Jackaroo - A choice of 2

Dutchey,
This is just my opinion here.... but I would go for the diesel. Better economy, better low down power for off road and the Monterey spec is "nicer" than the SE.

On your test drive, find some dirt or grass, put it in low-range and do some "lazy figure 8's" and have a listen for noises from the drive train....

Have a good look underneath for off road wear and tear... there are hints of what to look for elsewhere on this forum....

Get a reputable 4X4 mechanic to inspect it....

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the reply. Have taken both for a drive and love the turbo diesel, just haven't been able to take it off-road to test that part. Uncle is 4WD mad so he will have a look before purchase, plus the RACQ on probably the diesel.
Anybody else have an opinion?

Wade

There's a lot of car there for $21 - hell....what is my 99 SE TD worth now ? Anyway, if the body and trim is all very good, you can then worry about the hardware. Even though I have not owned others in this class, I find the Jack great......the motor is a beauty......BUT........be aware of the repair costs potential. Like all high tech diesels, if it goes phut it will cost a lot more than petrol to fix (and the block and head on these cannot be resurfaced). You may also find that nobody wants to, or can do, a real evaluation of the diesel motor's internal condition. In SA, the RAA just have a "listen" and check the hoses probably. If its been looked after, the service record is right up there, and it runs nicely, it's probably a winner.
Note that the cab is quite compact....when you come to fitting extras like CB's, GPS, HF and brake controllers etc, options are tight. I've got to find a practical spot for my Prodigy brake controller soon.

Dutchy,
I was going to have a look at a TD Jack recently & rang a specialist diesel mechanic first. He said not to as fuel pump hi tech electronic, non repairable, & 5 grand to replace & have a bit of a bad history. I wouldn't know myself, but that's what he told me. The other thing is , if it makes any diffence is that the one I wanted to look at was a 2000 model. You might want to ask a good mechanic yourself and he might say go for it.
Anyway, all the best,
happy travellin

Hi Dutchey,the 4WD MONTHLY, buying guide has a run down on both trucks.It came out last month.If you cant get it, Ill send you mine if you want
regards uppy

One thing to watch out for is that there was no such thing as a 98 Monterey diesel. The diesel only appeared in the Monterey in 2001 when the widetrack was released, and only as an Auto.

From 98 to 01, pre widetrack, the Monterey only came out in the 3.5 petrol V6 with Auto.

Thanks all for the replies. Davo, that is great :-) No matter what I buy will always cost so just talking about one bad experience doesn't paint the rest bad. Uppy, thanks for the tip will look for the mag and have a read. Savvas, yes I read that on NRMA, so I should check it out then? It does have airbags I know that, well the covers of them on the steering wheel and on the passenger side so will look. How do I know what ABS looks like?

Thanks all
Wade

I own a 2002 T/D Equipe. Bloody fantastic, Its had a few minor problems but the thing that got to me most was the attitude of Holden to support my purchase.. The Jack is going gr8 now but it did take some hassling with Holden to sort out a few problems but I have found a local diesel mech that knows his stuff. The thing to bear in mind is that they are hi tech and this engine does need top shelf oil but I can pull my 18' ensute van (around 1900kg's all up) up the Victoria Pass at around 60kmh passing other petrol 4x4's without a worry... now that my Jack has had its overheating problem fixed... i find it gr8 off road, exceptional on gravel & loose surface & very cumfortable. As to whether your vehicle is a Monterey or not I couldnt say but I do know that there have been some recalls in relation to injector and pump problems but if you email the engine & vin numbers to Holden customer assistance at:
customer.assistance@holden.com.au they can tell you what, if any, recalls your vehicle is subject to. they can also tell you if the engine you have is the original one as fitted.

Dutchman,

What Saavas said, there a'int no '98 Diesel, and the Auto in Diesel of any version didn't arrive for a couple more years either. We had a '98 Monty and it was the most trouble free vehicle we have ever owned over 120Km. The only problems were inserted by the factory autorised dealer service (wrong oil in the diff, failure to change auto fluid, etc etc). The Monty in '98 was loaded but avoided the leather and fake wood which came later on. They are a real steal second hand. Both petrol and diesel Jack in '98 were a generation ahead of the competition in the engine department at that time, made the Prado in particular look like a joke. Either way (petrol or Diesel) you will be happy, provided you don't go to the dealership for service..

Regds

Bill