After a week of snow and with the month of snow we had to endure last winter I'm already peed off struggling with the tin top, 18" wheels
and 235 wide tyres just dont cut it!
Ive been thinking about looking for a cheapish winter hack that could also double up for crap moving and towing duties.
Was thinking about a pickup something along the lines of a cheap hilux or l200 but not sure of their 4x4 capabilities in snow due to being light at
the back end? Or something like a cheap short wheelbase shogun.
I'm not a fan of the whole landrover thing so that would be a nono. Any suggestions or input from fellow locosters?
I guess there are thousands of people up and down the country thinking exactly the same thing... so I suspect that finding anything "cheap"
at the moment will be somewhat of a challenge.....
How about an evo8 or something like that... its 4wd.... and with some decent tyres could be amusing :p
i had a 2003 Nissan Navara. It was brilliant in all conditions. Low range got it out of most problems.
I did realise when i had a quick scan on fleabay!
Although im quite happy to muddle through to the new year if needed in preparation for next year.
I'm away on a course for 8 weeks soon so wont be doing much driving anyhow.
I was going to do the same thing this year (245 tyres on a 2 ton car) but just can afford it. I suppose your best bet would be a cheap fiesta or something from the friday-ad for £100 odd with a few months MOT then scrap it after.
i had an evo 8. that had 235 section tyres, and on the snow setting with the active diff it was excellent! although you still need to take care with 320 bhp under the right foot. lol
quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
I was going to do the same thing this year (245 tyres on a 2 ton car) but just can afford it. I suppose your best bet would be a cheap fiesta or something from the friday-ad for £100 odd with a few months MOT then scrap it after.
What ever you get it will be down to the tyres.
I drive a C-Max with modern summer tyres. Which I abandoned 4 hours ago 4 miles from home.
Never driven worse in the snow.
On the other hand the wife has an Subuara Outback with the cheapest tyres I could buy, it's almost idiot proof.
and possibly better than my old Range Rover.
Well I did think fully idiot proof, but I have seen some very special idoit's today .
And after some searching, I think A set of small general Grabbers might fit.
i've read somewhere that lada niva's are good!
Also I've always liked Jimmys - there is one for sale by me all offroad equiped for £400....so tempted!
ive been considering this issue too, to get something in addition to the wifes jeep. I think a 4wd estate is a better option than an offroader, mainly
for price and fuel economy. You really dont need difflocks etc for snow use.
Something like a non turbo impreza estate, as i saw one end for £700 on ebay the other day.
An alternative approach is something like an old fiesta diesel, which i found to be very capable many years ago, and also cheap if you do bend it.
Landrovers are far too expensive to count as a cheap hack!
What about a Rimitar
1991 RANGE ROVER / SCIMITAR 4X4 UNFINISHED PROJECT on eBay (end time 04-Dec-10 14:12:34 GMT)
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
Also I've always liked Jimmys - there is one for sale by me all offroad equiped for £400....so tempted!
illegal i know but i do have a shaky relationship with the law at times
My Shogun!
Its shown its best side this week, u can have it after the snow
I'm building a 4x4 for keeps
quote:
Originally posted by rf900rush
What about a Rimitar
1991 RANGE ROVER / SCIMITAR 4X4 UNFINISHED PROJECT on eBay (end time 04-Dec-10 14:12:34 GMT)
How much? details? is it a swb?
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
My Shogun!
Its shown its best side this week, u can have it after the snow
I'm building a 4x4 for keeps
Well I've been out in the Kia Sportage today and in 4H it's gone everywhere with no problems.
Well I'd just get a bog standard car and fit some good winter tyres... would probably be better than a big 4*4 with shonky tyres...
I want the snow to be deep enough so i can put these back on my
defender
they are 305 70 16
My daughter has a Jimny and it is pretty good in the snow- been using it this last couple of days as wife has borrowed my car, it is an early one
with manual selectable 4WD hi and lo (or tractor mode as she calls it ) on the plus side it is fairly frugal - 1300 engine that revs, cheap to tax
and handy in mud and snow and can be modified to kingdom come, the drive is reasonable if you are used to driving kit cars.
On downside it does have the air of a hair dresser about it, useless for towing, can catch the wind, backseats are for the pantomine dwarfs or very
short journeys. They started galvanising the later bodies but rust is a bit of a problem as cars age. Useful web site is www.bigJimny.com which also
has a shop whuch opens on a more regular basis than the one on here!
Ultimate solution of course is to do a Coozer and build your own- check his build pages!!
atb
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
i've read somewhere that lada niva's are good!
Also I've always liked Jimmys - there is one for sale by me all offroad equiped for £400....so tempted!
have to say i have been out in the bigest shed of a landrover discovery today, a total heap of a car but absolutely fantastic in these conditions, even on road tyres it was so good in the snow. very impressed
Well I use this as my daily driver and it is the nuts.
Having said that it is currently awaiting a radiator and the delivery van is stuck in the snow D'oh. But I'm changing it because it was
leaking a bit and the frost got it. My fault really as its been dripping for a while.
Now the good bit, I paid £800 for it 18 months ago and stuck the General Grabber boots on it which cost £90 a corner fitted. Passed its MOT three
weeks ago no bother and in this weather (and last year) it was brilliant. We did a number of mercy missions for people in our street to the
supermarket for provisions etc.
As you can tell I love it so I'm bias but go out and buy one. Even in the summer they are great. and I get 28+ to the gallon regardless of what I
use it for.
.............Neil
Bought a Nissan Pathfinder 2 weeks ago having traded in my BMW tourer, must have had a feeling in my water we were going to be having a bad
winter!!!
Its got me to work and home everyday in total security, not quite a Discovery but having had a few of those in the past I think I have chosen well to
to take a break from Landrover, discovered what better build quality looks like in a 4x4.......
Are you after street cred or cheap? Suzuki X90 4WD?
1996/N Suzuki X-90 16v 4wd 2 Door Saloon PETROL MANUAL on eBay (end time 01-Dec-10 10:23:02 GMT)
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
How much? details? is it a swb?
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
My Shogun!
Its shown its best side this week, u can have it after the snow
I'm building a 4x4 for keep
a cheap a4 2.8 quattro, you can get them cheap and they're good to drive in all weather.
most people in sweden still have 2wd cars...........
they just fit good tyres (legal requirement). the government also put crushed granite on the roads too .
how many people in this country are prepared every winter to buy winter tyres ?
Coozer - that looks too good /pricey for me but I would have thought people would have been pestering you to buy that round your neck of the
woods!!
Nash - what is that a trooper? Looks a hell of a nice car for 800 notes.
With regards to suzuki's etc they would be great for the immediate snow. However not so great for my secondary use as a general crap mover and
for towing my kit about, so they're out.
I have looked at getting winter tyres however for my tintop your looking at around £600 for a set.
dont overlook the 850/v70 AWD , very underated and cheap altho not permanently 4wd .
what about a reliable Renault Laguna.
You can get mine which has 195-65-15 and a set of alloys with 205-55-16
All that for £900.
quote:
Originally posted by l0rd
what about a reliable Renault Laguna.
You can get mine which has 195-65-15 and a set of alloys with 205-55-16
All that for £900.
just for reference...in the snow...and its hilly around here. (Rossendale)
My Dad (65) has a 1998 Freelander 1.8, he runs all year round with M+S tyres, i think they are ...lol.
He says" i dont know what everyones problem is" with a big grin.
I run a 2006 Impreza WRX, 215/45/17 bridgestone potenza's, it does ok but can fishtail a bit.
My mum has a 2003 Freelander TD4,,,complete bag of poo, it wont even get off her drive, its crap in the snow
i dont feel safe in it to be honest and it has hill decent, traction control and apparently an open open diff on the back...that explains a
lot..tut.
[Edited on 1/12/10 by meany]
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
Coozer - that looks too good /pricey for me but I would have thought people would have been pestering you to buy that round your neck of the woods!!
Nash - what is that a trooper? Looks a hell of a nice car for 800 notes.
With regards to suzuki's etc they would be great for the immediate snow. However not so great for my secondary use as a general crap mover and for towing my kit about, so they're out.
I have looked at getting winter tyres however for my tintop your looking at around £600 for a set.
. Its a great tow car and it has been
all over the country. ). He was running it on 50% chip fat and it was
cheap as.... no I won't say that to run. I don't bother as I don't do enough miles per annum to worry (with three cars in the
family, wifes, the Indy and this the mileage is spread out). you're on form neil, two laughs in one post It must be that smug feeling of unstopablility ah, except its been stopped lol
good point well put.
Theres three laughs as I couldn't get to work today because my stead was indispossed. Always look on the bright side of life.
.............Neil
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
I have looked at getting winter tyres however for my tintop your looking at around £600 for a set.
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
you're on form neil, two laughs in one post
and theres one for good
luck