Any suggestions for reasonably priced expedition vehicles? 

My ideal...

Able to get into it for what I can get out of my DII.  Doesn't have to be built up, or even have the ideal engine in it initially as long as it runs reliably in it's initial form or is so cheap that I can afford to put in my desired engine from the get-go.

Very reliable diesel motor, or option to put a reliable diesel motor in.  Considering efficient gas engines too.

Simple - very few electronics, no power windows, electric seat heaters, ABS, power locks, etc

100" wheelbase, will go to 110" if approach/departure angle are good

Coil sprung

Disk brakes

Body on frame - strong frame

Good visibility for a 6' 1" driver

Room for myself, my wife, my son, and our dog but not too big to fit down a trail.

Ability to drive 70 on the freeway without getting squirrely

Some Vehicles I've been kicking around:

87 Range Rover Classic - Hunter Edition - do a diesel swap at some point.

Land Rover Discovery 1 - Not sure on which year, since the engine would be swapped for a diesel.

103" Rubicon - No diesel option

Older Mercedes G-Wagon and swap a Mercedes 617 into it

Toyota PU - One with the big cab that can seat 4

Nissan PU - One with the big cab that can seat 4

Toyota FJ/BJ40 or 45, though the 45s seem as overprices as a Defender

It is tough being tall and having to look out the windscreen of a DII. Craig, you might want to look into a MItsubishi Montero. Late 80's early 90's. Great rigs, very comfy for taller drivers and roomy enough for the whole family. Easy to drive and very capable on or off road. Never had any troubles with my 200k plus Montero. They are cheap and you can do diesel conversion for them if you really need it. All around very good and comfortable truck. The other Montero owners here will agree with me.

Craig,

Have you ever tried out an 80 series Land Crruiser?  Basphemy here I'm sure, but they are much more reliable than any LR I've driven.  Build quality is better, gas mileage comparable, parts availability very good.  I have been dreaming of building one up for some time, but the Taco is meeting all my needs and financial position at the moment.

Hmmmm.... Tell me more... solid axle?  coil sprung?  simple?

Very simple IFS but very easy to deal with. ARB makes a locker for this IFS. Coils and multi link out back with factory Dana 44. Old Man Emu has the Torsion bar lift kit for these vehicles. You can get them in either a 4 door or 2 door. I prefer the 4 door. The biggest advantage of the Montero is the Spring loaded driver seat. I can launch the truck off a sand dune or a wheelin jump and barely feel it. The rear is very easy to swap out to rear disc brakes, you only need to find a rear end out of a 93-95. Plenty of those in the wrecking yards. Great visibility in all directions. In stock fashion you can crank the torsion bars to safely give 2" lift and stuff 33 10.50's under the rig. So far to date most capable rg I have ever owned(with least amount of hassle or trouble). Love my Rover but...had the Montero for many years with almost NO issues. The biggest and really only issue I have had was it blew up a water pump and evenyually every heater/coolant hose in the truck.

Why would a Land Cruiser be blasphemy?  I even shortlisted one.  You guys do realize that we have as many active non-Rover members as we do Rover owners don't you?

The 80 series is interesting to consider.  Don't the 80 series cruisers have a lot of electronics, upholstery, ABS, etc?  I'm really looking for something that will age well and something with that many luxury items doesn't seem like it would hold up over time.  One of the things I like about the BJ45 and the Defenders is that they have very little interior upholstery/panels and those they do have are easily replaced because they are flat.

A 60 series is probably closer to what I'm thinking of, though it seems pretty large for a trail vehicle (not sure about the brakes, etc either).

Craig

I just ask that you dont turn your head to them. WOnderful cehicles that do not get nearly enough attention. So often overlooked. Also the LWB is 106" whhelbase and the SWB is 92.5"

Here is a good link from WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Pajero

Yeah... that's the most obvious answer and a variant of it is probably what I'll do.  I'm still pretty enamored with the idea of a 100" Diesel Defender which is why the RRC and Disco are on my list.  Buy an RRC/Disco now and swap all my existing parts over to it (locker, drawers, heat exchanger/shower, HAM radio, tent, fridge, tires, possibly suspension components, and winch).  Then do a diesel swap and get the rest of the truck built up underneath (axles, driveline, etc).  Down the road sometime get Gord'n to do a Series IIa bulkhead, with a Defender nose/tub onto the frame.

The benefits of this approach are a cheaper vehicle in the short term, something I can *wheel* the snot out of since I don't care about the body work, and it will ultimately be my dream truck.  It's a lot of work though.  Buying an 83/84 with a diesel already installed from overseas and importing it would probably be a lot cheaper and most definately a lot easier.

Craig

Only in the Might Max pick up trucks. Really I have not found a real need for a diesel motor. Mine runs very well with plenty of power. I have pulled many out of ditches and sloppy mud holes, trailered a car from Spokane to PDX and got 17 mpg doing it.

This is one EXPENSIVE example of a turbo diesel swb

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/1019280621.html

I don't think that's too bad a price at all -- it has obviously been well cared for.

The GWagons they have are sweet. Some times they get a diesel.

Craig, I'll go drive that Mitsubishi for you if you want, but I suspect you want a four door.

It's amazing how similar that SWB G-Wagen looks to a Dodge Raider, I mean Mitsubishi Montero, I mean Pajero, sheesh... I dunno.

Here's a Mitusbishi Montero Turbo Diesel for $8k on the same site as Ben's GWagon link.

http://www.luxeauto.com/inventory_detail.cfm?InvId=890

Looking through Craigslist Vancouver, BC there are a number of Pre-84 Toyota FJ60 Diesels.  Kinda big, but...

Craig

As a Jeep owner I've got to put mention of the XJ in here. Unlimited parts, they make a turbo diesel in the states. Even the 4.0 will run into the 300k range. You can get a simple stock XJ with 100k on it for 4 or 5 thousand.

I do like the Montero's. This link shows a really nice set up.
http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=53773

I respect how much you guys like them and they seem to work well for many of you.  For my application they are a bit small and I'm not considering anything that doesn't have body on frame construction.  I should have made the latter clearer in my initial post.

I know I'm being a tough customer... that's part of the fun of this thread though is to find those few vehicles that really do have it all.

The Montero in your link is a nice rig although I don't think it really matches the type of vehicle I'm looking for.  My friends wife ownes one and they have a lot of interior components (can't hose it down), are gas powered, and have quite a few electronics.  Very, very similar to my DII.  I'm looking for a simple diesel rig that can be, say driven through a river with a snorkel (because it doesn't have plugs, computers, etc), and drained on the other side by opening the door w/o ruining an ECU, frying the stereo, etc.

Craig