Dual cab ute

[The-easyrider]

Hi Guys I haven’t been on line for a while due to sellingthe boat but thought I have a question about 4bs so who better to ask. The timeis almost upon me when my eldest will be learning to drive. Now my daughter isquite the girly girl all make up, hair dos and clothes so I am thinking Suzuki swiftor Getz and the plan is to flick the wife’s auto xr6 and pick up a good littlecar that will serve as the learn to drive car and we can sort any issues withit. Once she has her licence and starts uni it will get passed onto the girlchild then we will do the same with a ute for the boy child.But to my surprise she wants a ute as well soshe can go up the beach camping. So now I amlooking at a ute around 2004 vintage, I am thinking the Navara but as I have had nothing to do with utessince I stopped swinging a hammer 15 years ago have no idea of what’s good orbad around that era.
So any info from owners or former owners of these utes wouldbe great

[Rip it up]

If your budget stretches to 2006 model. The ford Rangers are a better vehicle for both power and ride quality. I own a 2009 model. And spend a lot of time on the beach. The extra power helps tackle the sand.
Still gets 9L to the 100km.

Both utes are torsion bars so big lifts are impossible. So a decent set of Tyres is all it needs.

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Damo's dodgy boat building repair centre.

[hainsofast]

That a nice ute Damo, wiltracks are very nice, all the fruit. Nothing better than having a decent ute with power to tow your boat with

[FisHard]

I had a 08 Ranger for 5 years and it was a great car. Used to tow my my 2.4t boat without complaint and suffered no serious complaints when I had it. Averaged 8-9l/100 ks not towing. I believe the newer model is even better

[Rip it up]

Older Rangers are still fetching 12-15k on the second hand market. For the low kilometer models. Like it has been said. Not a lot goes wrong with them with general servicing keep on check. Timing belts are about the only concerns change them early.


Damo's dodgy boat building repair centre.

[ReefRobber]

I had the d22 str navara. They are reliable and tough. Well worth a look.

[YOOT]

The D22 is tough, won't ever let you down but god awful to drive, no power, noisy, and crap ride. Plus the steering stops grind like metal is about to shear off which looks bad when you do a u-turn.

We have an old one at work that has been poorly maintained and still goes like new. It's up to nearly 400,00km.


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[Chimo]

See if you can find a Subaru Brumby that can be done up.

She will luv it and they are a great way to get around. Had about 5 of them in the day and only stopped buying them because they stopped production.

Cheers
Chimo

PS It looks like you won't even have to do one up! Look here http://www.carsales.com.au/car/subaru/brumby/

PPS SHe might like this one and they are great in sand too http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Subaru-Brumby-1987/SSE-AD-3269525/?Cr=6 (http://www.carsales.com.au/car/subaru/brumby/) :-*

[GBC]

I had a new 03 v6 auto hilux back then, and did a bit of research before getting it. It was ok, not great in the braking or stability department. Looking back I'd have to rate the ra rodeo a better vehicle than the lux, especially the 3.0 itd motor, ability to not roll over, and road manners - hilux was not good at any of that prior to the current shape coming out. We've still got one ra in the work fleet in 2wd - cannot kill it. Ford/Mazda were still the last model before the p series ranger came out and had notoriously weak front ends and gearboxes. D22 was strong enough but the zd30 engine isn't the greatest and has let more than a few navara owners down. Good luck with the search for the right one.

[hainsofast]

BT-50 here, same as ranger 08 model, 130K on the clock, get 9 - 10 lt per hundred, great car

[gofishin]

The D22 is tough, won't ever let you down but god awful to drive, no power, noisy, and crap ride... It's up to nearly 400,00km... you forgot "crap on the beach and massive turbo lag that made it feel like an early 80's motorcross bike with a powerband that was 'off-on-going-gone' in the time that you can say that" :) :). But yes, pretty indestructible despite the rep of the 3L grenade.

We had one at work the same, maybe 04 model(?), still going strong as a knockabout car in the family of one of the bosses.

I took it to Fraser in 2006 with the family. Boy that trip was hard work...! The car I mean :)
Cheers


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[YOOT]

The ZD30 only shares the block with patrol. The rest is different and doesn't have the issues the Patrol did.


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[hainsofast]

The newer 2.5lt CRD are not so bad, but bloody uncomfortable driving position, I came very close to getting one when they were on special for 29999 in 2010-11 but ended up going with the second hand BT, happy I did that in the end.

[Lucky_Phill]

you forgot "crap on the beach and massive turbo lag that made it feel like an early 80's motorcross bike with a powerband that was 'off-on-going-gone' in the time that you can say that" :) :). But yes, pretty indestructible despite the rep of the 3L grenade.

We had one at work the same, maybe 04 model(?), still going strong as a knockabout car in the family of one of the bosses.

Cheers



The Navaras overall were and still are a great value for money 4 x 4. As for " lag ".... I have been down this track before... are they not a diesel ? Hence they will have lag as they aren't a petrol and lag is not an issue, it is a fact of life for many 4 x 4 diesel's. You can nearly eliminate the " lag " by changing gears at near maximum rpm. :)

Modern diesels still have " lag " but much more refined and less noticable.

There is no such thing as a bad 4 x 4 on the beach only a bad driver.

A well maintained ZD30 will last a lifetime as will most diesels.

I am an ex owner of a Navara and also had a Rodeo, which I also rated highly ( high torque ).

cheers LP

[Tailortaker]

I've got a 2010 navara,,, great vehicle all round. Goes great on the beach, does fraser easy but any car should. Fraser is an easy beach drive. It's fine on the highway and around town but it has the 2.5l intercooled turbo diesel not the old 3l non intercooled turbo diesel.
Cheers TT

[scottar]

Had a 2005 Navara ST-R with the ZD-30 that did 250K from new without issue. I certainly didn't notice any lack of power or poor performance on the beach. The truck did everything asked of it. The bump stops do grind - if not greased regularly. They do have a nasty habit of locking the rears up under heavy braking if they don't have ABS fitted and while it always got me where I needed to be with over 2 tonne of boat, it really wasn't a happy camper so it got traded in. Provided I wasn't towing big loads I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. The standard suspension isn't the ducks nuts but be wary of rigs that have had lifts. Make sure you engage the hubs (but not put it into 4wd) when you take it for a test drive and get to over 80kph to check for front shaft vibration issues. There is a heap of info on the Navara Asia website if you want to do some more research.

[gofishin]

...There is no such thing as a bad 4 x 4 on the beach only a bad driver. Ok LP, maybe "crap on the beach" was a little bit exaggerated, but if that was the case (a bad driver), then I was significantly 'less bad' with the following on the beach;
PAJ NT Diesel3.2 TD auto
D40 Nav 2.5TD man
LC 100 TD manual
PAJ NM 3.5L Petrol Auto
PAJ NJ (?), 3.5L Petrol, auto and manual
LC 60 D manual a/market turbo

Some of these only once on the beach, but then so was the D22 (manual). This 'once' was a 3 day trip - enough to get a good feel of the truck.

In terms of drivability on the beach, most of the others were so much better on the beach it was/is not funny - in my mind. If that makes me a bad driver then so be it :) :)
Cheers


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[Lucky_Phill]

Yep, no worries....

Auto's certainly make life easier on the beach... well, not the beach so much, as the soft stuff. ( sand )

On the hard sand, we'll only ever use 2wd anyway.

I think the tyre pressures, gear selection, momemtum and rpm have a huge amount of influence on how a 4 x 4 handles the soft sand ( where 4wd is needed ) and all those parameters are in the hands of the driver. Other things like diff locks and LSD's are another issue. Then you could argue suspension.... leaf spring vs coil etc.

But , in the end a good driver can get an average / bad 4 x 4 places a bad driver could not get a good 4 x 4 to.

It's all a matter of experience and opinions.

I have witnessed pimped 4 x 4's bogging at Indian head and at the same time, old 1980's Hi luxs driving around them in circles, saying " wazzup ? " :)

Offroad 4 x 4ing is another kettle of fish IMO. Clearance, lsd and diff locks, M/T's and articulation of the suspension are definately an advantage over stock 4 x 4's.

I think we may have gone off track a little.... :)

cheers LP

[gofishin]

...well, not the beach so much, as the soft stuff. ( sand ) ...

I think we may have gone off track a little.... :)

cheers LP yep, that's what I meant, the soft stuff ... and yep, we've gone off track a little.
Pun intended LP ?? :)


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