Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Mjay
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Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Mjay » Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:33 pm

Hey, just wanting to say what's up to everyone, and glad to be here.

I'm new to 4 wheel driving, don't even have a truck yet lol but getting one in the next few weeks hopefully, just completely unsure with what to buy!

Once my Falcon sells i should have around $7,000 to play with at the max, it's not a lot, but it's something... Does anyone got any ideas on a good truck i could get within that price range? Only requirements are that the truck has to be proven with it's off road ability, and be reliable.

Cheers,

Matt

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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Pj_Marsh » Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:17 pm

hey dude, welcome to the community. Plenty of options out there, good start is a low km turbo diesel. Terrano's and older navaras are pretty highly rated and you can pick them up for cheap. Also you cant go wrong with any 70' series cruiser. Good luck!

Mjay
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Mjay » Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:37 pm

Thanks for the reply and the welcome! :D

Terrano is very high on my list, my brother got one, it's great off road. I was also considering a Pajero, these are pretty solid trucks, great off road as well, and some come with a factory rear diff lock. Toyotas are great, but normally a bit pricey. Was also considering something smaller such as a lil Suzuki Jimny or something? These are quite cheap and very reliable. So many options, so many great trucks out there... decisions, decisions lol :mrgreen:

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Taz
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Taz » Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:34 am

Buying is half the fun and for 7k you will get something pretty decent.

Everything has it's pros and cons. I really like the wee Zuks but I wouldn't get one if it was to be a daily driver or if I had a dog.
Terranos seem to go pretty cheap and you can get cheap parts for them too, but you need to check do some decent rust checks on them depending on the model.
If you trawl the internet on the 3 models you think you might like you'll find all the info you need, and more, to the point you might end up with something completely different :lol:

Leave a bit of room in your budget for recovery and camping gear if you need it too.
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Clint
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Clint » Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:53 pm

Mjay wrote:Thanks for the reply and the welcome! :D

Terrano is very high on my list, my brother got one, it's great off road. I was also considering a Pajero, these are pretty solid trucks, great off road as well, and some come with a factory rear diff lock. Toyotas are great, but normally a bit pricey. Was also considering something smaller such as a lil Suzuki Jimny or something? These are quite cheap and very reliable. So many options, so many great trucks out there... decisions, decisions lol :mrgreen:


Ask the Nissan fans in that section of the forum about exactly which Terrano to get, I know some are a bit heavier duty than others. Also do some research on the Pajeros - there are good ones & bad ones depending on the exact model.

If you can fit all your stuff ok in a Suzuki Jimny (or Samurai/SJ413) they are a great pick - very tough & reliable, great offroad. If you are looking at older ones try to get a coil sprung one.

Cheers
Clint
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Mjay
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Mjay » Thu Jun 30, 2016 4:27 pm

Cheers for the replies and advice peeps. I do have a dog actually, so i that is something to think about as you mentioned. I am also mainly buying the 4wd to go camping with. I definitely want to do some off roading but at this stage being a newbie, i will be only going on basic off road tracks until i gain some experience and confidence.

I will certainly take your advice and go into the manufacturer forums here and ask for advice on which model trucks are the best to get. I think whatever i choose i will be going for the diesel model, due to the fact it will be better on gas and if there is water involved on the tracks, diesels are better suited for that environment imo.

Whatever i get it has to be reliable, as i don't want to have to be fixing it all the time, as it then takes the enjoyment out of owning the truck. Suzuki's are arguably the most reliable, but i think the size limitations may cause issues for what i want the truck for. This probably eliminates that model. Terrano's are meant to be near bulletproof, but they are generally a bit more expensive than Pajero's so this evens it out a bit between those two i'd say. I will look further into the two trucks, and see which best fits my needs.

Cheers,

Matt

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Taz
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Taz » Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:08 am

Nothing is bulletproof. Certain marques and models excel in certain areas and not so much in others (that is to say every vehicle has it's pros and cons) especially once you start modding them.

By the time you have to start worrying about water with a petrol there are a few other things you should have sorted out first anyway (other than a snorkel) so it's not a huge deal.
Another trade off is that diesels have more expensive rego and in recent years unless you are doing a high number of KM's they are more expensive to run.

It is all relative to what you earn and what you want to burn on toys.

Have fun :mrgreen:
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Clint
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Re: Hey everyone, I'm new to the 4wd scene.

Postby Clint » Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:48 am

Taz wrote:By the time you have to start worrying about water with a petrol there are a few other things you should have sorted out first anyway (other than a snorkel) so it's not a huge deal.
:


Yep, it depends on the vehicle, My old SJ413 would chug through water up to the eyeballs as happily as any diesel. Lashings of silicone spray on the electrics is a good start.

One thing to be aware of with Suzuki vs Tyre size: Suzuki diffs are really small so you actually have more clearance under a zook on 31" rubber than you do under a Safari on 33's. They are tiny though, if it's just you & the dog going camping, great, but if it's you & the dog & a friend they're really too small unless you are minimalist midgets with a chihuahua.

Cheers
Clint
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Jeep J20 - 1UZ-FE powered (part owner)
KTM 640

If it breaks, build it stronger.
If it doesn't break, drive it harder.

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