Anybody got info on Isuzu Bighorns?

[kneescraper]

Well people,

I am with out a bike and have a plan of spending the next 6 + months saving like hell to buy a new near if not new bike. So any way my Mrs is getting sick of running me around in her new car we just brought her (cant please them) so I have to find my self a ride.

My friend is selling his 1989 Isuzu Bighorn, done 250,000kms or something like that...hes serviced it alot. Will come with new WOF and road user charges. It seems to be all good...like no crunches on the g'box or nasty sounds in the engine. However I want to know, are these shit boxes? Are they lemons etc. Hes selling it to me for $1000 which I think is dam cheap. How ever I need it to last me another year....I guess all I can say is it seems to be in a good working condition. Ive known the guy for some 3 odd years and hes not into ripping off mates.

Any advice on these trucks would be great!

[onearmedbandit]

Get a leak down and compression test. The 2.8 is a reasonable donk otherwise, although there are always horror stories with any engine, just more expensive with diesels.

[JimO]

is it a 2.2 or a 2.8 or a 3.1 a mate has a 3.1 and its been trouble free so far (3 years) and he had a 2.2 which was gutless it would be safe to say if its only a grand if it shits itself push it into the bushes and walk away motu will know more about them

[Meekey_Mouse]

Hey,

My parents use to own a Big horn. I don't know how they are mechanically, but we had it for about a yr or so and never had any problems with it.

Hopefully some one else will be able to tell you a lot more though :)

Jas

[kneescraper]

I'm not sure what the engine size is, I will find out on Monday when I take it for a good drive. I've just found out that I may not need to buy a car, my sisters Honda (:dodge:) will be free to be driven as I please for as long as I want...as long as I do all the services on it. So there goes another $1000 towards the new bike....woohoo I now have a grand saved towards the new bike :)

Cheers for the advice, keep the comments coming as I may still buy it!

[Motu]

For the price and age it's most likely pretty tired,these things take a bit of keeping on the road.Reasonable motor for a small diesel,at least it's a cast iron head pushrod,but still has a cambelt.But the most expensive of the small Jap diesels to rebuild,at that age you'd push it over a cliff.Like all these Jap 4x4's the chassis and running gear are super tough,just the engines are crap.My 1989 Pajero has done over 300,000km and I put 1,000km a week on it - it can't do it without my help.

[Dooly]

Buckets of shit.
Expensive to fix, and thats the newer ones with less kms, let alone old dungers.

But, $1000......who knows, probably a hand grenade with a loose pin.
But you might get a good run.......but I doubt it.

[Ixion]

A pertinent question is, how handy are you at wrenching? With any old clunker, if you can do some of your own work, it makes a BIG difference. Often its not the single big blowups that drain your pocket book, but the series of small issues. If you can sort those yourself, the economics change.

[Mr. Peanut]

How reliable? Dodgy. How Safe? Dodgy. Not Recommended.

But the DOHC 3.5 litre V6 petrol sounds entertaining.

[Crisis management]

Motu summed it up...the 2.8 is good, a mate of mine has over 500,000kms on his but he maintains it religously. My 93 3.1 has about 240,000km and is going fine but it costs about $1000 per year in maintenance....steering boxes, water pumps, electrical relays for auto's etc. The basic chassis and running gear are great but there's lots of expensive ancillaries.

Get a cheap petrol car..toyota starlet etc, nothing to fix and a hell of a lot cheaper to run.

[kneescraper]

Thanks for all the advice, I think I'm thinking on the same level as all you fullas. Old cheap 4X4 deisel = trouble.
I know enough about mechanics to do services and most other stuff like timming and adjusting of different parts but it would take me around a week longer to rebuild an engine than any one else. So I dont want to be taking that on.

Cheers for all the help and advice.

James

[Shadows]

Diesel pieces of shite. Mate had to rebuild his motor, cost him $7K. Don't touch it with a barge pole is my advice. Besides, 4x4s suck.

[Timber020]

They have a good donk in them and are generally reliable if well serviced. In this case your paying less for a whole truck than the sum of parts. Its a good price.
Rebuilding light diesels is a great way to waste alot of money when you can pic them up at a wrecker for a reasonable amount, there is the very occational opportunistic mechanic who will put you through the rebuild wringer if they get the chance (friends prelude engine cost her near 4k for a motor rebuild on a 2k car, bastards saw her coming when they were available everywhere at wreckers)

[Laava]

Bit like 'How long is a piece of string'. Had a 92 bighorn and it was a great wagon. The 2.8 is probably the better motor tho. Word of advice tho, I rang up my paint shop to enquire about getting my bighorn polished and provided my workmates with the best laugh they'd had in ages!:laugh:

[Motu]

Rebuilding light diesels is a great way to waste alot of money when you can pic them up at a wrecker for a reasonable amount,

Wrong - most can be rebuilt with new pistons for around the same price as a used motor,but it will take longer of course....and most customers want it now.As I said Isuzu are the most expensive small Jap diesel to rebuild,and we put $9,000 into one a few years ago.Price of used motors is supply and demand of course - if they are hard to get and everyone wants one then they are expensive....if they have 10 on the floor and sold one 2 years ago it will be pretty cheap.It was cheaper for me to recon my Pajero motor than get a used one,and then know I have new pistons and bearings.My block was also cracked,and I got another complete Pajero for the donor shortblock cheaper than a used shortblock to rebuild.It's just that most small Jap diesels are an insult to the diesel name.

[Flyingpony]

As I said Isuzu are the most expensive small Jap diesel to rebuild,and we put $9,000 into one a few years ago.Price of used motors is supply and demand of course - if they are hard to get and everyone wants one then they are expensive....
I enquired about an 2.8 Isuzu diesel 5 years ago. That wrecker wanted $2500 for a seized engine, that's right, SEIZED! What good is a seized engine, it's obviously farked and can't be used for anything other than being a boat anchor.

[Guitana]

Well I've got a BIGHORN for my TOYOTA HILUX thats the type of 4WD you want to get they're bullet proof go anywhere!!! I've got the V6 petrol costs $80 a week to run (but I travel alot) and never stops 4 years of trouble free running!! And I'm happy!!

[Motu]

wrecker wanted $2500 for a seized engine, that's right, SEIZED! What good is a seized engine, .

They wanted $2000 for a stuffed short block 4D56 Mitsi when I wanted a block for mine,and that's my trade price too! That's why I got the donor for $500.If you have a damaged block crank and con rod,then a short block in any cond is a place to start.

[paturoa]

I've got a dead 2.8 inter cooled turbo version. They have a chrome bore and wear at top dead centre, so have low compression (suspect no oil changes in early life in Japan)

Other thing to check is has the injector pump been done as the new low sulphur diesel causes them to leak eventualy. They are the expensive kind to recondion too as they have to come off the motor to be done.

[pete376403]

My son has a couple, the 2.(?) petrol 4 and the 3.2V6 (also petrol) both automatics. The 4 has been pretty reliable considering the off road abuse it gets. The V6 killed its trans a while ago towing his racecar. I bought a rebuild kit over the 'net and repaired the trans - fairly straightforward, cost about $600 all up.
The V6 is pretty hard on gas.
Three guys at work have 3.1 diesels, they all think they're great