Since crashing / writing my adventure surf mobile off a few weeks ago and receiving a rubbish pay out figure I am on the look out for a second hand land cruiser (105 series or troop carrier) my only problem is they are all either flogged out mine cars or very poorly serviced private cars !! Also that Im located on the east coast of Australia most of them are so severely rusted I would be scared to drive them !!
Surely the seabreezersss would have some knowledge on where to look and what to look for? Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!
or post some horror stories so I can feel better when I finally by an old mine vehicle because I'm impatient 
Select to expand quoteok said..
Since crashing / writing my adventure surf mobile off a few weeks ago and receiving a rubbish pay out figure I am on the look out for a second hand land cruiser (105 series or troop carrier) my only problem is they are all either flogged out mine cars or very poorly serviced private cars !! Also that Im located on the east coast of Australia most of them are so severely rusted I would be scared to drive them !!
Surely the seabreezersss would have some knowledge on where to look and what to look for? Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!
or post some horror stories so I can feel better when I finally by an old mine vehicle because I'm impatient
Under ground mine vehicles rust also from the humidity in the underground mine more so than your average east coast unit
easily covered up if some one wants to rip you off so be very careful . There's more sharks on land than the sea
Don't buy an ex-mine vehicle unless you are certain it was a managers car and NEVER saw action or is a less than few month old vehicle from a mine closure... Actually, that probably means poorly maintained...
Mine vehicles are ALL flogged! They are there to do a job!!!
Solve your problems and take one of these for a test drive.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-cars-vans-utes/patrol+4.8/carmake-nissan/k0c18320?ad=offering
I've had a ****load of 4b's including cruisers, land rovers, range rovers, other patrols, pajeros, pathfinder and more, this 08 patrol ****s on them all. Powerful, comfortable, cheap as chips to service and my fuel consumption is 15-18lt/100km. My only spend on it for 180kms has been a fuel pump.
Test drive a few though, some of them do get god awful economy.
*edit- Just for the record, the second best 4b I've had was a cruiser.
Took me over a year to find my troopy.
Had it for 7 years now. Love it.
Keep an eye out for ex mine Ambulance Troopys. Havent been flogged as hard as the normal ones.
Select to expand quotesmicko said..
Solve your problems and take one of these for a test drive.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-cars-vans-utes/patrol+4.8/carmake-nissan/k0c18320?ad=offering
I've had a ****load of 4b's including cruisers, land rovers, range rovers, other patrols, pajeros, pathfinder and more, this 08 patrol ****s on them all. Powerful, comfortable, cheap as chips to service and my fuel consumption is 15-18lt/100km. My only spend on it for 180kms has been a fuel pump.
Test drive a few though, some of them do get god awful economy.
*edit- Just for the record, the second best 4b I've had was a cruiser.
Or, if you are happy with less power, maybe the 2.8 litre diesel Patrol. Apart from a factory recall on the flywheel (done under warranty) I've only had to replace the battery and do the usual servcing. Currently has 250k on the clock. Average just over 11 lt/100km.
It has less grunt that the bigger engine models but it works for me.
Good luck
Smicko you must drive like a grandma, 6cy 4.8lt Patrol use up to 28lt/100km. The 4.2 petrol cruisers use 15-21lt/100km. Both cruiser and patrol in 4.2TD use 13-18lt/100km. These are 2ton cars. If you want cheap petrol they are not the cars to buy especially if you include servicing. Go a diesel cruiser DX with a 1HZ motor if you want to save money, plenty of 80 - 100 series with that combination and a few 105 series.
A friend had the 4.8 patrol, it went like a jet fighter on roids in the bush. Problem we found was it was big, trying to go where our 80 series went was painful, to bulky and overweight. He only had the car 2 months and sold it due to fuel consumption.
Select to expand quoteBuster fin said..
Does it have to be full sized? I rate Suzuki.
Can't go past a sierra..
Select to expand quoteMrknownothing said..Buster fin said..
Does it have to be full sized? I rate Suzuki.
Can't go past a sierra..
The bloke asked if anyone has seen a good used troopy, that a far stretch from a Suzuki.
Ok, just set up an email alert on Gumtree so you get the new listing as they are posted.
There are bargains out there every day but you need to be the first person to respond to the ad.
Select to expand quoteMrknownothing said..
Buster fin said..
Does it have to be full sized? I rate Suzuki.
Can't go past a sierra..
Get it right......
anything can get past a sierra - on the blacktop! 
only thing better than a leafy sierra off road, is a propa 4WD [LJ50] 
but the bloke wants a land-crusher, so - find one that looks the goods - but fergawdssake, look very closely for any signs of rust, or heavy use [door skins cracking etc]
stephen
Try and find a old cruiser ,which has done zero beach work .
This cost me $3000 only a couple of months ago.
Petrol 3F engine, Auto trans and still gets 18ltrs/100 km.
Now spends 80% of its time on the beach , but i have electronic CAT rust unit fitted to it .
Weren't those electronic rust systems debunked by consumer protection mob?
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/announcements/red-light-distributors-car-rust-reduction-devices-ceci-units
Last year I got a 2005 100 series 4.2TD with 180,000kms.
Very economical, tows a horse float like a boss and drives on the beach like a tractor 
100 series seem very expensive for what you get in regards to space in the rear.
Im currently stuck decideding between a 2010 -2014 V8 turbo troop carrier workmate model for easy cleaning with the vinyl or the older harder to find 100 series.
I have already spent close to $500 dollars in vehicle inspections and rev checks without any success.
I may just give up and ride my bicycle 
at this stage!
Honestly dunno why the addiction to dual cab utes. Too restricted....
Get a normal fourby if you need 4 seats sometimes. Really the tray on a dualcab is bugger all.
You can only put long stuff like windsurf gear, mal or SUP securely inside a decent wagon.
If you wanna carry dirty stuff, put a rubber liner in the back or cut a big bit of carpet.
Mid sized fourby all the way.
Stock as a rock
Heaps of plans to turn it into a tourer. Slowly getting there.
All packed for a trip to Gero. Everything from swag, camp gear, gazebo, 40L fridge, gas bottle, stove, table, esky, 2 boards 2 booms 2 masts, 5 sails etc etc etc SUP on roof.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said...
Honestly dunno why the addiction to dual cab utes. Too restricted....
Get a normal fourby if you need 4 seats sometimes. Really the tray on a dualcab is bugger all.
You can only put long stuff like windsurf gear, mal or SUP securely inside a decent wagon.
If you wanna carry dirty stuff, put a rubber liner in the back or cut a big bit of carpet.
Mid sized fourby all the way.
Disagree Mark - my Hilux dual-cab has a 6'×6' tray and Flexiglas 'work-ezy' canopy. It will carry a family of 5, all my windsurfing (and SUP) gear on the roof with the oztent - secured with kanulocks - 5 pushies in the back (2 of which are mtbs), as well as all our clothes, esky, bbq, fishing gear and 80lt icebox...also the necessary 4x4 recovery gear and some tools. Everything that we need to get away for a while.
The bonus is that if I go away by myself, I can stretch out in the back (diagonally) and sleep comfortably and I'm 6'2".
Select to expand quoteyoungbull said..
Smicko you must drive like a grandma, 6cy 4.8lt Patrol use up to 28lt/100km. The 4.2 petrol cruisers use 15-21lt/100km. Both cruiser and patrol in 4.2TD use 13-18lt/100km. These are 2ton cars. If you want cheap petrol they are not the cars to buy especially if you include servicing. Go a diesel cruiser DX with a 1HZ motor if you want to save money, plenty of 80 - 100 series with that combination and a few 105 series.
A friend had the 4.8 patrol, it went like a jet fighter on roids in the bush. Problem we found was it was big, trying to go where our 80 series went was painful, to bulky and overweight. He only had the car 2 months and sold it due to fuel consumption.
Not at all, after doing the 12 month double or nothing I do tend to sit on the speed limit but I like to get there quick. The TB48 likes to sit on about 2500 revs, with 285s and standard diff centres that means 4th gear at 110 and 3rd in town at 60. 2500 is also where the best throttle response and power is.
The usual culprit for ****eful economy in the 48 is rooted 02 sensors.
I had a 97 petty cruiser, good bus, just not as good as this one though. My favourite cruiser was one of those jap imports, mine was the last of the 60series. 1989VX the equivalent of the Sahara here except auto, that had the 12HT motor, brilliant car but it succumbed to cancer.
As far as size goes, there's not much between the GU and the 80-100 series, same track and about 250mm in length.
I reckon you might have your cruiser blinkers on.
Try old farmers that are looking to upgrade, Most have their cars registered under the farm or company name and there accountant will tell them to upgrade every now and then. Can score a bargin doing this. 
