WHAT SHOULD I START WITH?

[Loz]

OK this is the deal. The wife wont release the purse strings - something about having to feed the three little anchors. I want to start a boys toy but it will be 'budget minimoso' I dont really like Sierras - too squeezy and 40 series just dont excite me. ditto roluxes.(dont mind early 4 runner tho)

five seats would be a bonus as would parts availability - thats why I let the old G60 go (2 cartons of crownies was too good to pass up). So what do you reckon I should start with? MQ, Rangie whatever?

[Mick.]

I don't know about over there but i'd start with either a MQ or GQ patrol because the 4wds themselves and the parts are so easy to come across and pretty cheap compaired to other makes and models.

[Boxa]

SWB MAVRICK, good starting point

[cloughy]

if you are mechanically minded buy a rangie a mate had one stock as a rock down to the shockers 1600 bucks with reg bolt on some 33 mongrels cut the gaurds, a box of tek screws and some flar rubber from clarke rubber and it'll go further than any leaf sprung cart,But he also sold cause he was sick of fixing diffs. if you wan't something you can punish and not kill buy MK MQ but might as well buy a forty series. GQ is best option if your budget allows good as a rangie in the bush and as tough as any datsun patrol

[2 BRUTAL]

as said you can't kill an MQ, I paid only $200 for mine but after 2 years of building it up it owed me $8000 and about 10000 hours labour and it is still going, but you get great satisfaction out of doing it yourself.
projects are never finished they just get bigger. ;)

[nischev]

Yeh go the MQ. Most parts are fairly cheap and they are easy to modify. Depends how far you want to modify but if kept simple (yeh right) will still stay cheap.
GQ basically the same but with coil springs and a little dearer to start with.
When I was in perth i saw heaps of MQs getting round, some looked pretty good to.

[yellashorty40]

;D ;Di cant believe the shorty 40 duzent excite you ... shame ! ;D

[cpt-mud]

as previosly stated , mq patrol or early rangie.

[smac]

i would suggest MQ, as your not going to have as many issues with it compared to the rangie

[Loz]

Would luv a rangie but sunk $5500 into a landy in 18 months just trying to get it legal so I am a bit off the pommy experience. I reckon I want to find one of those 86 model MK shorties with the 3 seatbelts in rear. Although I saw one of the old boxy Pajero shorties and thought that apart from independant front end, it had potential - any comments on the 'Bitsaremissing'?

[Mick.]

You don't want a sigma 4x4 do you? ;D There was a thread on here a while ago about the old pajero. From memory I think they didn't get much of a rap.

[Surfin]

Rangies have diffs made of cheese.....WEAK!!

Go the MQ...tough as nails...I'm surprised at how much punishment they will take and keep going...plus heaps of spare parts available for decent prices.

[kitch76]

You just wanna clear out your excess stock of MQ parts

[Loz]

whats the best way to get more ponies under the bonnet of an MQ and how do you deal withthe long rear overhang on the shorties?

[nischev]

whats the best way to get more ponies under the bonnet of an MQ and how do you deal withthe long rear overhang on the shorties?



V8 for the power
I havnt had any problems with the overhang. Only thing I have hit on the rear is the tow bar tongue when I forgot to take it off :-[

[cloughy]

whats the best way to get more ponies under the bonnet of an MQ and how do you deal withthe long rear overhang on the shorties?

Mq what motor diesel can and put in an 8 or even a 250 petrols though seem to make plenty of go with a good tune up alone will rev their heads of and stay together
Cut it of and make a rear bar

[Loz]

Here is what I am thinking. SWB 85-86 patrol, petrol. 2"springs & 2" body lift first. 33" mongrels. By keeping the suspension lift to only 2" Hopefully I wont have any problems with drivetrain angles or steering problems. THe patrols had a pretty good LSD so I might just leave that as is, maybe a front locker, dunno.

I reckon a roll bar is pretty high up the list although I have pretty serious headroom problems in these. Might have to ditch the fibreglass canopy so I can muont the roll bar a bit above the bodyline. While I am at it I'll bribe a mate who can weld to help me with rocksliders.

Has anyone played with the carby system on these? From memory its basically the same motor as the 260Z but I dont know if the finnicky twin carby setup from them is any good for off road or what the performance gains would be.

Dunno when this will happen. I guess I will just have to keep getting hte cruiser filthy until the missus gets sick of cleaning it and releases the purse strings!

[nischev]

2" lift you wont have any problems with driveshaft angles.
I didn't bother playing with the carby on mine as I like my V8s too much but yes it is the same engine as used in one of the nissan sports cars of the same era, not sure how the carby would handle off road but I dont think it would be too bad. Trial and error if you get one cheap.

[kitch76]

My brother-in-law might be selling his shorty. Give me a call if your interested on 0414 43 1040. I'm in Toowoomba which is in S/E QLD

[2 BRUTAL]

Not all MQ, and MK's have an LSD in the rear only a few, but you should be able to pick 1 up pretty cheap to put in it anyway, mine still has open diffs, and I don't have any problems getting it to where I want to go.
I have removed my canopy and fitted a roll bar.
If you can host a pic for me i'll email it and you can put it up for me.
My carby really gives me the pickles on steep slopes.
As long as I can keep going I don't have any troubles, but if you happen to stall it or stop to chose a better line you will have problems getting going again, if you stall it, it wont restart.

[Surfin]

This is 2Brutal...stuck as usual :o

http://www.usq.edu.au\users\blackbuc\MQ_Race_Truck\rockho pping001.jpg

[2 BRUTAL]

I'm not stuck, just resting for a photo ;D

[Loz]

My brother-in-law might be selling his shorty. Give me a call if your interested on 0414 43 1040. I'm in Toowoomba which is in S/E QLD


Sorry mate, wrong side of the country!

[Loz]

I'm not stuck, just resting for a photo ;D


Nice looking bus. Definitely the go. I dunno how long B4 I can make the purchase. I suspect bushboy will have the iron pig on the road and in competition mode before I get my act together!

I have come across a few MQs down here but I normally have to put them off the road for rust holes you could drop a beer through! I think they call it conflict of interest if I try to buy one cheap after that!

the MQ/Mk would def be the go

and dont worry about the carbys a whole L28 fuel injected motor out of a Nissan ZX series car the bolt straight up into the same mounts ;D

[tpj77]

For cheap off-road, you can't beat a Rangie.

Why you ask?

need I say that it's already a V8 with the best off-road carbs I have seen (twin stromberg Cd's, great but a bugger to tune is there major downfall), has coils, comfortable compared to any leaf sprung machine, have a great wheelbase (100 inches) and are like a life size mechanno set. Parts are now cheap and mods are not too hard.

Diffs are a big issue on Rangies, there are many options some cheaper than others. My 83 Rangie has maxi-drives, not as strong as say a Nissan/Toyota center, but I have yet to break anyhting but I also run smaller tyrs than most of you blokes.

Also those Lucas gremlins need to be sorted, but that's really about as unreliable Rangies can get.

But Rangies are like Collingwood, you either love them or absolutley hate them with a passion!!

Best of luck.

Trav

[mulesa]

u started a trhead wich was exactly wat i needed loz. i was looking @ the shorty mq/gq option, as well as the rangie...i cant make up my mind

i want to go the rangie cos soo far the only bad thing i hear from ppl is the diffs( i mean they are important but i can fix that...maybe

wat mods do u have done to urs 2brutal

And what wud be a better car to modify in qld to keep legal?

[Surfin]

i want to go the rangie cos soo far the only bad thing i hear from ppl is the diffs( i mean they are important but i can fix that...maybe

And what wud be a better car to modify in qld to keep legal?


Fixing diffs (or at least trying to make the RangeRover driveable) in the bush is not pleasant. It happened twice to me with my 2 door RR...then it got sold off as a POS. Yes they are so much more capable off road, but breaking diffs doing basic stuff isn't what is fun. Ask 2Brutal...he had to help me get it going again both occassions.

2Brutals car has parabolic springs on the rear and the springs have had the once over by a spring expert. There is no point getting springs that give you 4" of lift if they are as stiff as a teenager on his first date. Flex is what you want...and parabolics/good bushes/shackles/long enough shocks is what gives you this.

It also has longer Tough Dog adjustable shocks, changed from pin to eye on the front bottom and similar on the rear.

Engine wise its stock L28. Take a bowl of custard with you and try and pull the skin off with it and you might have trouble. But its still got enough grunt to get us into the finals at OffRoad Expo in the speed events.

Ash can give you more details on the things I missed.

In summary a properly setup MQ will go further than a RR, cause you're not breaking bits.

[2 BRUTAL]

as has been said above RR, POS, :o Surfin's was doin diffs looking at hills let alone trying to drive them,
You say a diff is easy fixed which it is, but not when you are 100k's from home and enjoying yourself and your ride craps it.
Whens it's running properly it is hard to catch for a stock petrol, I have a few carby issues to sort out but other than that mate it has copped an absolute flogging and I mean flogging and hasn't broken anything yet to strand me in the bush.
We have raised the motor and g/box, t/fer 50mm up into the chassis to give a basically flat under body which has helped and cut the front cross member out.
Diffs are stock open diffs front and rear soon to be air lockers front and rear.
The canopy was the first thing that went, it has a hi mount warn.
This rig is soon to get a major hair cut and work over. i will start a build up thread on it when time permits and i can get all my photos together,
I paid $200 for it and it took me 2 years and $8000 including Simex's and winch before it was on the road.
the only thing it lacks is massive articulation to keep up with a 6" lifted GQ ute etc, but driver skill makes up for the rest of it. ;D ;D :P ::)

[mulesa]

well, it looks like uve helped me make up my mind...i did want coils for articulation purposes, but yeh o well

how hard was it to move all that stuff up 50mm?

And what have u got runnin in the front in terms of springs

[2 BRUTAL]

was pretty easy to lift it all up, i got another set of engine mounts and modified them to suit before hand so it only ment swapping them over, but we repositioned 1 g/box mount and spaced out the other 1. was quite easy really. makes for a much better under belly, and now it has a 4mm thick chequer plate bash plate running the whole under body instead of the flimsy crap from new, this is near unbendable.

[Loz]

u started a trhead wich was exactly wat i needed loz. i was looking @ the shorty mq/gq option, as well as the rangie...i cant make up my mind

i want to go the rangie cos soo far the only bad thing i hear from ppl is the diffs( i mean they are important but i can fix that...maybe

wat mods do u have done to urs 2brutal

And what wud be a better car to modify in qld to keep legal?


Glad to have been of assistance!

My experience with the L28 in a shorty was very good - Just after a rebuild I coaxed 170 out of it (on a private road of course!!!) and it revved for ever. I remember the ride was pretty rough but maybe thats coz I have got soft driving the 80!

[2 BRUTAL]

u started a trhead wich was exactly wat i needed loz. i was looking @ the shorty mq/gq option, as well as the rangie...i cant make up my mind

i want to go the rangie cos soo far the only bad thing i hear from ppl is the diffs( i mean they are important but i can fix that...maybe

wat mods do u have done to urs 2brutal

And what wud be a better car to modify in qld to keep legal?


Glad to have been of assistance!

My experience with the L28 in a shorty was very good - Just after a rebuild I coaxed 170 out of it (on a private road of course!!!) and it revved for ever. I remember the ride was pretty rough but maybe thats coz I have got soft driving the 80!


this is 1 good thing about the L28 it is a small 6 cylinder so it will rev it's head off without too much drama

[mulesa]

thats good then, cos some things u need a bit of higher revvin ;D

[Loz]

I found a MQ shorty for $1000. Have only had quick look at outside so far. The sills look like they have about 5kg of bog in each side and plenty of rust around the wheel arches - good excuse to cut bigger wheel arches out!

Haven't been game to tell the mrs about it coz I reckon she will go troppo and tell me not to waste money on a POS.

Will have a better look at it today.

[RED60]

I'm on the other side of the country and I can tell it's a POS from here. WAIT and keep a close eye on the ads and around the streets. Put the word out with a short list of wat u want among ya mates. Keep ya ear to the ground and you'll get a good value 4 money unit. This will also help sell the idea to the old girl. YOU WISH

[Loz]

I'm on the other side of the country and I can tell it's a POS from here. WAIT and keep a close eye on the ads and around the streets. Put the word out with a short list of wat u want among ya mates. Keep ya ear to the ground and you'll get a good value 4 money unit. This will also help sell the idea to the old girl. YOU WISH


Maybe if I appear serious when I look at a few POS, she will jump at the first half decent one I find

[mulesa]

somehow i cant see that idea working ;D...just tell her ur getting a bargain with wateva 1 u want, and ull get it