Double Cab For Restoration

[doublecab]

I have a car for my personal use which I bought around 3.0M. And now I plan to buy a double cab for dirt cheap and restore it for off road journeys. Can some one give me how I can find out one cheap. What I thought Nissan Dcab and can some one tell can I place a new engine If it needs one. are those engines avilable in sri lanka. Please share your experience regarding this.

Thanks

[jdnet]

First of all we don't need to know how much your car, house, bed or anything else costs.

Second, you aren't going to find one for a few rupees. You need to set a budget for the truck and then set a separate budget for the restoration after you have idenfitied the problems it had. That will give you and idea of the total cost to get it running. It's important to figure these out since in some cases the cost of buying a truck in good condition may be lower than what you would spend if you bought one that's falling apart.

Next we can't help you find a cheap truck. You need to be able to look around. Check the sunday papers and any auction listings on both the daily papers and weekend ones. If buying from an auction you need to inspect the car before bidding and set your maximum price. You would need a competent mechanic to accompany you during the inspection. I take it from your post that you are not a mechanic or a DIY kinda guy.

That being said, you need to understand that if you do not have atleast some knowledge in fixing up trucks, you will end up draining your wallet and getting ripped off.

Think about the cost of parts, tinkering, painting and labour. I think it's safe to say that unless you had your own workshop you would be paying close to what the same truck would cost if you were to buy one in good condition.

If you are out to make a profit, restoration would clearly not be the field for you.

[jdnet]

BTW if your goal is to take it off-road. You should be focusing more on getting a good truck and then performing upgrades on it like the suspension.

[Crosswind]

Cheap and double cabs dont really go together. Even if u get something from the early 80s, u still might end up spending well over 2million. U r much better off looking for a restored 4DR5 jeep.

I am completely ignoring the fact that brands like tata and mahindra exist and they make contraptions that resemble double cabs.

Edited June 23, 2012 by Crosswind

[doublecab]

jdnet

sorry If I hurt you saying car value. But why I said that was to say I am currently having a good vehicle for my use and I am seeking a double cab as a second vehicle. and another thing I want ot clearify is to "off road " used is not going jungle or some thing but to use in some outstation roads which are not in good condition

[MasterDon]

  On 6/23/2012 at 3:07 PM, doublecab said:

I have a car for my personal use which I bought around 3.0M. And now I plan to buy a double cab for dirt cheap and restore it for off road journeys. Can some one give me how I can find out one cheap. What I thought Nissan Dcab and can some one tell can I place a new engine If it needs one. are those engines avilable in sri lanka. Please share your experience regarding this.

Thanks

Hi I have a 4 million car...you lose!

What's your budget like,it'll give you more exact answers from members.Anyway you can get a 4WD 80s Datsun double cab around 1 mil.And also those RWD Toyota,Nissan,L200 'low cabs' are also available around that price range.They'll be more than enough to tackle those treacherous outstation roads.Make sure you set your affairs straight and carry plenty of food and water before you go on those outstation roads because most brave souls who venture out on those dark paths have never been seen again...You have been warned!

[NPP]

  On 6/24/2012 at 3:40 AM, doublecab said:

jdnet

sorry If I hurt you saying car value. But why I said that was to say I am currently having a good vehicle for my use and I am seeking a double cab as a second vehicle. and another thing I want ot clearify is to "off road " used is not going jungle or some thing but to use in some outstation roads which are not in good condition

high price doesn't necessarily mean it's a good vehicle

using outstation 'roads' is definitely not 'off-road'

[jdnet]

  On 6/24/2012 at 3:40 AM, doublecab said:

jdnet

sorry If I hurt you saying car value. But why I said that was to say I am currently having a good vehicle for my use and I am seeking a double cab as a second vehicle. and another thing I want ot clearify is to "off road " used is not going jungle or some thing but to use in some outstation roads which are not in good condition

nono you aren't hurting me. I just thought I saw a snake and thought it was venomous. Turned out to be a common garandiya so no problem.

Also is that 3 million rupee car so crappy that it would fall apart when driving on "outstation roads"?

Are you one of those people that think driving to Dambulla is like going on a Safari?

Edited June 24, 2012 by jdnet

[YALA]

cheap diesel cab and out of colombo running will not go hand in hand chances are you`ll be towed back to colombo. whats your budget? any 50- and above nissan cab would go from starting LKR 1.5Mil. after the initial purchase price you`ll have to set a side some amount for the general and mechanical repairs...given that its 20+ years old there will be plenty...next depending on your offroading situation.. tires, suspension, diff locks, winch, snorkel, steel bumpers, roll cage, air compressors, after market tie rod, diff guards etc etc has to go in...everything would depend on your budget might even cost more than your 3 mil car since it`ll be an ongoing project all the time..

[Pericles]

  On 6/24/2012 at 3:40 AM, doublecab said:

jdnet

sorry If I hurt you saying car value. But why I said that was to say I am currently having a good vehicle for my use and I am seeking a double cab as a second vehicle. and another thing I want ot clearify is to "off road " used is not going jungle or some thing but to use in some outstation roads which are not in good condition

Lets clarify something for you. "Off" road means where there is no road. Like a jungle which is a good example. Try to use English that is normally understood rather than saying things that have special meaning to you. See how many people you mislead with this off-road malarky?

If you want some rust bucket for going on gravel roads, yes, you should be able to find spares and new engines if you want to replace it.

[Crosswind]

  On 6/25/2012 at 5:49 AM, Pericles said:

Lets clarify something for you. "Off" road means where there is no road. Like a jungle which is a good example. Try to use English that is normally understood rather than saying things that have special meaning to you. See how many people you mislead with this off-road malarky?

If you want some rust bucket for going on gravel roads, yes, you should be able to find spares and new engines if you want to replace it.

Can't blame the bugger machan. It's the bloody sorento and sportage generation.

[Ripper]

i'd say it would be cheaper to go for an older gypsy or something. something that haven't really been mainstream and dont have a second hand market.

And what's the car you drive at the moment?

I know plenty of people roaming around in their cars in pretty crappy roads. of course you gotta be sensible in the way you drive and plan your journey properly.

VVTI took his P11 on some crappy estate roads without a problem and he also took his 164 to jaffna and many other places around the country.

I bet there are plenty of people here who drive their regular cars on weekend runs.

Unless of course you have some fancy expensive suspension setup and ultra low ground clearance

[YALA]

or those daihatsu rocky`s and suzuki jimmy`s i seen a few aussie forums where they have some neat rigs made out of these..

[Ripper]

  On 6/26/2012 at 4:53 AM, YALA said:

or those daihatsu rocky`s and suzuki jimmy`s i seen a few aussie forums where they have some neat rigs made out of these..

there is a mean ass gypsy that takes part in 4x4 comps. father and son team and that's a pretty mean machine. fully modded up though from seans place. the smaller length, lightweight body helps i suppose.

[YALA]

  On 6/26/2012 at 5:46 AM, Ripper said:

there is a mean ass gypsy that takes part in 4x4 comps. father and son team and that's a pretty mean machine. fully modded up though from seans place. the smaller length, lightweight body helps i suppose.

sadly missed out on the last 3 seasons of local competitions completely...reckon there are quite a few good rigs now running given that the local chaps have plenty of access to resources

[Ripper]

  On 6/26/2012 at 7:11 AM, YALA said:

sadly missed out on the last 3 seasons of local competitions completely...reckon there are quite a few good rigs now running given that the local chaps have plenty of access to resources

yeah. folks are highly passionate about it and modified class is a whole different animal now

[terrabytetango]

I have a friend who did the whole "cheap double cab" thing. Didn't work out so well. Now he's trying the "cheap BJ73" thing. It's not cheap, but it's fun if you do the work yourself. If you don't like getting your hands dirty, buy yourself a nice electric scooter instead.

Edit: I should also mention it's the same guy who's also doing the "cheap Volvo S40" thing I mentioned on the forums some months back.

Edited June 26, 2012 by terrabytetango