Don't know where to post this so decided to try here. I have a vacation home "in the mountains". We need a vehicle to just leave up there and use when we are there. Roads are mainly dirt and hills are steep. Mama wants a UTV but they seem to be kinda expensive, so I thought a used 4WD that is "out of vogue" might be a good deal. Any ideas?
Peter.

There was a guy on our hunt club years ago that bought a Suzuki Samuri for cheap, spent very little to fix it up and it went everywhere the new jeeps would go.

I personnaly would look for an older CJ5 with the straight six. Use fuel treatment when storing. Also, when I was a kid we would park our stock truck for most of the year. My Dad used some stuff called Rislone and the truck was never an issue to start up and run. Good antifreeze, decent gas, pull the battery when not in use or put a solar battery tender on it, and you'll probably be pretty happy.

Nice problem to have.

Thanks Nate. I posted this also on the Classic cars forum and received a similar recommendation: Geo Tracker, which I understand is pretty much the same car. The problem with the Jeep CJ is that these things are very "in" and "cool" in Florida and seem to be priced accordingly!
rest assured that the "home in the mountains" is not as grandiose as the name sounds, but, I did find a really good shooting club not far away!
Peter.

Peter
IIRC the tracker is a samurai are the same vehicle. GM just put their "Geo" badges on the suzuki.

When I was younger I sold autoparts and we laughed at the Samuari, but is became apparent that they could "go anywhere and do anything" the trendier 4x4s could do.

I really think they are solid little trucks....

Having said that, the one problem I see with buying one of these now days is the fact that they are going to be very old(discontinued in 1995). This means that some parts will be hard to find, but more importantly, the drive-train will be expensive to fix.

I would think an older(pre 1975) jeep might be a better option as it would be cheaper to fix/maintain.

Another very solid option would be a pre-1986 Toyota Hilux(toyota pickup).

Something to keep in mind, if you are talking about steep dirt roads almost any 4x4 will do.

quote:

almost any 4x4 will do.

Jason, you are correct that is why I asked about cheap but reliable 4x4's. I am not very familiar with 4WD vehicles so I was looking for ideas "out of the mainstream". The Tracker would be ideal , but they seem to be hard to find in a 4WD, at least locally. The Jeeps seem to be "in" vehicles and are priced accordingly.
Peter.

Peter
I think you need to look for a 75-79 Ford F100. They will be cheap and reliable.

The may not be able to everywhere a jeep can go(correction: they cannot go everywhere a jeep can go) but they can haul a lot and will do everything you are looking to do. And cheaply....

By cheap, I mean cheap to buy and cheap to maintain.

What about the Japanese mini trucks I keep seeing advertised on the web. You can even replace the tires and wheels with UTV wheels.

quote:

Originally posted by psj12:
the Japanese mini trucks I keep seeing advertised on the web

I have not seen those. Do you have a link/url?

Sounds cool, BTW.

http://www.americasminitruckcenter.com/

Look here. Do a search on the web for Mini Trucks.

Geo Tracker....Suzuki Samurai....mine has over 150,000 miles now and it never misses a beat.
Lift kit, large tires, rock crawler gears.....

The little Japanese trucks really caught on here in La. Kinda like a 4-wheeler for ability but you get to your stand warm and dry. There was a problem early on for some parts, mainly driveline, but the system seems to be well stocked now. Just remember that they may not be road legal in your area. Goatwhiskers

Used

Toyota

4runner

Mine has 323,000 miles on it without a hiccup.

.

Just one opinion but if it is going to stay parked for long periods between use, stay away from older carbureted vehicles. Fuel injection is MUCH more reliable under that circumstance.

And don't forget used Subarus. They made some usefull little AWD vehicles like the Brat. It was a sorta like a compact El Camino with removable rear-facing seats in the bed.

quote:

Originally posted by Riverduck:
Used

Toyota

4runner

Mine has 323,000 miles on it without a hiccup.

.

Mine's a '97 and only has 235k. It is a hellofa little 4x4. Ground clearance isn't impressive but I've taken it places I shouldn't. Mine has had a few things replaced and needs some more TLC in the spring.