best 4wd to modify for off road

[madone69]

hey guys got given a range rover classic and started to get into 4 wheel driving and loving it. just wondering if i should spend money on the range rover or sell it and buy a another vehicle like a patrol or a land cruiser and spend the money on that. love doing beach, sand dunes, mud, and minor rocky hills and stuff so bit of everything. everyone i ask who i know who does serious off road seem to be one minded (what car they got is the best) so am after suggestions from people that have had experience with all makes and models and isn't bias. modifications that looking at doing are lift kit(range rover has air bags atm), bull bar, big tyres, snorkle and later down the track a winch and air lockers. thanks guys

[shakes]

You are basically asking whats better ford or holden?

If the rangey if rust free and the motor is in good nick stick with it. Plenty of potential for not alot of money if you spend the time lurking around learning how best to mod it.

[Green as Grass]

There are plenty of happy Rangie owners out there and they do well. They drive nice ad there is a certain, disconnected feeling about driving a Rangie. I don't know what it is, but they always feel great. They are a bit hard on the wallet and some say they are not up to the Jap gear.
If you like the Rangie then stick with it. If not, I'd go for a GU Patrol or a solid axle Hilux.

[-Scott-]

I've always thought the early model Range Rovers have great off-road capabilities out of the box, but there seems to be an opinion that they're expensive to maintain, and have some drivetrain weaknesses once you start to push their limits.

I don't know how expensive they may (or may not) be, or if they're significantly weaker than 'Cruiser / Patrol / Jeep, and I'm a believer in "better the devil you know". If you're reasonably happy with your current Rangie, and it's been reliable for you, I would say it's as good a starting point as any - for what you describe.

For remote area touring, I'd want to know much more of the history of the specific vehicle before heading off in an early Rangie.

My 2c (from a Pajero driver...)

[toughnut]

Mate. Best bet is to stick with what you have if you're happy with it. There is a whole bunch of stuff you can do to take your truck right up to competition level if you want to. They are very cabable with just a little modifying. Have a good read through the Rover section on this forum and have a look at some of the members build threads and see what sort of mods you'd like to do and can afford. Remember that with each mod you do you will probably have to do other mods to get the benefit from it.

Bottom line is that the money you'd save by staying with the car you already have you can put straight into modifying your truck to suit what you want to do. A mild lift and some decent tyres will go a long way to getting you where you want to go. Then if you think of traction aids like diff locks then you might want to think about stronger axles.

Recovery gear is very important as well. As a very basic kit make sure you have a good snatch strap and shackles. Oh and good recovery points. Half the fun of building your truck is using it and getting stuck so you know what you want to modify next.

[CRUZAAMAD]

stick with the rangie, and thrash that v8, sounds sweet!!
i would keep it as a play toy and thats it.

any touring id be getting another rig.
if you were doing any mods, id take the view of buying for future purchases, as in set of 33 can pretty well go under most proper 4wds without dramas, obviously rims are a different story.
i wouldnt buy lockers, just get seriously good tyres, run internal beadlocks and lasty a decent winch.
tyre pressures make a massive difference, and with the beadlocks youd be covered, then the winch for realy hard tracks.
my 2 cents.

[loosecanon]

The Rangie is a great car, and lots of fun.

But here is why you should buy a cruiser...........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4etLuSzARE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;