My wife's 96 tracker is rotting out, and we're starting to look for a 4x4, good mileage, not a fright to work on, $2-4k.

Any ideas or preferences. I was thinking another tracker or a scooby-doo.

The Pull n Save in Aurora has a really nice 97 Sidekick Sport. Couldn't figure out why it was in the junkyard. Body and interior were perfect. Radiator and condensor had been removed. 107k miles.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Not many 4x4 diesels to choose from unless you want to do a custom engine swap.

I would look for some sort of '80s ford, maybe a Bronco or Bronco II. Parts are dirt cheep and my 86 F250 has been quite easy to work on.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

A VW diesel fits in a geo w/ an adapter plate. Just need the VW, the geo, $900, and the swappage. Projects and 'all you have to's' are off the table. The 7.3 IDI ambulance/camper/haul stuff to the art show van on craigslist was rejected. We may check out a 300TD in ithaca on vacation, but thats mostly wishful thinking.

2-4K will buy a nice later model 'xj' cherokee, and leave some left over for repairs.

__________________
Mike
1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD 270K
1960 Ford F250 62K
1990 Mazda Miata 156k

The thing is Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

Ditto. And if you ever get the time and inclination to do a diesel swap, the engine bay of the Cherokee is proportioned for a 4.0 I-6.

An OM617 turbo with an auto and a divorced transfer case would practically drop right in

__________________
1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

you can also look at some of the 2nd gen Toyota 4runners. Just make sure its got the 22re, not the 3.slow v6.

__________________
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel - 4x4, auto, 3.54 gears, long bed
-------------------------------------
'92 300D 2.5 Turbodiesel - sold
'83 300D Turbodiesel - 4 speed manual/2.88 diff - sold
'87 300D Turbodiesel - sold
'82 300D Turbodiesel - sold

Personally, the only cheap 4x4 I'd look for is a 1996–1998 Chevy Tahoe with the 6.5L TD.

96-98 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) would be my choice.... They can take lots of abuse, and the mechanicals are bulletproof.

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

I got rid of my old 1995 Subaru Outback AWD, just about 10 months ago, and with 123k on it there was *NOTHING* wrong with it, those things just *never* quit and run to 250-350k with ease, needing virtually nothing but regular gas, and not much of it. The 2.2 "boxer" engine is the best one to get, and these cars really do get you through snow and lousy conditions and roads.


I only traded it in because I looked at the brand new '08 Outbacks, and decided for the very first time time in my life that I owed myself a brand new car, which I had never bought.

Zero percent interest clinched the deal, though perhaps the sensible thing would have been to keep the old Subie, which was in perfect condition except where my father damaged the rear backing into a stone wall at the dentist a year or so before he died.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

friend of mines dad just bought a 96,black just like that one.180,000 miles one owner for 4k.some wear on the drivers leather seat but other then that clean as a pin.and tight as a drum.nice quiet 6.5 too.he loves it.they are kindof hard to find though.most of em were 500+miles away.we found this one about 150 away.

If you're looking for good mileage, a Tracker/Sidekick or Subaru are probably your only bets. 4 cyl. Jeeps are in the price range and easy to work on but they aren't particularly fuel efficient. Samurai for TDI swap in the future?

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Subaru, Sidekick are good options but why not look into a G460 or 461 G Wagen diesel with OM616 or 617, you can't get anything more true blue off roader than those.

__________________
99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Get me one for $2-4K?

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)