alloy

Can you suggest a competent offraoder for under 5k if possible?
Has any one seen a good defender for sale with all the off roading toys, i'm talking winches, high lift kit, snorkel etc.

Brendan Hughes

I thought defenders hold their value. Better to get something unfashionable - Daihatsu etc? Also don't forget pickups.

VDubGav

Suzuki SJ410

Brendan Hughes

If he's desperate for a "I do the Camel Trophy at the weekends" snorkel, it'll look bloody silly on a Rhino, IIRC they're petrol engined. Be about as appropriate as a scooby scoop on a 911.

alloy

I don't want any "Look" i want to be able to go anywhere and everywhere! And it'll have to be diesel!

Dracoro

Jeep (diesel?) cherokee.
Landcruiser of some sort.

Think you're looking at toyota, land rover or jeep. They're the only ones that really go off road.

*Jen*

Toyota's are ...er... 'interesting' off road generally, unless really tricked up.

You're unlikley to get a good defender (even without the toys) for near £5k, and a snorkle is essential for off-roading anywhere near water - petrols can cope with alot with the right preparation, so don't discount them. Our own off road beast is a Range Rover V8 which has been Bobtailed (shortened), very, very capable and you'll get a fantstic vehicle for £5k. The defenders are good, but many of the competition vehicles are now Range Rovers, the 100" wheel base is usually considered the best compromise for everything you need off road (and they're cheaper!).

Still, if it's defender you want, check out some of the off-road bulletin boards, my personal favourite being: http://forums.lr4x4.com/ or scour autotrader for people who don't know what they're vehicle is worth. 200Tdi and 300Tdi better than the N/A, both on road and off, but again, more expensive.

Jen
your very own LANTRA Trained, Range Rover V8, Camel Trophy 110 , Series 2A and Scooby Owner

nd17

my last car was a 92 hi lux they're alright off road, i didnt go ott with all winches etc but it could handle a fair bit of rough stuff on Dartmoor, would go with a 3.0 petrol rather than a 2,4 diesel next time though as it seemed a bit underpowered for the weight of the car u could pick up a decent one for around 4k and spend the rest on some recovery kit and some BFgoodrich AT/MT tyres

NeilA

Don't forget Discoveries. Friend has one that has gone places I didn't believe! He does have oversize tyres, +2" suspension etc, but to be honest still fairly standard. Only problem area is the rear overhang - as Jen said, bobtailing would sort that, but with a decent tank guard, it isn't too bad. As per every other comment, Defenders are far more expensive than other LR products - don't get it myself - Range Rover (or Disco)+ a bit of work will match all but the most extreme Defender, yet is far nicer to drive round the rest of the time!

Neil

A few RRs, 109 Safari & Sandringham 6

*Jen*

Ahhhhhh, of course - How could I forget Discos The most underrated Landy and 100" Wheelbase again. My first ever offroader and I loved it, appart from the rear overhang I'd follow most Defenders anywhere Some excellent prices and all the comforts of a car (if you get the right one). Just look out for leaking alpine lights and wet rear carpets. The rear floors are a bugger to replace

With the tank gaurd as Neil suggested, you'll slide over most things

I loved my Disco.

polarbearit

An inlaw who has a small holding (with no proper road to his house!) on the orkney's loves his Izuzu Bighorn (aka Trooper), having swapped his defender for one earlier in the year. Its diesel and apparently less economical than the defender diesel was, but more reliable and fine off road and more of a car than the landie...

prodriva

For an extra £1.5k you could have a proper off-roader like this http://www.tomcatmotorsport.co.uk/forsale/advert_5.html

Brendan Hughes

Cor that's cute. But not road legal?

prodriva

Just needs some lights front and rear!!! Most of the ones they do are registered for the road, only the hard core ones arent!!!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Drove a Discovery on an off road course and it amazed me with what it could do, drove a Defender SWB round and it was even better.

JackClark

My Defender - 90 Canvas Roof N/A Diesel - was £4500, that was the beginning of summer so the price was probably up a bit then. I've done nothing to it other than a few recovery points and a can of spray for the gay white wheels. It goes most places but gets stuck when you really push it.

Pauleds2

3.0 Toyota Hilux Surf mate.

They are totally reliable,quick, loads of torque, auto box makes them ultra smooth and fantastic for towing, really cheap parts from Milner off road, mega high spec, look great, very very capable off road too.
I have one, i spent a long time weighing up which 4 x 4 to buy and test drove Discos(which were terrible compared to the Surf), and all sorts of 4 x 4's.

Literally NO CONTEST.
http://www.yotasurf.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Loads for under 5K

Seriously mate just don't even consider anything else,other Scoobynetters have discovered them and love them.

Paul.

JackClark

My friend in the US has a Surf, always in the garage, it's a V6 not a diesel.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Forget that lot...Buy an old classic mechanically sound (i.e not off roaded )Range Rover.

Get an angle grinder, remove body (or just the rear section) and chop off the rear overhang. weld back the rear x-member, replace rear body (modyfiying to suit) Put a series Landy fuel tank in whats left of the boot. And you'll have the perfect off roader with all the comfort and luxuary of a Rangie...especially if it's a diesel (v8's don't like the water )

dpb

bowler wildcat.!!! .....5k deposit, right.?.........

KiwiGTI

Toyota Hilux (Surf, 4Runner etc) - No contest. The reliability is second to none and Toyotas are what the majority of people drive in the worlds most inhospitable places.

Big Daz

Cant believe no one has mentioned the Shogun yet. Very good off road & more than acceptable on road too. (better with 2 sets of wheels, road/mud tyres)
2.8 diesel has plenty of torque and the advantage of chain rather than belt drive. Should be able to pick up a 98 on blister arch stlye for about 5K now

Daz

*Jen*

Well if it's an onroad off roader then Toyota's are ok, I've driven and seen them off road, as well as the Nissan's etc. and there is no contest, the Landy in the right hands will walk all over them - it's all to do with articulation, control etc.

lol! We're doing this at the moment, sounds so simple but you alway discover 101 jobs along the way. Still, it's lookin' good now! We've kept the original tank though, but then ours is a pickup.

Tomcats are fantastic, but racers. I'd love one, even with the 1" gaps in the body work and no leg room

marcymarc555

Shogun Pinin , crap if you paid top bucks from new but now an amazing value second hand 4x4 . 5k will get you a 2002 if you scan hard , plus they are the best in their class in the off road department.

prodriva

The majority of them certainly are. Did you see their red and yellow demo car with the TVR 5ltr in it? I took my Dad up to see them at their premises and they took him out for a spin albeit on the roads. Four wheel drifting round the roundabouts and blasting down their access road with speed humps along it and you could hardly feel them the suspension was so good. If you want an off-roader for pucka off-roading then theirs no comparison really (well, apart from a Bowler but they're stupid money) a second had Tomcat is the way forward when considering the price.

*Jen*

Noooo.... but Mm, 5ltr TVR - I think I've managed to get my hands on one of them for the series IIA I'm building, but then it's no standard IIA

Sounds like a lovely vehicle I got woken up by a 3.9ltr one burrbling outside the window for a trip to work the other day. Cool

Still a few limitations for me, but then I guess you build them to what you want to use them for. I'm a fussy bugger

Avi

The off road club who use the old coal slag heaps and rooks near us, all have toyota 4runners /surfs.. there's a few little suzuki's there too.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Can't knock the Suzukis

One important thing about off roading is to have a vehicle you don't give a sh*t about as if your seriously into it, your chassis will fill up with mud and rapidly rust through from the inside out, and you'll have more dents and scratches than a car left in a supermarket carpark for 30years ( ). Basic electrics and electrionics are needed so you can jet wash the inhterior. It also has to have cheap parts, which does rules out alot of vehicles.

*Jen*

lol! Spot on.. but these will soon be known as 'character'