Wanted - Cheap 4x4 ideas

[Pillock]

OK, this is for a friend so I'm not after offers on anything, or "come and pick this up now and you can have it for 45p"... I don't know how fast they can move on it and I don't want to be the chump that lets people down.

 

A friend is after a SWB 4x4 - pref diesel - to tootle around various campsites and less-than-accessible places of a weekend. She's a scout leader and often has to be getting around wet and muddy stuff.

Currently has £500 to spend, might be closer to £1000 after Christmas. Has to cover a whole county so a 3.9 V8 is perhaps not ideal.

 

I've already ruled out a classic Land Rover for that price, but am thinking perhaps a tatty Discovery would be plausible? Condition is not a problem, it will most likely be "squeezed" through gaps and never washed so mechanicals are important, general untidyness less so. I'm also casting an eye over Mavericks and Terranos, and Fronteras which seem unloved but capable (even if the SWB "Sport" is a little bit camp-looking). I think 7 seats would be handy but not a show-stopper, it will need some sort of load space to cart round scouting stuff.

 

Anything else fall into this price range? Anything to avoid?

[kinkersaab]

I would forgett "cheap" 4x4 at this time of the year. But when the OMGsnowkaos has passed. Get a subaru forester or an old rav 4.

[RichardMoss]

The Vauxhall Frontera is a rather under rated vehicle. The diesel versions used the same VM unit as the Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Rover 825 (to name but a few). The Frontera has a bad reputation but I know a couple of people who swear by them (not at them) and bthey seem to be pretty cheap.

 

XJ Cherokees and ZJ Grand Cherokees are good value, too, but check carefully for rust.

[Micrashed]

A friend is after a SWB 4x4 - pref diesel - to tootle around various campsites and less-than-accessible places of a weekend. She's a scout leader and often has to be getting around wet and muddy stuff.

So am I and have to say I have been very surprised at the ability of one leaders vary battered old Fiat Panda over the fields at Waddecar and it has even put the site tractor to shame with regards its ability not to get bogged down. Not that she would probably be able to get an old Panda 4x4 for £500 these days.

Another leader has an equally abused and battered Maverick SWB which would probably be something I would lean towards as being able to pick up within that price range, diesel and plenty of support for them. They do look a bit top heavy though.

[willswitchengage]

I'd go for an old Legacy estate. Not expensive, they don't break down, and their economy on pez is comparable to a weighty Terrano-y thing running on diesel.

[Tayne]

I like this. Next time someone on here asks about a 4x4 for the winter we need to make sure they buy it.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-RL-4x4-restoration-taxed-mot-exempt-9000-miles-/271093558191

 

The tax is free and it is a mot exempt historic military vehicle. Mechanicaly the truck is in good condition and if you were felling brave it could be driven home.

[Tayne]

(My) Spare Frontera 2.3 Td?

 

Alternator iffy with everything on.

Drips a bit of oil.

Front bumper brackets broken (whoops Vectra).

Plods on all day - glacier like, but reliable.

Reasonable tyres. 7 or 8 months Mot, can tax for next week or so.

 

50/50 veg not a problem ^^

 

Reasonable leather interior.

 

Possible?

[Junkman]

What's wrong with a Lada Niva? I mean, apart from everything?

[meggersdog]

just a bit of a topic here

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15087

[Wilko220]

Ssangyong Musso, and be the envy of everyone?

[dollywobbler]

Isn't this about the eleventy twelth "cheap 4x4 idea" thread of the past month? Please see other threads where many good ideas were discussed.

[R9UKE]

You don't have to wait long for one of these to appear for the £500 mark. In fact just last month I passed on a range topping "Monaco" model because it was petrol and the ABS light was glowing. It was £350 and I've regretted letting it go ever since.

 

[Albert Ross]

I have 4 Series Land Rovers. In various states of completeness/repair. Total cost to buy them all? Under a grand. Granted, the one I drive every day has cost me around 2K to get legal and ready to drive, but you have to look for these bargains.

[warren t claim]

Mahinderance Brave.

[Cavcraft]

Frontera Sport 2.0 8V.

[Pillock]

As expected, I presented some of the better ideas (complete with real world examples of cars for sale) and have been told they'd "really prefer a land rover".

I've suggested the chances of buying a roadworthy, taxed and tested land rover just as winter is starting for £500 is less than brilliant, and I've bailed out of discussions.

 

Personally the Maverick seems a jolly nice deal for what they want. But what do I know

[Rocket88]

For a start, you know better than to buy a Land Rover for that sort of money!

[Baz]

I agree with the above....You'd need to be brave to take on a £500 Land Rover....And a Maverick/Terrano would be little better in my opinion (I worked for Nissan during this era, and the Spanish Nissans were genuinely rubbish).

 

Anything else actually produced in Japan, that you can find for that money, would probably be a better bet....Either that, or spend more!

[Cavcraft]

/\

As good* as that possibly is, it's hopelessly overpriced.

[Rocket88]

spam bump

[blackboilersuit]

Anybody buying a £500 land rover that actually has some MOT on it will most probably end up with a Freelander which is only 2WD having had its prop removed to get around a borked viscous coupling.

Come to think of it any £500 freelander will probably be a 1.8 petrol being sold on before its new head gasket goes pop again.

 

Nobody without a welder and a lot of spare time should be setting out at this time of year to buy any brand of 4x4 with a budget of only £500. Down that path lies madness and dispair!

[brickwall]

Wise words.

 

£500 means welding...end of . That's about the going rate for a project vehicle for use next winter. LRs get good money no matter what nick they are in.

 

Recently I have been browsing 4x4 of all makes...Izuzu Troopers, Toyota Hi-lux, LR, Nissan and anything that's around 500 notes needs a tonne of work. Don't fall for the "winter is coming...bargain!" waffle.

 

Waffle is all it is.

[Richard]

£500 is pretty much baseline price for a fully functioning car of any kind. Expecting a working 4x4 for that is ambitious.

[whitevanman]

Well my Daughters Shogun Mk1 3.0 V6 is still available for £350, needs a coreplug replacing in the RH head, MOT'd for just over a week, otherwise it's a good solid motor, Granted it's in the south of Scotland, but it's cheap and solid

[garethj]

£500 is pretty much baseline price for a fully functioning car of any kind. Expecting a working 4x4 for that is ambitious.

 

That's not entirely true. Some cars will always be popular - something cheap to run, cheap to insure in running condition will be worth quite a bit. A car in the same condition but with a 3 litre engine will be worth fuck all.

 

About now, a working 4x4 is seen as valuable but in the summer they're little more than a noisy car with a big engine that does 25mpg if you're lucky.

[red5]

my 2.3 (Fronterror) lwb will do 25 round town, 35 on a run. About the same in oil

 

The 2.8 will do close to 40 on a run. Easy 30 round town/stop start.

 

RR 15 at a push, but sounds ace.

[ruffgeezer]

I got my old Vitara for a shade under £600, I'm sure you can still pick these up fairly cheap, the 4x4 bit is great (save for the manual locking hubs) but it was a bit shit at fuel economy, boot space and road manners, but yeah, for the money it was a decent solid motor.

 

[brickwall]

I have struck lucky with the 500 quid 4x4 before - I'm not saying it can't happen. It can be all about expectations and you should expect problems.

 

eg. low Range has never been engaged. hidden spots that need welding like the body mounts. Gearboxes that haven't had an oil change in 15 years etc. Transfer box all wishy washy. I've seen it all.

[Amazo]

BUMPETY-BUMP