To ute or not to ute...

Gday Cruza,

Don't know where you are in Aus, but I was around the auctions in Perth last night and saw a bunch of ex-mining 100 series landcruiser 4 door utes getting ready for auction. I dont know if they are a factory toyota job or an aftermarket conversion - but there were a few of them going for auction. Maybe this would be an ideal compromise between ute and full cab that your looking for?

If you havent seen them before, they are basically a 4 door 100 series with the cab ending after the rear doors with an aluminium tray fitted after that. Tray isnt huge but I reckon you could *just* manage to fit a dirtbike in the back (diagonally) tied down (if that gives you a rough idea).

Pretty basic inside and out - its the heavy duty vinyl interior, no fruit, not constant 4WD like the regular 100 series either i dont think - old school part time 4WD with manual locking hubs - but then thats not far off a 70 series ute in spec that you said you were looking at. But for a newish car you should be able to pick one up for under 35k hopefully (i think?? not sure what they would go for?)

Anyway, hope this helps,
Dave.

Where do we start.....
lack of weight over back wheels...
lack of security for things you would normally leave in the back....
crappy leg room and arm rests....
brown interior.....
I went through your thoughts whilst i was looking for a 4bee....

My next vehicle will be a ute with canopy set up with bed in back. With that budget you could get a 79 series ute with coil springs front and more room behind the seats. Be very wary of ex mine vehicles do not buy them and assume a ute you are looking at is and leave it up to the seller to prove it isnt and never has been DO NOT BUY ONE NO MATTER WHAT CONDITION IT APPEARS TO BE IN. same goes for std deisal 100 series. 80 series would be a better bet as they are a bit smaller and lighter if you are after a wagon. I would be a bit hesitant to strap a turbo onto a 1hz as apparantly they dont like them and led to toyota dropping the td from the 80 series which is why the current td has had significant changes

HI Cruza, we have just been through this, sort of. We have a plastic 100s (the cheaest) and have been doing lots of camping in it etc. but are now going to buy a Ute. One, we need to upgrade our old work ute but have decided to buy the Ute for camping as well. (I had a 60s which I loved to death - until I got the 100s). We are a couple (at the moment!) but have found that we have more options with the Ute set out the way we want it - and that goes for 2 labradors who camp as well (they might not like the idea of not having airconditioning in the back of the ute). Good luck with it.

Hi Cruza
If you are after a Ute, upgrade to a GU ute, more room that the Toyota, choice of all coils or rear leaf. Join us happy Nissan people on the Forum, you can alkways use the money to join as a member of Exploroz and the balance will give you your first good holiday
Ray
Like Truckster, I'm not biased

Utes, amazing how many mates are MOVING or need bleep picked up etc...

Had a rodeo ute for just under 10 years, wouldnt have another ute.. As others have said, even with canopy, no security.. None. No room inside, if things change and you have kids, or woman with kids or want to take friends away our out with you, your FUBAR...

any 100 series you get for $30k will be crap.

Also check rego and insurance, I think you will find they are more on utes, they used to be..

Cruza,

I have a 80 series diesel 1997 dual cab, ex hire (probably ex mine). I too was very concerned about the rust/treatment of them but I paid $23000 for it two years ago with 130k on the clock. The going price back then was about $34k for a butchered cruiser, so I thought that gives me 10k I can spend on it. The 1HZs are bloody slow but will always get you there. I now have 180k on it and have had no major dramas, but the gearbox whines, and always has. Every mechanic says thats just how they are. As for off road performance they are great. The spare wheel is tucked up higher than the wagon, the tray doesn't hit and they have heavy duty coils on the rear (about a 50mm lift front and rear). As for all the hang over the back it's true but you can fold the back seat up and put heavy stuff in the cab. 1 day after I bought it I loaded it up with 42 cartons of XXXX, heaps of gear and towed a 4.5m challenger tinny loaded up and drove 3000k to Borroloola from Bne and back again. It went great, but I had minimal steering, this year I am putting airbags in the rear coils before I go again. They are a poverty pack but I quite like the 6 seats, and the air con is great. The one I bought had its lifes service history, average 6k services and max was 13k. I got it from Four Wheel Drive hire service at Newmarket Brisbane, they sell them every few months.

The mining worried me as I have also been told that the water and soil can contain salt and other corrosive materials. The one I got had a Body Guard rust system on it. about 2 months after I bought it I was cleaning it and found the chassis full of red soil, it took about 4hrs to flush it all out.