looking at getting a 1990 NA pajero, just over 100000ks, 2.5l TD. needs a good cleanup and a alternator. can get it quite cheap. anyone know how capale of a 4X4 they are

Only thing i will say about older 4WDs is that the older they are the more TLC they need and one over 20yo will lead lots of TLC. Once they get to that age everything starts to need replacing.

It is an old car indeed, but with 100000 km on it, it could be in perfect condition or it could be a disaster. Reason is maintenance or lack thereof. If it has had regualr oil changes, it should be fine. The 2.5 engine pulls like a steam engine and was fairly economical, but it was very agricultural - noisy and rough, but reliable. The suspension travel is limited and hence off-road it can be rough and not go as far as other 4x4s, but for everyday driving on and off roads, they were tough.

Only thing i will say about older 4WDs is that the older they are the more TLC they need and one over 20yo will lead lots of TLC. Once they get to that age everything starts to need replacing.

that dosent worry me, parts are easy to find for these

It is an old car indeed, but with 100000 km on it, it could be in perfect condition or it could be a disaster. Reason is maintenance or lack thereof. If it has had regualr oil changes, it should be fine. The 2.5 engine pulls like a steam engine and was fairly economical, but it was very agricultural - noisy and rough, but reliable. The suspension travel is limited and hence off-road it can be rough and not go as far as other 4x4s, but for everyday driving on and off roads, they were tough.

would live a nice patrol or maverick but for the price of this pajero it looks good., ive always been warened about torshion bar front ends

We used to have a old '85 Paj. They're not as nice as the Patrol's & Landcruiser's at the same time but they're still a nice car.
As for 4x4 capability, some say they lack some here too but she was enough for us. On a 4x4 cruise/trial once we got through some mud that got a Landcruiser stuck so she couldn't have been that bad (or we just got lucky lol).

I wouldn't wrooy about torsion bar front suspension - the 100 series Landcruiser (and probably the latest 200 series) has them. Also, they are easy to adjust if the sag gets too much for you - just get a wheel alignment done after that. The biggest drawback is the lack of wheel travel. This means that you could easily lift a front wheel when going over a hump, and thus lose traction. Nissan Patrols of that era were better, but not that much. IF you are after serious off-road capability, go for a Range rover - if you can stand them leaking oil all over your driveway. I used to have one, but sold it and got a NL Pajero. By the way, Landrovers don't leak oil - they are simply marking their territory!

hmm ok, ive also found a 1996 v6 wagon for not much more then the NA pajero, its got 285k on it with 1 month rego on it. not sure which way to go

The V6 is petrol, the NA is diesel. If you are going to do a lot of distance, think seriously about the V6 because they are thirsty. At a guess, try 14 - 15 L/100 km on petrol, and about 10 L/100 with diesel. Having said this, the V6 will be a much nicer car - quieter, smoother and kbetter to live with.

It all depends on how the beast has been serviced. If it has had regular oil changes, 285000 km is not a big deal, although you could have problems with valve stem seals at that age/mileage. If looked after 400 to 500000 km is feasible.

My v6 ng pajero is running about 16-18L /100km. 330,000ks with lotsa oil leaks and valve stem seals need doing) shes still going strong tho. It's pretty capable off road, I've lifted a wheel and got stuck a few times ( sand) a locker would have gotten me out. But unless your doing seriously crazy stuff, the pajeros are more than enough for what most people would use. I've been in a few patrols of the same period and I prefer the interior of the pajeros. But that's all personal preference.

The petrol is SHIT. Get the oiler.

Patrol springs in the rear, wind up the front.
ARB locker in the rear and you'll go most places. The rear end can get some good articulation and the front end helps with the road manners.

Whatever you do, DO NOT GET THE PETROL. Had one. They drink like fish and don't have enough power anywhere in the rev range.

They do drink but the amount of torque is has hasn't been a problem, yeah it's slow but your pulling two tonne...... Off road it is more than sufficient for my needs.

My NM Pajero 3.5L (6G74) keeps up with the 3.2L DID off road no worries and has enough bulls to do whats needed, the only thing diesel has over petrol is theres more torque and doesn't drink as much which means its good for touring and towing heavy loads. BUT u wanna be careful with the mitsubishi diesels they have some problems with the timing chain guide snapping.

I had a NL Pajero for 13 years, and it was great for my needs - mainly pulling a 16 ft poptop caravan with occasional off road. I 'gave' it away because its value was virtually zero. I now have a NW diesel pajero. The difference is like chalk and cheese. The diesel pulls like a steam engine, it is economical and hopefully will last a long time.

I had to strip the NL engine because of a stupid mistake I made, but when we measured the bores and checked the rings for wear, the end gap was still within original manufacturing tolerances after 258000 km. I put new rings and bearings in anyway (I already had a set), but could have made do with all original bits if I was desperate. As I said before - regular maintenance (oil changes) and you will get fabulous service from your vehicle. If you are buying a vehicle, the most important thing to look for is its service history - if you can believe what is written.

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/xboxice/IMG_1644_zpsfe71afc3.png

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/xboxice/IMG_1648_zps26e0bdd9.png


Hi guys i am looking at picking up this 1993 Pajero GLS 220ks anything i should lookout for thanks in advance :)