Best car for 2 mile track with 40% gradients, rocky surface?

[Zlat502]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105182...

[Volvolover]

Ardennes92 said:

Surely the answer is a Lada Niva, think you can even get a new one if feeling flush

Beat you to it.

Volvolover said:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/lada-updates-th...

[snowandrocks]

Geekman said:

We're going to be living in a similar situation soon, albeit nowhere near as bad as the track you're using, and several neighbours have old Jeeps for the track and something nicer parked outside on the main road - it seems to work pretty well for them.

We have to do this whenever the snow gets too deep for the OH's car - it does work but is a lot of faff especially if you have any luggage with you.

Not only do you have to move everything over but you then have to clear and defrost another car - complete PITA. Her Accord does have winter tyres but is defeated by any significant drifting so she'll be getting something properly capable next time.

I guess snow isn't as big an issue on Skye as in Aberdeenshire but transferring everything over on every trip is still a pain. One house I know actually have sheds built next to the road which is quite a good idea.

[How u doing]

BroadsRS6 said:

A Merc SL would sort that.

[Walter Sobchak]

I’d probably go for a short wheelbase Landcruiser, Jimny is a good call too or possibly a short wheelbase Shogun.
If you need more space then a full size Landcruiser or Nissan Patrol, maybe lifted slightly.
Early Discovery might be worth looking at too?, not very expensive to buy, parts are cheap and they’re capable.
I’d not take any newer LR stuff (Disco 3/L322 etc) as much as I’m sure they’d get up there and are very capable I can’t help but wonder how badly it would take its toll on the air suspension.

[BroadsRS6]

No chance of driving along the shore. It leads nowhere. To answer an earlier question.
Lots of ideas which I'm grateful for.
I really like the idea of a 4 litre petrol 6 pot in a low state of tune pulling low gears. Jeep Wrangler.

[Gareth1974]

If you can find one, a Ford Transit County, utility companies used them for remote locations.

Edited by Gareth1974 on Thursday 24th June 15:53

[Summit_Detailing]

That has first gen Jimny or a Daihatsu Terios written all over it.

The latter I hired for a week in Cyprus a few years ago and it coped fine with similar terrain.

Cheers,

Chris

[Geekman]

snowandrocks said:

Geekman said:

We're going to be living in a similar situation soon, albeit nowhere near as bad as the track you're using, and several neighbours have old Jeeps for the track and something nicer parked outside on the main road - it seems to work pretty well for them.

We have to do this whenever the snow gets too deep for the OH's car - it does work but is a lot of faff especially if you have any luggage with you.

Not only do you have to move everything over but you then have to clear and defrost another car - complete PITA. Her Accord does have winter tyres but is defeated by any significant drifting so she'll be getting something properly capable next time.

I guess snow isn't as big an issue on Skye as in Aberdeenshire but transferring everything over on every trip is still a pain. One house I know actually have sheds built next to the road which is quite a good idea.

Yes, I can definitely see that being a disadvantage, but I think I'd still take that option over just having one car. I'm not sure how regularly the OP is going to be driving on that track, but assuming it's quite often, I think a lot of people are underestimating the damage it will do to even a good 4x4 vehicle. If I paid 10k for something I'd want to keep it in decent condition, which would mean an endless cycle of replacing suspension components etc, whereas a sub 1k MOT failure you can run into the ground would be a lot easier of an ownership proposition IMO. There's plenty of rusty Jeep / Toyota 4x4s that are mechanically sound and would probably do the job pretty well.

[Sensibleboy]

How would the postman or an Asda delivery get to the house?

[mclwanB]

BroadsRS6 said:

The easiest section. Still quite rough.

I've spent 18 years drive 2wd estate cars over similar to that (vet!). Other pictures less so..

I think pounding the first section as suggested to something like this and then a regular car would be the best idea. An hours round trip to get to and back from the house will get very old very quickly, reducing it would add masses of value to the house

[Desiderata]

One of my neighbours moved into a place about 3 miles off the tar road. For the first few years, they went through various options, Defender, Hilux, Legacy, all used on and off road, no matter how good they were, they were hammered within a short time so they then decided to buy a "normal" car for the road and a series of bangers of 4x4s. Best price to capability ratio were MK1 discoveries, a Jeep Cherokee, and a couple of Nissan Terranos but they rusted pretty quickly. Eventually they bought an ex building site 6 ton dumper. It wasn't very comfortable, but they only went down to the road once or twice a week so it lasted the five years more that they stayed there and they got most of their money back when they sold it.

[Pistonheader101]

Sensibleboy said:

How would the postman or an Asda delivery get to the house?

They don’t

[InitialDave]

Whatever you buy, get decent tyres.

Is it a pretty smooth line up, or are there sharp switchbacks in it?

The short wheelbase of the Wrangler could be useful there, but a long wheelbase can help with stability on steep climbs/descents.

[peterperkins]

Options..

1) Do some work on the road to make it more reasonable.

2) Buy a real non roadgoing 4x4 banger you leave at the road end.

3) Buy/try a 2CV I drove one of those over some incredibly rough terrain in Corfu and upto to the summit of Mount Pantocrator 35 years ago.
The road then looked much like yours. They have very high ground clearance and a low 1st gear.

[Haltamer]

https://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/,148,/942...

A milsurp truck (Alvis Stalwart or similar) would make the trip a fun event - Should make light work of it too

(Or sort hte road out yourself? https://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/,27,/8605... )

[defblade]

Something from one of these would probably do it:

https://tanks-alot.co.uk/military-vehicles-for-sal...

https://www.mod-sales.com/

Maybe a Unimog?

[BroadsRS6]

Sensibleboy said:

How would the postman or an Asda delivery get to the house?

They don't. Post is collected from a local post office. My father had the same situation when he lived in a remote part of Arizona.

[Taita]

Envious!

I'd see if you could knock some of the big bits down slightly.

Equally it is so remote who would notice if you gravelled or dropped a few bits of tarmac on the worst points? Would only last a few years given the weather anyway?

[andy ted]

I would love to know how they built it in the first place? I guess materials in by boat?