Super Budget Expedition Vehicle?

[nfpgasmask]

Congrats! Be sure to post pics and also join PlanetIsuzoo.com forums. Lots of good people and great info on there!

Bart

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Thank you! I'm looking forward to the new project. Since it won't be my daily driver I can do a lot more to the inside than I did to my 4runner.

 

[kojackJKU]

whats happening to your vw? is it a camper

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

whats happening to your vw? is it a camper

No its a tintop. I'm probably going to sell it. Was hanging on to it to do a Subaru conversion but decided at the end of the day I'd rather have another 4wd and then maybe a bay window just for fun.

 

[ArmchairRacer]

My daily beater is an '81 Mercedes 300D. I paid less than $1k for it and if I had the money and time off I wouldn't hesitate to drive it to Argentina. Throw a front skid plate on to protect the oil pan and it has enough ground clearance to do most dirt roads. Absolutely fantastic cars, even if a bit slow.

 

[veilside180sx]

XS

 

[Martinjmpr]

Monteros and XJs sound like they're in the sweet spot.

Perhaps Monteros are a bit more in the sweet spot since you can get them newer for a similar price. Still, my heart kind of leans for the Jeep's boxy aesthetic.

One more consideration is the mileage I should be aiming for: I'm not quite sure exactly what qualifies as decent, great, bad and not buyable. I'm a total amateur when it comes to car repairs/maintenance, though I certainly don't mind learning and getting my hands dirty, spending the better part of a day working on something.

So did you ever get a vehicle? Personally as much as I like Monteros (had a 1st gen 4 door, 1990) and Troopers, I'd say that within your budget a later 1st gen or even 2nd gen (1995 - 2001 I think) Explorer with a 5 speed would be perfect. The Explorer came from the factory with a pretty soft "soccer mom" suspension but that is easily fixed. I've seen 2nd gen Explorers for sale for under $2k in fairly decent condition. Manual transmissions are harder to find than autos but they are out there.

 

[ElkinsEric]

I think the Xj is the answer to your riddle. Cheap to buy, 4.0 will run til the unibody rust beyond repair, super capeable, and parts are still cheap and plentiful. The AW4 auto is spot on reliable. They came in a 5 speed too.

Pull the rear seat and it's a perfect place to sleep.

Stay away from models with the Dana 35 rear.