Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Good day Guys

I am looking at buying a 2nd hand Pajero, my budget is max R120k, so I will most likely be looking at models from 97-2001. I have always wanted to get a 4x4 and have looked at both double cabs as well as land cruisers and now I am thinking that a Pajero might be what I need. I will be using the vehicle for weekends in Mozambique (I live in Nelspruit) and possibly every 2nd year a trip to Zim, Botswana etc. I have seen a few Pajero's in my price class, and esp the 2800 Turbo diesel is quite common. I have however read and heard contradicting stories on the 2.8tdi, esp when buying a used vehicle.

Could you guys give me any advice on which model you would go for, I am tending towards 3.5GLS, hopefully with under 200k on the clock.

What would be your advice on what to look out for, which is the model to go for.

Thanks chaps

Seb

Hi sybie99,

Welcome to the forum. Firstly, there is a 3.2DID LWB Pajero (dark green) standing in Rocky's Drift at a car dealer, between SMD and Thirty Something Pub. I don't know the year model, price or car dealer's number. (coming from Nelspruit, go past SAPPI and SMD and have a look on your immediate right hand side).

For R120,000 you can get plenty of 3.5 V6 Pajero's. I had one and it is a sturdy car that is reliable - unfortunately I lost it in an accident a few months ago, otherwise I would still be driving it. I can't vouch for the 2.8TD, but I would not be my personal choice. (There is/was a white SWB 2.8TD at a dealer in Nelspruit a few months ago with aluminium replacement bumper that cost a few guys lots of money due to the bad engine, so look out for it). Diesel engines can cost quite a bit to repair, if not looked after during their lifetime. More so than petrol versions as I understand.

The 3.5 V6 is a thirsty machine and nobody will deny it. Expect 5 - 6.5km/l. I still reckon those models are built more solid than the current 3.2DID that I am driving.

*Check for service history - stamps in the booklet mean jack squat - phone the garage/person and asked what was done when - ask for the job card if available.
*Make sure that it had the major service at 90,000km and again at 180,000km - this is where they replace the timing belt and is costly. If in doubt, budget to have it changed in any case.
*Take it for a test drive and let it idle for a prolonged period - if white smoke then start to bubble out of the exhaust it means the valve stem seals are kapput en need to be replaced. (could have it done while replacing the timing chain). When driving normally it won't smoke, only during and directly after prolonged idling periods.

Hope that helps.

PS: O ja, nearly forgot this one: to replace the spark plugs one has to remove the intake manifold.

Sybie,

@R120K you can probably get an '03 with less than 200K km on.

Anton

Thanks guys,

5-6km's/litre is very thirsty indeed! I have seen a few in the Nelspruit area, hopefully I find the right one.

Thanks for all the tips and advice, will come in handy

Cheers

Seb

Sybie,

I got some details for you on that green Pajero in Rocky's Drift:

Model: 2001 GLS
Km's :232,000km
Price: R129,000 negotiable.

Smart Wheels
Thys: 083 550 1390 or 013-758 1410

I have not seen the car up close and know nothing about it, but give him a call. He sounds open to negotiations on the price.

sybie99 wrote:...I have however read and heard contradicting stories on the 2.8tdi, esp when buying a used vehicle.

Could you guys give me any advice on which model you would go for, I am tending towards 3.5GLS, hopefully with under 200k on the clock.

What would be your advice on what to look out for, which is the model to go for.

Thanks chaps

Seb

Seb,

The diesel story have been covered extensively on this board. Just do a search on "diesel" and believe me - you'll have reading for the night. At the end it is a matter of personal preference. Both petrol and diesel has valid pro's and con's.

For your budget you can get a Gen 2 (blister fender) with 170K km on and have R 20K+ spare. Or you can get a higher mileage Gen 3 (2000 - 2003, I'd say).

Whatever you get, have the expensive stuff checked out. Look at oil, coolant, look at functioning of 4X4 technology, look at electronics. Check for smoke, check driving and brakes. Check gear shifts during different forms of driving, and smell exhaust (sniff - it is poisonous) to detect oil burining or mix problems. Check the functioning of seats, door handles, and all the different switches. If it is a petrol, try to hear it on a cold (first time in the morning) start, hear the lifter noise and see how quickly it disappears. If there is no lifter noise, it was either started and shut down quickly before you arrived, or it is not a Mitsubishi engine!

Hope it helps!
Anton