TONY R Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 An atempt here to stimulate debate surounding THE ULTIMATE HUNTING MACHINE for the UK shooter of anything. Can be 4x4 or not its your choice needs to full fill the folowing. Can be a stock production Machine If you think one fits or worthy of this title. Or a hybrid or modified of your creation or imagination and Knowledge. In no order or preference. Needs to be ECCONOMICAL Real 30 plus MPG On road. Good ground clearance and underbody protection to help maintain durability of vulnerable components thus ensuring longevity reliability ETC. Luxury refinement are optional can be as Spartan as you will acept. Top speed on road Needs to be capable of at least 70MPH Internal space needs to be able to carry two adults two Labrador sized dogs, two guns and basic associated kit. Needs to be robustly constructed with Dependable mechanicals . Physical size needs to be as compact as possible to help it off road through gates narrow gaps tracks turning round parking ETC. It needs to be a distance Machine some thing you would jump in with all your gear and your son daughter or your mate and set off for a 300 mile trip to your favourate Stalking Wildfowling haunt with out hesitation or dread. Now it might be you think A series 1 Landrover with a HDI 2 litre Citroen engine R 380 Box and LDV 200 Bell housing is all you need. Or a Stock F50 Daihatsu or a Stock Freelander Frontera LR 90 Whatever.. Or is it a much modified 4x4 ... CAR or VAN or MPV . What do you think Is the ULTIMATE HUNTING RIG FOR THE UK. Whats your creation or choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 I'd go for the 2.2 litre Citroen engine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missed pigeon Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 I would modify an Iveco daily 4x4 might be a bit big for most people but I normally go out with a few mates and a lot of gear , and it looks pretty cool aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY R Posted April 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 I just mentioned the HDI engine because i just sold one out of a scrap 307 estate to a 16 year old lad and hid dad, for fitting in a old series 1 80 inch, it intregued me partialy becouse it kind of reminded me of my youth, and my old series 1 and a much less compitent BMC diesel comversion. And also because they felt there was nothing quite right for what they wanted to do. The talk on Jimnys here points to the desire for an ecconomical compact shooting bus, and it spured me to post this, see what other feel or have ideas for. Not trying to decry 4x4s here in anyway, but i will say there are many times two wheel drives with good ground clearance is all you will need much of the time. I did use a plastic pig Rickman kit car jeep think for a few years in the 1990s it was a Escort 1100 popular engine and mechanicals, and it was suprisingly good on grass land in any weather and cant remember ever getting stuck very often, the ground clearance was its saving grace, and i liked its simplicity and durability, and it even looked a bit like the then ubiquitous Suzuki jeeps of those times. Lots of practical options around, but whats your ULtimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY R Posted April 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 I would modify an Iveco daily 4x4 might be a bit big for most people but I normally go out with a few mates and a lot of gear , and it looks pretty cool aswell Agree they do look the part. But was thinking more overall to suit everyone and fit loosly the vague specs above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Sorry to be dull but surely pretty much any of the modern jap pick ups fit the bill? My 14 plate hilux did 33.4mpg from Suffolk to North Yorkshire, in a comfortable, well equipped interior. Masses of space in the back and although I can't vouch for the Toyota I had an l200 a few years ago and on decent tyres and driven sensibly it would go anywhere off road. Well known for their reliability but I will admit the only weak point is their size and weight. But it always seems to be a compromise, small and light = Good off road but lack refinement and load space. Big and heavy = Comfortable and practical but a drawback in the rough stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 (edited) Opposite end of the spectrum. My best one was the older style 3-door Suzuki Swift. Very good ground clearance for the type (I think they made a 4x4 versions?) Close to 60mpg on main roads. Recaro seats for comfort on long runs. Nice wide bootspace for longer guns & a rear seat that folded very flat. Looked more like a "granny special" car than a shooting bus.....so an excellent ignorability factor. Great car. Miss mine, went everywhere in it. The Fiat Panda 4x4 is one I'd give space to.... Edited April 17, 2016 by saddler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Callahan Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Challenger Tank... Sure itl be slow on that 300 mile drive, but there will still be a bloody big smile on your face!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjw4233 Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 L200 or D Max with AT tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIVERD Posted April 17, 2016 Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 Where i shoot we really need two machines. I have a 1989 200 TDI defender with 200k miles on the clock, and it is as sound as a motor gets. It has traveled the whole UK many times and i would drive it the length of the UK without a second of consideration - it will get there. It will do (about) 30mpg and does 70, but it is really not designed for this and if i try too long it will hurt it for sure. 6o mph and it will rumble away all day. To be honest it is probably a hobby in its own right, and needs preventative maintenance, but is a solid. It has decent heated seats, x 5 and with the back seats permanently removed has a huge load space. 5 adults and 5 dogs a number of times with guns any number of times. They are often hated and easily slated as they are a love hate motor, but little will do what these will do, and as for reliability, well it has done 200k miles, so certainly manages to get down the road. There are not many 25 years + cars you would take off road, tow a caravan on a family holiday, teach your son to drive in, take a group of very good friends out on the glorious 12th and drive up to the top of mountains in the cairngorms/ It has the usual great ground clearance and is good /great off road, way better than my 4x4 hyundai, which gets stuck on the road to the hill. The defender will do it easily, but on the hill the landy would get stuck, so the argo the landy is towing takes over. It floats, will not get stuck, it just wont, and will drive up, down and across the estates i shoot over. It will do 20 mph, no idea what the mpg is, but £20 will last 3 days shooting, it seats 6ish and can take a pile of dogs. It will also take 4 stags and myself and my pal, and will do so across peat bogs and steep mountain heather. Ours now has 8 mega chunky new tires, a canvas canopy and roll bars in case i get too enthusiastic. So my ultimate hunting motor is my defender station wagon towing and argo 8x8 conquest, it meets most of the parameters above in the OP and this set up is by far the best for the shooting that i do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 No such vehicle exists and never will. The ride and tyres for off roading properly to get everywhere you want to hunt makes it awfull for on road journeys and ruins fuel economy. Always will be a compromise between the on and off-road bias you can live with. The ultimate hunting vehicle is us on our own two feet with a good gun dog,and then any nice car for the journey to and from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 My little 1600 polo. I get 2 German shepherds in there with my gun and kit, 40-50mpg depending how I'm feeling and I usually use rally tyres, especially in winter. Only got stuck in around 2 foot of snow, never mud or grass 😉 reliable as anything to boot! Or a Audi a4/a6 Quattro, the 2.5 around 55 mpg, will sit at 90mph at 2500 rpm and the 4wd system is pretty good in all fairness. Or a disco td5, high speed diff, variable turbo running the std 16's with either kobra's or bf Goodrich. The malatesa kobra's were cracking tyres and lasted years! I'm sure many will disagree with the polo but as yet its doing everything I've put it through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 My little 1600 polo. I get 2 German shepherds in there with my gun and kit, 40-50mpg depending how I'm feeling and I usually use rally tyres, especially in winter. Only got stuck in around 2 foot of snow, never mud or grass reliable as anything to boot! Or a Audi a4/a6 Quattro, the 2.5 around 55 mpg, will sit at 90mph at 2500 rpm and the 4wd system is pretty good in all fairness. Or a disco td5, high speed diff, variable turbo running the std 16's with either kobra's or bf Goodrich. The malatesa kobra's were cracking tyres and lasted years! I'm sure many will disagree with the polo but as yet its doing everything I've put it through If you think you would get 55 mpg out of one of those, then you are way off the mark. The A6 avant (2WD) with the 2.5 diesel wasn't too bad, and would comfortably average 40mpg on a run. But put the AWD system on it and that would be more like 35 mpg on a run - and more like 30mpg in general use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Ariel Nomad with mount for Shotgun or Rifle. Mad Max! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 If you think you would get 55 mpg out of one of those, then you are way off the mark. The A6 avant (2WD) with the 2.5 diesel wasn't too bad, and would comfortably average 40mpg on a run. But put the AWD system on it and that would be more like 35 mpg on a run - and more like 30mpg in general use. I'm afraid Il have to disagree with that one sorry... 2004 a4 Quattro 2.5 diesel that my Mrs mum has will get around 55mpg on a run. She is also our receptionist at our garage... I forgot to add it has been chipped, think its around 215-220hp iirc. It may be the fact its been chipped but I know a few other people who get 45-50 on a run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY R Posted April 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 The bar was not set too high on the MPG at 30mpg in my post, to try and get some of the older more likely to be modified 4x4s a remote chance if they were half decent on fuel to begin with. Many 4x4 pick ups will meet the mpg and top speed with relative ease, but compact turn around and narrow gaps aspect not so clearly a winner at that. It was not my intention to pick and chose bits you like and dont like but try and meet all the criteria i pened, it was not that hard to meet realy, a jimny with some undderbody protection could do anything i set out, as could a few others. Cars light vans like astras etc, could with raised suspension and some guards like say clasic car trialers do could get about prety well and not be compomised on road too much. Was hoping to see a few more LRs mentioned, a 80 88 or 90 would just about cover it too, must be plenty on here modified for shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 If you think you would get 55 mpg out of one of those, then you are way off the mark. The A6 avant (2WD) with the 2.5 diesel wasn't too bad, and would comfortably average 40mpg on a run. But put the AWD system on it and that would be more like 35 mpg on a run - and more like 30mpg in general use. I have a A4 S Line 3.0 TDI Qautro convertible and on a round trip to Gatwick from Hartlepool averaged 47.9 mpg worked out by mileage against filling up with fuel not by trip computer. Round town average thirties to a gallon if not to heavey footed. But as for off road forget it they have a low ride height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Try toys r us . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 550 bhp of Bowler racer, never mind shooting anything, just chase it in to the ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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