Budget Overland Shogun/Pajero Sport

[LooseNut197]

Hey folks.
Looking at competing in the Budapest Bamako rally in 2028, its a budget friendly Dakar-lite that covers an exciting chunk of Africa.
Looking at cheap 4x4s available here in Ireland and the Pajero/Shogun Sport seems like the best bang for the buck;
> Extrememly cheap, can get commercial ones with a new test for <3k
> Simple mechanical diesel engine; least likely to hate african diesel
> Ladder chassis
> LWB is stable and plenty storage/living space as needed
> Mitsubishi reliability (we have had a few other mitsi's in the family)
> Aircon common
< Slow but thats not a problem
< Overheating reputation so I'll upgrade the radiator and hoses plus waterpump etc..

I considered landcrisers also but they are violent money here. Full fat Pajero are pretty common too but almost all have been farmed to death.
Ive previously completed the mongol rally in a 1990 Corolla and am happy doing all jobs myself.

Want to know what jobs these jeeps benefit from, what would be good budget mods to make, and any other ideas/obseravtions for a trip of this type thanks!

[BarryMissioner]

I ran a 2.5td L200 Shogun Sport, my cousin had the van version at the same time, I think they were 2004/5 age. I liked mine & thought it was good value for money. They eat headgaskets as consumables so I'd definitely do that before your trip (do cambelt kit water pump at same time) not a particularly horrible job. Both of us had starting problems that both turned out to be I think an O ring in the pump, it's a known fault on that engine so look into that, again I'd do it as a consumable before it causes issues.

I found that era of body-on-chassis trucks quite uncomfortable for long journeys as you sit very low to the floor despite the height of the vehicle but everyone's different, maybe that seating position suits you.

Didn't find the Shogun Sport particularly good off road, it only has an LSD in the back axle, no locker at least not in the UK, the Nissan Patrol I had before was way better as was the L200 DiD I had after with a proper locker, probably not an issue with your use.

I had a Hilux surf before & prefered the Mitsubishi by some margin. Final consideration would be I drove but didn't own a 3.0 petrol Shogun Sport, that was much nicer than my diesel, I think that engine is considered more reliable too & wasn't much different on fuel being a rare manual petrol, auto might be a different story.

Sounds like an exciting trip, home you have a great time.

[LotsOfLaughs]

I did the Africa Rally this year, completely different route, and I did it in a st Land Rover Discovery which didn't make it, but we hitch hiked to the finishline.

As you can see by the other cars on the Budapest-Bamako page, you don't need a 4x4. You've done the mongol rally, so you sort of know most this already, but anyway, here are my thoughts.

I learnt the hard way that having a more capable car just means you get stuck in more remote places than you would otherwise. It's much better to get stuck 50 yards down the track than 50 miles down the track... And you will get stuck eventually, if you're trying hard enough!

My advice would be to go for the simplest thing, with the fewest components, and ideally something that is popular in the places you're going. I imagine that where you're going, you'll find many old diesel Peugeots, but that's just a guess. Generally older Mitsubishis aren't particularly common in rural Africa, I'd say that of the "real" 4x4s, the vast majority are Toyotas or Isuzus, the rest are some kind of Land Rover, and the remaining few are Nissans, Mitsubishis, Ladas, Suzukis, and so on. (At least, that's what I saw, but I didn't make it north of the equator)

You also need to think about fuel - the 2.8 diesel with the standard (I'm guessing ~90L/20 gallon) tank will probably be fine, but I'd check your route if you end up with the petrol V6. You don't want to put full fuel cans on the roof, and ideally you don't want them in the car either. In the thick sand of the dunes, gutless old diesel engines do struggle, especially if you've got a lot of weight in the car.

Also think about tyres, how many spares are you going to take, if you need to get another tyre, how easy are they to find in that size? Avoid mud tyres, go for a mild AT if you want, depending on how far off the beaten track you plan on going. I had BFGoodrich K02s, no issues at all with them (shame that can't be said for the rest of the car, but anyway)

Make sure you look over the car thoroughly, and give it a good service. Change all the fluids and filters (engine, gearbox, transfer box, diff oils, coolant, air, oil and fuel filters, all the belts, etc.) Consider changing the brakes and wheelbearings, especially if you're planning on driving it back too. Use the car for a good couple of months before the trip, get used to driving it, and fix problems as they come up. Have a look at the waterpump, you don't want to be trying to find a replacement in Mauritania, because I doubt you'll find one, especially if you aren't in the capital city. Likewise the alternator, and so on. From memory, CV joints aren't the strongest on those, so check them, change them, and take the old ones as spares, especially if you've stuck some bigger tyres on it.

Spare parts - what you carry is up to you, but you'd be daft not to take bulbs, a bit of oil, spare belts, and basic tools. As for recovery equipment, A spade, recovery boards or sand ladders or maxxtrax or whatever you call them, a tow rope, and a tyre inflator are a must. Make sure you can use them, go and get stuck in a field at home first. If you want to take a highlift, then go for it. You don't need a winch.

The last thing I'll add - spend a bit more and get a good example. I bought a crap car and it ruined half of my trip. Sure I saved a lot of money, but I'd have rather spent a grand or two more and had a good car which worked, not a crap one which didn't.

Edit : Fuel quality might be questionable over there. Fuel in Zambia and beyond was 500ppm sulphur content, add a dash of two-stroke oil to your tank to protect the injector pump. It's available in most petrol stations.

Edited by LotsOfLaughs on Saturday 6th December 02:19