3.5t tipper needed

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Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
Think I going to up my budget 10-15k. I'm liking the isuzu grafter, I'm not to keen on the look of the new cabstar and I've read a bit about problems with the engines
Awesome little trucks. SWB has a bonkers turning circle. I regret not buying one when they were under 20K for a new one. Earlier Autobox is desirable if it’s a 24v system on a normal box IIRC, think they changed in 2022 to fully auto with a reduced towing capacity.
 
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Monkeybusiness

Well-known member
I’ve got 3 ‘new’ Cabstars and the engines are crap - one of them has had 3 (and needs a 4th, hence me asking what’s in yours!).
Dyna are good trucks but have a tiny cab.
All of these Japanese forward control commercials seem to suffer from cab rust, so check carefully under the seats, in the footwells and up the back of the cab.
 
doobin

doobin

Well-known member
I’ve got 3 ‘new’ Cabstars and the engines are crap - one of them has had 3 (and needs a 4th, hence me asking what’s in yours!).
Dyna are good trucks but have a tiny cab.
All of these Japanese forward control commercials seem to suffer from cab rust, so check carefully under the seats, in the footwells and up the back of the cab.
Thats awful! Under warranty? Which size engines and how old are the trucks, what goes wrong with them?

Not trying to compound your misery, just interested.
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
Thats awful! Under warranty? Which size engines and how old are the trucks, what goes wrong with them?

Not trying to compound your misery, just interested.
I watched some mechanic on YouTube and he recons they run hot and that causes some problems. He showed the oil left in the sump and it had congealed, like thick soup
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
Screenshot_20231121_185919_Facebook.jpg

It seems to have had a lot of issues for a truck that's done little milage. Puts me off them
 
M

Monkeybusiness

Well-known member
Thats awful! Under warranty? Which size engines and how old are the trucks, what goes wrong with them?

Not trying to compound your misery, just interested.
No warranty and it’s an old truck (2010, done 150k, the last 100k mostly fully loaded towing 3 tonnes…).
I bought it from an engine re-manufacturer in Birmingham who had bought it from Copart with a knackered engine (had been driven through a flood apparently) so it was on engine number 2 at 50k miles when ‘new’ to me. I had a laugh with him when he said Nissan 2.5 engines (Cabstars and Navaras) and Ford Transit engines kept him in business - he told me to religiously change the oil every 6k miles and all would be good!
Anyway, as @diggerjones says these engines run hot in the Cabstar (the radiator is very low down and gets filled with crap amongst other things). It ran fine for a year or so but started getting hot and using/losing a bit of water. One of the lads killed it on a big motorway run after a late finish so I had to find a third engine (actual Cabstar engines are like rocking horse s**t, and the engine guy I had bought it off originally had since died). I ended up buying a Pathfinder engine from a Nissan breaker with his reassurance that it would go straight in - that turned out to be a little white lie! (a lot of stuff needs swapping around). It went like stink once back together but smoked heavily - turns out the injectors are different so we had the old Cabstar ones refurbished and it went back to work running great.
Another 30k miles later and the timing chain snapped - I’d been a bit crap with servicing and the oil was like treacle when we pulled it apart.
It wants scrapping really but a good mate of mine (who is no longer with us) built the body on it when I first got it so I’m a bit emotionally attached to the thing!
So if anyone hears of a pathfinder or Navara that is going to the scrapyard but runs ok then please let me know, as I’ll probably chuck yet another engine in it!
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
Awesome little trucks. SWB has a bonkers turning circle. I regret not buying one when they were under 20K for a new one. Earlier Autobox is desirable if it’s a 24v system on a normal box IIRC, think they changed in 2022 to fully auto with a reduced towing capacity.
I was wrong , the flatbed was sub20K. Tipper was extra and so was a colour. Think the white tipper was £20.5k. This was summer 2020.
 

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doobin

doobin

Well-known member
No warranty and it’s an old truck (2010, done 150k, the last 100k mostly fully loaded towing 3 tonnes…).
I bought it from an engine re-manufacturer in Birmingham who had bought it from Copart with a knackered engine (had been driven through a flood apparently) so it was on engine number 2 at 50k miles when ‘new’ to me. I had a laugh with him when he said Nissan 2.5 engines (Cabstars and Navaras) and Ford Transit engines kept him in business - he told me to religiously change the oil every 6k miles and all would be good!
Anyway, as @diggerjones says these engines run hot in the Cabstar (the radiator is very low down and gets filled with crap amongst other things). It ran fine for a year or so but started getting hot and using/losing a bit of water. One of the lads killed it on a big motorway run after a late finish so I had to find a third engine (actual Cabstar engines are like rocking horse s**t, and the engine guy I had bought it off originally had since died). I ended up buying a Pathfinder engine from a Nissan breaker with his reassurance that it would go straight in - that turned out to be a little white lie! (a lot of stuff needs swapping around). It went like stink once back together but smoked heavily - turns out the injectors are different so we had the old Cabstar ones refurbished and it went back to work running great.
Another 30k miles later and the timing chain snapped - I’d been a bit crap with servicing and the oil was like treacle when we pulled it apart.
It wants scrapping really but a good mate of mine (who is no longer with us) built the body on it when I first got it so I’m a bit emotionally attached to the thing!
So if anyone hears of a pathfinder or Navara that is going to the scrapyard but runs ok then please let me know, as I’ll probably chuck yet another engine in it!
I do oil on my vehicles every November without fail. Probably works out at around 6k miles. It's the cheapest maintenance there is.

Just had the camchain go on my little Panda 4x4 1.3 diesel. High mileage and probably mistreated before I got it. Luckily little damage, was coasting down a hill, didn't even break all of the rockers.
 
M

Monkeybusiness

Well-known member
I do oil on my vehicles every November without fail. Probably works out at around 6k miles. It's the cheapest maintenance there is.

Just had the camchain go on my little Panda 4x4 1.3 diesel. High mileage and probably mistreated before I got it. Luckily little damage, was coasting down a hill, didn't even break all of the rockers.
Yeah, some vans were doing 30k a year and it got away from me a bit. My own fault and I can’t complain as that van definitely doesn’t owe me anything!
 
doobin

doobin

Well-known member
Yeah, some vans were doing 30k a year and it got away from me a bit. My own fault and I can’t complain as that van definitely doesn’t owe me anything!
Bit like me and the pickup that broken down on my collecting the log bullet then!

I tell you what though, since putting it though the workshop and addressing all the little issues (and fitting a new clutch, she really went to town with the problems all at once :rolleyes:) it's never been better. Finally fitted the new window regulator and drivers door card too (after four years)!
 
diggerjones

diggerjones

Well-known member
Well I'm struggling to find anything that ticks the box's. I'm thinking now maybe see if I can get replacement cab mounts and get the cab of and weld it. I know its old but there's not a lot else wrong with it.
And still keep my eye open for a replacement
 
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