Buying an 80 series

Hi Adam,
Petrol or diesel??
Long distance touring = diesel.
Availability of fuel in outback areas and safety in carrying fuel in/on vehicle = diesel.

Post 94 vehicles are considered to be the better vehicle..... last of the vehicle run and up graded motor and gearbox = bigger $$$$$
Standard vehicle, manual front hubs, have none of the driveline problems of the full time vehicles.
Diesel HAS to be serviced every 5000 km, as an aside.. there have been comments made that ALL vehiclesshould be serviced at the same interval.
Early 80's could be ex mine vehicles, check underneath for corrosion!!!!!!!!!! and very cheap!!
Late 80's go for big $$$$$$.

In your original post you indicate that the vehicle is for "family 4x4 getaway". How many is "family", this could have a deciding factor on the vehicle you seek. IE 6, 7 or 8 seater.
Hope this helps a little.................... before the doom sayers say.... do a search. ;-)
Cheers,
Wayne.

Hello,

The 4.5 petrol is a great motor but uses heaps of fuel. If you intend doing any sort of touring I would be considering the diesel. There have been two posts in the past week asking about converting a 4.5 to a diesel engine, much easier to buy a diesel in the first place.

Dave

Adam,

One of the posts asking about petrol to diesel conversion was mine. Just for the record I have had no problems with the petrol engine, it is just one of those projects that I am interested in looking at.

Diesel vs Petrol? I think that diesel is the way to go, particularly if you are doing some more long distance travel in quite isolated areas. That said, I have travelled extensively in mine and have not really found the availability of ULP to be a big issue. Unless you are travelling the Canning Stock Route and the like, you won't find it an issue. A long range tank (bigger than the standard 120litres) will help you here as well.

For what it is worth, the pick of the 80s in my opinion would be the HDJ80R from 1995 onwards with the 1HDFT turbo diesel engine. The normally aspirated diesel is a very good reliable engine, but not a powerhouse; not a great issue unless you are towing or in a hurry, its just a matter of driving style. But my preference would be for the factory turbo or one with a good quality unit.

In support of the petrol, it is a donk with plenty of power for towing and more than enough torque for the slow stuff. As long as your cooling system is maintained, overheating is never an issue either. But, it chews fuel! On the upside, they are cheap. You can buy a relatively low mileage petrol 80 in the low teens compared to mid twenties and up for a good later model turbo diesel. The price difference between the two will cover the difference in fuel costs for the lifetime of the vehicle if you work it out. Alternatively, the difference in price may mean that you can get a really well set up petrol cheaper than a TD which you might need to spend some set up money on.

There you go, no straight answer there but I think that my personal preference would be a 95 onwards turbo diesel. However, don't write the petrol off, you will not be that limited in where you can go and they are as cheap as chips to buy. Leaving you some spare dough for a good fit out and holiday extras.

Cheers,

Matt.

Adam,
I have 2x 4.5 litre petrol 80 series
a 92 model and a 97 model both GXL manuals (constant 4wd)

I replaced the 92 model about 10 months ago when it hit 425,000km

It still has the original motor , clutch and gearbox all unopened
I replaced the rear LSD centre with an airlocker at 350,000 as the lsd had died for the second time.- only got about 100,000 out of a rebuild.

When I purchased it it was over $13,000 cheaper than a Turbo diesel.
Like the previous post I have never had an issue getting ULP but
have had to carry up to 6 gerries on some trips due to limited range with std tanks.

I was copping heaps about going diesel on replacement but when I looked around 12 months ago there was still on average about $8,000 difference in compariable kilometre vehicles between ULP and TD.

Having previously owned a non turbo diesel I would not consider 1 again just not eneough guts.

eventually I purchased a fully loaded 97 model petrol for at least $5000 under the best I could get a pretty well standard TD for.

I got _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx, winchbar, LRFT, air locker, cargo barrier , consoles with radios , dual batteries, OME suspension , RWC etc etc basicaslly for no extra $.
while vehicle uses a lot of fuel the long range tank gives me between 1000 and 1250 km range depending if I'm towing /tyreof terrain.

I have done 22,000trouble free km in this vehicle in the last 10 months .
I estimate that with the difference in feul costs and servicing costs I can retain the vehicle for at least 5 years before any financial penalty from petrol ownership .Also the lower up front cost meant I was able to pay cash and not borrow.

I see no reliability issues with the constant 4wd or the petrol motors.

the petrol 80's have gotten even cheaper to buy in the last 12 months and there are plenty in the $10-12 K range.
my only recommendation is go buy the latest year model you can afford.

cheers
Howard

The $ you save on buying a petrol model, which will be cheap because nobody wants them, will buy a hell of a lot of fuel.
Petrol models cheaper to maintain (ignoring fuel needs).
Standard diesel motor is a slug.
Turbo diesel will cost more again than a standard diesel.
If you're going to tow then probably diesel (std if you can live with a snail but preferably TD) becuase petrol really starts to chew it up in significant quantities.
It really depends on how many kms you intend to do, whether you'll tow, as well as the deal you get on the vehicle. Do the numbers.
BTW - I have had both. Got rid of std diesel due to PITA around town. No regrets at having replaced it with a 96 petrol (until recently when we bought a camper trailer - now wish I had a TD).

Adam, do an archive search because this diesel/petrol discussion has happened many times before.

Barnesy

I think an 80 Series is an excellent choice. May I add that I have a 75 with a Diesel 1HZ and its a great. However I think the General publics dread of the thirsty manners of the 4.5 Petrol has rendered it perhaps a bit of a bargain. As a general commuter vehicle(ie) 1hr in traffic each day its.As a Weekend car or for a trans Australia trip its game on as the 4.5 has smoothness and Pwr that the Diesels can only dream about.
Remember all that power and reliability comes at a price. The fuel consumption will make your eyes water. However I think if you take into account the cost of purchase and ease of repair and think with your head and calculator rather than your emotions there is a strong case for a 4.5 Petrol. Also GXL Diesels are rare in comparison and Mein Gott you WILL pay for them. Turbo Diesels...good luck a good one is like Rocking Horse Droppings.