4x4

[griff66]

thinking of buying a 4 wheel drive vehicle for winter up to about 2 grand have been looking at swb shoguns and similar ,dont really want a 4 wheel drive car ,any thoughts advice much appreciated.

[mogmaner]

Do a web serch for isuzu trooper owners club uk this site will anser most questions you are likly to ask .3.1 seem ok not as frugal as 2.8 but 100% MORE reliable than 3.0 engine.3.1 shares body with 3.0 ,have run both 2.8 and 3.0 had no conplants on quality of build ,just 3.0 engine reliabilty these are still been replased under waranty dispite last ones been built in 2002.

[griff66]

are all bighorns imports?

[mogmaner]

Not sure try ringing im group in brum, they are the isuzu importers ,found them to be very helpfull ,there number was 01215222000 last time i had to ring .

[griff66]

ta very much

[Tony B]

You can quite easily stick a 2.8 Isuzui in a Range Rover. Bit of efort with a grinder on the bell housing to get the startwer in. And Boy do they go. Best of all worlds.

[mattnorc]

We have a freelander commercial for sale? 52 plate, lots of miles but well looked after, alloys dark green metallic, about the price your looking at, in Bradford west yorks???

[griff66]

bit far for me ta.

[mattnorc]

Doh, Sorry didnt see your location!!!!

[Rover8FFR]

Last Christmas we bought this little gem. 3.9i V8 Discovery with history and 69,000 miles.

 

Walked through it's MOT and has only had a new battery fitted in 12 months. Fuel consumption is the only bad point, but it is the towing machine for everything.

 

Cost a snip over a grand a year ago, so they are out there. a few hundred quid more for the 300Tdi as they are more economical so a 2K budget would buy you a younger one or a better one.

 

However if you want something to retain it's money better, then a Defender with a sound chassis and bulkhead would be a real work horse for you.

 

Tony B is quite right though as pound for pound the cheapest and best 4x4 you can buy is a Range Rover Classic. Had one of those to and loved it.

[Tony B]

A Disco is NOT a Range Rover! Despite what Land Rover say. Have to admit though despite my grumbling my 200TDI hasn't let me down over the last ten days.

[Rover8FFR]

A Disco is NOT a Range Rover! Despite what Land Rover say. Have to admit though despite my grumbling my 200TDI hasn't let me down over the last ten days.

 

Not quite but they do share the same 100 inch chassis and 'A' Pillars/ Windscreen arrangement as a Land Rover Classic! Thats why early 200Tdi Discoveries had Range Rover Classic wing mirrors as well.

[Sean N]

I've never been that impressed with the Japanese 4x4s - they always seem very thirsty and expensive to run, except for the Isuzus and the old Daihatsu Fourtraks. Discoveries never had that great a reputation, but that does mean you can buy a perfectly competent and quite tidy vehicle for not a lot of money.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Sean N
Grocer's apostrophe

[Degsy]

The perfect vehicle has not been made yet, but some are better than others. We use three different 4x4's as well as quad bikes, tractors and wheeled and tracked plant. One of the big problems with the earlier Jap 4x4's was rust which is why you won't see that many earlier ones around. Daihatsu's had a good strong chassis and engine but gearbox/transfer box was a bit suspect. The earlier Isuzus's were very lightly built and had a habit of breaking axle u bolts, particularly on the rear axle and were generally not up to serious work, the 3 litre engine as has been said is a complete disaster. One point that hasn't been made is the choice of tyres, the difference that the latest type of snow tyres make is tremendous.

As well as the 4x4's we use a Clio van which with conventional tyres is less than useless but we have recently fitted a pair of the latest type of snow tyres which have transformed the vehicle.

[griff66]

3.1swb isuzu bighorn irmsher! just done coolant and thermostat change now it has a heater!

[Tony B]

Nice!! Isuzui are very helpful if you phone them with an intelligent question. Acording to the forcast, you've about two days to wait before you get to try it out.

[mogmaner]

Nice tidy moter ,one for you to check is the actuator on the front axel this engages the front drive they can stick through lack of youse, have fun .

[griff66]

cheers do u mean the auto lock hubs? also when cleaning up interior found 60 quids worth of snap on tools ! getting good a t dealing with cooling system problems!

Edited December 12, 2010 by griff66

[mogmaner]

No there a actuator near the dif ,on the3.0l it was a vac unit ,it engages a dog clutch in the axel .if yours has auto free wheel it may not be fitted.