Nev Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Yep going for the diesel Rubicon 2 door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Nice, the best Jeep you can buy IMHO. They come with the uprated Dana diffs, I'd avoid the diesel based on experience and hit the petrol, but that is just me. It also has the dis-connectable front sway bar, wicked if you hit ugly stuff. In all, a VERY capable offroader. Enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Please dont buy a number plate that says Jeep or Rubicon..PMSL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liv Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Sorry to hijack the thread but I need some advice. Currently (until tomorrow when the new owner is fetching it) I own a 2000 KB280 2X4 double cab.... I would love to replace it with something similar in Aus when we arrive in April. I would like to get a double cab for the space and practicality... the kb280 was incredibly fuel efficient... any utes I need to be looking at? Unfortunately I don't have a big budget (realistically around 7000-12000)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Personally im buying a jeep in a bit which is not high on the list so i know im gonna pay an arm and leg on maintenance so you can buy whatever you want but if you on a budget here are a few tips:Your biggest brands in Auz are Ford, Holden & Toyota so going with one of those will get you the biggest dealer network and generally a lower cost of ownership due to more competition, from the main page of the below site just hit search and see on the left how many cars from the various suppliers are available, that is a quick way of figuring out what is a good buy in this market.http://www.carsales.com.au/Looking at the isuzu numbers that probably wouldn't be a cost effective car / ute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I would say go for a Toyota or Ford, 4x2. Make sure you go under the car and check for leaks of any kind. Remember its your money. They are also among the easiest to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liv Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Has anyone owned or know anything about the Holden Rodeo? Seems like very good value for money.... just a little sceptical why it's so much cheaper... It kind of looks like an Isuzu too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OubaasDik Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) Has anyone owned or know anything about the Holden Rodeo? Seems like very good value for money.... just a little sceptical why it's so much cheaper... It kind of looks like an Isuzu tooThe older ones, say from around 2002 were Isuzus or were built to look like them ... lolIsuzu as Isuzu is comparatively new here - or at least I never saw any Isuzus until a few years ago - I'm not talking bigger trucks, but utes. Edited February 20, 2014 by OubaasDik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Has anyone owned or know anything about the Holden Rodeo? Seems like very good value for money.... just a little sceptical why it's so much cheaper... It kind of looks like an Isuzu tooIn terms of older ones, I believe they are cheaper for a reason. Are you talking about the new one or older ones? I definitely agree with surfer man on the Ford and Toyota thing, those are the two best Ute options if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liv Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I was looking at 2003-2006 models.... I have a budget and I'm just looking for the best deal within that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalahariHarry Posted March 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2014 @hansa,You seem to be switched on about cars/engines and the like.Please explain the dynamics/benefits of, and reasons for using LPG gas.Looking at 4x4's and loving the idea of a 1997 (80 series) or 1998-2003 (100/105 series) land cruiser 4.2 Diesel.But would love to know more about the fuel and availability, are the conversions due to a cost benefit?trev 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hi there Trev,I am a bit of a wannabe on 4x4s... LPG is a common method to reduce fuel consumption. But you give up a fair bit in performance. People often make the mistake of thinking LPG saves money, well...it does, but not as much as you would think. The cost of an LPG conversion and the fuel saving means you need to drive millions of KM to break even/get benefit.I humbly suggest you get a 105 Cruiser (they have live axles in front, the 100's mostly came with IFS) 4.2, upgrade the exhaust, chip it, and bolt on a turbo if you need oodles of power. It will run forever man. LPG uses up a lot of under body space and I hate the idea of driving through heavy terrain with what amounts to a bomb strapped to my nether regions... I'm not knocking the LPG guys nor do I have a beef :boxing:with them.My Touareg is about paid up, and I will now be doing some mods to it. I will add a spacer and lift kit, under body steel armour plating and I will chip the engine to give me another 20 or so KW of power. (Take me to around 200kW)She runs like a dream, has all the luxury in the world, and is as tough as nails. (The gearbox and drivetrain are rated to handle the massive 5 litre, twin turbo V10 output, which is 230Kw/750Nm) It is one of the toughest in the world, along with the previous Gen Patrol.If you want the bush/beach, go for the 105. The 100 with IFS has a bit less wheel articulation, but that is nothing unless you are taking on the Dakar. So, 105=extreme offroad, loss of comfortable ride, not so good manners if you are driving hard in the wet... 100=more comfort, better handling, very good offroad and far superior around corners etc and the wet. that said, you cannot compare it to the Hiluxes of the Nineties for eg.Nor would I compare it to my Touareg, as it has a Porsche under body. (Porsche and Touareg are 85% identical) and it handles as close to a sportscar on stilts as you can get. To give you an idea, I raced a Cruiser 200 with the twin turbo V8 with the KDSS fitted, through a certain road somewhere in Perth... The best he could do, which was good, was 50km/h through the roundabouts/corners. If that was a 100/105, it would have ended up on the roof. I overtook him and went through the next roundabout at 67km/h, with the traction control off. It does not sound like much, but that is massive. He could not match me, not even close.That same VW does weekends on the beach, school run, bush etc.So, if you want the best 100/105, go for the 4.2, and do the following:1: Fit two extra inline fuel filters. Just trust me on this one, :censored: fuel will be your No.1 enemy. Add them under the bonnet for easy visual monitoring.2: Exhaust - go for a performance one3: Add ARB lockers if you don't already have them fitted. Usually centre and rear is enough to conquer Everest....go for a front one if you climb cliffs on Fridays... 4: Snorkel. Just do it.5: Steel under body armour. Cheaper than a smashed diff or gearbox. Funny that...This is what I had in mind... pics courtesy of Alex gee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 @hansa,You seem to be switched on about cars/engines and the like.Please explain the dynamics/benefits of, and reasons for using LPG gas.Looking at 4x4's and loving the idea of a 1997 (80 series) or 1998-2003 (100/105 series) land cruiser 4.2 Diesel.But would love to know more about the fuel and availability, are the conversions due to a cost benefit?trevOn the technical aspects of LPG I'm probably not the man you're after but I did have some real world experience with converting my Ford Falcon. It made some sense at the time (about 4 years ago) because the price of LPG was significantly lower and there was a decent rebate from the government which meant converting it was just about free. I certainly did find that I lost performance, not that it mattered that much to me. The LPG fuel tank range was only about 300km, meaning if you wanted to take advantage of the cost savings, you had to fill up twice, three times as often as usual. The plus here was that if the LPG ran empty, I just switched to petrol, giving me a combined range of about 1000km depending on driving conditions. The other negative was the LPG tank - it took up a bit of room in the boot. Would I do it again? Probably not because the rebate is less (or gone?) meaning it costs more to convert. LPG pieces have also gone up, reducing the saving. Now I just drive a diesel! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hi Hansa,You are bang on it mate. better to drive a stock car with some small power mods than do a whole LPG conversion. What do you drive now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Perhaps you guys need to go and test drive one if the new Ford Falcon 4 litre dedicated LPG, you would be amazed at what they have done to get the performance that they now have. I drove a Ford Sierre XR8 some years ago and this new engine could easily out perform that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hi again Trev,Another thing to consider is the list of accessories. As a general rule of thumb, the more there are, the better. In my case most Treg (nickname for Touareg) owners dont even touch the raw ability of the car for fear of putting a ding in the old girl. Me, outside of big damage use the car to the max all the time. So aftermarket parts are rare, and most times us owners just make our own parts.You will have a lifetime of fun in a 100/105, and she will run sweetly provided you change her oil and filters often (every 5000km) and service her with Toyota parts. If you learn to do the service yourself, even better. They are about as bulletproof as you can get in a car. Now that my Treg is about paid up, Im happy to drop say 10 grand on her over a year doing her up a bit. Ill also add a Hayman Reese offroad Tow Package. (It links into the cars central data bus network, and feeds trailer behaviour on the OBC for management of braking, wheel sensing etc)I had DVD players in the rear head rests for the kids, with a gaming centre when I bought the car, but have ripped them out. I will get another set, and link them up to the car later. My next project is to add a wifi router to the car so that we can run a network for all the gadgets.Hi Mara,Yes they done compression enhancements and EMS updates, to handle knocking issues. The cam has also been advanced. The power is okay, as you say, a huge improvement on the old model. But if you want to feel what a REALLy well tuned engine feels like, please pop into your nearest VW and Porsche dealer. There is a special feel to the Cayenne Turbo and Touareg V10. You get that silly smile on your face that nothing can wipe off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Hey Mara and gang,Take a look at this video. It still gives me goosebumps 11 years on. Im tempted to make this the next car in the driveway...(thinks about how to get past mommy..) And some more car porn...lol And here Edited March 23, 2014 by SurferMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hi Hansa,You are bang on it mate. better to drive a stock car with some small power mods than do a whole LPG conversion. What do you drive now?A Santa Fe. Love it No off roading really at the money, just camping holidays with a trailer and some very easy dirt. Am starting to think about the replacement which will maybe be used off road more. Isuzu MU-X looks interesting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Hi Hansa,They are highly underrated. The motor is a gem. I happen to like its looks also, a handsome car. The Treg is an acquired taste, but I love its look, as do I the Cayenne. They will be my first loves forever. There is no car out there that is as good all round, on so many fronts. yes there are bigger, faster, more powerful ones, but as a family car, weekend warrior, beach driver, school run, moms taxi, etx, there is simply nothing to touch it. I will have a gander at the MU-X..I had a look at the MU-X it is okay. It has 4x2, 4x4 High and Low. It does not have a diff lock, but that is not that type of cars role. You have a good selection there methinks. The power output would not be to my taste, it's too low. It looks from the graph to be 130Kw/380Nm. not too shabby but waay down compared to the VW 176/550Nm or 180/650Nm. or the mighty V10 - 230Kw/750Nm. Sorry I love ponies under the hood. Makes offroading a breeze, esp. in WA, where the beach sand is some of the worst I have ever driven on. Period. Lots of power means an easier drive. You are going to miss ya "Fe" mate....I cant wait to start modification to my Treg... Edited March 23, 2014 by SurferMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I must admit the only thing I'm not keen on with the Isuzu the power. The Fe is 145kw/436nm which has been fantastic - given that it's only a 2.2! I'm not sure I want to go down in power. Although sometimes the numbers on the catalogue don't translate into real world so I'm keen to have a drive and see. The only other thing that puts me off is the service intervals being 6 months/7500km.I've gotten quite used to 12m/15,000km! The Taureg is a beast! I'd love to drive one but I'm not that rich, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 PMSl. You can get a good 2nd hand Treg for a decent price my mate. I would also not go down on power. Sorry, I just cannot do that. Take a V6 Treg for a spin bro, and feel how clean power is delivered, I agree with you, that Isuzu motor does not impress, the Fe is my choice if i were buying those car types. Give it a go mate, you owe it to yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalahariHarry Posted March 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 @surfer/HansaGreat feedback thx guys. I am in between the land cruiser 4.2/Prado and pajero, will have to see how the finances look when i arrive.Remember we will buy a small car runaround for mommy, and the 4x4 will be a weekend/touring toy. That's the plan anyway.I do love the way the Treg looks with the belly plates and tyres. I have driven the V10 and V6 and I love the Treg, but also figure it to be pricey, may have to look at that too.With regards to LPG, I understand i don't want an LPG tank strapped to my belly when 4x4'ing, but if you find a nice van and it has the conversion already, would you say consider it or not?Trev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hey Trev,Your combo is what most us blokes want. The Treg is pricey, I will concede that, having been an owner of them for years, But man alive it is an awesome all rounder, totally ass kicking off road. One of my fav tricks is to take on a stock Patrol or Cruiser, and wipe the floor. (disclaimer, good drivers make good offroaders!!! Good offroaders do NOT make good drivers..) PS, the Treg has a higher stock ground clearance than the 100 Cruiser....Steel suspension. Air is even better.In your case mate, the 105/100 is the best option. You said it needs to be the touring toy, will it be used in the week? if so, get the 100. 4.2 Turbo diesel. If she is going to be almost pure offroad on the weekend, go the 105. I drive a Treg cos its my dream car, (I can go to a Cayenne, but the price scares me..) i have owned about 1/2 dozen Pajeros, and given the choice between a 100 Cruiser and a Paj, easily take the Cruiser. (The Paj has superior IS all round, launched in 2000..) If you have no kids, go the shorty, (SWB) awesome offroad. With kids (long wheel base) , it will drag its ass like a dog with worms without a lift kit. They are very expensive to service, but good cars.You wont kill the chassis. The petrol is an alcoholic. Dont buy a paj without a rear diff lock. (trick, if youre in the crap in deep sand, the traction control disengages at 6500rpm...it saves me once from an incoming tide, knowing that) If you want the best paj, buy the 2002 or earlier, PRE TRACTION CONTROL (TC). The ones with the trapezoid fog lights. they are awesome, the ones after with oval fog lights and the little gills for air, AVOID.They are Gen 1 TC cars, and shyt.On your last question around an already converted LPG, simple answr, no mate. Its shyt, poor performance and you give up too much space. Then there is the little issue of gas servicing....you need to have it done every now and then to ensure your insurance stays valid...In the immortal words of Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi...."Best way to avoid punch, no be there." I wouldnt ever buy an LPG car. Simple math says no.Like Hansa said, the rebates are all but gone, as are the tax benefits. Dis n :censored: idee! :jester: Cheer my boet, when do you land? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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