What to buy?

[hsoj45]

Hey guys, Im a absolute newbie, I have just done a 4wd course for work and loved it (was very much basics but i can see how much fun the real deal will be).

wanted some advice on a good cheap first vehicle to see what its all about that i can also use as my every day driver.

prob looking at under 7k.


what do you think of a Mitsubishi Pajero 1996?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =348557836

would appreciate some advice, what to stay away from etc.


Thanks heaps,

Josh

[callum007]

Stay away from XJ...


And, I'd suggest as late model as you can afford. even if it meant a few more Km's. like a mid 90's model hilux, 2.8l diesel. not heaps of grunt but good and trusty.

Cant comment on Pajeros. but prob cant go too wrong with them. I wouldnt recommend a terrano, seem dear to fix. and they are Nissans.
Find a good Jeep XJ or ZJ models, I had a great run with them.
Or buy a landcruiser.

[mercutio]

pajeros like every other 4wd have good and bad points a lot of people don't like them because they have IFS but to be honest it is a well designed IFS setup and doesn't have some of the disadvantages of IFS of other manufacturers.
Lifting a SWB paj is quite easy just put some LWB springs in the back and wind up the front torsion bars but being torsion bars there is a limit to how high you can lift them.

i could keep going on but i'll let some other paj fans tell their stories

[Fergy]

Ive found my Pajero pretty cheap to do work on. Few DIY jobs here and there, being on a budget etc. Check out my build page of my Paj. Try get one with a LSD in the back, also been told some of the diesel pajeros are total lemons. best to go for the bigger engines which have bigger running gear (2.8 diesel, 3.5 Petrol)

Just my opinions anyway

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=22416

[safarifern]

My advice is that make and model always have there plus and negative points. Just make it a diesel with solid axle back and front, from there you can't go wrong, any mods you want to add you can. Always best to go with a model which a lot of people have (landcruiser, Patrol, Hilux ect) as these are easy to get parts and make your own mods, as there tons of info on this site to some DIY and have fun at the same time

[hsoj45]

I for some reason am quite keen on a petrol Pajero,


what do you guys think about this in particular?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =348557836

Value for money?

[NJV6]

Yea its cheap, goes like a cut cat, uses plenty of petrol, strong running gear, easy to mod, lots of spare parts, should be a good buy.

Check for clutch slip, if it hasn't had a new clutch it will soon - they are a pull clutch and $$, let it idle for a few minutes when warm and give it a rev, see how much blue smoke comes out the back.

[hsoj45]

Yea its cheap, goes like a cut cat, uses plenty of petrol, strong running gear, easy to mod, lots of spare parts, should be a good buy.

Check for clutch slip, if it hasn't had a new clutch it will soon - they are a pull clutch and $$, let it idle for a few minutes when warm and give it a rev, see how much blue smoke comes out the back.

haha, ok
any suggestions then that will be cheaper to use as a everyday runner? what are the diesels of these like economy wise?

[pjb]

The 2.8 diesel paj's pack heaps of grunt for a good ol' turbo diesel.

But check out this (now expired) listing:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=347968734
Grunty, big drivetrain, damn comfy, rear air-locker all for $3.5k!

[NJV6]

haha, ok
any suggestions then that will be cheaper to use as a everyday runner? what are the diesels of these like economy wise?

Yea they like a drink but don't let that put you off, they are generally pretty cheap and that saving is alot of petrol. How many km's are you doing everyday?

[NJV6]

This is mine - the same vehicle as what you are looking at.

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... =18&t=2159

[LIFTED]

Fact is mate,all depends what you want to spend on vehicle and what you have left to spend on 4x4 equipment. Spend all your cash on the truck and you will have no recovery gear and a highway truck. Buy cheap truck and spend the rest on gear! You'll have more fun. I spent 5k on SWB 5spd Patrol with body lift and suspension lift.Then wasted 5k and my labour as mechanic on winch,bull bars,35x10 rims and swamper tyres and all sorts! It was Great but i got over it! (Sold for huge loss) On the other hand "I just picked up an Isuzu Mu few months back" You can get one for 2-3K! Spend some money on mud tyres and recovery gear maybe a winch and spring lift and enjoy something you can drive to work still.
Some guys may diss the Isuzu, bighorn, Mu ect and they are not the perfect 4x4 "same as all the other CHEAP options"...Torsion bar front end! Leaf rear! BUT.. Mine was cheap as chips,3.1DT goes very well,tows boat easy,Diesel $100 will give me 680km to tank,I found parts cheap 2nd hand, and this weekend was very surprised offroad and its still standard on Highway tyres.

[hsoj45]

haha, ok
any suggestions then that will be cheaper to use as a everyday runner? what are the diesels of these like economy wise?

Yea they like a drink but don't let that put you off, they are generally pretty cheap and that saving is alot of petrol. How many km's are you doing everyday?

hey, im not doing a lot of driving day to day but like my white water kayaking and long road trips to get there are common so i dont want to be driving a gas guzzler.

[darinz]

I'm in the process of selling my Gq safari (96 TD42T) and replacing it with a petrol one. The cost of rego, road users etc just doesn't add up unless you are doing the miles. This is my second vehicle and hardly gets used. I am specifically looking at petrol 4x4 as overall they are cheaper than the deisels. (FYI I'll also turbo the petrol motor as it will be support truck / tow wagon and I like power)

So do your sums very carefully as deisel 4x4's just aren't as cheap as a lot of people think. Particulary when you take into account longer service intervals, cheaper servicing, cheaper rego, often better power (so less mods needed) and of corse cheaper purchase price.

[rokhound]

If you are doing more than 20K km a year, then the diesel still stacks up, less than that and it is exactly as darinz stated.
Just gone through the whole exercise as well, I have a blown engine in the work truck I use (but not a lot). It has all my gear on it and is a handy standin when/if other vehcles pack a sad. I am seriously looking at repowering with a v6 commy.
My other work car is a 90 series Prado. That is about to be changed for a new Hilux d/cab and I was looking at going petrol on that as well, but as I click over 35K kms + a year, the numbers don't stack, so I have gone back to diesel on that one.

[Stage1V8]

Fact is mate,all depends what you want to spend on vehicle and what you have left to spend on 4x4 equipment. Spend all your cash on the truck and you will have no recovery gear and a highway truck. Buy cheap truck and spend the rest on gear! You'll have more fun. I spent 5k on SWB 5spd Patrol with body lift and suspension lift.Then wasted 5k and my labour as mechanic on winch,bull bars,35x10 rims and swamper tyres and all sorts! It was Great but i got over it! (Sold for huge loss) On the other hand "I just picked up an Isuzu Mu few months back" You can get one for 2-3K! Spend some money on mud tyres and recovery gear maybe a winch and spring lift and enjoy something you can drive to work still.
Some guys may diss the Isuzu, bighorn, Mu ect and they are not the perfect 4x4 "same as all the other CHEAP options"...Torsion bar front end! Leaf rear! BUT.. Mine was cheap as chips,3.1DT goes very well,tows boat easy,Diesel $100 will give me 680km to tank,I found parts cheap 2nd hand, and this weekend was very surprised offroad and its still standard on Highway tyres.

This is good advice. If you get something that is cheaper now knowing that you will upgrade later when you know just what you want, it works out costing you less in the long run and you also have a whole bunch of never wasted gear (and believe me, it mounts up in cost if you buy quality and not cheap crap).

For 3500 to 5500 you can get a good Disco too. Good off the lot and some decent tyres. Diesels are very frugal and a good V8 is not too bad on the pocket. Parts are cheap and easy to come by and there's a large number of add-ons you can get for play time.

[darinz]

If you are doing more than 20K km a year, then the diesel still stacks up, less than that and it is exactly as darinz stated.
Just gone through the whole exercise as well, I have a blown engine in the work truck I use (but not a lot). It has all my gear on it and is a handy standin when/if other vehcles pack a sad. I am seriously looking at repowering with a v6 commy.
My other work car is a 90 series Prado. That is about to be changed for a new Hilux d/cab and I was looking at going petrol on that as well, but as I click over 35K kms + a year, the numbers don't stack, so I have gone back to diesel on that one.

What was the break even point for the Hilux? I assume you mean the 4.0 V6 too.

[rokhound]

yep, was quite low for the 4.0ltr from memory, 18k I think.
I don't take too much notice of the oil change period etc as I usually get 15K kms or so out of anything between oil changes. Use good oil though and always do filters at the same time.
Having said that, I have never brought a new car before, so maybe a different deal

[darinz]

Yeah new vehicle to have warranty must have factory service schedule followed. Don't confuse this with dealer servicing as I would (and have) never paid for a dealer to service anything. They charge fortune and a lot of workshops are now authorised to do new car servicing and maintain warranty and they'll do it a shite load cheaper. (liek about 50%)

i do 20k and year so I'd most likely just suck it up and have the petrol.
At 18k the 4.0 must be pretty thirsty! Did you also take depreciation into account?