Offroad-Express

is it just me that seems to have one problem after another ok, nissan safari swb 4.2 diesel 1989, i only paid $4500 initially and thought after a good test run it seemed all good, needed a few things like suspension etc but i didnt mind that as it was a hobby as much as anything and not my daily driver, 6 months later i cant say nissan ownership has been the most pleasurable,

nescessary spending,

full suspension package,
snorkel,
wheels,
tyres,
winch, didnt expect to have to replace but my fault for not trying it out
winch bar.
cut away all rear overhang bodywork and make a suitable bar.
all which i expected and wanted to do anyway,

extra stuff that was unexpected,

clutch $800 fitted,
eletrical problems and batteries $400,
winch seized from day one so had to replace $700,
screen needed replacing or it would fail warrent,
unexpected welding under rad and air con rad, did it myself so not to bad just alot of work. which i dont mind.
door hinge snaped, $80,
steering rod $90,
hub seals,
free wheeling auto hubs.

my most rescent discovery when replacing the drivers side battery is that the tray needs virtually replacing, so that is the next job.....

i wouldnt have minded if it had been over the space of a year or so and i had actually used the bloody thing for what i bought it for but it is starting to become a liability....

i am now scared of even turning the key, for fear of it costing me another thousend bucks, mind you the next owner will get a bloody good truck and it might be soon

well on mine, same as your truck, replaced door hinge , batteries, clutch slave cylinder , rear wheel bearing front disc pistons + seals, still need to replace radio, hard wire the prs, get the clock working , front sidelight need looking melting blubs, and i still love my big nissan

Those Nissan money pits are no different to Toyota money pits and LR Money pits and all the other pieces of junk money pits out there

i dare say by tomorrow i will love it again

Goes with the territory I'm afraid Muskie - wouldn't put in print (in case I'm rumbled by the Mrs ) that which I spent in maintenance on my club truck last year. I now console myself with the wisdon of a mate who commented: "Still the cheapest form of motor sport by far".

Have to agree with the others, its still a cheap sport, and no matter what make you get, parts eventually need replacing (previous owner may have known what maintanence was coming up)

Mine cost $14k, and will be spending $1800 to get a broken glow plug out, and I still have to spend $$$$$ on mods before I can even take it off road

what the others have said, have a look at the price of Quads and the cost of parts on them still pretty cheap, its a bit harder if your offroad truck is your daily driver as well, keep on top of the mainenence otherwise it all comes all in one hit....

Need to fix my dodgy cruiser brakes (which means overhauling all the bits) and the front end needs rebuilding before the next WOF, we are all in the same boat....

Tell me about it mate! $2000 on keeping mine on the road last year! Radiator and water pump were the main two I remember off the top of my head. Was going to sell it and get a soft top 4wd at the start of this year after driving a convertible around for a few weeks but after the first three days back in it I changed my mind!

last year i went fried 2 motors, 1 auto 1 body, the last trip i got 16 punctures in 4 35in simex tyres , then chucked on 4 swampers and got a heap more, thats not including the small stuff like maintainence, cv,s and stuff like that, but i love every minute of it, i dont even think of the costs, then there is the mods we do and the mods i want to do in the near future, this year will be very, very expensive

I think you'll find with any make of vehicle thats almost 20yrs old (esp if used for 4wding)well need a few repairs here and there,made worse if you like to have every thing ship-shape were other people may not notice or she well be write type thing.You well get on top of it all,normally just before you sell it

swampa wrote: then there is the mods we do and the mods i want to do in the near future, this year will be very, very expensive

aggree with that..... Mmmmm mods

Jerry wrote:Need to fix my dodgy PRADO brakes (which means overhauling all the bits) and the front end needs rebuilding before the next WOF, we are all in the same boat....

Corrected it for you there Jerry

in the same boat mate

$2200 nissan terrano vg30 v6 5speed
new leads $250
new rotor $60
new dizzy cap $180 out of a 300ZX for some reason??????
new plugs $50
sitll not running right so next.....
new ignition module???
new coil???
new injectors???

and then it still needs
shocks
rims and tyres
snorkle
winch
new aerial
probablly a G/BOX soon!

so dont stress dude we'r all in the same boat!

Looks like my money pit is just about to open. Went a put a hold deposit on an 89 SWB granroad this morning

Shane wrote:I think you'll find with any make of vehicle thats almost 20yrs old (esp if used for 4wding)well need a few repairs here and there,made worse if you like to have every thing ship-shape were other people may not notice or she well be write type thing.You well get on top of it all,normally just before you sell it

unfortunatly shane, i am in that group (need to keep everything right and in good repair) which i do find a burden, but thats the way i have always been. people always seem to get a good buy if they buy stuff from me, trouble is i always end up buying from someone with the ''she'll be right attitude''

never mind, hopefully my woes are over for a while, love my truck again today

muskie wrote:unfortunatly shane, i am in that group (need to keep everything right and in good repair) which i do find a burden, but thats the way i have always been. people always seem to get a good buy if they buy stuff from me, trouble is i always end up buying from someone with the ''she'll be right attitude''

Same here I always seem to get lemons, and the GQ I recently sold was the most reliable I have had to date.
Thought that if I get a later model vehicle from a dealer that was an ex mechanic I'd be safe.....yeah right

Well where do we start

for my safari in the last 12 months:-
*Purchase truck $20000
*Re Build front axle $1000
*Rear Main Seal $300 (plus other bits)
*Rear Transfer Case Seal $150 (plus other bits)
*Rear wheel bearings $250
*New tyres $2000
*New Batterys $400
*New roof top consol $675 (from aussie)
*New UHF RT $350
*New spotlights $300
*Second hand roof rack $250

In the last 6 weeks to get it ready for the easter trip to the coast:-
*New Altanatior $675
*New Starter $375
*New Winch $900
*New Air filter system $250
*New Water Pump $150
*New Stereo system $400 ( Due to drowning )
*New interior fit out $1000
*New air compressor $400 ( for air tank system )
*Second hand gearbox and transfer case from Pigfarmer $400
$some welding $150

Still to come in the next week:-
*Get second hand gearbox and transfer case back from auto guy with new power kit inside and lower ratio gears in transfer case $1900
*Front main seal $150 (Plus other bits)
*New suspension $1500
*Some welding $100

So in the last 12 months it has cost me $34025.00 and that dosnt include buying and building Bubbles truck which totals about $20000.00 but I am almost finished mine and then only have the front and rear air lockers and rear draws set for Bubbles

Shit you guys are having some bad luck and spending up big.

With all the mods to my truck it owes me less than 20k. I am doing alot of work in if myself though.

PR what work did you get done to your front end for it to add up to $1000?
What suspension set up are you putting in it??

muskie wrote:never mind, hopefully my woes are over for a while, love my truck again today

We all get pissed off with our vehicles from time to time. For me the cure is to get back in and drive it in anger. It's worked every time.

Fark you guys are paying top dollar.........


Ive had a real bad run last few weeks, pinion seal one trip, cv the next and gearbox 2 weeks ago.
Ive spent about 4k on a 2k rig.

Looking at your prices makes me cringe, if i was paying $300 for batteries and hundreds for seals id have spent twice what i have.

Ive done bearings and seals on 3 corners and would have spent a few hundred max.

I think if it wasnt for the mates I have id be broke(r).

Ive squeezed an elec locker, wheels and tyres, wide axle, 4.8's, front winch mount and plenty of parts yet to fit like coons (plus ass. parts to fit them) and spare tyre carrier, yet comparatively ive spent squawt.
Oh yeah and a radiator, alternator, starter and a bit of wof panel rash.

CV was $110 new (cost)
Pinion seal $9 plus another $30 oil.
The most ive paid for a bearing would be $60. Seal, $35

Maybe its just that its a toyota

doddzee wrote:PR what work did you get done to your front end for it to add up to $1000?
What suspension set up are you putting in it??

And what air filter system set up do you have now?

PR wrote:Well where do we start

for my safari in the last 12 months:-
*Purchase truck $20000
*Re Build front axle $1000
*Rear Main Seal $300 (plus other bits)
*Rear Transfer Case Seal $150 (plus other bits)
*Rear wheel bearings $250
*New tyres $2000
*New Batterys $400
*New roof top consol $675 (from aussie)
*New UHF RT $350
*New spotlights $300
*Second hand roof rack $250

In the last 6 weeks to get it ready for the easter trip to the coast:-
*New Altanatior $675
*New Starter $375
*New Winch $900
*New Air filter system $250
*New Water Pump $150
*New Stereo system $400 ( Due to drowning )
*New interior fit out $1000
*New air compressor $400 ( for air tank system )
*Second hand gearbox and transfer case from Pigfarmer $400
$some welding $150

Still to come in the next week:-
*Get second hand gearbox and transfer case back from auto guy with new power kit inside and lower ratio gears in transfer case $1900
*Front main seal $150 (Plus other bits)
*New suspension $1500
*Some welding $100

So in the last 12 months it has cost me $34025.00 and that dosnt include buying and building Bubbles truck which totals about $20000.00 but I am almost finished mine and then only have the front and rear air lockers and rear draws set for Bubbles

i would love to have that amount surplus to spend in a year, that is getting up there with some of the winch rigs but now you have made me feel good as i havent spent nothing in comparison

i wish i could build a comp truck for that sort of coin, it would be a bargin

Daemon,
Are you going to cut out the battery tray and replace it or just repair what you've got?

I've got a LWB shell that I can hack up if you need sections of the inner guard. Can drop bits off easy enough next time I'm in Hams.

Cheers
Mitch

PR wrote:
Still to come in the next week:-
*Get second hand gearbox and transfer case back from auto guy with new power kit inside and lower ratio gears in transfer case $1900

What ratio tranfer gears did you get 43% reducition or the rock crawler set 86% ??? would make quite a differance esp in the auto trans which is quite tall in first,what sort of money is just the reducition gears ??
Im hope to get over to coast at easter even if only for 2-3 days.

Shane

doddzee wrote:Shit you guys are having some bad luck and spending up big.

With all the mods to my truck it owes me less than 20k. I am doing alot of work in if myself though.

PR what work did you get done to your front end for it to add up to $1000?
What suspension set up are you putting in it??

Total rebuild and steering nuckles

Taz wrote: And what air filter system set up do you have now?

Will post photos next week it will be under the interior build part 3 with extras

GQTROL wrote:Daemon,
Are you going to cut out the battery tray and replace it or just repair what you've got?

I've got a LWB shell that I can hack up if you need sections of the inner guard. Can drop bits off easy enough next time I'm in Hams.

Cheers
Mitch

hey mitch that would be great, its the drivers side i need, i would rather put in a full tray than bodge it up and it would be just as easy to cut out and fit another.. awesome mate let me know

swampa wrote:i wish i could build a comp truck for that sort of coin, it would be a bargin

yeah i meant what they spend in a year not to build one from scratch

PR wrote:Well where do we start

for my safari in the last 12 months:-
*New Air filter system $250

You got ripped off there,