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I have been getting the itch for another car over lock down and have been wavering massively over what to get. The day before Lockdown 1 I was going to buy a Maserati GT and everything was arranged but the signatures. Lockdown prevented me completing the sale on the Monday. Wife pointed out that last time I was due to buy a Maserati I snapped my foot off and banned me from ever looking at them again. Given how long this Covid stuff has been going on, it was probably good advice.
Now things are opening up a bit I worked out some rough criteria the car would need to fit. Seating for more than 2. Range of more than 100 miles. Capable of taking rubbish to the tip and transporting a mountain bike. Interesting. Less than 5K as the Maserati money had been flittered away.
I considered a Renault Aventime, a Daimler 420 limousine and a few American pick ups before settling on...
... a Daihatsu Fourtrak
Flame away I will try to explain the (lack of) thought behind this
No Daimler. Dead to me.
Very reliable motors but very agricultural and wallowy
It'll be a good laugh
The Daimler didn't start because of a wiring issues an when I suggested we turn the engine over manually the guy said "If you know that much ten I will tell you, it is a ****in wreck, walk away"
I was impressed with his honesty when he wanted £6,500 for it
Edit: even closer..
[i]Very reliable motors but very agricultural and wallowy[/i]
That is kind of what I decided and why I ended up going for it. I can use it without worrying about it and bits will be cheaper than the L322 Range Rover I sold when originally buying the Masser so hopefully it will be a cheap and cheerful little work horse.
You did well to find one (that is not a pile of chassis rust!). They are very much in demand as farmers tow vehicles as they are comfy, strong, reliable, and can tow 3.5 tonnes. Our dead-stock collector runs a fleet of them and is doing about 50+K miles each and every year towing a humongous trailer around the back roads of Wales and then down to Devon almost daily.
I looked underneath and it seemed okay. I didn't have a magnet but asked the seller to pass be a decent lump of wood to check the chassis. He gave me the solid bit from a pallet and was happy for me to smack the dirt off underneath without finding anything. Engine started easy from cold, ran like a noisy diesel and all the gears and transfers appeared to work. I am hopeful.
does this bring you enough attention for the 6,500?
Great little car, more room and comfier than a Jimny, that’s for sure! Whenever I see one I have a little pang of desire for one!
That one on the beach ought to be good to go once it’s been dug out and liberal quantities of WD40 applied!
I thought at first that was Brean beach, but there’s no shipping comes that close in there, but it’s a regular issue on that beach, despite the warning signs!
Aren't they buildings in the background? Castles and stuff...eg Northumberland?
Holy **** reminds me of the time (through circumstances) the plan of a week in the Balearics got gradually dialled back to a night in Whitby.
[i]
does this bring you enough attention for the 6,500?[/i]
I do it for the love, not the attention and the Fourtrak was about half of that. There is a scroll past option if you struggle.
Some people are like clouds. The day is so much nicer when they **** off 🙂
“If you know that much ten I will tell you, it is a ****in wreck, walk away”
🤣🤣
I'm looking forward to a video of welding the chassis in Crocs to get it through its 2024 MOT
My dad had one when I was a kid. I loved it.
Used to tow their caravan most weekends and did some big euro trips in it. Many memories of being squeezed uncomfortably in to the tiny boot seats arguing with my sister who was sat facing me bashing our knees together and playing slaps.
I remember it being very noisy and diesely. I helped my dad fit thick sound deadening foam inside every body panel and under each bit of trim one weekend but it was still loud inside.
It was the first car I ever drove around a farmer's field when I was about 12.
Some family friends had a Sportrak, the smaller version and we had the occasional trip green laning together.
He once told me that the Toyota Landcruiser Prado was due to be the replacement for the Fourtrak, but Toyota decided that they wanted to keep it for themselves so decided not to brand it a Daihatsu. Not sure how true that is though.
Ah, wrong sort of flames. Sorry about that 🙁
Always had a soft spot for Fourtrak, I was close to buying one when I was still into field sports.
I’ve had two and miss them, great machines.
Check the rear cross member as they have a habit of rusting out badly.
My mate in Sussex is a bit of a specialist with them and has a steady supply of donor cars for parts.
Tim
I’m looking forward to a video of welding the chassis in Crocs to get it through its 2024 MOT
It's a dihatsu.
Itl be welding of the chassis to get it through a. Vosa checkpoint on the way home....even if it was all solid when he left the seller 🙂
Leffeboy - sorry, you caught me after a bottle of wine and I missed your twist on flame me. Your approach was so much more STW than the rest you didn't deserve my original response. With a clear head your comment brings sunshine to my life. Friends 🙂
Morning Nick, LAR 4x4 seem to be the people to go to for advice on these grim things. (Could have bought a Toyota...👀)
😉
Love a Fourtrak, my dad had a mk1 and still has a mk2, although that has been SORNed for years for, guess what? Welding work required!
Chassis and sills are okay, but behind the plastic wheelarches was rotten as a pear on both rear sides, right into the cabin. The mud and wet get trapped behind the liner and the metalwork. Cleaned it out to get a better idea of the damage, I can fit my arm through both sides...
It still starts and drives when the battery is charged, we still use it for shunting trailers around.
It may become my resto project in a year or two, I miss driving it on the road.
Yeap. Adam @ LAR4x4 is the man.
He sold me my two Fourtraks and my two Cruisers afterwards.
Knows everything there is to know about them but can be a pain to get hold of as he’s really busy. Worth persisting though. He’s been known to ride a bike once in a while as well.
Any you could have had that Mercedes... sigh.
[i]Any you could have had that Mercedes… sigh.[/]
And I may still get one. I have been known to change my cars a bit as well as just buying more
Get over to Slindon in West Sussex, saw a few fourtracks there yesterday. It's a cracking site with something for everyone and home made cake.
I knew that the drivers side wheel arch had some rust spots so removed the plastic wheel arch extender and hit it with the wire wheel on an angle grinder
It wasn't as bad as I feared and a proper inspection underneath showed it had been reasonably well welded where they always rot and seemed sound. This appears to be a sound investment so I spent a little time and effort repairing the rusted out rear wheel arch.
After spending as little time and effort as possible I had resolved the problem with some 3M Duct Tape. Repair patch panel on order.
