I apologise in advance if these questions have been asked before, but I've been through a fair few pages and can't see any similar subject line.
I am looking at buying a cheap 4WD that will also be cheap to run and modify. I've previously owned a Subaru Sportswagon (never got off road), a Lada Niva (amazing offroad but a pig onroad), a Feroza (which I pretty good on and off but got bellied up a bit through lack of wheel travel) and sold that and bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee (amazing on and off road but bloody expensive to run). We've now sold the Jeep and we bought a regular road car and I'm now looking for a second car to be used primarily for bashing off road.
I don't want to spend any more than about AUD5000 initially and have been thinking about a cheap, old Shorty Cruiser, another Feroza, another Lada or a Suzuki Sierra or Vitara.
I really like the modification ability of the Sierra and the utilitarian feel about them, but I'm not sure whether some of the modifications I see in 4WD Monthly and in this forum would be allowed in Western Australia. The Police keep a pretty close eye on wheels protruding from the arches and also on vehicle height and other mods.
Can anyone tell me whether to go for a Sierra or Vitara (or Jimny?) and what mods to be careful of in WA? How do these cars compare to the other mentioned (I know you'll all be impartial

Thanks,
Whistler
Dampier WA