| Author |
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Crackhead
| | Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 06:10 pm: | 
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The Land Rovers over here are not what you are used to, they are yuppy mobiles with electrical gremlins and air suspension.
I don't think the Fiat Sedici was ever available over here.
The last Passat that is related to the EU version is the B5 (2005 - 2010). I am not a VW person, but I believe the only way to get 4motion is with the v6. The current version is based on the NMS aka Chinese Passat.
Basically think if every cool EU car and then erase it from your memory. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 11:49 pm: |
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I worked for a Mopar dealer for years as Ass't Service Manager.
Saw plenty of popped 4.7's. Granted not all are bad...but %-wise? Definitely more than the 5.2/5.9/5.7. What kills most 5.7's is the "yeah, it's got a Hemi" attitude - folks actually go out and kill them thinking they're a 70 Superbird. Most of the dead 4.7's we saw were plain ol' commuter / soccer mom / run it to the grocery trucks.
I tried for years to kill an LA 360. 12 second runs in a '72 Satellite wagon. Never popped it. Twisted the unibody...but never killed the mechanicals. But now I want a cold idle, so it's getting a 5.7 that I ran the pi$$ out of in a Magnum R/T till some bonehead ran a stop sign and T-boned it. We shall see how that does. But, that's my hobby - if you're looking for a reliable, brainless, turn-key-and-go engine my vote is definitely 5.2/5.9/5.7, or as I mention before, the 4.0. I have a '92 XJ that I bought with 5 pistons in the engine. Threw in a used piston with new rings, ball-honed the bore, new rod and main bearings and a hi-volume oil pump. Tossed it together so I'd have something with doors and a roof after the divorce...and it hasn't missed a beat in nearly 4 years. It was a hack build, but it still refuses to die. Right around 240k on it now, about 40k of that on my grassroots "rebuild". I also have a YJ Wrangler with a 160k 4.0 that's never been opened up. I've put a header on it...but that's all.
Although if there's a budget, I SWEAR by my '14 WK2 Grand Cherokee with the VM 3.0 diesel. They just released the same VM diesel for order on the Ram 1500. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 11:52 pm: |
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Basically think if every cool EU car and then erase it from your memory.
Yep.
You euro guys get all the cool shit. I waited for a LONG time to see the VM diesel in the Grand...definitely lower your expectations for North American Automobiles.
Sorry.  |
Kenm123t
| | Posted on Friday, February 28, 2014 - 03:08 am: |
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Range Rover you mean the Haitian SUV
the BMW powered Sissy trucks go for cheap used 75k to 25 in 3 years and the other models pop motors like popcorn Hence the Haitian SUV they pick them up for scrap 4-5 years old too expensive to replace the factory engine no parts or exchange. So they round up a few and the Cuban barnyard mechanics make one out of parts and sell them to the Haitians
From Palm Beach or Boca Raton to the hood in 4-6 years faster than a 60s Caddy |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Friday, February 28, 2014 - 12:52 pm: |
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Not into the Rangies but I do love an old Disco with a real Rover lump. |
Thumper74
| | Posted on Saturday, March 01, 2014 - 09:23 pm: |
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Rover lump? I'd be happier with the BMW engine, minus the valley pan gaskets. My full-time job is warranty claims and an unfairly large portion of it is Land Rovers. I hate them. With a passion. Anything but Defenders. I love those. Everything else, I hate.
The 4.7 isn't bad... I'd find and older Grand Cherokee or Durango with a Magnum engine. With the Grand Cherokee, you get solid axles. |
Two_seasons
| | Posted on Saturday, March 01, 2014 - 11:39 pm: |
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Toyota Land Cruiser, pretty good in the snow too!
MPG isn't too hot but you can't beat the roominess and the overall quality. You sit up above most of the traffic.
They are said to last 300,000 miles or more. We tend to keep our cars a long time.
We just bought one...
100,000 miles on it. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Sunday, March 02, 2014 - 09:23 am: |
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If you are an oilburner fan...these are out there if you look, in the low-mid teens for $:
Mine's an '01, 24v Cummins, 6 speed stick, 4x4, 3.55 gears, 8' bed, quad cab. Once we get off this winter-blend crap diesel, I regularly get empty MPG of 18 in town and 22-24 highway (winter blend knocks that to 16/18). 223k miles as of this post and it runs like a champ. I bought it - an Arizona truck imported to PA for sale - with 202k (for less than $15k) and never gave it a second guess - the 47RE and 48RE automatics were the achilles' heel of the Cummins trucks, but if you can find one with a stick (and can keep the rust at bay), you should be good for 500k easy. For high mileage trucks, be prepared to get the front end rebuilt at some point if it hasn't been done. That Cummins is a heavy lump, and it does wear your bushings and joints up front over time. I did mine, and added a steering box stabilizer ($100 off eBay), and it drives great.
So...don't lose hope in finding a nice Cummins!  |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2014 - 07:54 am: |
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What about a Jeep wrangler unlimited
http://www.jeep.com/en/2014/wrangler-unlimited/#mo del=rubicon&color=black&top=no-top |
Rocket_in_uk
| | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2014 - 09:19 pm: |
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Try as we did, the little Suzuki Jimny would NOT get stuck in the Qatar desert. EVERYTHING else did / does. Usually down to more weight and too large and wrong tyres. But even the sand tyres didn't save the big stuff once stuck. The Jimny would ALWAYS pull itself out no matter how soft the sand.
The pic doesn't really show how far up the dune, or how sinking the sand. Was fun trying to get it stuck though.
Shame Canada's snow, water and trees!
Rocket in England |
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