"Slant6" (slant-6)
04/02/2016 at 04:28 • Filed to: None
1
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"Slant6" (slant-6)
04/02/2016 at 04:28 • Filed to: None | 1
| 17 |
After my Land Cruiser adventure I have a yearning for a 4x4 of my own. I like the idea of the Trooper. Any pros or cons?
I bought my Ranger for $1200 so I’m sure I could profit on selling it.
Berang
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 04:50 |
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I don’t know anything about these, except that in middle school a friend’s family had one, and he made fun of how terrible it was constantly.
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Slant6
> Berang
04/02/2016 at 04:53 |
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Noted. But I complain about my Ranger and how terrible it is all the time.
BJ
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 05:35 |
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Simple and effective. It’s not glamorous but I’m sure it can get the job done, and then some!
Jack Does Cars
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 07:30 |
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Lemme tell you a thing or two about the Trooper II. It is one of my more favorite vehicles, because it’s so simple and honestly kinda unique. Best part: you can get them for next to nothing , but good luck finding a nice one anywhere in NC. It’s hard, but possible.
The later (and more popular years) had a 2.6 liter four cylinder and GM’s ubiquitous 2.8 V6 that was put in everything during the 80's. The four cylinder is OK, but it is painfully slow. So that’s why you need the V6.
The V6 is easier to come across, and cheaper, too. The actual purchase price is less, and the price for parts is exponentially less, as well. Both four cylinder and V6 came a manual and an automatic, but the manual is better at everything. Well, except for one thing.
The 4-speed auto in the V6 is the same transmission that is used in the 4.1 Northstar, and people have simply dropped a 4.1, 4.5, and 4.9 Northstar engines into the Trooper II, but they don’t align with the manual transmission.
Overall, a Trooper II is a good buy, as it will never leave you stranded, but it has a terrible ride and no creature comforts whatsoever. I’d research the forums to see pros and cons of the Trooper II, but I recommend a purchase of one of these sO HARD YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I LIKE THEM
Jcarr
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 07:58 |
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Had a ‘91 2.8 as my first vehicle and loved it. Slow and simple, but it was reliable and great off road.
Scimitar7
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 08:00 |
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There’s pretty good forum support for all years. No personal experience with the early models, but I had a ‘94 from 2011-2013 that I bought for $1400, and sold for the same price. While it was an all-around piece of garbage*, it never left me stranded and it was nearly unstoppable everywhere I went (mud, sand, snow, etc.). I had all kinds of adventures with it.
Pros: manual trans is nearly indestructible; decent axle articulation from the factory (if you’re the rock crawling type); the 3.2's have low power & torque numbers, but IMO are geared just right - I was able to pull stumps with it that my grandparent’s ‘03 Silverado couldn’t budge; good base for an adventure vehicle; as mentioned before- good forum support.
Cons: auto trans is considered to be very weak and unreliable (not sure if it’s accurate or enthusiast bias); 3.2's are well documented to be susceptible to an annoying lifter tick - not typically harmful to the engine, but it can get irritating at times; Isuzu-specific parts availability is shrinking, which is the primary reason I sold mine. This could be fixed by swaps & such, but it all depends on what you want the truck for.
*By “garbage”, I mean like Millennium Falcon type garbage - nothing pleasant to look at, can be a little cantankerous, but can do anything and go anywhere (even places it probably shouldn’t). The clear coat was fading, it had torn seats, as well as that “permanent dust” effect you typically see with ‘80's GM cars, a sloppy shifting trans, and the annoying 3.2L lifter tick that I could not cure despite every trick in the forum. That’s not including the previous owner’s “additions” like spilled coke and candy wrappers hiding in every gap - but I can’t fault the car for it.
Nobi
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 08:23 |
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IIRC, pros are it's built like a tank, cons are a very rust prone tank.
boxrocket
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 08:32 |
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The newer ones were better, and surprisingly capable. The asymmetrical rear door takes some getting used to. The name is fun to say. Rodeos aren’t bad either, but don’t have as many luxuries. Honda/Acura sold the Trooper as the SLX, and the Rodeo as the Passport. Also look at the Mitsubishi Montero.
shop-teacher
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 08:53 |
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Watch out for rust underneath them. A friend on mine had one that looked absolutely mint on top. Underneath, however, it was so rusty that the body could’ve broken off the chassis if you turned too hard.
Illegitimus Prime
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 08:54 |
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No Trooper experience here, but I knew someone who had a Rodeo once. It had apparently been rebuilt a few times and refused to die. I drove it, it felt like a truck.... in a good way. Seemed basic enough that you could fix it Clarkson style..... if anything went wrong.
If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 09:40 |
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They make approximately no power, be prepared to never overtake anyone ever again. The V6s were better but I think they had a reputation for being kinda shitty.
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 09:43 |
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To add to what other people were saying, approach curves VERY slowly.
Flyboy is FAA certified insane
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 10:39 |
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My mom had a 2nd gen one. In fact that’s what I came home from the hospital in, because I was born in a blizzard.
But about the car, it seems that the boxier, the better. The 5-speed 4 cyl that my mom had covered over 150,000 miles until the mechanic didn’t refill the gear oil.
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Slant6
> Flyboy is FAA certified insane
04/02/2016 at 10:41 |
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I was born on a cold day with snow on the ground and was brought home in a red XJ Cherokee.
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Flyboy is FAA certified insane
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 10:50 |
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Funny, my mom bought one of the first XJ’s on the lot to replace the dead trooper. She totaled it about three weeks later avoiding the classic “kid chasing a red ball"
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Slant6
> Scimitar7
04/02/2016 at 10:53 |
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I feel like “millennium falcon garbage” describes every car I’ve owned.
Big Bubba Ray
> Slant6
04/02/2016 at 22:01 |
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My cousin had an ‘89 with 300K on the clock. It was an absolute beast of a car. It just wouldn’t quit. Built solid as hell and the some. It was actually the car that I learned to drive stick on back when I was 15.