New or Used: The Homebrew Uberwagon

Geðrven writes:

Greetings!

Here on TTAC, one finds recurring references to that elusive “sub-$20k AWD manual diesel wagon”. Clearly, this brief blurb of specs isn’t my dream alone; sounds like a lot of us want such a car. But suppose one cares not for a million airbags, iPod styling, touchscreens, blackbox electronics, or much of the other modern malaise plaguing cars that come with warranties. Suppose one’s warranty is a toolbox, two hands, and a brain. Suppose one wants to get such a vehicle by customizing an older platform oneself, on half the budget. And suppose we add one more criterion: light off-road ability. What does one do?

Here are the basic specifications for the end result:

– Size: must be able to fit a person sleeping in it, but weigh no more than 4000 pounds, preferably closer to 3000. Compact pickups/UV’s

are ok, but a wagon would be preferable, I think. This is primarily a long-distance roadtrip/camping vehicle with secondary offroad ability, not an exo-caged monster-tired rockcrawler.

– Drivetrain: non- (or minimally) electronic, proactive AWD, or

manually operated 4WD.

– Diesel, capable of reliably running on veggie oil in a dual-tank system.

– Age: as long as it performs adequately and I can get parts, the older the better.

– Wear parts must be readily available in North America. Other parts should be reasonably sourcable on this continent (so no Euro-only

engines, for instance).

– The chassis, suspension, ride comfort, and driving dynamics have to be good in at least one of two arenas: on dry pavement, or off-road.

I’d like to avoid a basic-transportation shitbox that’s both mediocre on roads and incapable off of them.

– No slushbox. Three pedals. Ye olde stick ‘n clutch.

– Budget is about $10k. This has to cover the candidate vehicle, either a whole donor vehicle or used/junkyarded big pieces (engine,

trans), and the vast majority of the entire vehicle’s wear items (new parts). Labor costs will be little to none.

Comfort, performance, style, badge cachet, and other criteria not listed are secondary to irrelevant (about in that order). The theme

here is reliable long-term Function. I’m able and willing to do some custom work, including driveline swaps and mild fabrication. So, what platform should I start with, and what should I do with it?

Steve Answers:Two vehicles almost fit your description. Really. They are both ‘authentic’ in their approach. Although one of them is a PITA and the other as rare as a hen’s tooth. But if you must buy an elusive model…I have owned two Isuzu Trooper’s from the late 80’s. The first had about 90k. The other 105k. Both of them averaged only about 5,000 miles a year when I got them and both came with Isuzu’s oil spewing. 2.3 Liter 4-cylinder engine. Nope, not a diesel.However there is a very strong enthusiast site for this orphan brand, especially in diesel form. Even today you can sometimes find them available as diesels in the US because they are a popular aftermarket swap. The diesel offers better grunt. 30 mpg on the highway, and more than enough space in the back for sleeping. They are awesome vehicles even without a diesel. . Land Rovers are also available as diesels but I would just go for something a bit easier to service and less costly on the wallet.Other cars? Ummm… Peugeot 505? A jacked up 1st gen VW Passat? Maybe even a W124 diesel wagon if you can find one? But if you want to do any off-roading… fughedaboutit! Go get something a bit more rugged with a lot more room. You may be a little sorry when repairs come for the Isuzu. But not nearly as sorry as when you try to buy parts for the European vehicles.

Sajeev Answers:

You want something with a diesel, a stick, a wagon/utility body and a fair amount of parts availability in North America? I don’t doubt your ability to keep this hypothetical beast running, but what intrigues me is your ability to do a custom work. I’d start with a diesel wagon and let you figure out how to put a stick in it. My choice? A mid-80s Mercedes 300TD wagon. While the platform totally rocks and has decent aftermarket support, I don’t believe the diesels ever came with a stick. But I am sure you can find a U-shift-it gearbox that’ll bolt up, and the pedal assembly to make it work. If you can’t, hey, three outta four ain’t bad.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com , and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.