Goal is something similar to Moose. Steering 60s F/R. Narrowed, shaved, minimal truss on top to mount links and single ended ram. VW 1.8T. Has 4.XX diff ratio, dime a dozen, lots of aftermarket, torquey, and has bolt on, fixed CV flanges. 39s from the XJ. Two seater (obviously) and as little as possible to make it all work.
No plates. The only purpose I see for that is out west trips and realistically that is probably going to be once every 2-3 years at best - not something worth building around. No racing.
There is a ton of terrain within a 3hr radius of me where small, light, maneuverable rigs on reds dominate.
I have gotten 9 years of hard wheeling from my Jeep and plan to get another 1-2 out of it. Things can always change, but I see having this buggy for years to come.