Capable 4x4 for 12 Months in The Top End

LSlopshua on 17/10/2020 - 10:59

Hi OZB community,

My wife will be working in Darwin for 12 months starting early next year and will need a car for her time up there. I plan on visiting hopefully once month.

I'd like to have access to a 4X4 to explore the NT while she's up there.. nothing too serious, just a bit of overlanding, beach cruising, camping etc. Don't need anything too capable. I've got an old 95 Series Prado as my daily in VIC and it would be perfect had I not had it converted to LPG many years ago and therefore it only has a 55L sub petrol tank so it's range is severely hampered when you cant access LPG easily like in the NT and even then LPG is more expensive than ULP per litre if you can find it.

Don't want to buy new and a quick carsales search in the second hand market seems to reveal that it's quite expensive to buy a car already in Darwin and seeing as I'd be happy to buy a car in VIC and drive it up I'm wondering if I'd be able to use it for 12 months and then sell it , potentially at a profit, in Darwin?

Budget is quite flexible and I'd imagine 4X4 utes are probably pretty sought after in that part of the world so thats what I'm looking for but if anyone has any experience with the car market in Darwin it would be great to hear your thoughts.

Automotive 4WD

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 17/10/2020 - 11:02
    -6

    Defender

    /thread

    • wombat81 on 17/10/2020 - 11:14
      +2

      Lol. You'd need to buy a tilt tray too otherwise you wouldn't get far.

    • mapax on 17/10/2020 - 11:20

      Defenders are project cars… And yes, I want one.

      • TheBilly on 17/10/2020 - 16:27
        +1

        That is a nice way of saying they'll never run and you will always be fixing it.

    • TheBilly on 17/10/2020 - 16:27
      +1

      They are literally the equivalent poo.

  • mapax on 17/10/2020 - 11:27

    Are cars in Darwin that much dearer at the moment? I have only been looking in Vic but used 4x4 ute prices are through the roof at the moment, although I’m only looking at beaters so maybe it’s not across all price segments.

    • Slopshua on 17/10/2020 - 15:37

      Agree - have been looking extensively for 4x4 utes in Vic today and I cannot believe how much some people are asking for particular Toyota models.

    • TheBilly on 17/10/2020 - 16:36
      +2

      I used to think that as well, some of them were so overpriced (namely Toyota) that was until I took the plunge and purchased a Toyota Hilux. Have done about 120,000km on it now and purchased in 2018. I would say easily 20k to 30k kilometres has been on very difficult 4wd tracks, fire trails and high speed corrugated dirt roads and I have not treated the vehicle nicely at all. Even now, nothing has broken, all I have done is scheduled servicing and the vehicle feels like I just drove it off the showroom floor. I won't purchase any other brand now, fortunately, unfortunately.

      • Slopshua on 17/10/2020 - 17:16

        Did you purchase brand new? It seems that the Hilux's of the late 90's that seem to have the most reputation for being 'unbreakable' and that the later models are somewhat softer cars.

        • TheBilly on 17/10/2020 - 21:06
          +1

          Yes brand new, the one with all the DPF hype. I didnt have a single issue in 120 thousand km.

  • funnysht on 17/10/2020 - 11:38
    +2

    suzuki jimmy

  • Ridiculous Panda on 17/10/2020 - 11:49
    +1

    By a couple of jerry cans and mount them on your prado, mate. That’ll solve your problem cheaply.

    • Slopshua on 17/10/2020 - 15:39
      +1

      Yeah the thought had occurred to me but our other car is a Lexus sedan sans tow bar and I need to be able to tow back home in Melbourne.

  • 2jzzzz on 17/10/2020 - 12:30
    +1

    MUX or Fortuner?

    I'm looking at 10 year old Prados.

  • david clarke on 17/10/2020 - 13:33

    Can you just upgrade the 55l tank, do you have any room at all under there currently?

  • brendanm on 17/10/2020 - 13:37

    Remove lpg tank. Refit standard fuel tank.

    • mapax on 17/10/2020 - 14:16
      +1

      But that’s not an excuse to justify buying another vehicle…

    • Slopshua on 17/10/2020 - 15:43

      Unfortunately the petrol tank they remove to replace with the LPG tank is the main petrol tank which sits just under the boot floor area. The only aftermarket long-range fuel tanks I can find for the Prado are a main tank replacement. Additionally its a 3k injected LPG system I had installed so its a big waste to remove it hence I'd decided we'd be better off buying a 3rd car.

      • brendanm on 17/10/2020 - 17:00
        +1

        Literally just remove the cylinder/s, not the entire system. Go to the wreckers and buy a main tank for a Prado. Fit it. Done.

        Fir the gas when you move back.

  • TheBilly on 17/10/2020 - 16:30
    +3

    Sell your Prado and buy another Diesel Prado.

    There is a reason in the outback you only ever see Toyotas and older generation Nissan Patrols.

    These are the only vehicles that have proven over time they are capable.

    If there was something else capable, everybody would be driving it the way they drive the above vehicles.

    But they don't.

    • HelpMeiCantSee on 18/10/2020 - 08:47

      Locals tend to drive falcons and commodes pretty much everywhere, especially when remote. So not strictly true.

      • wombat81 on 18/10/2020 - 19:50
        +1

        Yeah but the locals don't care if (when) it gets trashed. They just dump it in the scrub and source another one.

        • HelpMeiCantSee on 19/10/2020 - 09:14

          True, but it’s amazing just how far they get them!

  • Euphemistic on 17/10/2020 - 19:36

    Budget?

    Is be looking for a wagon over a ute. More secure.

  • Slopshua on 17/10/2020 - 20:23

    Up to 40k

    • Euphemistic on 19/10/2020 - 10:20

      Healthy budget. Just buy anorher prado.

  • HelpMeiCantSee on 18/10/2020 - 08:46
    -1

    Really any 4wd will do. In the under 40k bracket you have 120 and some 150 prados, fortuner etc. older landcruisers. And newish Pajeros(great value here) They’re the best pick, followed by older patrols, then your outlanders/hilux/etc.

    something constant 4wd will be more rugged than part timers.

    That being said, I’ve done most of the NT in a falcon and a civic, but I was young and keen.

    How remote do you want to go?

    • wombat81 on 18/10/2020 - 12:57

      something constant 4wd will be more rugged than part timers.

      strange statement. So a part time 4x4 80 series or 105 series or 70 series landcruiser, all regarded as some of the most capable 4x4s ever produced, aren't rugged?

      • HelpMeiCantSee on 19/10/2020 - 09:13

        In general I mean. And I don’t think OP was considering an 80 series. 105 series are the same too by the way.

        Modern constant 4wd vehicles TEND to be built tougher than part time versions, so the point still stands.

        • wombat81 on 19/10/2020 - 13:37

          When you say "part-time" are you talking about soft roader AWDs? Other than that I can't think of any part-time 4x4 that isn't the exact equivalent the the same full time 4x4. Still makes no sense.

  • gbarlett on 18/10/2020 - 08:55
    -1

    I know this might sound crazy however have you thought of a mahindra pik up?
    Not very flash however from what I have seen in a few videos and what I have heard from owners, a very capable 4wd. And it won't break the bank.

    • wombat81 on 18/10/2020 - 12:58

      the bank may not break, but other components will… Plus, OP said resale was important, this would be literally the worst choice you could make for resale.

    • brad1-8tsi on 19/10/2020 - 10:37
      +1

      No Mahindra spares support in the NT. Why would you?

      5 Toyota dealers…

      • mapax on 19/10/2020 - 11:17

        I briefly contemplated a Mahindra as a work ute but then again it would only be in remote areas a few times a year. Considering their lack of power you’d hope they’d be mechanically reliable, but then again maybe there’s are other reasons they kept the power low?

        In reality I’d stick with an old hilux unless Mahindra decided they want to sponsor a nobody.

        • brad1-8tsi on 19/10/2020 - 15:58

          I've been in a few Mahindras when I was in India in Feb this year.

          Apart from the fact they were quite basic (like 1970s Land Rover basic) they seemed OK but I assume there were dealerships with spare parts in the major centres. In Australia this isn't the case. If somebody in Tokyo asked me if they should buy a Mazda Roadpacer, I'd tell them not to as well if they were concerned about body parts.

  • OzHunterNSW on 18/10/2020 - 09:47

    There are so many on the market, and all would be capable units for the top end. Buy in southern states and drive up.

  • kale chips suck on 18/10/2020 - 10:02

    Series 1 short wheel base Delica 2.8 turbo diesel. Or the long wheel base if you won't need the better attack angle of the shortie and if being able to quickly convert to a weekend camper you can sleep in comfort appeals. It's more or less a Pajero with a van body. Have a look on youtube for footage of them at play.

    If you go this route, get a bashplate to protect the oil filter (factory protection is ludicrously bad) and replace the radiator / overhaul the cooling system before you go remote. A lot of people upgrade the radiator to the one that was used in the Pajero of the same era, rather than refit a like for like, which was designed for Japanese, not Australian, conditions. The other thing that starting to be an issue is the heater cores failing. I imagine in the NT this wouldn't be an issue, so you'd just bypass the entire system and remove the problem - or you can replace the heater core with a new one. They're mad expensive from Mitsu, but you can get custom ones made up and delivered to Au from the UK (where Delicas are v popular) for less than 25% of the new Mitsu price - and they're better made, apparently.

    Delicaclub.com is an Aussie site that has an excellent FAQ, howto and tech support forums and people are approachable.

    Having said all that, if you're after a zero-effort purchase, I'd just get a new as possible for your budget Toyota. Or, as someone suggested above, remove the LPG tank from your current car, replace it with a wrecker-sourced fuel tank, and use that. How often do you tow in Melbourne? Could you just borrow a car for those times? Would it be cheaper to just hire something to tow? Can you just get the towing done cheap on Airtasker?

    If you have to tow in Vic infrequently, but want to convenience of having a vehicle at the ready, I'd look at removing the gas tank on your existing 4x4 and sending that to the NT, then getting the series 1 Delica on club reg and keeping that in Vic as the occasional tow vehicle. Get as many days on your club reg as you might need for your usage pattern. People drag large caravans around the country with them, so they can't be horrible at it. Doing it this way I think you'd get out of it for under $10k all up.

  • wombat81 on 18/10/2020 - 13:22
    +2

    Some interesting takes on this thread.

    I live in north QLD and have owned a number of 4x4s, and have travelled pretty extensively in remote places (cape york, the kimberely etc). As someone else said, people who live in remote places (stations etc) very rarely own anything except toyota 4x4s or a diesel patrol. In places where reliability is critical, those are the vehicles that are used. It has nothing to do with marketing or favouritism or what's popular, it's purely about reliability. Also, parts tend to be easier to get. Obviously you see lots of travellers with different vehicles passing through, but the "native" vehicles that spend their lives in remote places tend to be the above. So if it's pure reliability you are after, IMO you have to buy toyota. The only caveat to that is that, naturally, older vehicles tend to be less reliable. For example, 80 series landcruisers (1990-1997) are popular right now because of their stock capability and ruggedness (despite what some muppet said above about part time 4x4s not being rugged…). But you have to remember that components that are now 20+ years old will start to degrade. For example, I've seen more than one 80 series stranded on cape york with a blown brake cylinder or hoses.

    As a random side note, I've seen a number of broken Nissan Navaras on cape york, most with diff problems. It could just be coincidence, but broken navaras seem to be over represented on cape york, from my experience.

    In terms of capability, almost any 4x4 will do the job you are asking, especially with a suspension upgrade. So it really depends what you main focus is. Firstly I would stick with a major brand (Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Ford etc) especially if you expect to sell it again at a decent price. Avoid the cheap chinese models. While almost as capable as others, they are unreliable, parts won't be easy to get, and the resale will be horrendous. I wouldn't go for anything > 15 years old for the reasons mentioned above. If you're going to be towing something heavy (eg big caravan) you need to really do your homework on towing weights etc.

    So, in conclusion, if it was me, I'd buy a KUN26 Hilux (2005-2014), although I'd try to to get 2008+ as the earlier ones had some injector issues. I'd try to get a cheap one in decent nick and lowish kms from the auctions, probably. Do your thing with it and try to resell it at a similar price when you're done. If you want to tow heavy, look at something else, though.

    • Slopshua on 21/10/2020 - 08:02

      I've always liked the look of that series Hilux and you can even get some of them with climate control.

      I've never purchased from the auctions. Seems like in Vic and at present you have to bid for a car unseen which I don't love the idea of. Any gotchas for young players at home when it comes to buying at auction?

      • wombat81 on 21/10/2020 - 14:18

        Yeah inspecting is super important. I would never bid without a physical inspection. So if that's not possible, shelve the idea for now.

        But if you can go, for a 4x4, be prepared to crawl around under the vehicle looking for damage, rust, leaks etc. I don't know what it's like in Vic, but we get lots of ex mine 4x4s at auction here in QLD and you need to be super careful with buying them as rust is often a big issue. The interior is often a good indication of the overall condition of the vehicle. If the interior is reasonably clean and well looked after, the rest of the vehicle generally will be too. But if the interior is worn, damaged or just not looked after, the rest of the vehicle will be the same. Also have a good look around the windscreen and rear glass for signs of rust. The vehicle should start easily and run smoothly, as much as possible for diesel, and shouldn't blow excess smoke etc.

        Don't be afraid to buy a fleet vehicle that's in good condition if the price is right, but you'd never pay top dollar for one. I would only buy one with a full service history (most fleet vehicles would have this anyway) and a safety certificate.

        Finally, take your time. Go to a few auctions and get an eye for good vs bad vehicles before you even consider bidding on one. Impulse buys are generally not good.

        It seems like a decent option for you since you aren't planning on keeping it for long.

  • dirtybigbjelke on 18/10/2020 - 19:20

    Just rent one if you aren't doing to much too serious.

  • brad1-8tsi on 19/10/2020 - 10:32

    Can you carry extra liquid fuel for the long trips? Or are you LPG only?

    Personally I'd get another Toyota purely because of the dealer network

    • Slopshua on 21/10/2020 - 08:03

      It's dual fuel but still need a something I can tow with in Vic. We're renovating the house so always throwing timber in the roof or towing the trailer around.. be too inconvenient to have to rent a car each time I need to tow

      • brad1-8tsi on 21/10/2020 - 10:25

        It's a left field suggestion but why not a 2nd hand Suzuki if you just need something for 2 people and some gear?

        Or hire a 4WD for the few occasions you will need it.

  • Hybroid on 21/10/2020 - 14:23
    +1

    FJ Cruiser - infinitely moddable, amazingly capable off-road, cheap parts & service (based on Prado), 160L fuel tank and tows like a champ.

    Use it, thrash it, enjoy it, get it fully detailed and sell for same price you bought it. They hold their value very well due to demand/supply.

    Smaller size than Prado but sufficient for couple and not most fuel efficient but great grunty drive.

    • wombat81 on 21/10/2020 - 22:34
      -1

      Petrol only, though. You don't want a petrol vehicle when travelling remote.

      • Hybroid on 21/10/2020 - 22:37

        Purely for economy or something else?

        • wombat81 on 22/10/2020 - 23:07

          Much more difficult to get than diesel. When you can get it it's expensive. There are other reasons, like carrying jerry cans of petrol is far more dangerous than diesel. Petrol engines are less reliable in water crossings. But scarcity and cost is the main one.

          • Hybroid on 22/10/2020 - 23:13

            @wombat81: Thank you, good to know.

          • Euphemistic on 23/10/2020 - 08:56

            @wombat81: Petrol vs diesel in water crossings is not what it once was. Modern electrics are much better protected than they used to be and the good old days of a purely mechanical diesel are long gone. Modern diesel has almost as much electronics as a petrol.

            Agree about availability, cost and safety.

  • frugalferret on 24/10/2020 - 01:40

    If you want to profit, buy a real unbreakable Hilux like this https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1991-toyota-hilux-d…

    Then in a few years time it'll be worth 50% more judging by this price of this https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1982-toyota-hilux-m…

    I gave my 1 owner, original condition 1990 Hilux away to my sister as a farm vehicle……. Maybe I should have moth balled it instead!

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