Been looking at softroaders as a daily/winter hack.

Also want to be able to tow on a post 97 license.

now these have a proper offroad 4wd system and are actually quite capable....

But they rust like a ford

However the 5dr decent models have a kerb weight of 1410kg and a towing weight of 1500kg.

IMO that means you can tow a light trailer and sub 1ton track car upto 1410kg which is perfectly realistic these days, and still have 600kg of weight you can fill the 4x4 up with


Anybody got experience of these???

 

Never owned one but sell lots of parts for them!
Alternators and shock absorbers are popular at the moment!
Avoid the cars with electronic suspension as the dampers cost upwards of Ł200 each OE only, they can be fitted with non electronic dampers but it means buying a full set
Make sure all the electrickery works and its not rotten!
thats the extent of my knowledge!

 

Oh yeah, if you end up looking at a jap import Pajero, beware the dreaded red scotchlok connectors. The Japs love them!! Seem to be all over every import I've every worked on!

 

make sure no lights on the dash and dont get a GDi pertol one......... wow! lol

shogun/pajero etc are all name confused so make sure the chassis/build numbers are what you are looking for

and its not hooky, these are and were rife for having ID swops.

just cos its 10/15yrs old and cheap, dont rule it out. They were worth more than cossies in bits and easyer to steal

 

i used to make a lot of exhausts for these when i did the stainless exhausts seem a pretty decent tool

 

I can get hpi through a mate anyway. Probably be buying through the trade via a mate anyway.

Whats wrong with the GDI? I know they can coke up if driven like a poof/about town a lot but thats just a maintenance issue.

 

Better off getting a proper 2.5/2.8 pajero/shogun.
Didn't that pinin have a 1.1 engine?
I'm pretty sure it was something dismal like that.
Whatever you do,DO NOT BUY A DISCOVERY!!!!

 

The petrol gdi's
The etv (throttle body) used to go down
If you was lucky you could de choke it and re learn the idle speed
If you was unlucky it would need a new unit at something around 1200 plus re setting
Also check the wiring for the 4wd switches as they use do melt on the exhaust

 

whats wrong with discoverys? Im looking at them ATM
thought about a fourtrak?
shoguns(the big ones) are thirsty and have headgasket issues IIRC?

 

1.8 or 2.0 petrol in the shogun pinin.

I cant get a full size 4x4 as most of them you cant tow anything on a post 97 license

The towing weight on the plate is so high that with the kerb weight of the tow car and its towing weight exceeds 3.5 tonne. Even if i tow a light trailer to keep the actual weight under 3.5 ton its not legal.
I had a "carisma" with the same engine and i always got away with decoking it. Plus the units are easy to get second hand or in scrappys for not too silly money.

I thought the pinin 4wd/low range select lever was mechanical?? certainly looks it next to the handbrake.
Its a land rover product To be fair, older landies arent a problem if looked after and are dead easy to fix.

 

We have the large 5 door for work and I use it for towing our track car and trailer. Been a brilliant vehicle and really good for towing. Only issue we have had was a fuel leak that made it juicy and difficult to start. Sorted that and its not too bad, cost about Ł100 to fill up but will get use 600miles roughly. not bad for long distance and fairly good off road (although only taken off road lightly) and excellent in the snow. would recommend to anyone.

 

cool so it sounds like pick a good one and youre onto a winner.

Id love a defender really, but too heavy to allow me to tow.

 

I had a "carisma" with the same engine and i always got away with decoking it. Plus the units are easy to get second hand or in scrappys for not too silly money.

I thought the pinin 4wd/low range select lever was mechanical?? certainly looks it next to the handbrake.


It is a mechanical lever but will have switches on the box to tell you what position you are in
On the dash
And sometimes iirmc if the switch goes down you won't be able to select 2wd or 4 wd as it won't engage the front diff ( works on a vacum circuit)
It's been a while since I done a Mitsi
I used to work for them

 

The 4 wheel drive usually becomes inoperable because the car spends all its life in 2L.I had the problem with my LWB and the diff lock wouldnt engage .Mine was a wide bodied UK one and it does say in 2 or three places on big stickers to operate the full 4 wheel drive so it does not become seized iirc and yes it is vacuum operated .

http://www.pocuk.com/ this site helped me no end all by using the search,I never even had to join .

 

So i shall have to check the 4wd is ok then. looking at the higher spec warrier and animal ones as they seem to be heavier meaning i can get closer to 3.5 ton and have a heavier trailer.

 

pinin's are proper rot boxes, just to repeat what others have said, gdi's usually need the boolocks revving off them to get them through the cat test

 

So decoking its a good idea. It cant rust worse than a ford

 

You would be surprised Warren.As it used to be you couldnt buy panels either.A lot of the mk2 shoguns are rusty as hell under the plastic wheel arches,if you ever see them in a scrappy a lot will have been cut out to repair another.Mine suffered on one cil and one rear arch and slight bubbling on the front arches.Do the the warriors suffer with head problems ?.The 2.8 in mine pulled like a train,liked a drink though .

 

I bought a paj 5 years ago now for dossing in the snow
Been fantastic
Only downside is 19 mpg