I've always been a Cruiser man...WHY??

Hiya Bonz...

if the truth be know....I am a bit of a hoon..and would love a little WRX like my bro drives..but not really practical for some of the roads I travel...as for being a cruiser girl...I haven't had a choice to be anything else..I'm married to a cruiser man..simple as that...however..I was mighty impressed with the Ford F250 I sat in at the 4x4 show - and NO it wouldn't be too big for me..ahhahaha..Al is a cruiser man...for lots of reasons...some practical others financial...but...there was a time I thought he was a Holden man...he now drives a XR8 ute...so I guess nothing is impossible, if Nissan produce a vehicle that suits all his needs he might consider it..but at the moment....in his opinion they don't....how's that for some reasons..ahahahaha....

Lyn [Mrs. Al]

if the truth really be known...Mrs. Al's dream car is a Jaguar Mk 2 circa 1964 but again..not real good for off roading...hahahahaLife - Live it , Love it !

G'day Bonz,

I'm a cruiser man - have been for the past 25 years and I guess the reason I've stuck with them is simply because they have a pretty good reputation as a tough workhorse and their popularity in the bush says it all. You don't see many of the outback mining companies running fleets of Patrols - it is invariably Landcruisers and the same goes for the man on the land. There would hardly be an outback station that hasn't got a collection of cruisers and that is a handy thought to have if you really get stuck for a part out in the middle of nowhere.

I haven't owned a bad cruiser yet and I reckon I will stick with them.

Diesel1

I used to be a pajero man but now I'm a Rodeo man but hey think I'll be a Toyota man next or maybe a Nissan man. Just have to wear out these tyres on the Rodeo before buying another set with a car on top. Loyal, me nah, just buy anything second hand with the best tread. Seesh and I work for Ford! BEAM ME UP SCOTTY


Hooroo
Ray
maddogmorgan@mail15.com

Mainstreeam advertising denotes the way 'some'people associate their preferences with products. To own a 'Cruiser is to be with the IN crowd. Been going for 40 years..blah blah blah......Nissans..dare to be different probably do not have the financial resources to buy the normally overpriced Toyota product.....so has to settle for a lesser perceived vehicle. Landrover owners....eccentricity, Mitsubishi owners...can't afford a Nissan....Big Ford F150+ owners mainly boaties and farmers with high overdrafts......Range Rover owners...think they are the elite......Jeep...God knows why?......Small 4x4 or Softroaders.....the budget concious and those who would like a real 4x4 but do not want to be seen as posing. Nissan G60 owners...downright poor with no chance of redemption......hahahaha.......

Cheers,
Willem

Googs Lake camp

Bonz - My first fourby was a Patrol - didn't buy it but won a competition and had a Ti Patrol from Nissan for one month. Did a Russell Guest Tag a Long tour in the Victoria High Country in it. Was a beautiful Navy Ti Patrol with 3000k's on the clock. I was gunna buy it but didn't have the dough. Was hard to give it back and thought about making Nissan an offer for it. Was a bloody thirsty animal too - always gave me a shock at the bowser.
Couple of years down the track I tested a few and bought the 100series because the 4.2 TD seemed much better than the Patrol TD's. On road it seemed more car like than the Patrol.
I like to think of myself as a swinger - voting of course - and with car buying. When I come to buy my next one, I will buy what I like best at the time.
Andrew2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

My Old Man has a 75 series with 350,000k's on it. He had it from new as a builders ute. The boss wanted to give him another falcon ute. The toyo outlasted 4 of the bosses utes over 10 years before he left the company. He made the boss an offer and took the toyo with him and is now dragging a 23ft van around Oz with it. Heading to the Kimberly in April/May.

My Uncle runs Weipa 4WD in FNQ (some of you may have been there!). He stocks just about anything for Toyota and a few parts for Patrols. Anything else, you can have it flown up from Cairns in a couple of days. He says "Locals drive Toyota, tourists please themselves". Needless to say he drives a 'cruiser. One of those trayback converted 80's.

With Toyotas running in the family I had to buy one. I can't quite go the full size cruiser but the Prado will do me nicely.

StevenL Prado GXL TD Manual
It's on order, Delivery in April '04.
This pic will have to do till then. Can't wait!!!

I've had 4 cruisers and 1 Datsun 4x4 1 ton ute but that's not fair to compare as they were completely different vehicles. The first cruiser was an 82 petrol 60series that I swapped with my brother for a beema I had. Did a few easy trips then updated to a 85 Sahara petrol then became a bit more adventurous then went to a 86 Turbo Sahara and now the 100. Why do I keep buying them. I'm comfortable with them and a percieved perception that they will reliabaly get me where I want to go. So far they haven't let me down. Would I buy a Nissan. Perhaps if the circumstances were right and I have moved town. I've given a bit of crap in fun to some of the local patrol and disco owners. Travelling with other people, in a variety of vehicles, it has been rare that a vehicle has had problems as it is usually the "add-ons" that cause the problems. My wife drives a soft 4x4 being a Subie Outback and the finish and driveability of that car is really good. Would I take it across the simpson? No way. Easy dirt tracks yep it's better than the cruiser.Would we get another. More than likely. Dare to Lead not to Follow

My 4by before now was a black shorty Maverick . Why ? it looked good lol . Loved its performance on and off the black top , the reason for the change was , it was to orquared for the kids , looked at the Gq and the 4.5 80 series , and just loved the 80 infront of the Gq , maily intirior fitures & smooth ride . I had a friend who couldnt afford the 4.5 and was abaout to get the 4.0 80 series , I steered him into a GQ thinking that you couln't got past it for value for money and a lot more power than the 4 L . All in all its horses for courses , how boring would it be if we all had the same 4x4 .
I also grew up as a ford man and ended up owning a few Holdens also , I think over the years i have just become a lover of cars in general .
My Fav. from what i have had apart from the 4bys , would have to be my 1970 Caddy roadrster devile and a Aston Martin DB6Venus Bay

Really Bonz .... where did you get ---

If you hold your heart and focus,
you will end up holding your dream

Straight out of a teenage girl's high school essay?

Hey Bonz ..... from one of the eccentrics (Willie..;-D)

Good question .. tough to answer tho'.
Started out with a 3cyl Suzuki 2 stroke. Meanest little beast on the block .. I reckon they'd climb gum trees if you approached on the right angle ... and had the time. Absolutely flat chat at 80 .... got to 100 down hill but sh1t ... was that scary!!!

Started a fam and moved up to an SWB MQ Patrol in '81 .... cutting edge in 4WD's at the stage.

Most of our time in that past life was spent on the beach .... Fraser, Moreton etc.

Would you believe I entered a comp and won a L'Rover County 3.9 Isuzu in '86 ... what a blast!!

Anyway, found the vehicle to my likeing ... Al panels so minimal rust problems ... remember treatment wasn't nearly as flash in those days. Found it's off road performance to be somewhat more than adequate compared to the opposition ... don't forget they were all leaf sprung drays then.

Finish and ergonomics were apalling but hey ... what the hell, did what I wanted and more.

Time came for an upgrade and found I'd been bitten by the mongrel masochistic landy bug. Another TDi Defender followed by a Disco which suffered underbody damage outback which led me to believe Tojos and Patrols would have suffered likewise in the same cimcumstances.

Time for another upgrade and the only options for what we plan were another Defender or a Troopy ... to be honest I couldn't go the Troopy way which was back to steel panels with leaf sprung rear for and additional 10 grand.

Call me stupid, masochistic or eccentric ... but what the hell ... at the end of the day it's horses for courses. I'm happy ... you're happy ... we're all happy.

Cheers .... and watch out for all those old landies you still see on the road ... seen any 40+ yo Nips lately ????Fidei defensor

Rosco

I'm a Nissan man, why?
Well my first Nissan was the biggest piece of bleep I've ever owned, it was a MQ and I got stitched big time when I bought it. I was a novice back then, 1989 I think.

We are fortunate to 4 kids?????, so I was after a 7 seater, diesel (ex-truckie), no electric windows, no wide wheel pack, so back in 1991 I was looking to get rid of the MQ and went hunting in Melbourne for a Nissan Patrol GQ, Toyotas (even 2nd hand were far to dear). We couldn't find a Patrol, but found a Maverick with all the options (or lack thereof) that we were looking for. It has been the best goddam car we have ever owned.

A mechanic up our way used to own a workshop in Alice Springs, and he reckons Toyota's make great bodies, but their mechanicals are bleep e, he goes on to say that the Patrol body is not quite as good, but the mechanicals are spot on.

After owning ours since '91 I have to agree, although we have never had a problem with the body, other than a bit of rust around the back window frames.

Would never buy anything but a Nissan when and IF we ever decide to get rid of this one.

Bonz,

Interesting discussion and good to see this has not headed down the usual path...

IMHO most people tend to stick to what they know, particularly if the passion is there for 4WD'ing and the truck is more than just transport. Also, all the more so if you are remote and have a collection of paddock bombs out the back for parts.

Of course these days of the 4WD as a fashion statement, who can say why many buy what they buy for sure. Most of the expericenced guys I know understand and respect why others make different choices to themselves, mainly because of respective familiarity with the respective marques.

Unfortunately for Tojo men the Cruiser (in Wagon form) has become a victim of it's popularity. In suburbia, car=BMW 4WD=Toyota, so price has become an issue.
All aboard!

Geez Bonz, I have left it late. My first 4by was a Cruiser back 1977 and was a 10 year old tray top that had a dust storm every time you opened the vents. I graduated through three Hiluxes one petrol which was a beaut and two deisels which had both clugged up their oils before too long. Now a Rodeo is the farm ute, but a 1 litre Maruti engined Suze too in the stable and the Nissan GU in my garage.

Have had a couple of 4by passenger vehicles doing 140k kms in a Rangie and a different one now. You can say I am not committed to any brand, I still like my AU ute too.

Can never say I am a Cruiser man as I look for what will satisfy the demand at the time. Really like the GU for its comfort factor and the Navigator likes it for her shorter legs can get her in without an extreme climb or a ladder. Son is a different guy with a Cruiser but did comment on the GU comfort when he drove it camping a few weeks back......

I did see Lyn was interested in a Ford I thought above, it may yet be something interesting for a few years time it has so much more room for my tall frame. You can see, never be a Cruiser man, not that I may never again own one...........Regards

JohnR - Not enough of the right travelling, some here..... some over there.......