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Thread: Around Australia vehicle choice

  1. #1
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    Around Australia vehicle choice

    Hi all,
    We are seriously contemplating selling up and travelling the country for a year or two.
    It will be wifey and myself plus eleven and five year old children, we will be taking a camper trailer. We will travel some of the remote deserts.
    I am undecided on what vehicle to use.
    What I have been thinking about is the following. This is what we have to play with.
    - 2000 td5 disco purchased new with 180 k -stock standard.
    -82 2 door range 4.6,zf,lt230 with 30% gears,laminated difs with maxi drive lockers and rotated swivels,bilsteins .
    -85 county,3.5,lt95,Salisbury .

    The disco is a known good car, but would need a few mods to make it suitable, it is possibly a little bit complicated, and the difs won't swap over.
    The rangie is only good for parts but I know them inside out ,
    The county was to be my new play car using all the bits of the rangie,
    But with a bit of work and a diesel of some sorts I think it would be a more serviceable vehicle.
    There is a heavily damaged 2000 defender at auction I was looking at put the engine and gearbox in the county?
    Any ideas will be appreciated.
    Regards,
    Michael

  2. #2
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    I would suggest you use the County,more space for your gear,the LT95 would be one of the better gearboxes,it has good towing capability,easier to work on compared to the D2,any body scratches will not standout as much,the body is narrower than either the Rangie or the Disco,and if something breaks or you get body damage,most series panels will fit and 7"round headlights are easily available,just make sure that you fit a good twin relay for your lights,as it then takes the power draw (amps=heat) from your switch as that is what melts them(you can also do that to your Rangie's lights as I have done),the county will have the heavier suspension capability,and spares places like MR Autos and British Off Road in Queensland will freight spares anywhere,MR will(or used to)do a travel kit of spares,and would credit you with what you returned unused.

    They are just my suggestions,that is what I would do.

    cheers

  3. #3
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    Build the county with some goodies from your old 2 door, put an Isuzu in it and your done. Pity you don't have a taper roller lt95 any more though

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vern View Post
    Build the county with some goodies from your old 2 door, put an Isuzu in it and your done. Pity you don't have a taper roller lt95 any more though
    X 2, it is the best option

  5. #5
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    This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?

  6. #6
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    Hi all, thanks for the feedback.
    My eleven year old will miss grade six and the five year old will miss prep, but I think they will learn more with the experience.
    The Isuzu swap seems a bit daunting at the moment as there seems to be so many hard to find parts required.
    I think the county would be the best as I know the drivetrain backwards, have a few good spares-maxi centre and axles,cv's,springs,etc.
    We will need aircon and will have to research this.
    Damien you must give back that gearbox I loaned you.
    I think a manual will be a safer option and I would like to keep my lt230 as it was just rebuilt and has the 30% maxi drive gears.

  7. #7
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    Put the Rangie parts into the County, & convert to LPG. I took my 85 County away to Cooktown & back in 2007 & my kids were that age ( their school subsequently disallowed such absences) and only had to buy 2x DVD players to quieten them down..
    David

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by fitzy View Post
    Hi all, thanks for the feedback.
    My eleven year old will miss grade six and the five year old will miss prep, but I think they will learn more with the experience.
    The Isuzu swap seems a bit daunting at the moment as there seems to be so many hard to find parts required.
    I think the county would be the best as I know the drivetrain backwards, have a few good spares-maxi centre and axles,cv's,springs,etc.
    We will need aircon and will have to research this.
    Damien you must give back that gearbox I loaned you.
    I think a manual will be a safer option and I would like to keep my lt230 as it was just rebuilt and has the 30% maxi drive gears.
    I on sold the lt95 as it didn't fit my soft dash, now I have a mxa 5 speed. I don't think you will be happy with your v8 fuel consumption, so installing a diesel will be the way to go and if you are towing it leaves only a couple of choices, Isuzu or tweaked td5. I know which i'd choose

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eevo View Post
    This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?
    am sure they will cope

  10. #10
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    What does the Mrs have to say about the vehicle?
    From a comfort point of view, i would go the Td5 Disco, put your rebuilt lt230 in that and beef up the diffs with some Ashcroft ATB's.

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