landcruiser troopcarrier

Submitted: Sunday, Oct 26, 2003 at 18:31
ThreadID: 8098 Views:2466 Replies:5 FollowUps:2
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hi !

i am looking to buy a landcruiser troopcarrier for travelling around australia. i have never owned a 4wd before. can you guys give me a few hints as to which model is reliable and what i lshould ook for when i have a testdrive...i have already had a look at a few hj 47s but most of them looked pretty run down. i have a budget of 10k, is it possible to find a good troopy for that money ?

thanks !

tobias
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Reply By: chopper - Sunday, Oct 26, 2003 at 18:58

Sunday, Oct 26, 2003 at 18:58
tobias, they are out there for that money, but you won't get to be too picky.

The old 40s are a great truck, but if you can find an old 70 I think that you'll find it more to your liking.

My old rig runs sweet, but due to the mileage (415000km) I'd be flat our getting $10k for it. So if you can find someone who has spent a lot of time and money and done a few kms, you'll get a good rig.

Do not go near anything that has been in a hire fleet, regardless of how little they want for it.

Just be warned a new (reco) 2H motor will set you back $6-$7k. There aren't many things that will break, but if they do, it ain't cheap to fix.

Look for rust around the a pillars and base of doors, also check out the gearbox as 5th gear gets weak around 300k

good luck
AnswerID: 35165

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Oct 26, 2003 at 22:05

Sunday, Oct 26, 2003 at 22:05
sadly for $10k you dont get much in the way of troopys, that wont need $ spent on it, or have a gazilion klms on, unless your REALLY REALLY lucky... as you said, most look run down in your price range.

But also depends on how urgent you want the car. if your willing to wait you may be lucky.

Do you need a troopy? there are other 4bs out there that may do you better in your budget.
AnswerID: 35189

Follow Up By: ross - Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 01:01

Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 01:01
No such thing as a cheap 4x4 ,there is always a compromise.There are a few BJ 73 and HJ 60/61 in that price range .Give you all the economy and reliability of a troopy except for the room . Could always tow a trailer when you need a bit extra.Some of the low klm Japanese imports look ok if you can get to them before the dealers.Most of them are automatics and turbo diesel.
I bought myself an unlic 88 FJ73 with a blown clutch and no brakes for $3500.Spent another $4000 and I have a good looking l/cruiser thats in great shape and rust free.I would like a diesel but the $3-6k I saved buys a lot of petrol .
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Reply By: Steve - Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 01:08

Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 01:08
Toby .. you must be joking.. for that sort of money u get bleep ...or in other words u get a unit that needs heaps of work and in the long term is probably cheaper to buy better .... given that u need to spend heaps more to get it up to some kind of condition to be capable of a safe and trouble free run....do yourself a favour and get a bit more in the budget ...
AnswerID: 35205

Follow Up By: ross - Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 09:45

Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 09:45
Steve not everyone bottomles pit of money to throw at a 4x4.There are plenty of reliable roadworthy 4wd out there for $10k.Obviously in that price range you will have to sacrifice some performance and comfort.
eg A friend of mine bought a HJ 60 for $6k and apart from some tyres and brake maintenance it has seen him thruogh 2 return trips from q/land to wa as well as being his daily driver for 2 years.It does require a bit of mechanical nous to select a vehicle but it can be done.Also spending big dollars doesnt always guarranty that your vehicle will be trouble free.Some of the posts on this forum are a testament to that.
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FollowupID: 25450

Reply By: Steve - Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 21:37

Monday, Oct 27, 2003 at 21:37
Ross: the average punter is not generally an experienced diesel / 4wd expert.. and as such is my response !! I never said that there wern't bargains out there !! but travelling to find them and then spending a lot of time and $$ fixing them really in a lot of cases does not add up to a bargain ...The initial query was from someone with no experience of a 4 wd and hence my short/ sharp reply !! Maybe u can fill his order ?
AnswerID: 35313

Reply By: Member - David- Friday, Oct 31, 2003 at 21:34

Friday, Oct 31, 2003 at 21:34
Fair enough to the last opinion offered, but here's mine:

A $10k troopie (like mine) still gets you exactly the same places as a $60k rig doesn't it?

And if you only want it for a year of bush travelling, probably mostly on sealed or gravel roads, who cares if the exhaust is a bit blue/black, you have to top up the radiator every few days, the CV joints click, the transfer case whines like a dog and there's a bit of rust? Of course you can spend a few extra thou and get most of that fixed up before you go anywhere if you want.

Go for it Tobias - you don't need to spend heaps to get something useful. Get the thing checked out by a mechanic (roadworthy certificates are compulsory in Qld) and find out what needs attention. Weigh up the cost of putting it in a workshop and getting the necessary repairs done as soon as you've bought it. Assume that a least something WILL break while you own it, and my experience is that most things that break and stop you moving in ANY 4WD cost big dollars to fix.

Cheers,

Dave
AnswerID: 35858

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