striker99 wrote:offroad I would be wanting to put a 4-6" lift kit on it and a few other bits and peaces later on
You don't want 6" unless it's for posing, 3-4" is most likely going to be plenty for you. You want space for your tyres and that's it.
I would suggest that you drive a SWB GQ, a LWB GQ, and an 80... and being a young fella I'd say you'll probably end up liking the SWB GQ the most.
They definitely have the best cool factor out of the three, they are quite quick (admittedly still a little bit like farm equipment to drive), and you've got a good chance of finding one with a factory rear locker, leccy windows and the whole bit (ie a Maverick XLT, a ford-badged GQ) very comfortably under your budget. Even a dedicated ricer would say a nice black Maverick on 33s and shiny rims is a pretty cool looking vehicle, and it cuts it as a fourby as well.
That will leave you the $$ to spare to upgrade the tyres (~ $1100 and the suspension ~ $1000 and whack in a decent stereo ($1000)
, a few hundred for recovery gear ).
I had a SWB Maverick for a few years and loved it, finally switched to a LWB because I wanted more room for touring, but they are really quite different to drive, the SWB is a lot less truckish and if you get a petrol/LPG one you'll find it's fairly lively.
Any of those three will fit 33s or 35s and they suit them. 37s start to look a bit stupid on any of them; personally I think 33s are the go in the real world.
Anyway, I would say that you should see if you can tag along on a few trips to Ormeau etc through this forum and watch the driving. What you see for yourself and what you'll have people telling you are pretty different.
The only other option I'd suggest might be to shelve your idea of spending $10-15k on your first fourby, and spend $2k on an MQ shorty or Sierra or something, thrash the absolute fark out of it with no regrets, and then upgrade later - and not get drawn into blowing all your money too soon on the wrong car. You can buy add-ons like CB, winch, tyres, rims etc that will transfer to your next vehicle.
It's pretty impressive where an unlocked L28 MQ can go if it's driven hard enough.
This is not legal advice.