Should I buy it ???

[Brownie]

If kids are on the horizon, you will need more doors. Getting baby capsules, car seats and kids into the back seat without doors is possible, but a pain. If you are looking to take the 'growing' family on touring holidays, you may need a larger vehicle anyway. Plus you will feel more comfortable/safe/secure touring in a vehicle with less than 300,000 km. Of course its possible to tour in older, well maintained vehicles, but metal fatigue and other age related problems must be coming up for the toyota, regardless of how well maintained its been to date. If the Toyota is just a weekend play toy, and not going to be setup for touring, then this advice would change.

Keep the swb Paj for the next few years, until you are sick of loading kid + gear into the back of it, then trade-in the paj on a newer wagon with lots of doors. If you stick with a Pajero, you should be able to transfer some of your current off-road kit onto the newer vehicle.

[TimTams]

but metal fatigue and other age related problems must be coming up .

reminds me of a delica I drove across the simpson desert... it had this really annoying creak from the front left torsion bar... thought it was sand in the splines on the end of the TB since the rubber boot was missing. Turned out it was the last few mm of metal not eaten by cancer rust flexing inside the chassis rail

/back on topic

[MSF]

Easy. Buy it and book her in for a coil conversion. Then drive it home.

ha ha - that would be cool... it would ad about $4K to the price too...

Better still, give me the ol mans address and I will help stop the worry for you!!

I have had many offers like this, one person PM'd me saying he would give me $2,000 if I let him buy it..

Easy. What would you regret more?

Buying & loosing what?

Not buying at all?

hence my post.....

Or buying, sinking $'s into it and realizing that leaf suck and you could have spent it on the paj?

Yeah, Leaf sprung are not the best for on-road I know. They can be made to handle reasonably, I am not looking at a 6" lifted tuff truck, and with current shock/spring technology, I reckon it could be quite good....

If kids are on the horizon, you will need more doors. Getting baby capsules, car seats and kids into the back seat without doors is possible, but a pain. If you are looking to take the 'growing' family on touring holidays, you may need a larger vehicle anyway. Plus you will feel more comfortable/safe/secure touring in a vehicle with less than 300,000 km. Of course its possible to tour in older, well maintained vehicles, but metal fatigue and other age related problems must be coming up for the toyota, regardless of how well maintained its been to date. If the Toyota is just a weekend play toy, and not going to be setup for touring, then this advice would change.

Keep the swb Paj for the next few years, until you are sick of loading kid + gear into the back of it, then trade-in the paj on a newer wagon with lots of doors. If you stick with a Pajero, you should be able to transfer some of your current off-road kit onto the newer vehicle.

Yes, we are planning on the MWB being a weekend toy for the most part, but will be used for a few extended trips. And yes, a 4 Door will be needed - we were tossing up on a Commodore/Falcon/Liberty wagon for family duties ( getting rid of our current $900 Ford Laser "pub/station hack" once the rug rats come) - as we probably won't be doing much 4WDing with a baby, the regular off roading will probably be put on hold for for the first 12-18 mths or so.

That is where the main issue is - If I do up the MWB (seeing we already have a capable SWB) I feel as though I am doing everything twice... (but I want the bloody thing - ha ha )
We would have the "Falcomberty" as well as two 4WD's then.... The wife doesn't want to sell her Shorty... ever... she said today...

[achjimmy]

MSF. You really need to drive it or one like it to be sure, time plays funny tricks on your opinion of cars. A mate has an 82 cruiser ute that he got from the RFS with only 30k on it, like new. I remember driving 40's and 55's etc and loving them years ago well I have got in this ute a couple of times and can't stand the bloody thing cramped sh1t driving postion going to say rides like a truck but trucks are better.

They could well still float your boat but be better to be sure.

[MSF]

Well, a decision has been made and I am not going to buy it..

After weighing up all the pros and cons, it just doesn't make sense to 'start over' with another 2 door 4WD. Taking away all the emotion of wanting the car, it's not worth it...

He has another buyer lined up, so good luck to them, hopefully they get great use out of it.

Thanks heaps to everyone that offered a view. The fact you guys had no emotional attachment made it much easier to accept.

[Goodsy]

Whipped.

[MSF]

Ha ha ha

*sobs*

[AJC]

Well, a decision has been made and I am not going to buy it..

After weighing up all the pros and cons, it just doesn't make sense to 'start over' with another 2 door 4WD. Taking away all the emotion of wanting the car, it's not worth it...

He has another buyer lined up, so good luck to them, hopefully they get great use out of it.

Thanks heaps to everyone that offered a view. The fact you guys had no emotional attachment made it much easier to accept.

Good decision.

I recently met a bloke (he bought my old camper from me). He picked up a late model 80 series multivalve turbo diesl manual wagon in GXL spec that had been a one owner grey nomad vehicle, well maintained, sensibly modded, reasaonable kms. He paid $25k which on one view is top dollar, but on another view very good buying for what is probably the best touring 4wd ever sold in this country ... for instance, the 100 series with this engine went to IFS and introduced lots more electronics into the equation. The other option would be a GQ Patrol with the 4.2TD and 5speed manual.

So, there are good vehicles out there with 4 doors that will better suit you.

Ideally, you have a tough 4wd for touring, camping and 4wding and a family wagon / hatch / SUV like a Mazda 6 or Hyundies ix35 or whatever tickles for the burbs and hiwghway runs.

[MSF]

OK, So it seems that this is back on the table..

Turns out that he didn't sell it to the other person that he had lined up as he got cold feet, the other person came to collect it and he changed his mind as he was about to hand over the cash I think. I guess after owning a car for nearly 30 years, you kind of get attached..

Anyway, my wife was over in Perth for a wedding a few weeks back and she was driving it around whilst she was there - she said it basically drove perfectly and no rattles or funny noises. The only issue was a high idle which had just started - (common problem with the 3B's fuel pump diaphram - $40 Nippondenso part and 45mins to fix - so no biggie)

Anyway, so it turns out he is thinking of selling it again, but this time he is serious as they have 4 cars between him and his wife (RAV4, Landcruiser, Boxster and BMW 1 series) The Landcruiser and Boxster are the 'toys'. It had done less than 600km since we last spoke to him in November about it, and had sat around for at least 3mths before my wife put on about 140km of them whilst she was there, so he knows it needs to go.

Also, discovered a bit more about it, it's actually a BJ73 (not BJ74) which mean's it's not a Turbo Diesel, it's just a Normally aspirated model. But it is the upspec LX model so has the extra comfort bits. It's not Black, but the Dark Blue... ( in my defence, It was night time and it was at the back of the garage the first time I saw it - LOL)

He said he is prepared to let us have it for effectively the the value of the rego on it (about 11mths) worth.

So I said YES, we will take it..

Now we just have to get it to Sydney..
I've had a few quotes and the best is around $785 with CEVA (depot to depot)
can basically add about $150 each end for door to door pickup/delivery...

Here are some of the pics..









It's a bit dirty as it hasn't been washed in over 3 mths, but it started first go, no issue, A/C icy cold and no smoke.... I can't wait..

[Jords]

Mate I was going to suggest you go over drive it home as after 4000klms you will know wether it's worth keeping or not

[dan_rocks]

Have you organised the transport yet?
The CEVA depot over here is right next door to my work, depending where the cruiser is, I might be able to help you out and pick it up and drop it off at the depot for you.
I promise if it gets muddy, I will give it a wash for you. haha.

[MSF]

Hey Dan,

Thanks your the offer - you rock. - ha ha ha

No, have not arranged transport yet - unfortunately her Uncle (I guess I should call him my uncle too) - anyway, he is overseas until the first weekend in May, so it's not able to be picked up until after he gets back...

[awbeattie381]

Hows it all going mate? Will you guys be attending the next club trip with it??

[MSF]

I wish, It's still sitting in his garage in Perth.
He got back from him overseas trip and said that he doesn't trust it being transported by truck "ohh it's all too hard", "what if it gets damaged" he says... - as I keep saying to him, it's not his problem, let me deal with it..

I think that he is just starting to realise that it's time to let it go (He got cold feet with the last person that was buying it too). Anyway, it lloks like I'll be in Perth in about 2 mths anyway, so if it's not here by then, I will take it and put it on the truck myself....

[MSF]

Well, what a difference 18mths makes..



Long story short - It's now mine.
He agreed to finally let me have it and agreed to drop it off at the CEVA depot to be transported over to me..
All up cost to get it to Melbourne was $522. (Sydney was $1126), so it was a no brainer to get it to Melbourne as I was going to be there at Xmas at the latest anyway

It's currently in Melbourne awaiting collection my my in-laws. I will be then heading down next week to pick it up and drive it back (along with a few parts etc that I have started to accumulate for it)

The bad news is that the Shorty will be moving to Melbourne with my wife. She is moving back to Melbourne to look after her mum who is going through Chemo and is not doing well. She starts a new job down there so I will be driving down with her and then driving the MWB back....

So, fingers crossed, all going well in a couple of weeks it will be sitting in my driveway and the mods will begin......