I think I'm heading to the dark side

It sounds like you are trying to rationalize into a single car family with a vehicle that can tow, has long range, big HP, comfortable and auto (or so it sounds). That's a lot of territory to cover in one vehicle without giving into some compromises...

Have you considered something a bit boring as a commuter for the missus + kids? older diesel benz wagon? or similar? while you still have a toy that can tow for work?

My brood are between 5 and 8 now and when they were younger all I could think of was how impractical the county is, how crap it was having to climb into the back in order to put on their seat belts etc... but guess what, I'm out the other side now and all the impracticalities when considering the needs of little kids are gone and I'm rapt I kept it, despite having to lift them into the back still!

PS my little missus maybe only 5 foot nothing, but she can still drive the county ;-)

Nah not quite, wife car is an au wagon, which will be ample for a few years, then something different for her, maybe 56 chevy nomad

I have a new van for my running about, just something that's a toy for bush, makes lots of power, has good range and fits kids

Never fear!,


I am here to help! :D

YOU NEED A CAR WITH 4WD ABILITY ----- Tick!
NEED AT LEAST SEATS FOR 3-4 KIDS -----Tick!
DON'T WANT JAP -----Tick!
LIKE A BIT OF CUSTOM -----Tick!
ROOM TO CARRY GEAR AS WELL AS KIDS -----Tick!


thats right!

I have calculated all the above points and think I have the solution to your problem!


Any further help just ring for Dr DIGGER!!


here it is!
2005 LAND ROVER DEFENDER (No Badge) 110 03MY SUV Cars For Sale in TAS - carsales.com.au 1247 1252 1282 4294965541 4294964692 1216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5&sort=defau lt


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2012/06/98.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by digger

Never fear!,


I am here to help! :D

YOU NEED A CAR WITH 4WD ABILITY ----- Tick!
NEED AT LEAST SEATS FOR 3-4 KIDS -----Tick!
DON'T WANT JAP -----Tick!
LIKE A BIT OF CUSTOM -----Tick!
ROOM TO CARRY GEAR AS WELL AS KIDS -----Tick!


thats right!

I have calculated all the above points and think I have the solution to your problem!


Any further help just ring for Dr DIGGER!!


here it is!
2005 LAND ROVER DEFENDER (No Badge) 110 03MY SUV Cars For Sale in TAS - carsales.com.au 1247 1252 1282 4294965541 4294964692 1216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5&sort=defau lt


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2012/06/98.jpg

---

not that thing!!!!!!!!:o:(:(:(


jc

Interesting thread, having read all the comments and the requirements I can't see why you wouldn't consider a D3. They are now cheap especially the six cylinder petrol which would be a good platform for a donor vehicle, they fit seven with ease, can be lowered at the push of a button to make it easy to load and unload for the wife and kids. Are pretty capable off road and have lots of carrying capacity, a big plus is they can easily be made to handle like they are on rails while not affecting their off road ability. Sure they need a long range tank but for not a lot of money you can have 180 plus litre fuel load

Have a much higher safety level for your family then a GU and are much more comfortable and they would be a great platform for doing some serious power upgrades too. in fact that is what they are crying out for.

Sounds like your looking to find a way to expand your potential market and as I said I would have thought the petrol six D3 as it becomes less and less popular and cheaper would be the perfect base vehicle? Sooner or later someone is going to recognize that there are hundreds of six cylinder petrol D3's out there at the right price just waiting for a good builder to come along and transform them into something highly desireable.

Sure the D3 is not perfect, but neither is the GU either. Anyway what ever you build I'm sure it will be interesting to see.


Cheers,
Terry

Cheers,
Terry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by digger

here it is!
2005 LAND ROVER DEFENDER (No Badge) 110 03MY SUV Cars For Sale in TAS - carsales.com.au 1247 1252 1282 4294965541 4294964692 1216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5&sort=defau lt


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2012/06/98.jpg

---

It's The Lemon! I've actually driven* this vehicle!

It was designed as a commercial vehicle to take tourists around the west coast of Tassie. The West Coast Wilderness Railway used to own it, they had hi-roller gear on it so it would go on the railway lines. The tandem rear wheels were installed so they could grip the lines on the way around corners, there's no other reason for it. The nickname "The Lemon" was not so affectionately given to it due to the unreliability of the second hand hi-roller gear which was installed, not the vehicle itself. Given that's now all gone, I can only assume it would be a better vehicle now.

As far as size goes, I noted I could have both the front and middle rows of seats installed and still lay in the back fully stretched to sleep. It's MASSIVE.

Interestingly it has parabolic leaf springs under the back, which I found most curious on a Defender.

Being ex-commercial all the mods are fully engineered with mod plates attached to the vehicle. I would assume that would mean no problems with rego anywhere.

I know, I know, :rulez:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2012/06/99.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/100.jpg

Sorry I can't do any better than that under the back end of it.

-Martin

*driven as in moved it about 3m back, then 3m forwards. It was missing the front prop shaft and the brakes needed bleeding so I decided not to go far.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TerryO

Interesting thread, having read all the comments and the requirements I can't see why you wouldn't consider a D3. They are now cheap especially the six cylinder petrol which would be a good platform for a donor vehicle, they fit seven with ease, can be lowered at the push of a button to make it easy to load and unload for the wife and kids. Are pretty capable off road and have lots of carrying capacity, a big plus is they can easily be made to handle like they are on rails while not affecting their off road ability. Sure they need a long range tank but for not a lot of money you can have 180 plus litre fuel load

Have a much higher safety level for your family then a GU and are much more comfortable and they would be a great platform for doing some serious power upgrades too. in fact that is what they are crying out for.

Sounds like your looking to find a way to expand your potential market and as I said I would have thought the petrol six D3 as it becomes less and less popular and cheaper would be the perfect base vehicle? Sooner or later someone is going to recognize that there are hundreds of six cylinder petrol D3's out there at the right price just waiting for a good builder to come along and transform them into something highly desireable.

Sure the D3 is not perfect, but neither is the GU either. Anyway what ever you build I'm sure it will be interesting to see.


Cheers,
Terry

Cheers,
Terry

---

Thanks Terry, good points, not quite as entertaining as diggers:D

I have considered all options, they are all financially available at the moment and to be honest, I wouldn't have a Disco, never have liked the shape:)

If anything, I did think of an L322, nice cars, but a TD6 is transmission problems and the petrol variants are in the same boat, I may aswell build a P38....which I do like alot... but then I am back to the same scenario, I already have a P38 here, which would of been the guinea pig

But everything I think off has further R&D to which I can't time commit, and ends up a bit lacklustre in what I'm after, I'm still mildy retarded and wish for lots of Horsepower, something a little different and essentially something I can thrash

Building most anything is not an issue of capability, just time has me screwed and unfortunately its east to go play sparky, make good money and buy alot of the parts to achieve said result

I already had plans for a P38, LS3 4L60E, which would make for a nice combo, but to drive it the way I know I will, diff's then become an issue, sure a pair of high pinion 3.5 ratio, patrol centres can be grafted in with custom axles to suit, but unfortunately the time and effort in achieving this, as you have notably put, does have little return of investment, then time in drawing adaptors to be CNC machined etc, all achievable, but not so much viable

If it was a wife car, then as take us away second it certainly would be a P38, L322. but as its just something to go bush, play silly buggers by my self and get the family out and about it may aswell be something silly, Its been a Loooong compromise, but alas, life gets in the way sometimes:D

"but alas, life gets in the way sometimes"

call it opportunity ;)

rock it till it busts - glue it back together then carry on!

S

So is this the sort of the thing you are after?


2000 NISSAN PATROL ST GU Cars For Sale in QLD - CarPoint Australia 1282 4294963358 4294963846 1642 608 937&silo=1011&__No=105&seot=1&__Nne=15&trecs=139&_ _sid=138375C1D330

Looks like others have already thought of doing something similar Rovercare. ...:angel:

Personally I'd be more interested in a air suspended TDV8 D3 with Portals, e-diff and running on 33's that could be engineered for NSW. Now that would be a very nice bit of gear if someone with nouse and the engineering skills new now to make it happen at a mutually agreed reasonable price. ...:D

Don't you agree that a D3 built to those specs would be a truly unique vehicle with amazing off road and on road abilities that would still be very comfortable, add a Llams unit and it gets even better either 25 mm lower than the standard suspenion level for road use or up to 50 mm higher again if required. ...:cool:

Best of all it wouldn't be a vanilla Patrol. ...:angel:

cheers,
Terry

So , how much for the Isuzu rangie :)