Looking for a 4x4 - have no idea what I'm looking at. Help!

**marty** · 19th April 2010, 19:26

There's a swb diesel pajero for sale on the road side near my work. 4 good tyres, wof and reg, $1300. you could wear 7 of those out before buying 1 x safari.

there's also a v8 toyota landy for sale, but it's $10k

saying that, a safari swb did hold the record around the 4x4 track at kakaramea - was driven to the event, smashed over even the specialist 4x4s, drove home.

**davereid** · 19th April 2010, 19:44

Originally Posted by marty

There's a swb diesel pajero for sale on the road side near my work. 4 good tyres, wof and reg, $1300. you could wear 3 of those out before buying 1 x safari. there's also a v8 toyota landy for sale, but it's $10k

I have a SWB pajero. Its the series 1 so it doesnt have difflocks, and it is full time 4wd - no auto hubs etc.

But she was cheap - as - chips. Its not terribly thirsty, and it actually goes very well.

I recently went on a trip with the local 4wd club. Lots of trucks got stuck, 3 got dents to the point where they needed "modification" to continue the trip, but my old girl just got through everything.

At $300 a tyre what you pay form the truck needs to be weighed up against what you will pay to use it...

**Wannabiker** · 19th April 2010, 20:04

The Suzuki 4 WD are great, Toyotas (But stay away from the 4.4 turbo diesel), Early landrovers have driveline issues,(broken axles, diffs, and the 2-3 gear bushing breaks...I did my apprenticeship on these!!) A holden repowered one would be good though...An old rangerover is great, but thirsty...and they take the expensive petrol. Now, if you are not too proud, one 4WD that hasny been mentioned here is the LADA!! Apparently they are really good! Others to consider are Rodeo 4WD and Mitsi L200 4WD utes.

Gold standard is Land cruiser, Nissan Patrol or Safari, Hilux ute

**JimO** · 19th April 2010, 20:05

i used to have a pajero it went great until it shit itself, with them its not if but when, if its a deisel 2.3 or 2.5 it will crack its head and from what i have heard the 2.8s arnt much better

**JATZ** · 19th April 2010, 20:16

Safari !
But I would say that

**martybabe** · 19th April 2010, 20:17

Suzuki Jimny mate. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to modify and very capable off road. Massive fun for not too many bucks. Switchable 2/4 wd at up to 100kph.

My only slight reservation is the boat, It's only 1300cc and lightweight so it's towing capacity isn't gonna be huge. An inflatable Piha rescue type thing a piece of piss, much more might be a struggle.

**nallac** · 19th April 2010, 20:35

Originally Posted by JimO

i used to have a pajero it went great until it shit itself, with them its not if but when, if its a deisel 2.3 or 2.5 it will crack its head and from what i have heard the 2.8s arnt much better

From my mechanic mates ,the 2.8's are shit loads worse..
at least the 2.5's are cheap to rebuild(he actually owned one??).Was told never to venture foot in his workshop if i bought a 2.8..

**Tank** · 19th April 2010, 21:33

Great info so far - thanks.

With the littel Suzukis is the Vitara the same as Escudo?

**Edbear** · 19th April 2010, 21:50

Originally Posted by Tank

Great info so far - thanks.

With the littel Suzukis is the Vitara the same as Escudo?

Yup! Escudo is Jap import

**one fast tl1ooo** · 19th April 2010, 21:58

How about one of these's ones

**Edbear** · 19th April 2010, 22:06

Originally Posted by one fast tl1ooo

How about one of these's ones

LOL!!! I think he needs it road legal..?

**one fast tl1ooo** · 19th April 2010, 22:11

Originally Posted by Edbear

LOL!!! I think he needs it road legal..?

LoL it is road legal... reg is on hold... just pop the headlights back in and away you go...

**Flip** · 19th April 2010, 22:33

This is my shooting vehicle. Its a Series 3 Stage 1 V8 NZ army landrover. It has parabolic springs with Old man emu shocks. It is dual fuel petrol-LPG. Has a 2" lift and sits on 32" BFG muds. I have changed the high gear ratio so it drives on the road at 100 kph with out revving its nut off.

I do a lot of night shooting and it has a fold up seat in the back. So that I get to shoot I take out the wind screen and the tops of the doors off. In bad weather I leave the top up and shoot from the front seat. It has a small gutter just under the front of the roof which sends the rain sideways and not into my lap.

I have broken an axle it was the most expensive one landrover make because it only fits in this landrover. It cost me $98 new. A mate with a jeep broke one out 4WDing his cost $1600.

My second choice would have been a Suzuki 1.6 soft top because they are a great car and cheep to run. My wife has a hard top one.

I have recored a radiator, overhauled the brakes, fitted a new fuel pump and new water pump. But I have also done 55,000 km in the last 6 years most of it on hunting trips.

**T.W.R** · 20th April 2010, 08:01

Originally Posted by Ixion

Nissan Safari/Patrol (same thing) is the gold standard. Not cheap, but

Safari/Patrols are built like proper trucks

GQ42s go for ever and their running gear is almost indestructable........The biggest thing against them in the domain of serious off roading is their size & weight, they literally sink like stones in soft going

Originally Posted by gilly

I've got an Izuzu Mu. It may be little but being diesel its got some grunt and is fun offroad.

One problem with Mu's is that they're so flat underneath & over shod in tyre size that when getting into water over 3/4 wheel depth they float.

Originally Posted by JimO

i vote for a hilux....a proper one not a surf

Normally aspirated 2.4lt diesel models with beam front axles are the best for off road as a semi stock vehicle. 2.4 turbos crack heads too easily, 2.8lt models hide the 400cc difference somewhere.
Hilux's as a whole need a fair bit of coin thrown at them to be competent off roaders but once done do go well but as the reverse of Safari's they're pretty lightly built.

Landcruisers take one hell of a lot of beating for a general 4x4 for serious off roading especially 70 series cruisers; medium weight, almost square footprint, reasonable power, & robust running gear combine to make them a benchmark off roader.
A good 40 series cruiser takes one hell of a lot of beating off road...but finding a good one these days takes some effort. They're like a giant meccano set, everything is easy to work on.

Suzuki SJ413s are a hoot off road, a dam good package and the basis for many competition vehicles just like cruisers but on a smaller scale.
Even Lada Neva & Cossacks are excellent off roaders to the point of having made some of the vehicles above that had been tricked up for off road look decidedly stupid whilst still in stock form.