New member- looking for some advice!

[Mudslinger85]

Evening all,

I'm James, new to the forum and a complete newbie to the world of off roading, although have been interested and researching for a while.

I would definitely like to look for a 4x4 but have 2 different reasons for doing so. 

1, I would like a second car, something capable to deal with the snow that seems to be a fixture each year.  I also do a lot of shooting and outdoors stuff (survival camping, kayaking etc) and need something capable of dealing with the various off road situations I end up in.  I currently own a 330i m sport auto BMW which is possibly the worst car for the aforementioned driving conditions!

2, I would love to get into greenlaning and offroading.

I realise that the scenarios above are not neccesarily going to fit well together in a single motor! 

So, I would love your opinions on a cheapish (3k or less) 4x4 that could take a bit of a battering, has good load space (I'm 6ft3 so need a bit of leg and head room) and generally reliable without a huge amount of maintenance cost and work required. Good running costs would be helpful too. 

As you can see I don't want much!

Look forward to learning lots and (hopefully) getting out to see some mud slinging action!

Atb

James

   

[LandRoger]

Hi James, Wellcome to Mud/Club I also Shoot,Fish ,and camp out i presentlydrive a Defender 90 probably the best out there for the above pursuits i have also driven the Lanes for allmost 40yrs, considering your hieght i would reccomend a Discovery loads of space good on fuel easy to modify and reliable if basic servicing is adhered to,will go anywhere you need it too,drawbacks it has several spots that suffer the dreaded tin worm ,i would reccomend you take someone with you who knows the Disco and its faults, price should find a good one in the 2k /3k price bracket thats ready modified,but find someone on here that lives near you that can help out,i wish you well and look forward to seeing you on the Plain ATB Roger,

[Landy1uk]

Welcome

[Range Rover Blues]

I'd agree with the above.  You might get into DiscoII/TD5 territory for that budget or a nice 300 TDi Disco I facelift.  My personal favourite is the Range Rover Classic but you would be short of headroom and although the boot is just a bit longer the room is nowhere near as high on the RRC.

I'm away for a while but I might know the whereabouts of a sound Disco for sale if you don't find anything you like.  Just make sure it has a boot floor in it and the sills/doorposts are all present and correct.

[Saffy]

Don't go buying an old landrover unless you are fully prepared to spend time, money with the basic skills/toolset to maintain and repair it yourself. You will become rapidly disappointed and broke if paying for someone else to do it. This advice is even more prudent if the intent is to regular offroad the rig. Great vehicles but do need regular TLC, think of maintaining it to be more of a hobby. Parts are readily available both new (various price grades) and 2nd hand, every repair job is already documented, lots of online support available.

If going the disco route, don't let heart rule the head. Don't buy it blind, have someone experienced in the vehicle model going over potential purchases with you. By experienced I don't mean an AA inspection but an enthusiast, someone whom is able to communicate what you may be letting yourself in for.

[Mudslinger85]

Thanks for responses guys.  I have seen a few discos out there and they definitely could fit the bill.  What would you say would be the best engine - the 4.0 litre obviously has the oomph but is pretty thirsty?

Although it's been a couple of years since I've done any real motor maintenance (newish bimmers are not amateur friendly!) I enjoy mucking around under the bonnet and getting my hands dirty- although perhaps not every time I take it out!

As another option, would you look at jap makes such as mitsi (pajaro) or toyotas (hi-lux) etc? There is so much choice out there!

Thanks again,

James

[mass199]

Hello and welcome.

Have a look at some Nissan Patrol GR's

[Range Rover Blues]

Yes I would look at Jap imports, they don't get the abuse that many LRs suffer so tend to be in better nick as they age.  IF you bust it however, it could get expensive.

[LandRoger]

Good thing about Landies is they do hold their value more than Jap imports ,had most lost money on every one of them,a Paj thats been modified and offroaded is worth Peanuts but a Rover in the same condition breaks for good money,just my biased opinion .