What £5k weekend toy?

[anomaly]

How about a Jeep Cherokee?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I love mine. Great cars and such good value.

[downthepub]

In that eBay link, someone's had their pants taken down, £500 to fit two rear leaf springs? WTF?

I was in the same dilemma and after looking at the options, I went for a Cherokee 4.0. Partly because Defenders don't have the best on-road manners and they can't fit heightwise in my garage. Cherokees are significantly lower (even when lifted) than either Defenders or Discoveries. Wheelbase wise, they are a touch under 100" - forget the actual length but a Google should answer that. In absolute off-road ability the LRs probably have it, but for the complete package the Cherokee is perfect for me - especially after modification!

[mcjimny]

3K on an SJ??? You can get Jimny's for 1k! A much better base to start with, coils all round, power steering etc... For your budget you'd get a very capable truck that would be unstoppable. Theres little point in throwing money at old technology.
Car £1k
Lift kit and caster correction etc £1k
Wheels and tyres £500
Crawler box £1kish
Full cage £800
Snorkel £250ish unless you diy it.
HD bumper and protection £500

All you would need IMHO, add a winch to that and you'd be challenge ready, put another £1500 to it for lockers and shafts and you'd be into full challenge spec.
What i could acheive with that sort of budget!

Theres plenty out there i'd spend my money on before entertaining a green oval, i love well sorted landies and parts are plentiful for mods and servicing but they're not the word in off road imho.

[mcjimny]

You can get complete Jimny's for your budget. KAP Suzuki put together some sorted trucks but you'll pay for it. Theres plenty out there all ready tooled up though, usually the only thing missing is a crawler box.

The engine copes well with the cars size adequately and will only struggle when you factor in big tyres - hence the need for the modified transfer box. Petrols can cope well with water but what is it you're ultimately after? Do you want to wade up and over the bonnet or are you just concerned about water and petrol engines? I've dunked mine plenty, never stupidly deep but i don't avoid the water on pay and play days and its never had a problem. I wouldn't get too hung up on engine conversions, i can climb in mine in 2nd barely above tickover and just a dab of throttle. People comment on how little effort it takes for such a small car.

[boobles]

MX5

[mcjimny]

Theres a few about with diesel lumps in, the pug route is easiest as i understand it but theres no direct swap. I understand the diesel vs petrol in the wading argument but personally i'd invest elsewhere and make sure the engine is sealed up with a snorkel. It is of course personal choice, its your money i'm just offering my opinion on where i'd be putting mine. As you've found me singing the praises elsewhere i don't want to sound like the jimny is the be all in 4x4's (given the money i'd have an ibex) but for that budget i think its well worth looking at what you'll be getting.
How olds a landy going to be for 5k with the mods you're after? 15-20years i'd guess for something solid with trick suspension, proper wheels and tyres.
As an alternative what about a rough hilux? Throw some money at the suspension take a grinder to the arches and put some aggressive tyres on it'll take a beating week after week and you'll have change left over for other toys. Or treat the boss to some handbags and shoes.

As for wading, who says petrols can't swim?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1osImbNKUss&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4moQXv_XI&fea...


Food for thought:
http://www.kapsuzuki4x4.co.uk/images/gallery/galle...
http://www.kapsuzuki4x4.co.uk/images/gallery/galle...

[mcjimny]

Stick your head in at your local playday and see whats about too before settling. If anybody asked for a run round in mine i'd be happy to show them what its capable of, and its barely modded.

Get some pics up when you decide, i'd love to be in your position.

[mcjimny]

Its the same at the days i do, theres the odd zook or ditsy knocking about. You're more than welcome to a tour of the noddy car.

Yarwell or Stainby aren't a million miles from you.

[300bhp/ton]

eltax91 said:

Hi all

Through a complicated tax problem, I am due to receive a windfall mid-april, which for reasons involving not having it spent on hand bags and shoes, I simply must spunk on an off-road weekend toy. The amount is going to be about £5k.

Now, I have recently sold my off-road Discovery, so I have had one of those. I am currently torn 2 ways. Between well-specced versions of the LR 90 and Suzi SJ. Now I know these are very different vehicles in this budget, so I have tried to list below the reasons why I'm thinking of each. I can't go much bigger than a 90 for garaging reasons, so if anyone can suggest something that fits the bill I have not considered then all the better! The car will be used for Pay 'n' Play and Green-Lanes, split 50-50.

One key point, I wan't one with all the off-road bits on already, as I believe that is better value than one without, simply because they cost so much which you never get back come sale time.

Landy 90

Advantages

• It's a 90, i've always wanted one, there is a charm
• Will be a diesel at this money (2 or 300 probably, ropey TD5 just in budget)
• As capable off road as anything
• Spares and upgrades are plentiful and cheap
• It will very rarely leave me stranded at the side of the road
• Strong residuals?

Disadvantages

• It's a Land Rover, something ALWAYS needs fixing
• Size of it means it's cramped working on it in my garage
• Can't be towed to Pay n Play with my current fleet

Suzuki SJ

Advantages

• Small enough to tow with my Octavia (meaning only suspension/ wheel breakages stop me getting home)
• Reliability record is great
• Can be had for about £3k tops, so £2k to blow on tools for the garage
• As capable off road as most

Disadvantages

• I assume parts are more expensive than LR?
• Less useful as general purpose tip/ heavy stuff/ people carrier
• Due to my fascination with water at PaynPlay, I will probably need to do a Pug diesel conversion at some point

That's about it for now. Come on 300 bhp/ton, show me swathes of 90's in the classifieds that are irresistable on this budget.

Edited by eltax91 on Thursday 3rd March 16:57

 

 
Hi
 
 
90's are great, but do bear in mind they are very, very similar to a Discovery, only with a less civilised interior.
 
I' know you've had a Disco already, but a 90 won't actually offer you much else. The only things different are the approach/departure angles, turning circle and bulk.
 
But unless you are doing Challenge events or competative trials then none of this will make many odds.
 
That said 90's are still great and very easy to use off road.
 
I'd be tempted to buy on condition more than model or age though and as they hold their money well they do make good long term prospects.
 
 
Not so sure about the SJ, I know they have the reputation and they are very small and nimble, but I think they can suffer hugely badly with rust.
 
Personally I'd much rather look at a Jimny, these replaced the SJ and are a much more modern 4x4. Same size and still use a ladder chassis, but more powerful EFI engines and coil springs all round. I'm really quite a HUGE fan of these and look on them as a modern 80" Series I Landy.
 
 
If you fancy looking at other vehicles then I'd also say looking at Jeeps is worthwhile. I picked up a N plate Cherokee 4.0 for £500 in Nov and it's really very, very good.
 
Not sure I'd spend the full £5k on one, but you'd have scope to make a supberb truck.
 
The Wranlger is also highly worth a look. Like a 90/Defender they hold their money well too. £5k will easily see you in a YJ (square headlight version). These are very much a parallel to a Defender, the Jeep is more fun baised and sports utility while the Defender is more agricultural and utilitarian based.
 
The Jeep can be put in 2wd if you want to tow it (manual ones).
 
Main differences with a Wrangler are the availability of an auto and most are 4.0 litre petrol engines.
 
But as said, very similar to a 90:
 
Defender 90 = 92.9" wheelbase
Wrangler = 93.1" wheelbase
 
Almost identical width and length and live axles front and rear.
 
A YJ uses leaf springs though. The latter TJ (round headlights) has coils but might only just be in budget.
 
 
Lastly I'd also look at G-Wagens. Again these hold their money very well. Quite slow compared to even a Landy (depending on which engine) but have an equal military background and off road ability. Available in SWB and LWB.
 
They also come with lockers front and rear as standard, so are extremely capable out of the box. Only thing is you are far less likely to find modified ones and the aftermarket is much smaller and pricer as a result.

[NEAM]

Defender a day long, hold the value too

[JVaughan]

If you want to check out a Jimny for offroading, Im on the edge of Salisbury Plain, we go out most weekends.. Jimny is mildly fettled, but with the standard 1.3 .. Total cost of the vehicle, and all offroad Mods .. £3500.

next month im adding 33's with a rock crawler transfer box for £500

Out of all our offroading friends (Disco, Defender,Cherokee were the only ones that donot get wet when we go deep !!... still with the origional carpets in

Edited by JVaughan on Tuesday 29th March 21:09

[Lefty]

Unimog!




http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-Benz-Unimog-404-4WD...

I bought a load of parts from this seller and he knows the s404 inside out. I would imagine this is a very well sorted machine. They're great fun to drive and incredibly capable offroad.

[NEAM]

Have you chosen one yet?

[welshsurferdude]

I have a defender 3.5 v8 with all the toys on a 1986 reg if you are interested for 3900? winch, roll cage, big massive chunky tyres, all the armour underneath inc tree sliders,
a lovely V8 roar with auto box.
Drivers door has seen better days and PAS box has play/leak so needs replacing! and Paint is sratched from laning :-) but solid bulkhead and chassis :-D

give me a buzz if you are interested.