View Full Version : Anyone know anything about 4x4s.
I need to buy meself another mota soon as my old Reno runabout is going to need some spending on it if its to pass its next mot.Ive allways fancied a 4x4 since me dad had a couple Landrovers when i was a little lad.What do you blokes think of the the Shogun and Pajero imports ect.Any advice would be most appreciated.Thanks.
Paganwolf
08-12-2004, 23:02
WHAT!! Sho what Paj who? :shock: Its gotta be a landy matie! Dads know best :naughty: Ive got a Freelander Sport and a S111 109 ex-MOD 2 1/4 petrol Landy the S111 the best thing since sliced bread IMO id never part with her Im thinking of being buryed in it :shock: :rolmao:
I like the Landrover especially the Defender do not get me wrong, but iam on a limited budget and what ever i get has to be a dailey driver and needs to be reliable and comfortable plus i do not think my girl would be too pleased with a truck/Defender as much as i like em..
Paganwolf
08-12-2004, 23:12
The S111 i have i often use for work, but you either love them or you REALLY hate them..i love them, theres a couple of big landrover shows on next year, if you can wait that long id say go to them and try some...they're an aquired taste :wink: Parts and servicing are very inexpencive, pannels are bolt on check the shassis and the bulk head as they tend to be the bits that rot.
Paganwolf
08-12-2004, 23:24
Theres an import place in Tilbury docks near me, i know a couple of guys who have got real good ones from there i can find out details if you like matie.
Your a gent Wolfster,that would be great.Thanks.
Paganwolf
08-12-2004, 23:35
Concider it done, ill PM you the details, maby some one else knows one on here also, or can give you advice on what to look for on an import :?:
Top man Wolfster,most appreciated. :-)
MagiKelly
09-12-2004, 00:05
I like the Landrover especially the Defender do not get me wrong, but iam on a limited budget and what ever i get has to be a dailey driver and needs to be reliable and comfortable plus i do not think my girl would be too pleased with a truck/Defender as much as i like em..
Get a Defender. The TD5 models are quite comfy, sort off. Landrovers are the only choice. As for your girl, there are plenty of other women who like Defenders :o):
Paganwolf
09-12-2004, 00:09
Get a Defender. The TD5 models are quite comfy, sort off. Landrovers are the only choice. As for your girl, there are plenty of other women who like Defenders :o):
:rolmao: :biggthump
Get a Defender. The TD5 models are quite comfy, sort off. Landrovers are the only choice. As for your girl, there are plenty of other women who like Defenders :o):I really like the Defender they just look right,there the ultimate off road tool and i just plain like em,but not that great so iam told over a big distance.And to be fair to my girl there ain't many slim good lookin girls sporting a pair of 32EEs who like house work,cooking,a pint in the local can hold a decent conversation,and like big ruff lookin bums with no money like me good self.
:wink:
MagiKelly
09-12-2004, 00:39
I really like the Defender they just look right,there the ultimate off road tool and i just plain like em,but not that great so iam told over a big distance.Define big distance. My work is 25 miles away, so I am doing at least 50 miles a day and given it is rush hour I am spending just under two hours in the car most days. Add in site visits and social use and my yearly milage is about 25000 miles. I am 6 foot 3 inches tall, way taller than the diver area of a Defender is designed for and I have just got my 2003 TD5 110 CSW to replace my previous TD5 110 CSW. Want to guess what my next car will be.
If you are going to use it over long distances I have two recomendations. First get sound insulation fitted, it makes a HUGE differance and secondly get a CD stack unit fitted. After that just drive.
There are many good things about the Landrover but the real clincher is that even the most mundane journey feels like an adventure.
MagiKelly
09-12-2004, 00:42
Oh and get it in Green. Epsom Green is preferable but most Landrover greens will be fine. Get it in red or the like and the landrover fairy will come and slap you.
Then theres the cost a good Defender don't come cheap,especially a TD5.
If ya want reliability and good value then japanese is the only way to go...
We have a Mitsubishi Delica 2.5 turbo diesel 4wd Old shape (autotrader between £1000 and £4000)
http://user.shikoku.ne.jp/takayama/cheff/cheff%20delica.jpg
They are the mutts nuts and the inside converts to a comfy bed....
http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/knife/images/delica.jpg
This is the newer shape 1994 onwards (cost about £7000)
http://www.adachi.ne.jp/users/univers/picture/jpg/PB230209.JPG
Ours came with suede seats, built in fridge, aircon front & rear, altimeter, inclinometer, all for £3300 (try getting a landrover with a floor in it for that price, we couldn't)
If ya want a landy for less than 5K you'll be looking at something like this..
http://gallery.bangla.ca/albums/chittagong/116_1698_IMG.sized.jpg
MagiKelly
09-12-2004, 10:18
Then theres the cost a good Defender don't come cheap,especially a TD5.
Now if you are going to sour talk of the sacred defender with something as course as money I am not going to play anymore.
If you cann't afford/want a Landy check out Suzukis.
Cheap, easily to mod (relatively) and if you exclude Lada Niva they are the best off roaders £ for £. Much better than Shoguns etc.. AAARRGGGG I a land owner I can believe I just said buy a Zuk.
Got friend withs lada and Vitara for sale.
For more info & friendly addvice check out:
http://rs1.difflock.com/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi
MartiniDave
09-12-2004, 11:55
Early Disco's are going for as little as £1200, that's a lot of car for the money as long as you know what you're looking at, or get someone who really knows their stuff to look it over for you.
Discovery will do most things a Defender will do, and are a better car on road.
Not quite as easy to modify, but more stuff is becoming available. Parts are cheaper than for jap 4x4's too if you shop around.
Dave
bambodoggy
09-12-2004, 12:23
I've always loved Landrovers....defenders, disco's and range rovers.....BUT:
I'm with MadDave for reliability of the Jap 4x4's......watch the news any night of the week and you'll see the old Nissan and Toyota 4x4 pickups going anywhere and everywhere (usually with AK festooned men packed into the back)....
If you go out to Oz too you'll see plently of them for outback trips!
I'm NOT dissing the landrover, I still LOVE them but I'm just not as blinkered as I was.
Paganwolf
09-12-2004, 12:58
MadDave you certainly are Mad :rolmao: mind you thats a lovely landy picture :naughty: :wink:
And no doubt its still running despite what looks like the er.......... lack of regular servicing
Paganwolf
09-12-2004, 13:51
I saw a programme about this guy who traveled through south america's jungles in a Series 3 landy, he got into trouble when he slid off the road and put a hole in the sump and damaged a couple of steering bits, he was panicking like mad when a native guy walked up and told him he had one he could have bits off! :shock: , arriving at this guys shack the guy finds this old nackered S111 this old guy keeps his chickens in, a few dollars and a few hours later and the intrepid explorer is off on his travels again! now theres only one motor your going to get bits for where ever you are in the world and thats a Landy! :naughty:
What do you blokes think of the the Shogun and Pajero imports ect.Any advice would be most appreciated.Thanks.
I have just been through this dilemma myself. The Pajero are definitely a better spec than the UK version (Shogun) and tend to have been better maintained and with lower mileage. This then in turn keeps the price high eg a K plate could be upto £5K for a LWB 2500/2800. Dealers around here sell them for £7K for an L plate - a lot of money for the year. Insurance can be a problem, my current insurers did not want to know so you will need to hunt around (they are classified as `grey import` because they weren't imported by car manufacturers, but by independent dealers and sometimes even by private buyers). Parts are not as hard to come by as you might think and they do appear to be reliable (as Jap made) but they will not be as cheap as Land Rover parts etc.
There are a couple of owners club on the web
http://www.pocuk.com/
http://www.pajerouk.co.uk/
and this site will import it for you and therefore cut out the middle man - I did look into this but bottled out
http://www.algysautos.com/
Anyhow, in the end I bought Land Rover Disco 300TDi, it was too good an offer and a prof mechanic mate is handy with this particular vehicle which will keep my servicing/maintenance costs down. Had it since Monday and the drive to work seems to be a most pleasurable experience :-P
I do like the look of the new shape Paj but way over my limit cost wise.
Elliott
beachlover
09-12-2004, 19:57
We have had a suzuki vitara for three years now. I have had 3 landy's in the past, series II's and a county etc.
What a delight it is not to have a permanent hobby that involves lying on cold concrete, getting covered in oil, scavenging parts from dead vehicles and then having to ride in something that looks like a mobile meccano kit that shakes your back to bits, guzzles fuel and needs a boy racer sound system to listen to even the news, let alone music (forget about CD's, Lucky if a cassette will track in one!).
We now travel in comfort and warmth and the vehicle has been totally reliable. It also does all I (or most normal people) would require of an off- roader and the missus loves it so much that I get dumped in the runaround most of the time.
The greatest benefit is that all the time I wasted tinkering with a landrover now can be spent doing things I enjoy (no, dont ask!).
If there is a downside, it is that the suzi looks trendy and is more likely to get a tug by the taliban than a landy as the old bill seem to regard land rover drivers as boring white english farmers who maintain their vehicles and wouldnt dream of offending against their interpretation of law and morals.
BIG-TARGET
09-12-2004, 19:58
If ya want a landy for less than 5K you'll be looking at something like this..
http://gallery.bangla.ca/albums/chittagong/116_1698_IMG.sized.jpg[/QUOTE]
Now this is the Landy I fell in love with while watching Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom as a kid!!!! :You_Rock_
I even had an old Suzuki samurai that started looking like that,,,,,,,,until it was stolen :cry:
Now I have a 91 ford Explorer. But I looks more like a station wagon with a thyroid condition than an off roader , even with 4WD.
arctic hobo
09-12-2004, 20:38
What it depends on if you ask me, is what you're going to use it for. If you want an off roader that will also work as a general use car, there is no competition: a Defender, whether 90 or 110 is up to you - £5k upwards
If you want an occasional off roader that's a good family car, and you have a fair bit of money, you can get a Discovery for £10k upwards
If you want a road car that will not mind the odd rough track and are on a seriously limited budget, then get something Japanese.
The mistake I think many people make is over-estimating the amount of off-roading they do. If you're going to compete in the Paris-Dakar, then sure, get a Defender. If you're an average outdoorsy bloke who at most goes down some very rough tracks, then you might as well get a Land Cruiser or something. I love Defenders, more than I love my girlfriend (damn, did I say that out loud?), but a lot of people who buy them could do better with something more road-orientated, as they are off road vehicles - off road meaning most of your driving is off road.
At the end of the day what would suit most people is something like a Discovery, that can take most of what you might throw at it but is a very good family car too. And if you're on a limited budget maybe something Japanese. There's one big downside: you'll look like one of those shopping mums trying to look big with bull bars and a 3l diesel
:soapbox:
[/rant]
Thanks for the replys,info and advice chaps its very much appreciated.I will be doing most of my driving on road with a few rough tracks now and again iam not intending on doing pari Dakar type of thing but allso i will be doing a few long road trips countrywide over the summer.I do really like the Defender 90 but looking at the auto trader ect a really nice one is above my budget.What ever i get has to be both comfortable and reliable and not cost me loads either.Sadley it seems to me that i will have to buy a Jap mota of one kind or another.
Wish they sold those Mitso vans over here. :cry: Rover people are like Harley people. All or nothing. That's cool, but not for me. I saw a cool older model a few years ago with a Caddy engine and few other cool mods.
MartiniDave
10-12-2004, 10:21
Whatever flavour you go for do please bear in mind that ANY 4x4 requires more maintenance than a regular car. It can be quite a culture shock for people used to running euroboxes.
Dave
you can get a good series 1 Disco for £4-5k. Much better than the Series 2 as they have central diff lock as standard.
Thanks for all the advise gentlemen,ive not made up my mind as to what to get yet but soon as i have done and bought a new vehicle i will let you know,hopefully it will not be too long.
Squidders
11-12-2004, 13:11
Clem, go nuts... buy one of these! http://www.bowler-offroad.com/WildcatDAKAR.htm
Squidders mate,if my budget was permitting i would do,there a mean tool the Wildcat aint they.Very very cool 4x4.The ultimate.
Squidders
11-12-2004, 13:37
I'd love one... not because I want to do any real off roading but I like the idea of beating sports cars in a 4x4.
I like my cars comfy and low to the ground, If I want to do any off roading i'll ride my horse :wink:
Tell you a car i always liked Squidders,a car that would waste most things on the road.It was was the Volvo T5,very fast powerful mota and practical too,it was a continent crosser,a load lugger,a sports car all rolled into one,everything you could need in a mota i guess,the T5R even more so.Great motas those.Just cost too much for the likes of me.Why is it anything you want is invariably too much for us to afford. :cry: :o):
Squidders
11-12-2004, 14:27
Because if we had enough, we'd have the things we want and not want them any more...
I'll stick to my car... I nearly got a Volvo V70 though when I was looking.
I'd love one... not because I want to do any real off roading but I like the idea of beating sports cars in a 4x4.
With our Delica we really delight in pulling up next to range rovers and looking down on them.... (they REALLY don't like anything on the road taller than them). The only problem is though at 8+ feet tall there aren't many carparks you can get in round here as the barriers are set at 6 feet 6 ins. and they always give you a funny look at the rubbish tip when you drive onto the weighbridge on the commercial side :lol:
I have had a Vitara (LWB 2ltr V6) for 2 years now, great "mota"< it won't do all the stuff that a 90 Defender will do, but it does the stuff you do 95% of the time very well and very comfortably, in an emergency - a flood, a mud-bound lane, black-ice, BOAT's, it performs very well and compared to a landy is quite economic, reliability is superb.
Not the biggest, hardest or best looking, but reliable, economical and from my former days in the kingdom of survivalists - the one your are most likely to have with you when TEOTWAWKI strikes.
Neil