Good expedition platform for a rookie?

[4Rescue]

What does anyone know about the two-door Trooper RS? There is one for sale near me for $1400, needs minor work.

older boxy body style I'm assuming (although there are the dd extremely rare newer body style RS's running about)

They were really good trucks (we had a '91 4dr but it should be very similar) my uncle had a 2dr diesel and I used to love wheeling that thing. They're VERY utilitarian inside which I loved and the seating/driving position as well as the visibility was great IMO. About the only down side was the horrible descision to use the 2.8L GM V-6 wich might just be one of the worst motors ever produced. I belive however that the 2dr's came with the 4cyl gas or diesel motor and therefore avoided this atrocity. Have a look at it, the older 2dr's were still quite roomy and were more akin to my 2dr 4Runner in the wheel-base dept. it's more like the took 2 doors off and knocked a FEW inches off the W/B but not at all like the Raider/2dr Montero was compared to the standard Wagon Montero. The "high cube" design was very usefull and could haul ALOT of stuff.

I was just checking out a pretty well built Trooper yesterday and it kind of made me miss our old one. I learned to wheel in that truckl and aside from the aformentioned horrible motor it was a great 4x4.

Cheers

Dave

 

[jh504]

EDIT: Also, IIRC, only the earlier 2nd Gen's had the tail gate and some had the rear tire carrier (90 only????). The later years came with a regular hatch like the 3rd & 4th Gen's.

I dont know if this means anything but my 91 with the tailgate looks like the tire carrier is all factory. It could have been a junkyard add on but it looks like it came with the truck.

 

[Cackalak Han]

I dont know if this means anything but my 91 with the tailgate looks like the tire carrier is all factory. It could have been a junkyard add on but it looks like it came with the truck.

Oh, ok, so maybe it was until 91. I don't know, really. But I have seen 94-95 4Runners with regular hatch doors, which is why I thought only the earlier came with the tailgate and tire carrier.

 

[Cackalak Han]

What does anyone know about the two-door Trooper RS? There is one for sale near me for $1400, needs minor work.

The only reservation I would have about that rig is the 2-doors. Even though at this time, it’s only my wife and I, I still like having the rear doors for other passengers and the ease of getting to my gear.

 

[4Rescue]

The only reservation I would have about that rig is the 2-doors. Even though at this time, it’s only my wife and I, I still like having the rear doors for other passengers and the ease of getting to my gear.

I agree... Although I wouldn't ever get rid of my 1st Gen 4 Runner, the 2drs do have me looking into a 60Series Cruiser with some sort of Diesel engine for a true Expedition vehicle. You'll never know how much you liked having 4 doors untill you don't have them anymore.

Cheers

Dave

 

[SGV]

Funny. I am driving my first four door and I miss my 2-door Cherokee. With the elongated door, the B-pillar is moved to behind me so I can rest my arm in the open window without obstruction. I can't do that in my current vehicle. I understand the convenience of the four doors though. That Trooper is older than I want, for an Isuzu. I was only interested because I like 2-doors but I am leary of any non-Toyota with that many miles. I think my wife would like me in something newer anyway. So:4runner, '98-'99 Cherokee, and 01-02 Trooper (don't want to deal with the oil issue and I am a bit worried about them pulling out of here.) I would love a Land Cruiser, but the gassers love to suck gas and I do not have the means to buy a diesel or convert one.

Thanks again.

I agree... Although I wouldn't ever get rid of my 1st Gen 4 Runner, the 2drs do have me looking into a 60Series Cruiser with some sort of Diesel engine for a true Expedition vehicle. You'll never know how much you liked having 4 doors untill you don't have them anymore.

Cheers

Dave

The only reservation I would have about that rig is the 2-doors. Even though at this time, it’s only my wife and I, I still like having the rear doors for other passengers and the ease of getting to my gear.

 

[IH8RDS]

If I did it again, I would probably get a two door. I really just commute to work and back by myself now. We have the Suburban for the whole family.

 

[lexwoody]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking around this forum, reading posts and build threads. One of my favorites is the one about building an expedition vehicle for under $15k.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2200&highlight=blazer

A brief about me. I am in the middle of a career change and pretty soon I will actually have the time to go on week long expeditions. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors: hiking, kayaking, etc, and now want to get into camping and such since we will have time. I used to own a business and had zero time for vacations, but now with the economy and all... Lets just say that I will have the time. I have owned in the past a YJ, XJ, and loved them both. I currently own an '06 Suzuki Grand Vitara which also is a nice car. When I bought it I made all the stupid mistakes that a first time new car buyer makes, including getting 4wd w/out low range. I have had it off road before on 2.5ish log roads (my guesstimate). It does fine, but I really want to get into a vehicle that I can expeditionize (is that a word?)

I was wondering if anyone had an good suggestions on a truck that a newbie could handle i.e. good reliability, simple enough to work on if something breaks, room for two people, two kayaks, and camping gear for a week. It would have to be a "build as I go" as in it should be adequate in stock form. I will add lockers, small lift, bigger tires and so forth as the funds and time arrive.

I have noticed a lot of 90's era vehicles for the members. Is this a good time period to look for? I am mostly concerned about reliabilityin a decade old vehicle. My '97 Cherokee was great, but things kept breaking until I got sick of it and wanted new. I have read some build threads about Cherokee's and they get me all excited all over again, but my reservations are uni-body and reliability. I understand the 4.0 is bulletproof, but I have read about all sorts of other issues with the brand. (Not trying to bash Jeep, I would get another in a heartbeat but I am exploring options for vehicles I know nothing about.)

This is getting long, so I will just list a couple vehicles that peek my interest and a question about them. I would appreciate any ideas for a truck that I don't mention and would love to have any misconceptions or concerns corrected by those in the know. Here they are in no particular order:

Isuzu Trooper: 3.5 or 3.2? I think these are my favorite, but I am limited in my knowledge about them so I don't want to just run out and buy one.
3rd gen 4Runner: No concerns. Would anyone recommend another generation?
1st gen Tacoma: Ditto but very expensive for the years.
Land Cruiser: God things things look awesome. I drool every time I see one. Are they worth close to 10K for a mid-nineties specimen? How reliable are the ones from the 1980's (the FJ60's)?
Discovery: I understand I would want a 1st gen. Are they really not very reliable or will they break the bank in parts costs? As far as appearance goes these are tied for first with the Land Cruiser for me.
Suzuki Sidekick/Vitara/Chevy Tracker: Rugged little fuel misers, but too little?
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee: Same as from paragraph. Great aftermarket support. For the XJ, low mpg for its body weight. For the Grand, electrical issues??
Mitsubishi Montero I think they look great. Sport or regular? I have read the aftermarket is kind of dry. Appearance wise I think they look great. Also, the Dodge Raider I like, but I have not heard anything good about it.
Nissan Xterra I know nothing about them except the Xterra guys seem to prefer the 1st gen.

I will leave it with these. There are some domestic vehicles I would be interested in, but I am concerned about size. I don't want anything that is huge although I do like that Tahoe that someone here has built as well as the two door ones from the mid 90's.

Most of my off roading would be in New England although the wife would like to head to the Grand Canyon in a year or two. It looks like you southwest guys have a lot of fun.

I will go with a Toyota Land Cruiser 80 or 100. Vers is a good thing. You can load it up with friends to do those expedition trails or just about any thing you want. I love my GX (120 series)for that.

 

[SGV]

Well, the GV is going to be gone this week. It is go time. In the meantime I will be driving a '98 Tacoma 4x4.

lex - I love the looks of the Cruisers. There are some 60's and 80's on Craigslist near me for pretty cheap. However, I just can't get over the mpg.

 

[luk4mud]

I think the question is what do you want to do with the vehicle and what do you think you might do in the future? it's all about tradeoffs.

I too have a real fondness for the 80 series LC, BUT will it always get me where I want to go? Maybe not. I built my rig to get me to places, not to conquer things. I like to do alot of expedition type trips, but every once in awhile that really hardcore trails still calls me when there is something at the end of it I want to see.

At the least, make sure whatever you get can be built in the future to acommodate your changing desires.

 

[SGV]

I think the question is what do you want to do with the vehicle and what do you think you might do in the future? it's all about tradeoffs.

I too have a real fondness for the 80 series LC, BUT will it always get me where I want to go? Maybe not. I built my rig to get me to places, not to conquer things. I like to do alot of expedition type trips, but every once in awhile that really hardcore trails still calls me when there is something at the end of it I want to see.

At the least, make sure whatever you get can be built in the future to acommodate your changing desires.

This is for daily driving, camping trips, mild offroading (I need to learn how before I do any crazy expeditions, but my brief stints in the Cherokee and the Suzuki have been fun!) Also, we want to get into a house this year, so it is going to be hauling supplies, lumber, rocks, soil, whatever. Tacoma's, Frontier's, and Rangers are also possibilities, but the first two are still very pricey and the last I am learning there is not a lot of support for. I have read some threads where it appears people are desperate for aftermarket stuff.

I went to look at a Trooper yesterday and am planning on driving a couple of 4Runners this week. I am leaning heavily towards a 4Runner because of aftermarket, availability of parts, more support, etc. I love the Trooper that I drove though.

What I find most funny is that when I show my wife a truck, she says that it is cute. I tell her it is not supposed to be cute. It is suppose to be badMMM.:violent-smiley-031: Her Rav4 is cute, especially with the 235/75/16's on it. What sucks is that my lawyer gave me about an instant heads-up that I needed to call the bank and give the GV back, so my timing is limited. I wanted a few weeks to expand the search range but I guess RI and the Boston area will have to do. Business crashes suck.

 

[SGV]

Thanks for everyone's input. I learned quite a bit from reading many of your posts about builds and brands, etc. I won't be doing any build threads anytime time soon, but I will work on baselining this thing, which is something else I have learned about from you all here. I can't wait to get my new to me ride off road. So here it is, a 1998 4Runner.

 

[Cackalak Han]

GREAT choice. I wish I still had my 98 4Runner. So what are the specs? Obviously, it's an SR5. 4WD? Auto or Manual? Rear locker?

 

[Root Moose]

Good looking truck. You gotta dump those running boards though

 

[kcowyo]

3rd Gen 4Runners are an excellent choice. Very reliable and highly capable.

I'm anxious to hear more about it. :lurk:
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