What's up all?

I'm Sandbag's little bro!

He was of little help on this
So I thought I'd ping the group that seems to answer all his questions!

I'm looking to get a decent Daily Driver and want something that can hold its own on some trails. It doesn't need to be a rock crawler, but I'd like to go out driving with Sandbag every now and then.

I've heard good things about Pathfinders and have found a few options on Craig's list that I'm going to check out:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/801538752.html
lots of features, could use a lift, new tires, and a new windshield... haven't seen it yet. Clean CarFax

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/827916591.html
need to see it, decent miles for the year, looks pretty clean. Clean CarFax

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/826304835.html
need to see it, haven't run a CarFax yet...

Keep in mind, I'm looking to keep the purchase below $9K... and, I'd prefer AT versus Manual (I have a walking-cast on for another few weeks which would make it hard to drive)

Here are a couple of non-Nissan's I found that interest me greatly (i know, and i apologize)

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ctd/819456870.html
it's an 04' Liberty, 4X4, lift, wheels, clear CarFax could "possibly" get to $8500-$9000.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/843658570.html
it's a 98' Land Rover Discovery (series 1) with 91K miles, 4" lift, larger tires, sliders, and it drives great (i drove it). the body and frame are in great condition, no dripping liquids, has my eye on it :P

I'm a little worried about maintaining the Land Rover (expensive?) I've researched A LOT on them in the past few days and it sounds like the 98 series 1 was their "sweet spot." Little to no maintenance issues, etc... the 94-97 i've seen nothing but BAD things on... and the 2000-2002 were when Ford took over, and we all can guess why they suck, right?

At any rate, just looking for some suggestions from you all.

Again, not looking to go crazy with after market add-ons, etc... I'd just like something I can drive every day, and have fun with on the weekend.

Sorry for the wall of text

Right on bro...

Glad to see you got set up

Hopefully some of my friends will be able to give some good input, since I'm a poseur and don't know shit about wheelin

to N4W, and you are gonna be welcome here no matter what you drive... just don't be an ass on the board.

EDIT: I moved this to the General Board, instead of the R50 spot.

To toss out another option for you, check out Toyota Land Cruisers, specifically '93-'97, and the Lexus LX450 (same truck, different badging). Closest thing to the Nissan Patrol you can get in the U.S., solid front axle, electric lockers were an option. It's a big vehicle though, and has the mileage to prove it- 14 MPG in stock form. Its age will show up somewhat in that you would probably have to do a lot of maintenance to get it up to par, as the average driver puts off maintenance for as long as possible, so you'd have to be handy with a wrench. That's true of any vehicle at 10+ years old. Once that's taken care of, they're pretty reliable.

-Spike

To be 100% honest, anything out the box with a solid front axle will be worth it's money.

pathfinders are very nice as a daily driver. They eat the gas. The best thing about a pathfinder is the weight distribution which does winders off road. Nissan trucks are light out back which can make some things more difficult. The late model R50 pathfinders are also easier to maintain common stuff like brakes and cv-axles.

Other makes
Land rovers and Toyota land cruisers both have good SFA. I think 97 is the last year for toyota. If you are willing to go with a truck a couple years older, look up 96 and 97 Toyota land cruisers. Only issue is banks will not finance a car that old.

As for late model jeeps, I would not even think about wasting my money on a liberty. Look at the jeep Rubicons. The jeep Rubicon is the best equipped 4x4 from the factory.

quote:

Originally posted by LordBiotree:
As for late model jeeps, I would not even think about wasting my money on a liberty. Look at the jeep Rubicons. The jeep Rubicon is the best equipped 4x4 from the factory.

Out of curiosity, why do you say stay away from a liberty? Please elaborate as to why it's bad...

I don't know how comfortable this would be for a daily driver, Steve, but it's LOADED for wheelin/camping
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/806561629.html

High mileage, but I can take a look at it if you want... no mention of auto or manual tho:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/841333426.html

quote:

Originally posted by Sand Bag:

quote:

Originally posted by LordBiotree:
As for late model jeeps, I would not even think about wasting my money on a liberty. Look at the jeep Rubicons. The jeep Rubicon is the best equipped 4x4 from the factory.

Out of curiosity, why do you say stay away from a liberty? Please elaborate as to why it's bad...

The potential for mods is very limited. They have small fender openings and it takes significant lift just to clear 31s.

If I were looking for a vehicle on the cheap, I'd look for one of the last of th XJs....98-01 specifically. Lifts are cheap, they're solid axle, and there's GOBS of aftermarket out there for them.

With your budget, you should be able to find one with low miles. Be sure to find one with part time 4wd as I believe there were a couple different 4x4 tcase configurations avaiable - avoid quadra trac or whatever the hell they call the full time units.

Even a grand cherokee of the same vintage should be in reach, and you can find some of those with the good old 318 V8 in them.

Nissans are great trucks, but it costs some coin to build them up, and if you get serious about wheeling, chances are you'll be looking at dumping the IFS over time.

quote:

Originally posted by Sand Bag:
I don't know how comfortable this would be for a daily driver, Steve, but it's LOADED for wheelin/camping
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/806561629.html
High mileage, but I can take a look at it if you want... no mention of auto or manual tho:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/841333426.html

That first truck is built, but he's asking last year's price for it. Look to pay $5-7K for something like that. He doesn't mention mileage, although mileage in the FZJ-80 series isn't much of a concern. You should be able to pick up a stock '97 for $8K or less if you look around. FWIW he did spend some money on the mods on that truck- the Slee 6" kit is ~$3K, the sliders, front, and rear bumpers are each priced ~$800, add the winch and tires/wheels and he's invested a ton of coin. He's also beat it like a red-headed stepchild I'm sure.

The second one is an early FJ-80, which has considerably less power. Still perfectly driveable, but you shouldn't pay over $2500 for one IMO. '93-'97 all have the larger motor, '95-'97 have airbags and an updated dash.

All 80 series trucks in the US got auto trannies.

I'll 'third' the recommendations to avoid the Liberty as a wheeler, and the push towards the Rubi or similar. Keep in mind that Jeeps of all kinds have a rep for requiring a lot of work to keep 'em going.

-Spike

Hey Steve, check these out too

Here's a rubicon, under 10k, but it does have a manual trans... I don't know if you can drive that with your boot or not...
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/845411228.html

Same here:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/842035034.html

Wrangler with a rubicon express lift, manual trans:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/ctd/818314742.html

another wrangler, doesn't say trans type:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/846335110.html

Nice cherokee, auto trans :
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/842399378.html

another cherokee, auto trans, and ARB differential lockers (front and rear) :
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/803962933.html

My only gripe on a Wrangler is the lack of space.

The later unlimiteds might still be out of your price range, but they do offer quite a bit more interior room.

I think my bro was hoping to keep it at or below 10k

Jeep Liberties Rock!

Stay away from the Land Rover.All of the other choices seem to be pretty good.And alot depends on your wrenching abilities.And welcome to N4W.

thank you for the comments all!


I'm second-thinking the Land Rover, considering that it would be expensive to maintain, on top of very poor gas mileage. While the vehicle appeared in good condition, there seems to be a LOT of risk.


From the comments on the Liberty, the most criticism seems to be that there is not a lot of after-market mods available, and they can't handle the really tough terrain.

Here's what I like:
VERY low miles,
2004, thus, possibly still under 70K 7 Year warranty, etc..
While the stock Liberty only has 8" of clearance, the model i'm looking at appears to have a substantial lift and larger tires.
It is also Trail Rated, which, from what I read about from Jeep owners, can handle a bit.


I haven't seen the Jeep, or the Pathfinders in person, so I still need to testdrive and see what will work best.


I've been on a few trails in Sandbag's rig and have seen what your Nissans are capable of. While it looks like fun, I'm not there yet, and don't know if I want to spend the $$$ for a rig that can handle everything off-roading has to offer. I just need something reliable, good mpg, and can handle a bit of off-road trails to just have some fun. I don't mind taking the "sissy" obstacles versus what I see you people do! LOL

That Jeep "Trail Rated" crap is just a marketing gimmick by Jeep. If you want to go with Greg, you'll regret the Liberty. If you want something that new, try to find a Wrangler Unlimited.