florianp Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Hi guys, I'm about to buy my first 4WD. I'm a backpacker and have a budget about 5k (for camping gear is the budget higher) I researched quite a lot but there a still some insecurities For example I have a land rover Discovery 1994 v8i 3.9l petrol with 285000km for $3000 as a offer So for inspecting it, to which parts should I pay attention? Which should be already replaced at this time and which might be about to break based on experiences of other discoverys? are new parts rather cheap or expensive? How reliable is the car in general? I know it depends on how it was treated but just roughly. I know the previous owners were also backpackers (3, as I was told) and the last one put much effort in it. Thanks in advance and sorry for so many questions but as I have to watch my expenses that is a very important decision to me! Cheers Flo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 If it is still on the original engine and gearbox both will be pretty tired by now but really so much will depend on how it has been looked after (meaning how it has been maintained as well as general treatment) and it could be anything from a gem to an expensive money pit. You don't say where you are, are we talking US$ or some other $? Most users on here are from the UK but much of the comment will be relevant to any model vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'm going to guess Australia, dollars and kilometers, worse than us in the UK mixing units If you can confirm, then we can help, for example one of our esteemed colleagues on here is very experienced in bush driving and wouldn't go near a petrol off the beaten track... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florianp Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Yeah, I am in Australia! sorry I forgot to mention that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hangover Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Forget a V8, the fuel cost will kill you. My money would be on an old defender, more room inside to sleep in if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hangover Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 On 17/01/2017 at 9:13 PM, Bowie69 said: I'm going to guess Australia, dollars and kilometers, worse than us in the UK mixing units If you can confirm, then we can help, for example one of our esteemed colleagues on here is very experienced in bush driving and wouldn't go near a petrol off the beaten track... No " off the beaten track's " in the UK . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_a Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 You need to tell us what state ideally too, because the prices vary a heap. $5k here in SA would, depending on the day, get a reasonable D1 TDi. You'd get a reasonable D1 V8 as well, probably slightly newer and maybe a bit better condition. I don't think you'd get a sniff of a Defender for that in SA though. It might not be a popular option, but go have a look at the Great Wall cars, their resale value is terrible, but you might get a 5 year old vehicle for $5k and as a backpacker I'd expect that this might present less opportunities for maintenance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hangover Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 i think i read that wrong, i assumed he was an Aussie in the UK looking at a Disco. Great Wall , get a van of some kind, toyota Hiaces are pretty popular and reliable. A Mitsi L300/ Delica in 4x4 would be good for getting off the bitumen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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