Thread: What to look for in a Isuzu 110/Stage 1?

Originally Posted by Dauntless

Hi everyone. I am in the market for a Stage One or One Ten ute or cab chassis, powered by the Isuzu 4BD1. What should I look for when buying one?

Do most of the Series III and One Ten body panels interchange? As one I've looked at is fairly beaten up but seems good underneath.

How hard are they too find in good shape? What are they generally worth?

I've got both a Stage One Isuzu, and a 110 Isuzu, and they are very different from one another.

As has been pointed out it's leafs vs coils.
The coils are certainly more 'plush'
I tried fitting parabolics on the Stage One, and in spite of what the sales people will tell you, the 4bd1 was just too heavy for them. (I also have a heavy bar and PTO winch which didn't help)
It sat low, and also the extra lateral movement in the parabolics ended up with the drive shaft hitting the pan at the sump plug area, under certain conditions. (It's now back on conventional springs)

Steering. I find my 110 understeers a fair bit. I'm going to look into it one day, but certainly doesn't compare to my 200tdi Defender which I rekon steers much better.
(I believe 200tdis are set back in the engine bay compared to 300tdis, maybe someone can confirm this. But thats off the point.)
The Stage One, well, it steers like a Series Landy. On the up side you're too busy to ever fall asleep driving it.

Stage One brakes suck.
Shifting down is a great option for slowing with the 4bd1.

The Stage One has a mechanical fuel shut off (pull the knob), and the 110 electric.
The wiring/ switches dash etc are more basic in the Stage One, and certainly easier to work on.

The 110 is a County, so soundproofing etc means you can listen to the radio, whereas the Stage One being fairly agricultural is bloody noisey inside.

Legroom in the 110 is greater, as the footwells in the 110 firewall are deeper/ different shape.
The engine bay in the Stage One is narrower, and as a guess I'd say that'd make fitting a turbo (if thats your wish) a tougher job.

But at the end of the day I love my Stage One, and like my 110.
Maybe it's the character, or perhaps just the times I spent with it, or perhaps just that it never requires any work done on it. You couldn't kill the bloody thing with an axe.


Some general info on commonality of panels-
I did some measuring up when I was considering sticking the Stage One on a 110 chassis.
The front guards are totally different.The Stage One are a one piece inner/outer guard assembly, and are incompatible with the 110 steering.
Wheel arches front and rear are in a different location.
If the rear guards are cut/modified on the Stage One to fit the 110, the 'toolbox' has to be modified as it is within the area to be cut out.
The firewall is different as mentioned above, but also in the way the guards are attached. (and the brakets fro the windsreen.
Obviously the windscreen and roof are different.

Originally Posted by Dauntless

The only thing I really don't like about these vehicles is the constant 4WD, but I realise the LT95's strength is necessary behind the Isuzu.

Why?
I rekon constant 4wd is great.
I drive a lot of rear wheel drive 4wds, and on something like a gravel road, the constant 4wd is miles ahead when it comes to cornering.

Cheers

Thanks for that! The reason I ask is the Stage One I am looking at is a bit dented, and I was hoping to be able to replace the roof and guards with Series panels and the bonnet with a 110 or Defender one.

I currently drive a 1982 Hilux dual cab 4x4 with a 2.4 diesel in it. I am really impressed with the way it handles. I prefer slight oversteer in 2WD, rather than the bad understeer that constant 4WDs tend to have.

Which parabolics did you try to use, with no luck? Paddock Spares in the UK sell fairly heavy duty looking parabolics, so what about those with decent shocks and One Ton shackles?

Do the Isuzu Stage Ones or 110/120's come fitted with a tachometer? If not, what is the solution for that?

Originally Posted by Dauntless

Do the Isuzu Stage Ones or 110/120's come fitted with a tachometer? If not, what is the solution for that?

My 110 came with an aftermarket tacho (although unworking). The instrument cluster has a speedometer/odometer, fuel gauge and coolant temp.

1. 110/120 Isuzu engined utes and cab/chassis are not Countys, and hence do not have the extra trim.

2. No Isuzu engined Landrovers come with a tachometer. Some other applications of this engine do, however, and I believe is simple, easy, albeit not cheap, to buy and fit a tacho designed for the engine from truck suppliers.

I agree entirely with 4bd1 about the advantages of full time four wheel drive - like him I have two Landrovers, one with and one without though, so I can compare them on a daily basis, and there is no question in my mind that on anything except dry bitumen the constant four wheel drive is better, and on dry bitumen it is just as good. I do not have a problem with severe understeer, but I would note that tyre pressures versus load are fairly important, and it is possible that tyre type may affect it as well.

John

OK thanks. So most of you just drive around without a tachometer? Hmm...

Originally Posted by Dauntless

OK thanks. So most of you just drive around without a tachometer? Hmm...

You need a tacho to know when to change gears?

You can;t over rev it, it has an engine governor built in the injection pump

I always found my ears perfectly adequate -

if they're bouncing around, then it's clearly idling;
if you can't hear anything, then it's about half way;
if you can't hear yourself think, then it's on the governor!






(ok, perhaps that's a slight over-exaggeration! )