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GU or GQ for outback travel?

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:45 am
by TuffRR
My brother is looking at getting a diesel Patrol for around the $30k mark. He intends to use it for longer touring type trips.
In this price bracket it seems you can get late model GQ's with the 4.2 diesel or early GU's with the 2.8/3.0
What are people's preferences in regards to these vehicles. From my little knowledge of Nissan's i believe that the GQ was stronger in a lot of areas than the newer GU. Any advice/opinions?

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 1:58 pm
by thunder
go the 4.2 as its a proven winner .
i own a 3.0 and if i had it over again i wouldnt buy one..outher than that the gu is a great 4b ......

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 5:37 pm
by .MYTLUX.
yeh go the gq 4.2 as u would lucky to find a decent 3.0 GU for 30 grand and the 2.8's arent that great(no were near as god as 3.0td)

the only thing is GQ have a lot of rattles which may piss u off on extended trips but they are super reliable, a few people from my club broke diff housings on patrols on a recent CSR trip but they were really loaded up.

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:59 pm
by Juzza
If your brother could afford a GU 4.2 i believe it would be a more
comfortable outback tourer than a GQ.
GQs are far better as a hardcore weekend winch challenge thrasher
but if you are doing 500-1000 kms in a day a gu is by far the better rig.

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2003 2:59 pm
by JK
Well 20 to 25K would get you a respectable late model GQ with the extra cash you can go some way towards customising the vehicle for touring.

It would probably cost a minimum of 10K just to get a vehicle ready for touring. The 4.2D is brilliant on the road and loves the long ks, just lags a little on the big hills. Something I'm going to remedy with a turbo :D

For about 20K worth of mods I plan to have the perfect tourer with the capability of doing Fred's Hill / Menai whenever I want.

4.2 GQ

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2003 6:30 pm
by Carl Coight
I have a 4.2 diesel GQ.
I have put a schwitzer turbo on it and it goes hard. But driving it for 12 hours straight is hard work and at the you feel shagged.
I think his best bet is to drive both see which one feels the best, if i had the cash (30k) i would save or borrow the extra 5 or 10 and go the GU.

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2003 8:18 pm
by roadrunner
I just ran a GQ diesel over to Perth from Sydney and back. Two days there and two back, big diesel never missed a beat even after towing a Commodore for 400 k's at 110 :roll: Turbo helped though 8)

The only problem i had was with the drivers seat, as the support had collapsed and I was sitting on the metal brace for three days ! :x

The old girl has 250 thou on it now and looks like going forever although I agree with Juzza ; if you got the cash drive a GU on the Loooonggg trips and save the GQ for Menai !

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2003 8:40 pm
by Drafty
I have a GU 4.2 and I have to say it is supa comfotable to drive on long trips. We drove 1000km + a day last year on a trip to Shark Bay. My brother has a GQ and to be honest 500km would be my limit in that thing, a bit too tractor like, mind you fantastic vehicle in the ruff stuff.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2003 5:54 pm
by roly
drew wrote:I have a GU 4.2 and I have to say it is supa comfotable to drive on long trips. We drove 1000km + a day last year on a trip to Shark Bay. My brother has a GQ and to be honest 500km would be my limit in that thing, a bit too tractor like, mind you fantastic vehicle in the ruff stuff.


you must have a fat arse, 'cos GU seats are the most uncomfortable seats i've ever had in a car!

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2003 11:02 pm
by Singo17
roly wrote:
drew wrote:I have a GU 4.2 and I have to say it is supa comfotable to drive on long trips. We drove 1000km + a day last year on a trip to Shark Bay. My brother has a GQ and to be honest 500km would be my limit in that thing, a bit too tractor like, mind you fantastic vehicle in the ruff stuff.


you must have a fat arse, 'cos GU seats are the most uncomfortable seats i've ever had in a car!



Roly I have a fat arse and I can confirm I think the GU seats aren't the best. I would like some options here as my lower back was shagged after the trip to Townsville and I have driven a 110 landrover from Melbourne to darwin and back so I know a bad seat when I sit in it.

I must add though the truck does do the k's with ease I remember a hard day 1000k's and 35-40 deg and when we stopped it was like I had just come back from the shops none of those creaks and groans you get from a vehicle that is doing the k's hard. So yeah get a GU if ya can but loath to say it consider an 80 series should be able to get a late GXL for about the money comfy and relatively sorted in the reliability stakes. Worth a look but the 4.2 Td's still fetch top dollar 35-45g's although the odd one does pop up when the sellers hasn't a clue what he is selling.

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2003 12:03 pm
by roly
i ran mine at 100-130kmh for 26+ hours straight on the sydney to cairns run...

its good have a 4ed that can get you to the good places fast so you can pull on the little stick sooner....

roly

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2003 9:10 pm
by Drafty
Sorry Roly no fat arses allowed in my GU. You have to understand i drove a 40 series for 5 years prior. :wink:

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2003 12:51 pm
by dangerman
roly wrote:you must have a fat arse, 'cos GU seats are the most uncomfortable seats i've ever had in a car!



But Roly you must weigh 50kgs wringing wet dont you?? :) Normal weight people they are soft enough.....

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 9:34 am
by roly
ive bulked up, 65 kgs now ;)

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 11:12 am
by Guy
I got a GU .. my bro's got a GQ .. the GU sets are HEAPS better. he agrees as well ..
AFter 4 days at 1000kms a day behind the wheel of the GU it felt like about 100kms.. I runthe 4.5 petrol .. so I was stopping alot to feed the bugger .. but very comfy vehicle.

If I had the money would have loved a 4.2 diesal with an aftermarket turbo. But could not find a dieseal in a decent price range, that interest you are paying on that extra 5 to 10 grand pays for alot of extra petrol ..

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 4:23 pm
by bj on roids
drew wrote:Sorry Roly no fat arses allowed in my GU. You have to understand i drove a 40 series for 5 years prior. :wink:


i was going to say anyone complaining about a gq or even a GU should come for a ride with me :twisted: i used to drive many, many hours in my 40, and after driving a few later model 2000+ prados, hiluxes and other vehicles, i have come to the conclusion that it is a POS, get something late model for touring, you can upgrade to AWESOME seats for a few hundred dollars if the gq is the money...so yeah DO IT!

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 5:48 pm
by Singo17
bj on roids wrote:
drew wrote:Sorry Roly no fat arses allowed in my GU. You have to understand i drove a 40 series for 5 years prior. :wink:


i was going to say anyone complaining about a gq or even a GU should come for a ride with me :twisted: i used to drive many, many hours in my 40, and after driving a few later model 2000+ prados, hiluxes and other vehicles, i have come to the conclusion that it is a POS, get something late model for touring, you can upgrade to AWESOME seats for a few hundred dollars if the gq is the money...so yeah DO IT!



Yeah okay I will bite. I agree totally that riding around in a 40 series is uncomfortable and my old man used to make us kids sit on the wheel wells of series two landrovers for over 200 km trips (that my friend is not a pleasant ride) but I didn't pay 40,000 to 50,000 for a 40 series and if I did it would want to ride good.

For the money I think the GU seat is crap for me and my back. I had a hilux before the GU and it's seats were much better than the GU's for 15,000 grand less.

In stock form the GU is wonderfully comfortable to drive as I would expect for the money payed but. With the spring package I have on and the dynamics of the vehicle changed slightly I find the seat not up to the standard of the trucks target audience.

I think the problem is the seat length is too short to support the upper legs and therefore levers presure on the small of the back. For people over around 5' 11' this may be a problem.

I think too if you had one with Cruise Control you would place your feet flat on the floor which would change the way you would fatigue in the thing. I have a suspicion that this would make a big difference.

Singo

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 5:59 pm
by Guy
with 3 guys over 6 foot tall in a hilux from melbourne to alice and back via the old ghan rail line .. I could not stand more than about 20 minutes in the front seats .. I was actually more comfortable in the back seat of the dual cab .. go figure ... similar trip in the GU .. with cruise control .. no worries ...
It drove exactly the same after the trip as B4 .. but the now road along the Ghan was vastly diffrent to when we did it in the Lux ..
[/quote]

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:58 pm
by Singo17
love_mud wrote:with 3 guys over 6 foot tall in a hilux from melbourne to alice and back via the old ghan rail line .. I could not stand more than about 20 minutes in the front seats .. I was actually more comfortable in the back seat of the dual cab .. go figure ... similar trip in the GU .. with cruise control .. no worries ...
It drove exactly the same after the trip as B4 .. but the now road along the Ghan was vastly diffrent to when we did it in the Lux ..
[/quote]

You know it could be just my back but I dont know I am comfortable for around 150 - 200 then it aches like a bastard. It took a week for it to come good after 3,000km of easy driving.

Maybe it is me because all my friends (who aren't 4x4 enthusiasts) comment on the comfort they didn't expect from it.....

mmmmm

singo !!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 8:45 pm
by moose
singo ya blouse !!!! :finger: :finger:
next time I se you , i,ll take ya for a ride in the zook !!!!!!
that will fix ya back !!!!!!
NO CHARGE !!!!!! :finger: :finger: :finger:

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 8:58 pm
by Cheezy4x4
I drive a 97 GQ tray 4.2 deisel No turbo 6 days a week and tow the Mav interstate with it. If I wasnt selling it the only mod I would do is put a turbo on it. When towing I have trouble getting over 90km/h up the Hume.
Twice up the Hume going to Sydney im in 2nd gear, thats 40kp/h.
Other than that its a top truck. :D

Re: singo !!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:10 pm
by Singo17
moose wrote:singo ya blouse !!!! :finger: :finger:
next time I se you , i,ll take ya for a ride in the zook !!!!!!
that will fix ya back !!!!!!
NO CHARGE !!!!!! :finger: :finger: :finger:



Yeah and I will take you for a ride in a 42T leopard tank and Jump a 3m + wide ditch at 65kph and you'll know why my back is Fugged...... :finger:

Charge: 5 litres per Kilometer I will discount the time airborne but deduct it from your frequent flyer points.....

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:20 pm
by Cheezy4x4
Hay Singo, Im up for it. :D

CAN I DRIVE !!!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:24 pm
by moose
CAN I DRIVE ??? HUH , CAN I ???
comon can I !!!!!! :finger: :finger:


and cheezy,s truck is really comfy for sleepin too !!!!!!
BUT ONLY 1 AT A TIME !!!!!!!!!! :finger: :finger: :finger:
the driver is meant to stay ALERT !!!!!!! :finger: :finger:

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:25 pm
by Cheezy4x4
Is that what I did wrong. :?:

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:37 pm
by Singo17
Cheezy4x4 wrote:Is that what I did wrong. :?:




Cheezy, Moose when I come back down I will see what I can do.....Let you two drive sure why not I have taught 17 year olds without a car license and have never driven to do it full time(scary shite on the roads though so if you see one with driver under instrucion on it stay the fug away trust ME 8) ) so you two will be no sweat........

Must warn you though, you crash one no crumple zones, seat belts, blow up face pillows so it hurts a bit....no alot..... :wink:

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:41 pm
by Cheezy4x4
Hay Peter ( avgas454) my guns bigger than yours, and Moose, I will give you a 5 min head start, then Im coming guns a blazing. :twisted:

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:51 pm
by moose
Must warn you though, you crash one no crumple zones, seat belts, blow up face pillows so it hurts a bit....

sounds just like a zook !!!!!! :P :P :P

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:58 pm
by Singo17
moose wrote:
Must warn you though, you crash one no crumple zones, seat belts, blow up face pillows so it hurts a bit....

sounds just like a zook !!!!!! :P :P :P


Bring ya Zook and we will park on it and I will show you all the crumple zones it has. The only place you wont see a zone it where the outline of the engine as seen in your bonnet will be after we hop off it.....

Don't get me wrong Monster Trucks are good but you don't get the cars quite as flat as Tracks.......

You know I destroyed (literally tore it in two) my first cone in a Tank :D

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2003 10:01 pm
by Singo17
Cheezy4x4 wrote:Hay Peter ( avgas454) my guns bigger than yours, and Moose, I will give you a 5 min head start, then Im coming guns a blazing. :twisted:


Give him four minutes mate if ya give him five at 100kph he would be 300 metres out of range.......