X4 VEHICLES: 1970 Toyota FJ40, (also: ‘04 Grand Cherokee, ‘96 B4000)

MODIFICATIONS DONE TO YOUR PRESENT RIDE: GM crate HT383 stroker, SM 465, Advance Adapters 3.44:1 Rock Box, 3.73 gears and ARB’s front/rear, front discs, Saginaw power steering, Warn i9000, spring over with 58” Bronco leafs & Rancho 9000’s (in progress), All Pro Hy-Steer, 35 x 12.5 tires, IPF lights, dual batteries w/ isolator, plenty of other modifications

FAVORITE VEHICLE OF ALL TIME: A toss-up between my long-gone modified 1969 Mach I Mustang and my current FJ40. Both vehicles create(d) big smiles.

IF MONEY WAS NOT A OBJECT, WHAT WOULD YOU DRIVE OFF ROAD? I’ve wondered about a Mars-Rover type vehicle made jointly by NASA and Avalanche Engineering: It would have 6-wheel-drive, independent 96” travel suspension, dry-sump small block Chevy, computer controlled center-of-gravity compensation system, and an air bag set-up that allows driver and vehicle to bounce safely to a stop when falling from great heights. Maybe throw in high dollar communications and chemistry sets.

SAME QUESTION BUT ON ROAD: McLaren F1 LM

FAVORITE TRAIL OR TRAILS: So far, the Rubicon is my favorite.

TRAIL OR AREA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RUN SOME TIME, REALISTICALLY? Just about anywhere, but I’d like to try Tellico and some of the OHV parks in the east.

SAME QUESTION BUT UN-REALISTIC: The surface of Mars looks like it has some cool opportunities.

FAVORITE TYPE OF FOUR WHEELING: Putting around mountain roads, traversing muddy messes, pulling inner tubes in a snowy field, the Rubicon, Moab: scenic, interesting or challenging, I like it all.

WHAT OTHER THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO DO: Fishing, hiking, dirt bikes, mountain bikes, working out, learning about almost anything.

FUTURE GOALS IN LIFE: A few of my specific goals are: Finish the new house, fix & sell the old one, Make the FJ40 bullet proof and beautiful, Ride my new KTM 300 in two Enduro competitions next summer, Learn Spanish, Develop 10 useful and marketable devices.

IF YOU COULD BE ANYTHING IN LIFE WHAT JOB WOULD YOU HAVE? Venture capitalist. I’d really enjoy helping bright, disciplined people with good ideas create businesses that would fulfill their dreams and provide good jobs for people in the northern Rockies region.