Outer Limits 4x4 Board

alot of good advice here suzie siera are a great 4x4 and will take on the most beefy patrol or cruzuer with mods so its a good platform to start on on. and i own a 80 series cruser my 1st 4wd will go just about anywear with the few mods i have but parts are expensive and u wont wana scratch it pluss u gota cough up at the bouser cos diesel aint cheap.

but yeh man a zook is a great starter but u'll wana save a few bucks for a more powerfull engine in the older models those were uterly gutless.

hilux r good but u'll find urself doing to stupid things in one and doing alot of damage.

As has been stated before. The ideal first fourby for anyone who actually intends to go offroad has to be the ever reliable Sierra. Not only are there plenty of them still going around but there are plenty of experienced 4WDers who either do or have owned one who can provide advice or assistance if ever you need it. In stock form they still kill any other small 4WD, nothing made since has come close in offroad ability. Then when the bug bites and you start modifying there are plenty of options and aftermarket parts available.

The Sierra has aged sufficiently such that you won't lose on resale unless you have killed it, and that is a lot harder than most think.

Yes I drive a Sierra nowadays, but have driven many different vehicles over the past few decades (yes I'm an old fart!!) and nothing else beats it in the sheer fun stakes. I have also assisted many young drivers in getting started with their first fourby, most have chosen Zooks or regretted not doing so.

I've had a Diahatsu (feroza)....It was my first 4x4....and whilst it was fun....
I'd recommend a Serria and I;ve never owned one......
Oh yeah if space is an issue look for the LWB version - rarer but could be a good option.....

Wooders wrote:I've had a Diahatsu (feroza)....It was my first 4x4....and whilst it was fun....
I'd recommend a Serria and I;ve never owned one......
Oh yeah if space is an issue look for the LWB version - rarer but could be a good option.....

and also harder to find parts for

suzi_on_46s wrote:

Wooders wrote:I've had a Diahatsu (feroza)....It was my first 4x4....and whilst it was fun....
I'd recommend a Serria and I;ve never owned one......
Oh yeah if space is an issue look for the LWB version - rarer but could be a good option.....

and also harder to find parts for

they are exactly the same as a SWB except for some panels, the chassis and a driveshaft length. Other than that parts are just the same.

Maruti's can be abit differant.

Ok our first 4by is a GQ patrol which we still have (only had it for about a year) but it wasn't the cheapest thing going around the time. And Josh being a mechanic makes things like parts and labour a hell of a lot cheaper. In the whole time we've had it, the only serious thing we've broken is a CV. Other than that we have dented both rear quarters (gonna get them cut anyways) and smashed both tail lights (piece of piss to replace - bit expensive tho!). ANYWHO not to say that serria's aren't cheap to buy, mod, and run but josh and i both agree that we'd be weary about getting one. On the weekend of the ARB Hill climbs at LCMP just gone, we had two serria's decide to go for a swim in the creek right behind our camp site. It was funny as watching the little things putt putt around (they looked like little toy cars) in the water until one got in to deep and drowned it. So he got hooked up to an old cruiser to be snatched out. The cruiser went to hard to soon, pulled the car out, it bit in of the bank and rolled side to roof to side and the little thing crimpled like a coke can. The driver's hand got stuck on the steering wheel under the bent A piller and one of his mates had to unlatch his fingers and push his hand off the wheel. It was kinda scary to see it crumple so easily - it was not a high speed roll over or even one on a steep hill...

Just some more food for thought. and if you consider getting a patrol at all, don't get carby - they're a bitch - we've learnt from experience!

kat n josh

my first choice:

zook. i have a zook. its my first 4wd, my 20th (im guessing) vehicle.
you can buy a 1lt tintop for under a grand. you can buy a later 1.3 tintop for under 2 grand. you can buy a really nice stock 1.3 soft top for under 5 grand. buy 2 cheapies and annoy the shit out of your parents with crap everywhere for the next 2 years.

my second choice:

4runner. you can get an early 4runner for a couple of grand. it will most likely be in worse condition than a zook for the same sort of money, but its bigger, its a bit more car-like in its interior, and it will fit 4/5 people more comfortably for a day up the coast or whatever. if its hardcore 4wding you want, get the zook, if its more touring biased, get a 4runner.

get some thing differant buy my scout (you have email)