Tell me about: Shite 4X4s

[sutty2006]

Had plenty of 4x4s over the years. Started life with a vitara which we bought, sold the "fatboy" parts to make all money back including buyin 4x4 tyres . It was great off road, ended up swapping it for a train horn set up that got fitted to our LR90 V8. That was a fun tub but costly. If it wasnt being fueled up, it was being repaired.

 

 

 

Settled on TDi Discoveries af that and still have one. Great off road but ROT is inevitble. no matter what.

 

 

 

 

Currently got a FRONTERROR parked outside. Bought it with a shed load of MOT and some tax with a clutch fault, rectifed by drilling the bulkhead and bolting the pedal housing back together. Ace for Shite hauling, and helped someone move house with it today. Apart from some surface rust, its solid! The 2.5 VM diesel feels better than my 300tdi. Its goes well, and ive been told its bullet proof. Thirsty tho, but I recon its not had an oil change for years but still runs mint. going to kill it at a Pay and play site soon unless a good cash off comes my way.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Edit: here it is... http://autoshite.com/topic/12783-jeep-cherokee/

 

Cheers for that, eddy, a most enlightening read !

 

I knew there was a reason minty, low-mileage Cherokees sell for less than a rotten, MoT-less Discovery. 

[Pillock]

Are Vitaras good in the muddy stuff? There's a couple locally, one stock white one on three spokes looking a bit hairdresser, and one with chopped bumpers and loads of ally guards and a snorkel and shit. Both within budget.

 

Classic insurance on these?

[brickwall]

I respect the abilities of Suzukis off the road. They are much better than many more expensive things; as far as the Vitara goes, you have to take off some off the silly trim on the road going ones and make sure you have  suspension at a reasonable height. Many of the poser ones seem incredibly low.

 

Respect.

[dollywobbler]

The Vitaras limitations are front axle articulation (independent) but no rear LSD to make up for it. Ground clearance isn't the greatest, which is why ones decked out for off-roading almost always have a suspension lift. The SJ was better 'out of the box.'

[RichardMoss]

Not much use to Pillock, but has anyone on here had an XJ Cherokee ?

 

I've never had a 4x4 or a Yank car before, and I've recently been thinking of Cherokees as an excellent way to fill those gaps on my curriculum shitae !

 

Are they as bad as their bargain basement prices would suggest ? Do they rust like a 70s Alfa at a seaside resort ? Is the running gear as reliable as a diesel automatic Laguna II ? I NEEDZ INPUT !

I've got a 1995 4L manual one - but as I'm in the middle east, I can't say what they are like rust wise in the UK. What I can say is that they are bloody good off road but rather crude on road. Mine will go anywhere that the "local hero" Nissan Patrol can go but it is also more likely to break (but parts are cheap). They're not very spacious, the mk3 Escort estate analogy is a good one.. Here's thread on it: http://autoshite.com/topic/12356-jeep-shite-96-cherokee-4l-beating-around-the-bushes/

 

Personally, I prefer the ZJ Grand Cherokee - 90%+ of the offroad capability and200% more on-road ability

[gary_davidson]

what about these

 

this one has t&t till aug/sept and is only £650, looks a bit ruff and has a potential gear box issue

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171273032558?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[Tayne]

On 24/03/2014 at 12:35, gary_davidson said:

what about these

 

this one has t&t till aug/sept and is only £650, looks a bit ruff and has a potential gear box issue

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171273032558?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

 

 

[Pillock]

Hmmmm, the Vitara is bounding up my list quite happily. It seems pretty easy to mong them up by taking off too much trim, bunging on chequerplate and I saw one yesterday that seemed to be a mobile advert for a "witty" decal firm. Astonishingly it was lacking a OLLI but ticked pretty much every other box. All that considered, a lift kit and just a bit of intelligence involving bumpers doesn't look too bad.

 

Have they got a low range? I saw a couple with an extra phallus-like object behind the gear lever which I presume to be that.

 

The Shogun has never been at the top of my list, and never will be. With apologies to anyone on here who has one, the only three people I personally know to have owned them are arseholes.

[bigfella2]

What about one of these, can't pronounce or even spell the manufacturer but it is a Musso, Don't know much about the apart from they are Mercedes powered and pretty heavy duty. Might be too tall, possibly too ugly too.

[mouseflakes]

Not the best colour - but apart from a hole in the wing and advisory on brakes, this looks like it could be goog value...

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/1999-suzuki-vitara-jx4u-hardtop-totally-standard-rare-off-road-capable-not-sj/1051381306

 

[dollywobbler]

Hmmmm, the Vitara is bounding up my list quite happily. It seems pretty easy to mong them up by taking off too much trim, bunging on chequerplate and I saw one yesterday that seemed to be a mobile advert for a "witty" decal firm. Astonishingly it was lacking a OLLI but ticked pretty much every other box. All that considered, a lift kit and just a bit of intelligence involving bumpers doesn't look too bad.

 

Have they got a low range? I saw a couple with an extra phallus-like object behind the gear lever which I presume to be that.

 

The Shogun has never been at the top of my list, and never will be. With apologies to anyone on here who has one, the only three people I personally know to have owned them are arseholes.

 

Yes, Vitaras have low range. Part-time 4wd with manual locking front hubs in most cases I think, though later ones were probably auto hubs. I've driven a couple and really, the only downside is that they're bloody noisy. Once drove a V6, which had all the aural appeal of meh.

[Pete-M]

Grand Cherokee. They're not big and provided the diffs, exhaust manifold and viscous coupling is ok they're not too bad at all.