cheap reliable 4x4 needed for off road use ( driving up and down a 2 mile track for a project in a remote location). Current favourite is a 4.0 litre Jeep of mid 90's vintage. Any other suggestions (due to low mileage fuel consumption is a low prioroty - cheapness and reliability are the main criteria)
|
Older discovery V8 TDi or even the 2.0 16v MPI.
They have much more room inside than the Jeeps, parts are much cheaper and more readily available via Paddocks etc. Well looked after ones do seem reliable. Get one with less than 100k miles and you should be OK.
|
you will get a 4.0 litre job for pennies if its not had an lpg conversion
as its off road only consider a stolen /recovered jobby with bust steering lock £400 should get you something with leather in a salvage auction, try universal salvage.com
|
|
|
|
Older Discos make some sense, with proper servicing they can be surprisingly reliable. My advice is to avoid the 2.0 MPI. Whoever came up with the idea of putting a feeble 2.0 petrol engine is such a heavy car should be forced to drive one for the rest of their life.
|
Suzuki SJ410 or SJ413.
Dirt cheap now - especially if you don't need one with an MOT.
We picked up a good one (with a years MOT) for our 13yr old son to run around our fields in (accompanied), for £500.
Dead easy to maintain, low fuel consumption, fun to drive, and AMAZING off road - if you have a strong back (the ride isn't forgiving).
On the other hand, our old diesel Disco is a solid workhorse. Lots of the interior trim fell off years ago, but the greasy bits still keep going!
----------------------------------
Colin-E
----------------------------------
|
Suzuki SJ410 or SJ413.
Daihatsu Fourtrak too.
|
|
|
|
Older Discos make some sense, with proper servicing they can be surprisingly reliable. My advice is to avoid the 2.0 MPI. Whoever came up with the idea of putting a feeble 2.0 petrol engine is such a heavy car should be forced to drive one for the rest of their life.
My boss had one of these some years ago, I used to joke with him that you could eat breakfast and have a shave in the time it took to get to 60 mph !
|
|
What about a 4x4 pickup? - sounds like trips to builders merchants and tip will be on the agenda.
|
|
|
Lada Niva. Only time Lada's way of building cars ever made sense and also gets some fair reviews as an tough off-roader. Likely to be ever so cheap, but its crude and rust-prone.
Still, Hans Rausing ( one of richest people in UK apparently ) claims to use one as a daily driver.
|
>>Lada Niva
You beat me to it. Absolutely bulletproof and available for pennies.
Cheers
DP
|
Yup, proof if ever it were needed that Lada were/are capable of making good strong cars when they put their mind to it.
Has to be said that by 1970s standards there was never really much wrong with the Riva or Samara either; certainly they were more reliable than many of the BL cars designed around the same time, and they were very tough. 700,000 East Europeans each year still seem to swear by them.
|
Quite agree had C plated 1500 Riva estate, did 110K cost £4,500 in 1986 so ran for peanuts!
|
|
There's just one Niva on Autotrader in the whole UK (and one dog on the auction site) - £650 - looks OK!
|
There's just one Niva on Autotrader in the whole UK (and one dog on the auction site) - £650 - looks OK!
dont buy it if its after 93 as it will be the 1600 injection and they were never right and wont get through a cat test if its going to be mot'd
the earlier 1500's are better with a carb
to add what was said earlier samaras in my opinion were never any good (ok someone might have had one that went to the moon and back but i am talking the bigger picture)
riva's were ok too
|
I drove a Samara once.... it was terrible but maybe it hadnt been looked after.
It had about 75k on the clock but it was sloppy, rattly and just felt like different parts of the car were at any time going to part company!
That said, it has nearly a years ticket and was £75, so you get what you pay for I guess!
I actually didnt buy it because I couldnt face driving it from Peterborough to Northampton!
|
|
thanks for the suggestions keep them coming - Defender was the first choice but they are expensive and appear to be not as reliable as japanese 4x4
|
|
LWB Shogun auto? Cheap as chips with the price of petrol. Very capable. The last of the square shaped (91) are very solid.
|
|
An old Isuzu Trooper also very good and solid.
|
What about the Suzuki Jimny. I hear it's brilliant off road....comments from those in the know please.
vbr................................MD.
|
|
The original Isuzu Trooper was outstanding (diesel, of course). It would go anywhere and pull anything. It was also very easy to maintain. The J reg one I had even had electric windows! Another good buy is a Vauxhall Monterey which was a re-badged Mark 2 Isuzu Trooper. These are usually cheaper than the equivalent Trooper, presumably because of the badges. Again the diesel is the one to go for as the V6 petrol was very thirsty. Top of the range models had air con as well as electric windows and an electric sun roof.
|
|
|
|
|
