Why did you buy your 4wd?

[JCOJ]

I always wanted a Jeep Wrangler so in 2004 we bought one and loved it!!



Then when we found out the second kid was coming we had to upgrade and we heard that the 4 door Wrangler in Rubicon spec was coming out - I was the first in Aust to order - 6 months before they even landed in the country!!!



The arrival of the new camper trailer meant a new towing vehicle so after many hours research the Pajero fit the bill perfectly!!

[stevo68]

Back in 98 I had brochures etc for a LR Disco...ended up getting a new merc sedan instead. In 2004 I bought a new Territory with 7 seats and it got me thinking about getting more offroad/ camping etc. I knew it wouldnt fit the bill so started looking around. It was at this stage that the D3 came out and was smitten. To be honest have never been a fan of anything japanese sedan or 4WD........but gave all the other brands a look in but kept coming back to the D3. So my first 4wd was an 05 V8 HSE and I loved it. Nothing like taking a $100k+ vehicle off road and through lantana, mud, rocky tracks etc. People thought I was mad...but hey that is what it was built for. As you can see we were very close 





But circumstances changed and I had to sell it at 100,000kms.....though it is still in the family. From owning that car, being on a landy forum and in a LR based I could only get another LR. I then bought an 03 Disco TD5 with 89000kms called Smokey...it has now done 165k, countless trips and adventures.







To be honest, couldnt see myself in anything else but a landy.....it really is a LR thing  . Down the track, Smokey will most likely get handed down to one of the kids and I will look to another D3/D4,

Regards

Stevo

[toad]

To be honest, couldnt see myself in anything else but a landy.....it really is a LR thing  .
Regards

Stevo

 Sounds like you have a terrible addiction. Not related to Matthew Newton by any chance? >:

[Pipeliner]

Looks familiar - is that at Levuka?

[rabmail]

Started out in the 60's in early Land Rovers and spent some time in the Simpson Desert in one, skinny tyres and all.  Then the Toyota Land Cruisers arrived and each model got better and better.  Now have an HDJ78 Troopy Carrier which is probably my last bush vehicle, I will wear out before it does.

Dick

[Pebble]

Here is our latest addition.
Having 2 kids means we need 4 doors to all go camping etc and a 4x4 to get to all the good places.
We did look at dual cabs (would have probably gone for a Mazda BT50 or something similar) but since my Husband informed me we were likely to tow a trailer anyway (yes my ideals of camping don't always match reality) we ended up gong for a more "fun" option. Besides I know going from a cruiser ute he would probably never be entirely happy with a dual cab anyway. I think he actually likes the new car, as much as a Landcruiser man can like anything non Landcrusier anyway!

So we've gone from this



to this



Rubicon would have been nice but going with the Sport means we can afford a few of the extra goodies (snorkel etc) sooner. And besides we're never as hardcore as we'd like to think we are  

It seems a little ridiculous that you can sell a 5yr old cruiser and buy a brand new wrangler straight out though!

[AKB]

Nice one Pebble

[D4D]

I have a thing about the letter P

Pajero NL 1998-2001 (learnt to 4wd)
Patrol GQ 2005-2009 (weekend warrior)
Prado 120 2008-Present (tourer and soon to be baby transporter)

Between 2001 & 2008 I had a midlife crisis and owned several Audis

I can't decide what's next, maybe a 200 TD or an R32

[AKB]

Porsche begins with P

[Duchess]

This thread has been a great read! Reading it, I've felt like I'm sitting round the campfire listening to all your stories.

Whilst there hasn't been a 4by in our family for about 10 years now, prior to the Chev we were Toyota people with a 45 series and then a 65 series once the kid came along. We went 4wding on Fraser Island as part of our honeymoon after getting married and one of our first dates was Mark teaching me how to 4wd at Boat Harbour, near Kurnell!

With the 65 series getting on in age, along with my desire to have a ute to cart horses and horse feed around we started to look for another car. The Chev had been my dream car and I couldn't see the need for a 4wd as we weren't needing one any longer, living in town and not out on black dirt, it just seemed to be unnecessary to have that extra running gear of a 4wd. As one of my mates has said to me, he reckons I've got that Chevy into places that he'd not thought I get it in to anyway! So, for the past 10 years the Chevy has done the job for us.

More recently, I bought the CT and with a newly reignited desire to see some more of this country that a 2wd just can't get me to, I went on the hunt for another car and this time on the list of what I wanted was included 4wd capability. I ended up with a Hilux and I'm looking forward to getting back into 4wding again.

[Silvo]

i've owned nissans for most of my 4wds, starting with a Shorty MK, then Shorty GQ (maverick), then a 4.8 GU fuel guzzler to a Navara D40. in the end, one VERY uncomfortable trip back from Taree and a time when the wife blinked slowly and i was signing papers for the Prado. love this thing, and i've done so much more to it than previous 4wd's.

Nissan didn't do the 4.2 and there was no way in hell i was buying the 3ltr, plus the interior is outdated now. Those things till come with a tape player for christ's sake.

http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=5109.msg73169#msg73169

Dan

[udderchaos]

well list goes like this

currently
4.5 gu patrol on lpg. love the thing except for filling it up all the time.
i cant see myself getting rid of this for a long while.its just ticked over 120,000ks.
i really wanted a diesel, but we don't go anywhere i cant get lpg so it got the nod. and with the $15,000 saving on an equivelent 4.2L im very very happy.
I wouldnt touch a zd30 either, however a very good friend who repairs/supplys heads for nissan and toyota here tells me hes now doing more 1kz prado/hilux heads than nissans

before that
90 series prado in petrol form. 2" lift and 265/75 bfg MT's
was alright but the interior just kept falling to bits??

also had a variety of modified subarus (mainly L series with body lifts) which where good fun but fairly limited in what they can do.

wifes had several foresters as well which i wouldnt call a 4x4 but they have been suprising at where they will get. brilliant "dirt/gravel road" car though

[Moto Moto]

Originally had a 98 extra cab hilux 3.0L with a turbo glide strapped on. Sold it with 300,000km on it, never missed a beat.

Great car but when my wife fell pregnant with our first i went looking for an affordable dual cab, and purchased a D22 Navara. At the time i knew nothing about baby/child seats and it wasn't until the baby arrived that we realised there was no child anchor points
No matter we got an after market anchor point fitted, but then realised the D22 dual cab really has no room for  rear facing baby seats behind the driver or passanger, only in the middle. Pity because it was a good car, but it had to double as my work vehicle and family car.

So when baby number two arrived, i when looking for a 4wd wagon. I really wanted a diesel Prado or 100 series or 4.2 GU, but at the time couldn't find a good second hand one on the market, and they were all out of reach in terms of price.

In the end found an 06 GU IV 3.0L Patrol with 30,000km on the clock and less than two years old for a great price (about 20K less than the other models with over 100,00km). It came with alloy bar, window tint, towbar and spotties! Have added UHF, Thumper battery pack, BFG ATs. Often read/hear about reliability issues but i absolutely love the GU and hope the later model ZD30 will last.

It has been great for us so far, very comfortable on long trips and heaps of room for the kids, their stuff, car fridge etc. Tows the Jayco Hawk well but wouldn't want to tow any heavier. Just want a steel bullbar and suspension upgrade and it will be perfect for all our holiday needs 

[Moto Moto]

Progression Photos from previous post.

Hilux when using tents

Then Navara and Cavalier Soft Floor

Then Patrol and Jayco Hawk

[aldo]

I have a GU 4.2 wagon.

After coming from a much loved Troopy I wanted a live axle vehicle with a 6 cylinder diesel. I'm old fashioned but I guess that will have to chnage eventually as I have nothing else to go to. I reckon it will be another Troopy though. Nothing wrong with the Nissan just that for such a big vehicle it could do with a bit more room I reckon.

I am a tinkerer, just can't help myself, so when it comes time for a highly strung 4 cylinder turbo that I won't be able to do a thing on except change the oil I'll have to start eyeing off the mower and whipper snipper for twirling the spanners. Should be the same level of sophistication I am currently used to

[chisel]

I originally got a 2001 (R50) Pathfinder, brand spankers, to get into beach fishing as I had been out with mates a couple of times and knew that's what I wanted to do.  I was single so could have gone with something smaller but I wanted a bit of size for camping gear and I wanted low-range.  The patfhinder kept me going for about 7 years until I realised I needed something a bit larger - and to be honest I wasn't liking the pathy that much anymore.  The suspension lift that I got meant it was very harsh around town and nvh levels were generally creeping up.  Anyway, with wife and 2 young kids at this stage and a desire to be able to camp without a trailer I had to get something bigger.  Short list was Prado, Pajero and 100 series.  The 200 was just new and a little expensive as well as unknown.  I had heard too many bad things about the R51 Pathfinder so it was never in the hunt.  The Prado and Pajero eventually fell off the list due to size but not before I came very close to buying a 2005 DiD Pajero.  The noisy donk held me back from the deal.

So in the end it was basically a 100 series V8 or TD.  Over 5 years my cost predictions looked very similar for the two but the TD was obviously going to have considerable extra range and I didn't like the prospect of pouring money into the petrol tank of the V8 (even though I had factored that into my estimations I figured it was going to bug me every time I pulled my wallet out).
So I got my 2006 100 TD in 2008.  It has been great.  I love the fact that, even though I probably won't buy many, every aftermarket accessory known to man is readily available for the 100.  I love the fact I can put a big roof rack on it with heaps of gear (Prado roof size and weight limit were an issue) and I love the fact that for such a big, capable 4wd it is both comfortable and economical to drive.  My wife has no problem using it as a daily driver around the city.  One day I will probably love the fact that it can effortlessly tow a large camper trailer .... now I just have to go and buy that camper ... :-)
Oh and I also love the fact that the 100 has held it's value amazingly well (worth as much now as when I bought it).  Gotta thank Toyota for bumping up the price on the 200 for that one!!

[oldblade]

Because of the supercharger
I love it

[MattNQ]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.........well..actually about 10 years ago, I bought a ’98 4.5l Patrol. Why? because….

1.   It wasn’t a Toyota 
2.   It wasn’t a diesel 

Ok, that was just to stir up 75% of readers.  There was actually a little more substance to the decision at the time.

Why a petrol?
Bought it from a dealer when it was 2 years old. Petrol prices were staring to skyrocket. Dealer had knocked $10k of the price because nobody wanted a petrol.
So, jumping out of a V8 Torana, the Patrol 4.5 was cheaper to register, similar fuel economy, more room for the impending invasion of anklebiters, and $10,000 cheaper than the 2.8 diesel boat anchor alternative.
The only mechanical failures I have had in 10 years – 1 x starter motor and 1x power steering belt.
While the 4.5L will easily get the Mickey's spinning on the bitumen, more power would be nice. Supercharger & exhaust are on my wish list, but unfortunately don't seem to be on my wife's wish list. Have to work on that...!

Why a Nissan?
 I started with no real bias (except against the Ford Exploder perhaps) For work I have had enjoyed the opportunity of gallivanting off-road across Qld with various 4wd’s - troopies, 80 series, 100series, Patrols (GQ & GU) Pajeros, Rollux, even an Xtrail.  We even took a Commodore wagon to Doomadgee the back way via Lawn Hill Station


My ”field trials” concluded that Pajeros are huge fun on fast dirt, but bottom out a lot in low range stuff – so need good bash plates, unloaded Rolluxs will rattle your fillings out before even trying to fall over, 100 series felt like an overweight cow doing line dancing, and even  tried to throw me several times on the Riversleigh road while maintaining the speed I normally drove the GU at….!
Troopies are damn near unbreakable, but handled like a tractor, Xtrail was fun but flimsy. GU wagon was predictable, capable and a lot of fun when pushed to the limit, but the diesels were very, very, very pedestrian. Also drove a Prado – model at the time felt unstable like it was on bendy stilts. New ones with wider track would be better I imagine.
Only real faults with the 80 series were they were relatively expensive, and reminded me too much of work.

Short list ended up being Pajero, 80 series &  GU.  GU won out as the best overall package compromise of off-road ability, price, handling & load capacity.

My progression photos are not as impressive as some of the ones here as I have only ever owned two vehicles, but anyway, here they are….

Vehicle #1 Factory V8, original interior paint & stripes. No longer with us - unfortunately, as is the way of things....kids come and toys have to go. I would pay anything to get this one back now. I still live in the vain hope that no flannel clad bogans have put a flare kit on it on it....!


Vehicle #2 Unbreakable, reliable, and a lot of fun sideways in the dirt and mud. Wife says it is too 'trucky' and doesn't like driving it. I'll have to leave some Ford F650 brochures around.....


If I have inadvertently offended anyone or their vehicle  :'( then ..... . Feel better now?...

[udderchaos]

should have kept the torana. I should never have sold mine
i have the same patrol setup as you, except mines on lpg.

bonus torana pick attached

[fishfinder]

the reason why I got a 4wd is that cop cars look funny bogged to the axles 

[MattNQ]

should have kept the torana. I should never have sold mine
i have the same patrol setup as you, except mines on lpg.

bonus torana pick attached

Nice Torana. There are very few around now.  Glad there are more 4.5L  supporters around. It is a very under-rated motor. I constantly get people commenting about the fuel it chews, but I think that once you look at overall costs , including purchase price, fuel, maintenance costs/service intervals etc, it is better value for money.
Have you even tried the Hiclone on this motor? I've been meaning to try, but never got around to it.
I reckon if I even got a Series IV, I'd stick with the petrol.
The Saudis do some scary things to the 4.8's  - try googling ''1000bhp patrol"

[speewa158]

My 77 LX Torana 3 on the tree took me around Aus the first time . It went places that GMH feared & come back with a few more dints . Great car ,  wrong application     

[udderchaos]

dont bother with the hiclone.
extractors, exhaust and ecu will liberate a few horsies. the are fairly restricted in the exhaust department.

the way to real power with a 4.5 is with a turbo, however rods need to be changed to something stronger (and lower compression pistons if you want wind the boost up)

i sold my torana in 95 for $4000. being a slr its prob worth a lot more now.
I have a few friends who still have theres. one has a 77 LX SS hatchback 253, 80,000ks and all original with no rust (it come from alice springs)
its been parked in his shed for 15 years now.

[Sixtys Guy]

I started off with a 1991 2.6 petrol Ford Courier extra cab. I had it for two years and basically drove it into the ground. Then I bought a brand new 2000 V6 Holden Rodeo single cab. Was ok, but single cab wasn't much good for me. I then bought a HJ60 diesel Cruiser, mainly because that was the family transport when I was a kid. Still got it now and can't imagine selling it! I also have a 2006 Ford Courier 2.5TD dual cab for work and a FJ55 for tinkering. I wouldn't mind getting a 100 series or a 4.2TD GU (if I could ever find one LOL), but that can wait until the house is paid off in about 6 years. Until then I'll use the 60 and the Courier for my adventures.

[codycoaster]

Had a couple of HJ60s now. Can't seem to get my hands on the wonderful 12HT engine model, but one day. Maybe by the time I find one and can afford it, I'll be over the 60 and ready for something more comfortable, like a 70 Series!

JC