Offroad-Express

Hi,
Just wanting opinions on what is the better truck to have as a daily driver that I can mod up a bit too. I have a swb isuzu mk 1 big horn 2.8 intercooled manual (scruffy), with manual hubs and a swb irmsher mk2 3.1 automatic with automatic hubs (pretty tidy), I had a terrano 2.7 auto before that.

I was wanting to know the pros and cons of each one offroad and on road, and in terms of maintenance and upgradeablitly.

I only want to own one vehicle so want to get rid of one of them.
My questions are:

In standard form what is the most capable off road?
What one will benefit the most from a few mods?
I was thinking of maybe just some bigger wheels, mild body and suspension lift and a snorkel first of all. What one is the best to mod and make (eventually) into an ok offroader that I can use daily?

I know the mk1 bighorn has leaf springs and sits lower etc.. Its also manual which is possibly less hassle to fix etc.
THe mk2 is far nicer to drive and way more comfortable but seems to have more stuff to go wrong but is quite a bit higher ... Whats your opinions on what one could be made more capable fairly easily and the pros and cons of each. How would it compare to a terrano offroad?

rule of thumb, the harder you drive and more places extreme you take it the more it will be off the road, literally, for a family shiny truck, minor mods needed, good reliability, more mods and harder you drive, more maintainance, if it is to become your daily driver i would not make it the only road going vehicle you own,
as for which one, look around and see what parts are available off the shelf for the vehicles, being a not so mainstream off road vehicle after market parts will be harder to find,

end of day what do you want to do?, or go with the vehicle?, what do you prefer to drive?, what has stronger gear?, and how much money you want to throw at them??

every vehicle has is advantages and disadvantages, you have to figure them out for your self.


pedro

Sell both and buy a safari. Cheap to mod off the shelf, easy to work on yourself, and can use as daily driver. Im run my moded safari for bush work only, and drive a nasty white toymota corrola around town.
The terrano will do alright but as you bite off more and more, they get expensive to fix and modify to meet your increasing skill levels. ASnd the bighorn, park and let it rust
Al

albundy wrote:Sell both and buy a safari. Cheap to mod off the shelf, easy to work on yourself, and can use as daily driver. Im run my moded safari for bush work only, and drive a nasty white toymota corrola around town.
The terrano will do alright but as you bite off more and more, they get expensive to fix and modify to meet your increasing skill levels. ASnd the bighorn, park and let it rust
Al

I agree, You cant beat a GQ as a good allround off-road truck and they are good daily drivers also.!

haydgq wrote:

albundy wrote:Sell both and buy a safari. Cheap to mod off the shelf, easy to work on yourself, and can use as daily driver. Im run my moded safari for bush work only, and drive a nasty white toymota corrola around town.
The terrano will do alright but as you bite off more and more, they get expensive to fix and modify to meet your increasing skill levels. ASnd the bighorn, park and let it rust
Al

I agree, You cant beat a GQ as a good allround off-road truck and they are good daily drivers also.!

Father ,son and holy ghost


Cheers Richard

Now that's a little cryptic for the newbies isn't it Richard

Both cars are good, the 2.8 is a great engine, extremely reliable and can be modded to put out a good bit of power, The 3.1 is also a great engine but you have to take care of the cooling system to make sure it doesn't overheat.

They are almost the same to modify, wind up the torsion bars in the front, extended shackles/longer coils in the rear, a body lift and some 33's and you will have yourself a fairly capable 4wd. Isuzu parts are easy to come by if you happen to break something.
If you decide to keep the 3.1, then swap the auto hubs for the manual hubs on the 2.8.

I am surprised Richard didnt say get a Toyota with Nissan running gear under it

albundy wrote:Now that's a little cryptic for the newbies isn't it Richard

What it means Al is that you need help from above if you own a Nissan.

Cheers Richard

PS Are you OK now and out of hospital ?

I knew what you were on about. Out of hospital tomorrow and definitely on the mend. Boss won't let me back to work next week, so looks like I got heaps of time to fix the front diff I stuffed going to rescue Tim's truck in the Chasm at the start of the month. It's either pinion shaft or lokka pins.
Al

Pedro,
I did entertain the idea of having two vehicles at one stage but seriously I cant justify or really afford it and to be honest I dont think i really need it, One suitable one that ticks all the boxes will do. I don't want to get to into mud up to eye level every weekend but do want to be able to get across waist deep rivers like the ashley reliably and without out fear of total mechanical destruction should I get stuck whilst attempting it. I dont want it so jacked up that its a liability on corners or slopes, It's got to be reasonably economical and reliable for long journeys(within the bounds of 4wd vehicals) and ok for me to get my hands dirty on without needing micky mouse hands and spider's arms to do so.
In that respect a patrol is appealing and the bighorn not so much.
I do realise some of you guys partake in a bit of brand worship as shown in this post, Im sure there is some truth to what you say but I tend to be a bit of an agnostic when it comes to this sort of thing. I have to see to believe.
In saying that the patrol is kind of appealing but might be a tad thirsty. Some say that the 4.2 diesel is quite economical but reports seem to vary a fair bit, maybe due to the version, high roof or lwb, turbo/non turbo etc. The bighorn is at least pretty economical if nothing else and for me, the most comfortable by a long strech.
On paper a surf would probably do me but I find them the least comfortable to drive long distances, and to get the decent engined versions you have to pay a bit more dosh.
Also not sure but does the weight or size of the patrol impede its progress in certain situations? Im guess you have to compensate with bigger tyres to get the same weight per square meter of tyre thats touching the ground ratio, but then that adds to the fuel consumption and cost factors.
The thing with the mk1 bighorn is that i only paid 900 bucks for it and kind of feel like it's fairly rugged for what it is. Simple manual diesel, not as much to go wrong as some of them. If I spent some dosh on bigger tyres and a bit of a lift, & snorkel im half way to where I want to be and wouldn't be too bothered if I did kill it.. The thing that bugs me is that the mk2 is much nicer to drive so I know I would miss that side of it but because its automatic and the box hangs down a bit and it has more gizmos to go wrong if they get water in them.
.
How does the old shape swb prado stack up against a patrol in terms of ability/ reliablity and running costs? They look pretty strong.
Also, does anyone know how deep I can drive the bighorn into water in its standard form? Is this figure stated in any manual anywhere?

thanks..

I've run a Terrano, Surf, 3.1 Bighorn (3dr), and now on my 3rd Safari. A lot comes down to personal preference, I liked the extra room of the surf, but would never own one again, same with the Terrano. Love the Safari, and, reliability wise, I have very little to worry about when off roading or general driving.
I do find the room inside resticting, and I am limited to myself and my partner when going anywhere over night or longer 4wding, as room is limited.

The only other vehicle I would consider myself, is the VX Cruiser, but , due to the price, will stick with the Safari's for now.

My advice is stick with your Bighorn at the moment. They go not too bad. A friend of mine has just taken a modified one to the Malaysian winch Challenge.

Go out with others on some trips and observe the different trucks and then decide what you really want.

Cheers Richard