Would you buy this Isuzu Mu?

MyStubbleItches

Never even heard of these

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2789297

I'm looking for a 4wd just to get around the place at home, dragging a trailer up to the site (building at home) rather than roughing up my disco, has anyone had any experience of these? It'd never be on the road so condition doesn't really bother me so long as it would put up with dogging for 12 months or so.

Atlantic Dawn

You would likely get a better responce at the 4x4 forum...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1068

166man

It's always a good sign when there's two photo's of the headrests...

Other than that looks grand for what you need,could probably sell in 12 months and get near enough to what you paid for it assuming it's sound mechanically.

MyStubbleItches

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

You would likely get a better responce at the 4x4 forum...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1068

Doh!!

Cheers Atlantic, would a mod please move it (and if possible edit my title to say BUY instead of UY). Thanks.

TestTransmission

Thread moved

MyStubbleItches

166man wrote: »

It's always a good sign when there's two photo's of the headrests...

Other than that looks grand for what you need,could probably sell in 12 months and get near enough to what you paid for it assuming it's sound mechanically.

Yeah it might be just what I'm looking for at the right money. rying to figure out if thats a hitch on the back though, that would be a necessity.

Could even be a cool rebuild job for off roading when I'm finished working it.

Casati

An uncle bought one of those in 1999 with 50k on it, put 100k on it over 5 years and it was a tough machine and great to drive with a fair whack of power but it started costing a lot of dough to keep it on the road, usual stuff inc clutches, injectors, bearings etc gave issues. If you bought it the cost to buy it will fade against the cost to keep it on the road

MyStubbleItches

Hi Casati, I don't intend to put it on the road but I guess it still needs a clutch and injectors. Would an early 90s Pajero be a safer bet?

Casati

I don't know what i'd recommend over it for 800 quid - if your only doing tiny miles with it and its going okay now, then it could be grand for purpose for the next while but its a bit a luck involved- I'd be tempted to use your Disco, they aren't made for just driving on road!

MyStubbleItches

Casati wrote: »

I'd be tempted to use your Disco, they aren't made for just driving on road!

Yeah I know, its just that its in mint condition, spotless inside and it wouldn't be long before it'd be wrecked from me getting in and out of it dripping with concrete and muck. I used to keep a car for 'clean' driving and a commercial for work but they're gone now so I want to keep the disco in good nick so herself will sit into it too!

101sean

If it's a Mu, it's a Jap import. Here they were badged as Opel/Vauxhall Frontera and with different engines I think.

I'd say you wouldn't go far on a grassy field on those tyres, doesn't look like much tread left and the rear bumper has huge rust hole in it.

MyStubbleItches

101sean wrote: »

If it's a Mu, it's a Jap import. Here they were badged as Opel/Vauxhall Frontera and with different engines I think.

I'd say you wouldn't go far on a grassy field on those tyres, doesn't look like much tread left and the rear bumper has huge rust hole in it.

Good man, that's the end of that for me! Found one or two Pajeros and one or two discos for E1000 or under, might investigate those a bit more. Hard to find them close to Cork, they're mostly out of test and tax (suits fine for my purposes but getting the bugger home would be a problem).

Fishtits

Don't stray from the herd...

Friggin' import Isuzu variants are a nightmare in my experience.

Buy a Paj/LC/regular Trooper.

MyStubbleItches

What about this? Anything in particular I should be looking out for?

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/2777263

selfdiy

MyStubbleItches wrote: »

Never even heard of these

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2789297

I'm looking for a 4wd just to get around the place at home, dragging a trailer up to the site (building at home) rather than roughing up my disco, has anyone had any experience of these? It'd never be on the road so condition doesn't really bother me so long as it would put up with dogging for 12 months or so.

I think they are based on the 3.1 trooper running gear, just a different body.
If the milage is genuine, she'll easily do 300,000 miles with no major work, change the oil every 6000 miles. I've seen those 3.1 trooper take serious hardship. One of the best engines of that period IMO.

Slidey

I don't think it is the 3.1 that is in them.

The rear calipers give trouble in them where the handbrake connects and they are bloody dear. I think they are closer related to the 2.8 trooper

MrFoxman360

MyStubbleItches wrote: »

What about this? Anything in particular I should be looking out for?

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/2777263

That mightened be a bad buy, main thing to look out for is head gasket problems, or what seems like a head gasket problem, the 2.5's have a tendency to crack the cylinder head. Look for bubbles coming up into the rad.

Easy to sell it on afterwards too and if something does go wrong, there is so many Pajeros about that second hand spares are plentyful

MyStubbleItches

Brilliant, thanks lads. Looks like I'll pass on the mu-cow and probably go for a paj.

Cheers.

JohnBoy

the trooper, frontera and mu are all closely related.

just different combinations of the one pool of parts with slighlty different bodys and chassis.

_Conrad_

Slidey wrote: »

I don't think it is the 3.1 that is in them.

The rear calipers give trouble in them where the handbrake connects and they are bloody dear. I think they are closer related to the 2.8 trooper

Seem to be a lot of 2.8s, intercooled same spec as the jap import 2.8 trooper and (i think) the same or mostly the same as the 2.8 that went into the earlier fronteras after the 2.3 was dropped but i've seen them with 3.1s as well. Like you said though they're a lot closer to a trooper than the frontera in terms of running gear.

It's not fair of that earlier poster to lump them in with fronteras in terms of the bad rep that fronteras got, their problem was opel/vauxhalls build quality, and the fact that apart from the 2.8 isuzu engine they got a whole string of ****e engine and bad spec.

the 2.3 , in fairness to it, wasn't an awful engine it was just dead as a doornail so you end up pushing them very hard and that makes them seem thirsty, ok other than that but you wouldnt want to be in a hurry.

Anyway since the conversations moved on to pajeros, OP you should be careful looking at those, there are loads of them around but a lot of rough worn out ones too because due to their numbers, and not being toyotas they've always been cheap.

porsche boy

The problem with Pajero's is one of extreme thurst in my opinion. As has been stated you have to rag them to get anywhere. The 3 litre Trooper is a bit better but, again in my experience, can give regular trouble.
Keep your eye out for a late series 1 or early series 2 Discovery. As amazing as it seems I have found them to be one of the more reliable yokes.

MyStubbleItches

Thanks again lads.

Thirst doesn't really bother me as it would literally only be driving from my current house to the new one up 100 yards of a private dirt track. I couldnt see it doing 3 miles a week to be honest, so diesel aint going to kill me!

I've found a couple of yokes that would do the trick, pajeros and one disco. The disco would be my preference. Seems that there is enough choice out there for what I want (no tax or test but running away), new headache is how to get one home since they're not road legal. That said, I'm in no panic yet so surely one will come up closer to home that will be easier/cheaper to transport.