Choices...

[rockpool]

I had to return my GLS580 to Mercedes under the lemon law - they could not get the active steering to stay working. I've had GL/GLS for 15 years and love the platform, but they are so unreliable and expensive to maintain. I've had to replace shocks, platform computers, coils, steering racks, fuel pumps, transfer boxes and more...

So - went in a very different direction and picked up a Grenadier!

 

[Luzifer]

Never heard of that brand. Looks like an FJ Cruiser.

 

[Sakura]

Looks very cool. French, Italy, and German in the stable.

Is the Grenadier petrol or diesel?

 

[rockpool]

Petrol - I don't think they have imported any Diesel ones into the USA. Gas is so cheap here.

@Luzifer the brand is Ineos - like the chemical manufacturer. To make a long story short, the CEO loves the old Land Rover Defender 90/110 s and when they stopped making them, he tried to buy the rights to continue manufacturing them - Land Rover said no, so he bought a factory from Mercedes and designed a "homage" car instead.

They just hit 35,000 sold - so a new brand, but doing well! It's probably the most capable off-road car on the market today, diff locks front, back and center, high-low transfer box, wading mode, solid axles front and back, and a distinct lack of computers. https://ineosgrenadier.com/

The pub where he came up with the idea (The Grenadier, Belgrade London) just got awarded an "official world origin" plaque! - https://media.ineosgrenadier.com/en...ficially-recognised-as-world-origin-site.html

so you can guess there's a little bit of an owners fan club - like Lamborghini ;-)

Our Story

Our Story

ineosgrenadier.com

 

[Luzifer]

Petrol - I don't think they have imported any Diesel ones into the USA. Gas is so cheap here.

@Luzifer the brand is Ineos - like the chemical manufacturer. To make a long story short, the CEO loves the old Land Rover Defender 90/110 s and when they stopped making them, he tried to buy the rights to continue manufacturing them - Land Rover said no, so he bought a factory from Mercedes and designed a "homage" car instead.

They just hit 35,000 sold - so a new brand, but doing well! It's probably the most capable off-road car on the market today, diff locks front, back and center, high-low transfer box, wading mode, solid axles front and back, and a distinct lack of computers. https://ineosgrenadier.com/

The pub where he came up with the idea (The Grenadier, Belgrade London) just got awarded an "official world origin" plaque! - https://media.ineosgrenadier.com/en...ficially-recognised-as-world-origin-site.html

so you can guess there's a little bit of an owners fan club - like Lamborghini ;-)

Our Story

Our Story

ineosgrenadier.com

Very cool story, I was an avid offroader for many years. I've had and modified many Toyota 4Runners with or without solid axles for off-roading and rock crawling with locked diffs, beefier front axles, dual transfer cases, re geared rings and pinions, armor against trees, snorkel, relocated fuse box and computers up high, on board welder etc.

The 4Runner with dual transfer cases meant I had 2 shifters, in the lowest gear if I wanted to I could jump out of the truck and it would climb a rocky hill by itself. I had a lot of fun. So many adventures and stories.

 

[REKIII]

Can't believe you didn't hold out for the new Ferrari Luce!!! Kidding. That Ineos is so cool.

 

[Luzifer]

@rockpool not a Grenadier but I saw this last week.

 

[rockpool]

Very nice D90 - I had one in the early 2000's in green metalic - it was a hoot! - There are about a dozen "boutique" re-manufacturers in the USA who take $10k rusted out land rovers and turn them into $350,000 mall-crawlers. Helderberg seem to be able to extract the most $$$ for their offerings:

 

[Luzifer]

Speaking of mall crawlers, when I used to offroad I would see those SUV or pickup built like offroaders, I was excited and thought maybe I'd make new trail buddies. I asked them if they went into local trails and all of them said no, many of them had winches on their trucks and it was all for show! That was my rude awakening into mall crawlers.

One time a friend and I were in trails and came upon a large field and very expensive hummer (the real military ones) parked in the mud, we stopped alongside in the mud which was about 12'' deep and asked how it was going. He was very smug towards us looking down at us with our old 4Runners powered by 4 cylinder engines on 35" tires, he said we would be stuck like him now because we stopped in the same mud pit. He stated his Hummer was superior in all facet yaddi yadda. My friend who didn't give an F to the world took off from the soupy slop circled his Hummer a few times spraying mud all over and we left him there.

 

[Luzifer]

Some old pictures.


A friend of ours, in some muddy field similar to what the Hummer was stuck in...




My friend who didn't any Fks...

He hydrolocked the engine in this creek, we got the water out though the spark plugs but I towed him back all the way to his home to replace an ECU.







When he moved away I was living in a basement apartment and the owner refusing me to fix anything in the driveway so I had to go into the woods and do repairs there. One time I secretly rebuilt my transmission in the shed and spent the day swapping it out. I pulled a back muscle while doing so, the pain was excruciating but I had no choice it had to work so I could go back home.

I rebuilt differentials or removed the gas tank and ran long wire from the tank so I could run the onboard welder to weld the frame along the absent gas tank.