Ido Cohen has been building trucks since he turned 16. Not satisfied with the local 4x4 supply he set up his mind to make his own. In back of more than two decades passed it’s hard to say Ido has never finished his higher engineering education: he was too busy engineering his own trucks learning while designing, welding, and experimenting with “new” metals, alloys, suspension design and motor tear downs. The outcome is one of Israel best 4x4 modification workshops. All based on first hand know how and elbow grease.

Nobody would have bother telling you all this unless the outcome is really spectacular. As a non-American Ido is a “wasted” professional. The local market is tiny and he could have done so much better if only he was closer to the real potential 4x4 market. “No” he says, “the market is getting globalized. I can work and design here in Israel and it’s up to you - press people - to spread the message. If I did something good - why not tell to the real market”? 

What’s so unique about Ido’s work ask you? Well, he is the only person in Israel crazy enough to build a big-foot.  - “But why get into a mess like this? It’s not legal for any public area use, there are no monster truck shows or even any decent competitions down here, so why really bother”? 
_”I wanted to see if I can. One thing led to the other and here it was ready for the annual car show. People now saw the truck crushing sedans year in and year out and they still ask me to get the truck to the show every year. It’s OK as long as it attracts audience to our booth here….” That’s a good reason as any. Ido’s latest creation is by far more serious. If Ido’s big-foot is “doomed” to stay a prototype gadget, Ze-Bar is definitely not. Ido is planning to create as many as the customers would like. Nut what is this Ze-Bar? In archaic Hebrew Ze-Bar means a  “false plane in the middle of undulated sand dunes”. “I always rejoiced when I have managed to hit a Ze-Bar. If it was long enough it would make you fly. You know - it’s not easy to find one as the sand dunes are constantly shape shifting”. 
It’s always impressive to see and touch other people’s dream. Ze-Bar is a man’s dream. As a workshop Ido and his lovely wife Noa are doing great. As custom truck manufacturer you need some more resources.  You have 2 solutions here: Get a financier to help you go on- go public or go broke. Ido have decided neither option are good for him. A financier or public money will limit his creativity and he will have to satisfy some ‘bloodthirsty’ shareholders and bankers every quarter.  As a first major project there was a way around the only thing Ido and every mechanic of his scale can do (he had learned it while doing the monster truck…) is to make an existing truck better.  Ido is no ordinary person. I guess you have got it by now. He knows his limitations but he must “boldly go where no man has gone before”. There is always a new way: you can always upgrade from existing parts building your own when you think you can do better. Well said? Yes, but also well executed.  No Chassis was good enough for Ido. For The only way to go was to fabricate it @ home. Since Ido has put together his first VW dune buggy when he was merely 16 - the only way to go was to fabricate a new tubular frame. Most of the tubing used was some pretty normal ST37 1.5” diameter (3 mm wall thickness) tube. “Simple, cheap easy to bend and very trusty”. In order to cut down cost Ido uses a hand held hydraulic bender. As it tends to deform the curves and A Mandrel system was not at hand - 2 wooden taps and sand were used abundantly. 
You just force wet sand into the tube a tap it all before bending. The hard packed sand limits the deformation at the bend. Don’t mind about the inner moisture as after the bends all tubing are treated in and out against oxidation (rust). After final assembly - welding and bolting the entire naked Chassis is immersed in primer and painted in an industrial oven. For some unknown reason Ido likes his frame yellow. (Some of the more complicated chassis parts are sent to an industrial facility nearby. It’s cheaper and more accurate. Ido developed the chassis geometry after a meticulous trial and error process with some assistance from a metallurgical and structures engineer. The good thing about modeling your own chassis is that if you know what you want to do with the truck you can set it up foe your own demands. Right? Wrong again! It means you didn’t get Ido’s spirit! Ido’s idea was all about functionality and versatility. You want a pre-runner to run a Baja 1000? Ok: will fit you a corvette motor, 4L80E,  high front suspensions and off you get a basic truck you can play with. You want a rock crawler? Heavy axles - lockers, low gearing, highest articulation  - well you get the idea.  The base Ze-Bar you see in this pictures is actually parts scavenged from a GM Van 3500 4x4 (Pathfinder industries California) and from one lonely J20 ambulance. Why so? IEE - Israel’s electric utility enjoyed a few doZe-Barns for a while and sold it after some 5 years of use. It was cheap as no one like the big bore gas motors (1.25 $ the liter!) here when they can get Diesels for one quarter. The J20 was one a military issue ambulance. Military surplus is cheap here too. We do have a small war here every now and than…. Our Ze-Bar is a wonderfully executed puzzle of American made parts and systems: 5.7 Lit. GM small block TBI motor, 4L80 (HD) tranny, a chain driven NP208 T-Case, Dana 60 HD rear axle and 44 front both trussed for strength and ‘filled’ with 1:4.88 gears. The axles and T-case came from the J20. The rest from the 4x4 HD Van. Needless to add all was taken apart and rebuilt using new original parts and some simple ingenuity. The rear Dana 60 is fitted with a Detroit locker and the front is open. It will get an ARB air locker as soon as Mr. budget permits.  The rear Dana 60 drums were distracted in favor of new discs. The computer and harness as well as the break pump and booster came off a Chevy Vandura 3500. The computer was upgraded with a Hypertech’s chip. The TBI pressure was increased and a set of headers was fabricated. For convenience the truck’s cabin can be closed with flat transparent lexan - so the van entire air condition system was left in place…
For deep-water crossing and swift recovery the entire electrical harness and ecu (computer) are mounted as high as possible, the fuse block was mounted exposed on top of the dashboard and a stainless steel tube was fitted as a home made snorkel.
For the tranny control Ido choose B&M’s Pro-ratchet system. For maintenance reasons the truck’s entire floor is removable.
The fuel tank holds 150 liters (40 gal) with an inner pump. “The punp is checked and replaced before every race but we will eventually install an auxiliary one just in case….”
The electrical power comes from a yellow Optima battery. A Warn 9000 will fit in the front or rear receiver with a forklift terminal electrical quick disconnect kit. The Ze-Bar is a tall big truck. As so it runs on a variety of tires but when we visited it wore Super-Swmapers TSL-LX 35X15.5-15LT on home made 12X15 4” backspaced wheels. As the Ze-Bar is a big truck the Pathfinder’s drive shafts with a double joint were almost a “bolt-on” (after a clean up, inspection and re-balancing). In order to keep costs down as much as possible the van also donated the entire unattractive cockpit, wheel column and ignition switch. There was no “cutting cost” when it came down to safety: a couple of FIA approved Sparco racing seat and racing seatbelts were installed. If all the mechanics up to now looks pretty straightforward - the Ze-Bar’s sustentions are the real wonder here: 1.10 meters rear travel with a possibility to lift or lower the entire truck some 30 cm (some 12”). The travel is also adjustable: 10cm (some 4 in) in compression and 40 cm (some16 in) in rebound. 
As you could see in the pictures, the suspension is a mix of parts: the truck runs on 8 Toyota LC80 coil springs - 2 per angle when the rear upper springs are progressive rate springs.  A plastic (Ocolone) spacer separates the springs. A screw-nut in on both ends (on top of the middle custom shock) allows for a further rigidity and spring rate setup. The axles are suspended by a combination of outer Ranchos 5000 and 9000 (fitted with Rancho’s original remote reservoirs) and a locally made custom racing special order shocks made by Yoram Zarhi the inventor of the TomCar racing buggy. The entire set up is connected to the body with Land Rover radius arms and rear A arm while all the silent blocks (rubber bushings) came from the local Isuzu dealer. Two prototypes were already made. One was sold and the other. MKII is winning every major race in Israel - will it be a trial event - a rally event or a rock crawling Warn challenge or a hill climbing. This truck is so uniquely modular that its real name should have been: the transformer - the Chameleon or Mr. Odo - Star Trek’s  (deep space 9) constable and changeling - shape-shifter. 
The target: well Ido is not a man of Mass production but he is has made some very good progress with the DOT engineers down here. If he gets enough orders or even serious inquiries (and a decent sponsorship…) he might try to list the truck to some American races and eventually show it @ SEMA.

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