Landynut wrote:NZ defence force used landrovers for hmmm, 3 decades? pretty sure they wouldn't have stuck with them for so long if they were unreliable or incapable of crossing country where tracks dont exist in virtually any climate...
In the end only replaced by a german purpose built fkn land submarine on steroids so there ya go....
i'm sure they would have replaced them sooner if they had the money to do so at the time
actually no... they did trial just about every other make of 4wd on the market... They bought a bunch of rodeos that shat themselved and proved to be unreliable, and now have shifted to nissan nivaras for non combat roles I believe....
The beauty of the land rover is that unlike any other vehicle available until recently, one vehicle could fill a multitude of roles.
Yes obviously people have their favourites. Listen to the likes of rok, lilpig, rotazuk, pedro.... They know their shit and have seen what works and what doesn't.
You know what you want to achieve with the truck, what your budget is, how mechanically minded you are and how much you want to mod it.
Take these points and fit to a vehicle.
You could get a lux for the money you wana spend - will have gone to the moon and back but could still be pretty good. Could also pick up a nice patrol for that money - be non turb though at a guess. A vitara would have enough seats, are easy to work on and cheapish to mod and they have a bit of boot space - are also cheeeeeap to buy. They are IFS though... Very little experience with landcruisers so I have no idea what 6k would get you. At a guess not a lot as they hold their price well and I see a lot of early 90's ones up here going for more than 7k. Be a similar story to the lux??.
Swamped wrote:ffs stop beating off about landys. jeeeeezz.
Yes obviously people have their favourites. Listen to the likes of rok, lilpig, rotazuk, pedro.... They know their shit and have seen what works and what doesn't.
You know what you want to achieve with the truck, what your budget is, how mechanically minded you are and how much you want to mod it.
Take these points and fit to a vehicle.
You could get a lux for the money you wana spend - will have gone to the moon and back but could still be pretty good. Could also pick up a nice patrol for that money - be non turb though at a guess. A vitara would have enough seats, are easy to work on and cheapish to mod and they have a bit of boot space - are also cheeeeeap to buy. They are IFS though... Very little experience with landcruisers so I have no idea what 6k would get you. At a guess not a lot as they hold their price well and I see a lot of early 90's ones up here going for more than 7k. Be a similar story to the lux??.
actually if you go back and read my other posts instead of assuming, I actually vouched for other trucks besides rovers that ive had experience with....
i.e. dont overlook the little zooks - good bang 4 buck there..
i could start on Airport Runway Sweepers and how awesome they are but they do loose out seriously in the affordability scale lol
No single 4wd is perfect for everything, all of them have their strengths and weaknesses, really boils down to what you are wanting it for, how far you want to mod it and price.
70 series prado (KZJ78) and 90 Series Prado (KZJ95)
i could start on Airport Runway Sweepers and how awesome they are but they do loose out seriously in the affordability scale lol
No single 4wd is perfect for everything, all of them have their strengths and weaknesses, really boils down to what you are wanting it for, how far you want to mod it and price.
jerry you must have a mind like an elephant
my 4wd is not a truck
old mercedes never die but sometimes they do need some love
older cars are good,mercedes are better,older mercedes are the best
stealth wrote:thanks Landynut, yeah it will be a purpose only vehicle, but has to be able to carry 6 (if i take the whole family) at this stage im still looking but i could not belive how cheap they are in comparison to a oldish hilux,
yeah its a supply and demand thing....
something like 75% of all land rovers ever produced since 1955 are still in use today...
I would hate to see the stastistic for mid 80's hiluxes.. probably 5%
consider the fact they were the highest selling commercial 28 years in a row....i greatly doubt it would be 5% and lets not forget that toyota hit 11 million hiluxs in 2001, its now 2011.
if you want to know where the rest of your Land rover population is ask the new zealand army or the british for that matter, they left enough behind, there's about 140 of them buried out in Santoft forest along with assorted 6 wheel drive Yank trucks machinery bulldozers etc etc etc.
Iam going to put my 2c worth in and say Isuzu Mu 3.1L Turbo Diesel which I have the only let down with this is the front end being IFS apart from that it go's places were I would not think to go, Iam happy with my truck, this is something differnt to the bigger trucks out there. Also every truck has there good and bad points.
Drurban wrote:Iam going to put my 2c worth in and say Isuzu Mu 3.1L Turbo Diesel which I have the only let down with this is the front end being IFS apart from that it go's places were I would not think to go, Iam happy with my truck, this is something to the bigger trucks out there. Also every truck has there good and bad points.
Drurban wrote:Iam going to put my 2c worth in and say Isuzu Mu 3.1L Turbo Diesel which I have the only let down with this is the front end being IFS apart from that it go's places were I would not think to go, Iam happy with my truck, this is something to the bigger trucks out there. Also every truck has there good and bad points.
Ruben
not bad. 2.8 is a better combo though
I was told to stay away from the 2.8's but what do I know
Get one with a rear locker an your sorted. They are a bit heavy but they are bloody reliable and go most places you wouldn't think they could, and they are't so expensive to buy either. We got a 2.8TD and we have just had the fuel pump re built and glow plugs done. never had many other issues, except for the rear main seal which we got a mechanic to replace and add a cap to it for $800 as he can do it without removing gear box and cross member.
Land cruisers and Safaris seem a bit too big really and a double Cab Hilux won't fit your six people in either. safari's will keep on going and going, as will Pajeros.
Stay away from Isuzu's, they seem t have plenty of drive line problems and they have not much flex at all.
lincooln wrote:I will say a LWB Pajero, The second gen Model
Get one with a rear locker an your sorted. They are a bit heavy but they are bloody reliable and go most places you wouldn't think they could, and they are't so expensive to buy either. We got a 2.8TD and we have just had the fuel pump re built and glow plugs done. never had many other issues, except for the rear main seal which we got a mechanic to replace and add a cap to it for $800 as he can do it without removing gear box and cross member.
Land cruisers and Safaris seem a bit too big really and a double Cab Hilux won't fit your six people in either. safari's will keep on going and going, as will Pajeros.
Stay away from Isuzu's, they seem t have plenty of drive line problems and they have not much flex at all.
cheers Lincoln
I would stay away from Pajeros, as I have heard what happens to them, Isuzu's are great once they are setup right.
hey mate i have had a LWB Safari (PTO winch standard height 31.5in all terrains) for the past 5 years they are tough and do get stuck a bit (lwb can bellie even when lifted) but i have never failed to get it out again either im looking to shif to a early 90s hilux dcab wellside as when they do brake down its bloody expensive and i want something a bit smaller as i moved from waikato to auckland going to miss being able to pack it to the ceiling with bugger all increase in fuel use tho
Wikipedia wrote:However, because pajero is a slang term for "wanker" in some varieties of the Spanish language, alternative names have been adopted for many overseas markets
Anyways the 3l v6 pajero motor I think is meant to be reliable as isn't it? Its other stuff that gives out on em. Personally I wouldn't go near either the isuzu or mitsi as they aren't my cup of tea but the Pajeros do seem to go fine offroad. madmatt on here has a setup pajero which sounds like it goes pretty good.
Mates have had nothing but problems from isuzus, almost always been overheating and head problems.
there is a lifted surf in wellington on trademe 2 litre petrol.... i dunno much about toyota engines but i do believe its the same 2 litre 4 cylinder they used in the townaces and other runabouts - and are generally regarded as highly reliable, alltho a wee bit of a guzzler when you haul 2 tons with it.....
This is a great thread but man i have been put off landys forever after reading all that.
I bought a terrano, it seems many here laugh at them and forewarn that I'll get stuck in the mud but I'll hopefully not.
My father has had many 4*4's over the years, lots of cruisers, terranos, bighorns, rocky and now a grand cherokee. The rocky is his cheap get around vehicle in Aussie, the Grand Cherokee is his super comfy family 4*4, he isn't into off roading anymore but he used to go hard in the 4*4 events back in Hawke's Bay maybe 30 years ago with the cruisers.
His advise to me was, get petrol power because diesel, rego and ruc's will never become cheaper and recently it was on tv that the govt plan to raise the price again of all of those factors. He said for reliability the LWB Bighorn was his favorite and it was comfy and suitable for a family and off roading, his next favourite was the Grand cherokee LTD, it said they're very capable off road and very comfy also but they're small and not good on long trips due to not being able to carry as much gear as some of the other vehicles. The terranos he said if you get a good one they're perfect for mild off roading, comfortable for family use and plenty powerful with a 3 litre V6.
My uses seem similar to yours Stealth, I wanted a reliable, comfy, off road capable truck that I could also use as a family wagon. I really like my terrano but I do wish the cargo area at the back was bigger but only because I want to be able to take my family camping, hunting and fishing and we have a lot of camping gear, huge family tent and when you add cooker, lpg bottle, sleeping bags, 60 litre chilli bin of food, clothing and essentials for the kids, hunting and fishing I find the back is jam packed although I've found if I buy a set of Dog /Cargo bars from repco I can then safely pack my gear to the roof if I have to, and I probably will have to.
From reading lots of threads on here about lots of different 4*4's I'm happy with my choice and learn a lot about it that I'd never have known otherwise about the brands potential problems, things that will benefit the vehicle if I get them done etc.
The other vehicle I was also keen on was a either a double cab hilux, it has the seating for a family, can store plenty of gear in the tray if you have a canopy and is a good off roader but many of them have different problems like over heating etc. I've always wanted a Surf since I was 20 years old due to spending time in one out bush bashing and deer hunting but again I was warned about getting the right motor to eliminate any potential problems.
I saw some very good deals on trademe for hiluxs one was going for $1300 here in dunedin but my instinct told me to hold out, I looked at Mazda Marvie's also they're like the surf in styling and have 7 seats, I watched many sell online for around $2500 but they were as far away as Nelson, My father warned me off them, he said they were super gutless and due to the weight would cost plenty to run and so I might as well get a bigger motor.
I saw a good terrano online but stuffed around and it didnt sell and I missed out, then I spoke with another seller who had a nice one in Ashburton area, a v6 manual, new cam belt, kuhmo tyres, he was a mechanic but he wanted 3700 and at that time I didn't want to go over $3000 as I had other things I need to purchase for the family etc then I logged in and saw the terrano I have now, it looked good, clean and he only wanted $2500 I called him instantly as did others infact they were still calling him the next day when i arrived to Christchurch via bus to pick it up.
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it, there were little things that I'd over looked that need to be fixed etc like a new rubber around the 4 wheel drive selector so it has some road noise at the moment, a new glovebox catch, central locking doesnt work, gas stays on the rear doors need regassing or replacing.
The worst thing was it was advertised as 196,000 kms but when the papers arrived before that it had been at something like 220 and then it showed the new value at 196 the speedo digits look as though they've been wound back a few kms, this could be for any number of reasons but end of the day I still feel the vehicle is good for the price, it was $150 to fill the tank from empty and it used half a tank to get me back to Dunedin just cruising at the speed limit and that was with myself, my son and three Aussie hitchikers I picked up on the way so the fuel economy isn't bad considering the size and weight of the vehicle with 4 adults and packs in it.
I've noticed it's just gotten better and better to drive, it has the soft bouncy off road suspension when you select that, on the road it's hard riding and feels like a car when you select that option, it has a power button that ups the revs should you need it, a Hold button that keeps it in gear for I guess towing boats or caravans up hill, there is an Over drive which I only use on the open road when traveling above 60-70kph.
I've used the 4 wheel gear selector often while driving across farms, up reasonably steep paddocks, it's pretty good in just standard 2 wheel Hi, 4 wheel HI is great on the steep areas, plenty of power, I could tow a caravan up Baldwin Street easy as and I've tried the 4 wheel LOW setting and the torque is there if you really need it although for my current uses I dont.
I went out to the beach at Purakanui, if you've ever been there, it's not anything major but lots of sand and I didn't want to get stuck but I drove right to the end of the track where it meets the beach in 4 wheel HI without any dramas and I'm riding on 31/10.5 R15LT Kingstar AT tyres that I think are reasonably budget but I didn't get stuck although I would have if I'd gone any further due to the deep sand ahead before it became solid again, I guess if I'd hammered it I'd have made it the 10m to the soild sand but with no other 4*4s around I wasnt going to risk it, not with my kids in such a remote area.
I think you should consider a terrano also, if your not wanting to drive through deep rivers or get mud up to the wheel archs in my opinion it's a good comfy family truck and should go most places. I'm a hunter and fisherman also, I've gotten a bedford van on 235 tyres and corolla into places they shouldnt be able to go and get out of so I think this type of wagon might suit your needs, if not, theres plenty of advice on here to help you choose, I've no off roading experience other than going hunting.
Anyway I'll Pm you my details and your welcome to cruise over and see if it's a suitable type of vehicle for your needs but for 4g you should get a damn good one, or a damn good anything really.
I've had 1x series land rover, 1x range rover classic and 1x early coil spring land rover. Also had 3x WD21 terrano/pathfinders and an MQ Safari. I got tired of the 'that'll do' build/materials quality and would never go back to LR after owning/working on Japanese engineered vehicles.
LR Field failures under moderate driving conditions included: front differential failure, rear differential failure (both spiral bevel design), rear axle failure, front axle failure, front UJ failure, centre differential failure, most electricals, transmission failure (early Series 3)
I agree Terrano is underrated, comfy seating for family, surprisingly roomy inside, their dimensions are good for offroad use, really flexy 9" rear end, and steering can be toughened up considerably with minor work.
The most common characteristic amongst LR owners is a desperate need to prove superiority over American and (particularly) Japanese competitors.
TOYOTA - The Official Vehicle of ISIS! And makers of the '92 Camry, where you got your first backseat handjob.
thanks everyone for your input, by chance my old man brouhgt a new truck and his surf was getting neglected so i took it off his hands, 2 days later the head went... his servicing of the truck is mint so i guess i was time for it to go.He has reduced the price to allow me to fix it, In the end i will pay $2200 for a wof reg and ruc'd truck, and will get a new head on in the near future which will prolly cost the $2800 he took off, overall im happy with the truck and im sure once its fixed up it will be a mint runner.
Haha I just read this thread and cracked up laughing after all the reliability talk of Toyota and jap engineering. Heads on surfs do seem to be a consumable item needing replaced around every 150,000 even if your nice to them.
Check the chassis for cracks if its an IFS model
Invest in a exhaust gas temp gauge
Lucky you bought if off your old man
I've been driving around in a dirty old 2.4 non turbo 2wd hilux for about four years. Thrash it. First thing I did was brand new radiator.
My V8 landrover project has been an endless money pit and so far I have only taken it out once. So although I like LR's, I couldn't recommend to purchase one
We might have to organize a bit of a ORE trip for Dunedin members.
(and yes I am biased 
