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What would you do with $15,000

12K views 78 replies 28 participants last post by  Pyroboy 
#1 ·
I have about that much to spend on something to use in the bush. What would you buy/ build? Im not looking for anything to crazy and i like being comfy. Heres what im thinking:
2006 Ford Explorer
Truxxx 2.5 inch leveling kit
Rancho QuickLift
Some mud terrains
Lightforce lights
And some other little things.
Going for this

Or
2007 Wrangler X Unlimited Sahara
Rubicon Rims and Tires
Light force lights
You know what i mean
or if i save some more
2007 Fj Cruiser
Im sure alot of you can think of something better so lemme here it. Ive got my flame suit on.
 
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#2 ·
X2 on the light force lights. I have wanted a set of those forever. There was a set on CL about a year ago for $300 but they sold withen minutes. I would also like to buy a poptop camper for my truck and a travel trailer too pull behind the Pathfinder. My hookers and blow days are long over.
 
#3 ·
Yes i have a pair of 170 Strykers on my Burb and they really are absolutely fantastic. There the non HID versions but still are incredible. When i sell my truck im keeping them for sure haha
 
#4 ·
Ive also wanted a roof top tent really badly and would probably go with a China brand version. Noway i have the money for an ARB or Hannibal lol
 
#5 ·
thats a nice looking ford. I dont know what year but they have switched to independent rear suspension. Independent suspension front and rear is a terrible set up for offroading... unless it has an effective traction control system. Something to look into if you go that route.
With your budget there are a lot of options. The JK wrangler or FJ cruiser are good options, I also like Nissan X-terra and toyota 4runner. Keep your options open and look for the best value.
good luck!
 
#7 ·
get rid of that thing and get a toyota land cruiser 80 series right hand drive! comfort and off road ability, and diesel engine.
 
#8 ·
don't buy that explorer expecting it to do well in the bush. it will do fine on the occasional forest service road. stay away from any of the side trails.

toyota, jeep most pick up trucks etc. is the only good recomendation for even mild wheeling. find something that has at least has a solid axle in the rear with an un-complicated suspension all around. if you look underneath and see bars and arms going all over the place you don't want it. at the end of every suspension link is a joint or a bushing just itching to fail.

steel bumpers are also nice to have for off-road useage. when most of the quarter panel consists of a rear bumper contoured tightly to the body you are going to get expensive body damage in a hurry.
 
#9 ·
more anchoring points to get you caught on rocks and stumps!
if i had 15 grand, i would buy a real 4x4 and build it for its intended use. dont expect a truck to drive like a car, and who wants to take a nice new 15,000 truck out and scratch and dent it all up. think of all that paint you are going to leave behind somewhere!
 
#12 ·
Dang!!!! I payed way too much for my FJ then. Oh, wait, they all need leveling kits nowadays.
If you go with an FJ and get a leveling kit, you should seriously consider new UCA's that correct the ball joint angle and caster angle. Mine eats upper ball joints with a 2.5 leveling kit and now that it's off warranty, I'm going to have to buck up myself.

Camburg makes a set for <$400us and it uses an oem type ball joint instead of a uniball.

Okay, I'm done
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
Thanks everyone. The only reason why ive got the explorer on my list is because i can get one for 9-10 grand and upgrade it a fair bit. With a wrangler im limited in what cash car do and with an Fj.. well i wouldnt be able to afford any mods for a while lol. I really only want a newer model vehicle. I like the creature comforts and feeling better. Plus the on road drivabilty plays a factor too.
 
#14 ·
thats the problem.. after a few wheeling trips when all those cheap tiny balljoints wear out its going to drive like absolute shit on the highway. swerving and vibrating like crazy until you pay for overpriced garbage parts that wear out again. its a gigantic car...
 
#19 ·
Okay well I would need more then 15 grand but I would buy a new f150 swap in a Either a cummins or power stroke diesel. Then lift it about 6inch on 35s. And get some custom body work done body work done and get a custom canopy made then there you go got the brand new ford bronco that ford should make. Any One work at ford bring this idea to the board just a thought.
 
#23 ·
I was going to link that one as well. The Cruiser I did link is from a user here, alebit over on the Island though.

You would be very happy with an 80 series Land Cruiser. Very comfortable, and very capable off road. That's 3 very's!
 
#24 ·
I think your on the wrong site. The people here for the most part dont put money into there trucks expecting to make money. They dump money into they're rigs so that when they go out into the bush they dont have to be worrying about breaking down all the time. Money spent the right way once is a lot cheaper then spending it three or four times just to do it the proper way in the end.
 
#30 ·
Rubicons are nice, had one, I'll build my next jeep, they are good stock, but the axles are still light, Dana 30 outer shafts, light axle tubes, balljoints and so on, nothing is perfect warranty is nice, they did lots on mine, when I had it, but the killer was waiting 6 weeks for them to look at it. I'll build my next one. Everyone is different though, thread asked each one of us what we would do, pretty much gonna guarentee that every suggestion here is gonna be different than what the starter of this thread had in mind, just as every rig on here is different, and every owner is different, only one person knows what you want for a rig, that person is yourself. I've left my rubicon in the bush once for a week cause a bs part failed.
 
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#33 ·
I think what you buy to wheel really depends on were your priorities are in life and how much disposable income you have. A guy that makes over 100 grand a year may buy a brand new Rubicon to build into a bush truck, never know.

Currently I am building two old school toyota's to wheel, ones a 82 short box pickup and the other is a 87 short box pickup. Cheap and reliable in my opinion although I am thinking about selling both of them so I can buy a Unimog 406. My ultimate dream 4x4.
 
#37 ·
you guys are splitting hairs here. i believe we can all agree that the guy's original idea of a late model explorer is a bad idea.

if you are looking for comfort and solid build then look at some '97+ 4runners. landcruisers are nice too but i would never dish out that kind of money for something with 300k. they do go for twice that mileage if they've been maintained. how much maintenance has been done on that one?
 
#38 ·
Yes, TJs are not everyone's cup of tea with the short wheelbase. Makes me wonder how the samurai/tracker guys deal with it ... those things seem way smaller than a TJ even lol.
For my "expedition" purposes, which never last more than 3 days the TJ is fine ... but even then, it has no rear seat and if it did, i would literally have NO cargo room. Also, I am not a family man. Will definitely be getting rid of it if I ever have a wife and kids ... :shakehead:

They are not expedition vehicles, simple as that. I don't understand the point of trying to make them into one, like the one above with the roof tent and all that. I love my jeep. With the small amount of money i've put into it and that places it has taken me is excellent bang for the buck in my opinion. But its not a friggin' expedition vehicle, lol.
 
#39 ·
so the long and short of it is: get a toyota! even the old 4runners are very comfy i find for long trips. im 6'1, have driven my 89 sr5 runner on highway trips over 1000km in one shot and didnt feel sore or tired after. it has solid axles. anyone who says solid axles suck on the highways probably has worn out bushings, bad steering alignment, shitty tires and shocks so they are constantly fighting a steering pull or vibration the whole way making them tired after its over! 4x4's are built not bought.. i picked my runner up for $300, with a blown v6.. got to work cutting all the crap out of it and swapped over my diesel running gear from my rusted out 85 truck. the truck has never let me down and goes everywhere you want it to and more. the best part of owning a toy is the e-lockers! best upgrade ever.
simple easy to work on, tough, rugged trucks. no flashy 'pimpin' status or whatever that is bling bling cruising robson street trying to get attention, just good old rattle can paint with dents and scratches, the way a 4x4 should be!
 
#40 ·
I can now agree that the explorer is a bad idea. The land cruiser is defiantly on my list, just im not sure if its that one.. What about the Excursion? I should have mentioned im wanting an capable Expedition vehicle, not a hardcore exoskeletoned taco. I want something that will take me places, but in comfort. I can nab a nice Excursion for around 9 grand and have at her with some mods. The other thing is a Defender or a 3 Series Land Rover. Not a $40,000 retarededly priced one in showroom condition, but a cheap older one with a some dings and less than perfect paint.
One last thing: Can you get a 70 series Land Cruiser in Canada? Ive looked at Toyota.au and honestly those things look sweet.
 
#47 · (Edited)
Yes you can get 70 series in Canada. The bj70 (2 door, short wheel base, naturally aspirated diesel) was available in Canada for only 4 or 5 years, I believe the last year was '84/'85ish. There is also quite a few of the JDM 70 series around now as well, right hand drive bj74 models (and variations thereof) with a turbo charged 4 cylinder diesel that produce a lot more power than their Canadian counterparts. They also usually come with factory lockers.
If you require more room, and more creature comforts, get an 80 series 'cruiser. The gas models do not get great mileage, but the diesel powered Japanese ones (HDJ81) can get pretty good mileage of up to low 20's mpg, which is decent for a 6000 pound full time four wheel drive machine. My recent 5000km round trip of California cost me around $700 in fuel in my HDJ81. That included wheeling the Rubicon and blasting down the I5 at 75 mph with the AC going full blast the whole time as well, and cold drinks readily available in the factory center console fridge (I love my fridge) :clown
If you are interested in an 80 series, but do not want right hand drive (which is not a big deal, I've been driving on that side for 11 years now), I would recommend you check out Iron Yuppy's fzj80 I linked in this thread originally. All the things done, and you would still have lots of cash left over to play with.:beer
 

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