Avinash Vora

11 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

I stopped getting excited or rather all senior here stopped getting excited for a reason, as whenever we say we are excited, that thing stall and hit on our face, lol.

 Sorry, not excited, but cautiously optimistic!

Thanks @Gaurav, clear now. I'm excited!

On 6/25/2019 at 11:27 AM, Gaurav said:

Level: Newbie, Fewbie & Above (NO ABSOLUTE NEWBIE PLEASE.)

As someone who is new around here, how often do you do absolute newbie drives?

6 hours ago, Rahimdad said:

@Avinash Vora the season never ends on Carnity. See you soon.

I don't know if you were joking or not, but do you guys go desert driving during the summer?

Thank you all! Amazingly helpful advice, and I'm glad I hopped on here before making any decisions. I look forward to meeting you all in a drive somewhere when the season begins again!

I am pretty capable with basic setup work, but I need some legitimate luthier to help with things like the restoration of an old guitar, refretting, etc. I'm still looking around, and I'll drop the details of someone if I find them!

On 1/2/2019 at 8:08 PM, Barry said:

Any recommendations, please shout out so I can research their work. 

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but did you find anyone? I've been looking for quite a while myself.

On 6/5/2019 at 4:58 AM, Rahimdad said:

The Xterra is more than capable to handle the most extreme drive conditions with superb reliability. The only squeaking sound from the suspensions is due to leaf springs in the rear. @Emmanuel is trying out a spray which has kept his Xterra pretty quiet recently, he can guide you too regarding lots of tips and tricks on the Xterra as @Shamil would agree.

So from what I'm understanding, this squeaking is an annoyance, and is not a performance issue, correct?

On 6/5/2019 at 11:20 AM, Emmanuel said:

If you go for an Xterra (happy owner speaking here), have a look at this thread above.

My advice: look for the post 2008 models, third generation, the latest year you can. On those cars the year is more important than the mileage - bear in mind that an Xterra can go to 400-500K if well taken care of. Of course you need to ask a mechanic to check the car before you buy it. I personally drive an « X » model, which is the basic and cheapest one. I just added a skid plate and a light bar and for me it’s just fine.

 

Can I ask what exactly is better about model year >2009 cars? Also, does the entry-level model come with locking diffs?

Great tips on looking for traces of sand, I'll definitely check that out.

18 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

In 25K you can get cleaner and more latest model than Wrangler. Stock Xterra is absolutely capable of all type of drives you ever wish. If you continue this hobby, simply get the bash plate on Xterra (500-1000 dhs) and you are sorted. They are an awesome climber and damn reliable for offroading in the UAE as far as you can develop an ignore mode for it's squeaking suspension - known issue (minor).

While I'm definitely going to scope out some Xterras, what are your thoughts on a 3.8l 3-door Pajero, assuming of course service history and no modifications? 

27 minutes ago, Srikumar said:

In the budget of 25,000 you can get a good condition Xterra which would be capable as well as reliable.

I see several good deals on stock Xterras, thanks for the heads up. It seems a bit easier to get one that’s clean. I am 100% behind you that Japanese reliability is great.

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the useful reply!

I’m definitely only considering a GCC car.

Re: 1. So for beginner-level desert driving, lifts etc. aren’t required? That’s good news.

Re: 2. What’s the best place to check these out? I’m definitely not capable of checking that myself unless there are some immediate and severe symptoms that would be apparent in a test drive.

Re: 4. I figured something along this amount for a service. Is there a good mechanic that you could recommend?

In terms of my budget, I’m looking at AED ~25,000 for the car, excluding things like a service, safety items and other desert-required equipment. I have read the post about good buys in the <10,000 and <20,000 used car price points, and the TJ seems to be recommended highly on that, as well as widely available. What else would you recommend?

(edited to include things outside of the car budget clearly)

If you don’t suggest a Jeep at all, what would you recommend instead? I’m not particularly tied to the brand or model, I’d just like something capable and hopefully reliable.

Hello! I’m looking at buying a used Wrangler for off-roading, and wanted some advice on how to make the right selection. Since this is going to be a car mostly for the purpose of weekend drives, I don’t want to spend too much money on it, so 2005-2006 TJs seem to be the best bet for my price range. I’m looking at a 3-door, 4-litre automatic. I’ve never bought a used car before that’s as old as this, and definitely never a Jeep, so I wanted to get some advice from people who have either owned one, bought a used one, and people who drive in the desert.

• Is this a good choice for the desert? From what I’ve seen, it’s probably one of the most common cars in the sand. They have a great power-to-weight ratio, and the clearance angles are great.
• What’s the best way to scope out how good a condition the car is actually in? Most of the vehicles I am seeing are not available with full service history. Can I get a car checked at a mechanic? Who does this and how much does it cost?
• Should I look at cars with desert modifications/upgrades? There are plenty that I can find with lifts, larger wheels and tires, and upgrades to the roll cage done. It will be cheaper than getting a car that’s stock (assuming, of course, the car is actually clean. I am not sure how to actually verify this).
• How reliable are these cars? It’s hard to find anything in this model year range that doesn’t have at least 150,000 km on the odometer, if not 200,000 km.
• If I do buy a stock car (assuming it is clean), what are the basic upgrades that I should consider, where should I get those done, and how much do I budget for it?
• For a car this old, what mechanics/garages in Dubai are reliable and trustworthy for servicing the car?
• Is there something in particular I should look for (either as something good or something to avoid) when I inspect and test drive the car?

Thanks in advance!