moz

G'day mate welcome to the forum. Well as for the advice, 2.8 L are very sensitive to correct maintenance and correct repairs which sadly usually are not done so they're really money pits especially with cracking/warped heads, loose balancers etc. Underpowered with strange torque band (they rev like petrol engine) I'd avoid them altogether. 3.0 L well what can I say about the dreaded grenade? If you are going to get one get the one with automatic transmission (after you modded torque converter lock up and fixed line pressure solenoid)it is better matched to ZD30 engine, manual box simply got idiotic ratios spread and its a dog to drive especially in the sand. Try to get one with low kilometers and make sure it has all the NADS mods which can test your patience. It is still a lottery though when it comes to reliability with the dreaded Di, I'd be looking at the last of 4 series 2006 models. Common rail versions are more reliable but a lack of a draw when it comes to fuel consumption there are some terrible ones with 17-18 L per 100 km fuel guzzling, aim for the post 2008 models. 4.2 L are sluggish, thirsty, expensive (overpriced actually) heavy and apart for overheating they go forever. In stock form they're known for their ability to get you there but don't rush. Very reliable with minimal electronics so highly sought after in the bush.To get serious power out of them means expensive hardware mods. Owning a Patrol requires mechanical skills, shed and ability to do things yourself otherwise they're very expensive vehicles if you have to pay someone else to do the maintenance and mods. It also requires you to have a special affection for them because while they're cheaper than say Toyo to obtain you'll get what you are paying for. Obsolete truck like vehicle which is good in tough places sometimes but a dog to drive as a daily or sealed roads unless you are in to truck driving. All post 04 dashboards fry in the sun/heat and get bubble rash which looks like small pox disease. There has been recall on them for last 7 years and they're still shyte, the unit replaced several years ago are breaking heat rash already again... Now they have passenger airbags pyrotechnic unit recall. All GU Patrols have terrible load carrying capacity (550 kg only)and breaking rear spring towers if overloaded very easily. Manual gearbox and transfer case is bullet proof, so are the diffs, everything else makes you cringe from terrible plastic trims to squeaky/rattly dashboards to endless front end shakes/wobbles to spongy brakes. Did I mention rattles? All the early GUs with more than 160 K on the clock with 2.8 and 3.0 L engines should be avoided unless you have spare 10 grand to bring them up to mechanical goodness. Ideally you are looking for GU with 4.2 L with a widow driving it on rare occasions with total distance ~80 K and always garaged, never been off road and having no sense of value of the vehicle. Good luck with that. Enjoy. Cheers Hahah... You just about talked me out of buying a patrol.... Can't be that bad... Right? Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Trip is planned for 2015. I am mechanically minded. Currently doing a shoehorn turbo engine conversion into a Mazda 121. Im fabricating most upgrades and reinforcements since there's no aftermarket ones available. Im also very confident with wiring, electronics, and software. I don't mind which upgrades are already on the vehicle I buy, but the more the merrier (provided they're of good quality). Budget wise. I don't really know. Maybe $20-$30k? I always do my research before I buy, so I'll have a better idea once I've shopped around. I'll be honest. I'm not much for big 4wd's But I understand I need either a patrol or a Land cruiser to do this trip. I personally wanted a pathfinder or prado, but they seem a bit soft. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Hi guys, I came across your forum and decided to join in order to get some 4wd knowledge behind me. A mate of mine is planning a year long 4wd trip around oz and I've decided I'll be joining him. Ive been looking at gu patrols. Can any of you recommend which model was better suited overall for something like this big trip. I've looked at the newer ones but its pushing the budget. Basically, I'd like to know whether I should go for the auto or manual, 2.8, 3.0, or 4.2 (definitely a diesel). Also whether I should aim for common rail or just TDI. I'm open minded, and don't mind gq's either, but judging by their age, I'm assuming it would be pretty hard to find a decent one. Hopefully you all have some good advice for me. Thanks in advance Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk