Cheap Holden Rodeo Utes For Sale – That’s the song that played in my head after buying my one owner, seafoam blue (yes, you read that right), hand-built, three-point two-liter V6, dual-cab petrol 4WD. This car was a pragmatic choice… not a matter of the heart. I really wanted a 4×4 to go in the bush and tow the motorcycle.
I wanted to do Frasier a few times and go off-roading with friends, all on a budget of about 15k. I wanted a solid car with low miles that was clean and had no problems. I’ve been dreaming of champagne on a shoestring budget. So why Rodeo?
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Having owned a previous 2WD Rodeo with a lot of miles that was considered to be continuous, I figured I had some history (and leftover spare parts) that could be used for my next purchase. They are built by Isuzu, not Holden, and can be very reliable if well maintained.
Holden Rodeo 2008
They are easy to drive, relatively cheap to buy, and if you look online, many dreamers are trying to sell them with odometers that match the Powerball Jackpot.
If people have made it to the moon and back and are still asking for money for them, they must be solid. Being Japanese, I could imagine that they were put together with some care and precision. I also know that Isuzu builds trucks, and I imagine they have some expertise in making a quality utility vehicle that can tow or haul loads all day multiple times without making a lot of noise. So there you have it…that was my main logic during that period of my life.
I spotted the car online and immediately picked up the phone, but I hadn’t read that it was in Queensland. Living in Melbourne meant checking it out was a $400 game one way. Luckily it was immaculate and at 13.5k – this one owner, low kilometer, accessorized Isuzu/Holden lovechild was exactly what I was looking for…referring to the logic in the previous paragraph.
It had just covered over 100,000 km, had a full history and a long list of useful custom and purchased accessories. It was also ridiculously clean and had a rock chip free hood thanks to grandpa’s hood protector. Looking for trouble without success, I opened the door to get out of the cab. The interior was squeaky clean and the paperwork was in order – it looked too good for my trained eyes.
Holden Rodeo Rims For Sale
I can tell the owner really liked his car because he purchased a custom dash mat – must have been a custom Autobarn car. It was neatly placed with velcro stickers. They were strategically placed to hold it in the perfect position to block out the sun as much as possible, preventing the el-cheapo hard plastic dashboard from rotting. Love it!
Yes, it was very clear that I was looking at a car that represented more to the owner than to me. You could see the detail everywhere and the pride on his face. Bless people like this…I wish everyone had that kind of commitment and passion in servicing their rides. The decision to buy was made easier when I circled the car like a cat a few times trying to find the perfect spot on your favorite pillow.
Twin batteries, custom rack and skids, 2 x 2m aluminum tray, tool boxes, canvas canopy, roof bars, under tray water tank, extra alloy kit, long range fuel tank, TJM prospect, tow bar, airbags. rear suspension, innovative head unit, chrome fuel filter system, the list was huge.
I expected to see an inch thick dirt under the car and a ton of black paint on the chassis rails to cover the scratches and rust. The undercarriage looked like it had spent most of its life on the road, not the street – I wasn’t complaining because I couldn’t find anything wrong with it.
Holden Rodeo 4×2 Lt Crew Pu 3.0td Mt
After a quick walk around the block to check everything was in order and a call to the vehicle registration office, I handed over the money without haggling and headed home almost 2000km away.
There were no surprises during the trip. I could feel the weight of all the accessories that became more apparent on Bowser. My previous 3.2 liter V6 could manage a flat 9 on country runs and this one was lucky to get 12 liters per 100 kilometers. Despite the high fuel consumption, the car felt great, did not rattle, did not creak and did not emit extraneous sounds. The seats were extremely comfortable and the owner claimed to have taken them from an old Nissan GTR and tweaked them to match the interior. Talk about willingness.
This car has taken me on many memorable trips through Tulangi, Gembrook and Bunyip State Forests without a single breakdown. I got to perform “Fraser” a few times and loved every minute of it. When I met a fellow off-roader, the company around me was always on more expensive machines that were much newer and more capable than my low-dollar Rodeo. Even though I was almost standard, I never fell behind.
That’s not to say the Rodeo went smoothly. Understanding his limitations meant he gave me many moments where I used all my skills (not to mention hope as a strategy) to keep him upright when the going got tough. Being in a less capable car meant that while others were just going over things or going down steep descents, I had to use momentum or seriously squeeze the butt to go the same way.
Holden Rodeo Review, For Sale, Models, Specs & News In Australia
I was able to keep up 99% of the time and didn’t get splashed or dragged over an obstacle. Even the surprisingly ambitious step of the rock was managed to climb without too much fuss and damage to the panel.
Well done Mr. Isuzu for making a nice little block that could perform beyond its intended limits. These vehicles are not serious off-road vehicles and do not pretend to be. From the factory, they’re low, have small wheels and tires, and come with an archaic torsion beam front suspension and standard leaf springs in the rear. Suspension articulation is limited and there is no locking center differential, only LSD at the rear.
To help it ride on the road, I cheaply raised the suspension 2 inches. A little time for the end of the buzzing of the gun helped to tighten the torsion bars. This type of lift has its trade-offs, as the front wheel sag is lost, meaning off-road articulation suffers more than at standard height. The 2-inch body lift helped me get rid of the bigger tires I thought because I bought another set of wheels fitted with nearly new 32-inch Cooper STTs to maximize my ability to run with the pack.
Bigger tires improved the car’s appearance at the expense of fuel consumption, efficiency and transmission. 13.5-14L/100km on low mileage was the best I could manage while driving.
What Dual Cab Ute Should I Buy?
Off-road, the factory LSD was a major boon to give it some push as it helped me get out of many awkward ruts or tricky obstacles. Big tires unfortunately also hurt the low-end gearing, requiring some use of the clutch to get it through the gnarly stuff. The big tires shone on the mud climbs.
The deep tread blocks, combined with plenty of ground clearance (for a Rodeo) and relatively light weight meant it went over trails it would never have looked at in stock. Being prudent and patient, I made it through the Rodeo without harming the old girl. I didn’t want to belittle the previous owner’s efforts.
The engine was a peppy mid-range unit – in typical Japanese fashion, it was smooth, reliable, but lacking in charisma, despite being a indulgent drinker. The low-end torque wasn’t great, but it was more than enough for most situations. When my trusty Holden estate broke down near home I hired a tandem trailer (1250kg) then winched the car (1550kg) onto the trailer and towed it for repairs.
At the time, without realizing it, as I tried to quickly remove my dead car from the road, the little Isuzu was pulling a mass of about 2.8 tons. He did it without fuss or hesitation. Drive an Isuzu…
Holden Rodeo 3.2l V6 Manual 4wd Dual Cab Ute Review
Being a Rodeo, it has the 6 stud pattern that is common to many other brands. This gave me access to a lot of “fun” wheel options that were relatively inexpensive to purchase. Having an extra set of wheels in street tires meant I didn’t have to use my STTs on the road and suffer through mud tire noise, excessive fuel consumption, vibration and poor road handling.
Once behind the wheel, the first thing that catches your eye is the comfortable feel of the interior; not too big or too small. The dashboard and controls are functional, unlike
