[wizo4692]

Hay I'm looking at buying my first Sierra, I'm giving up my 04 patrol for this so i wanna get it right haha

Ok so what I'm wanting to know is a question about roof racks,

I can't decide on soft top, glass top or hardtop .

I love the idea of soft top but as a daily don't think it's a good idea so I'm thinking glass top.

What I'm wanting to know if I fab up a roof rack like them calmini ones can I still remove the whole roof ?

I wanna carry 2 kayaks and tent as I don't think the pop up tent will fit with the miss's in the car and I do like company . I know kayaks are going to be as long as the car but it's gotta be done and it'll be a laugh .

Or am I just better of full hard top and stick my head out the window and pretend I have no roof ?

Cheers Tom

[Kor3y101]

No matter what way you go there are options to build a decent set of roof racks. If you search those site for them, you will see some people have make an exo cage type deal for the roof racks (soft top) others have just bolted them into the fibreglass top and obviously a hard top is no different to any other car.

site:auszookers.com roof racks

^^ google that, and it will have all the answers you seek.

[wizo4692]

No worries thanks heaps

[Zook_Fan]

Two kayaks will likely over load the roof of a Sierra hardtop. You would need some level of structure inside to help support the load and there isn't really any room to do that. I'd go with a soft top if the kayaks are a real demand for the vehicle. You can make up a rear cage to support the back and strengthen the front either off the cowl or front bar depending how long your kayaks are.

Soft top versus hardtop for daily - They are about the same. They both have zero security, it takes under 5 seconds to get in the door of a hardtop.

[Gwagensteve]

The weight and aerodynamic drag of two kayaks and a tent on the roof of a Sierra is going to be a nightmare.
I second zook_fan re a hard top- the a pillars will crack at the cowl. They don't like roof load.

[pezz]

the width of a sierra's roof will limit you,
you will need to carry the yaks on there sides or in j racks

[wizo4692]

Haha yeah I was thinking the aerodynamics will be garbage but the Sierras I'm looking at has the little gti donk in it so will be slow and all over the place but i figure I'll just have to deal with it, will only be used for camping every so often but will be a daily for about 6 months wile I build up my next patrol for touring, I have a really nice patrol now but the 3.0 always keeps me paranoid and I always wanted a Sierra. So getting rid of the patrol and getting the Sierra and an older 4.2 patrol will run the Sierra till its ready to take the patrol traveling, then it will just be a toy after that then I might consider mucking around with the idea of turbo.

The other think I like about the soft top , expcially on the beach with a turbo, I want to be able to build a rack system that doubles at a kind of roll over protection just incase I ever find myself being a dick and land on my lid lol

[Gwagensteve]

I'm going to try and throw some realism in here. Please don't take this as negative, Im' just trying to make sure you're going into this with your eyes open.

The reality is that buying a previously GTi converted sierra, and expecting heavily laden camping trips with roof load is pretty fraught, and is likely to push the completion of the new patrol back some way.

I say this because sierra owners are notoriously tight, and many converted cars are less than the some of their parts.

Attempting to drive heavily laden for camping AND with roof load is gong to highlight every single small issue with the car. Everything from uni joints to suspension bushes to the condition of the transfer case and diffs, cooling system, (especially the cooling system) clutch... everything. It's going to be a big ask, and an especially big ask of a 20+ year old engine and car with 40% more power going through it.

Is it going to be "all over the place" with that much load up high? Sure. It's also likely to be over GVM as well, which shortens the life of everything. Few GTi converted sierras are true daily drivers.

In all honesty, it sounds like your going to be buying a project that will take at least 6 months to sort.

Yes, you will need to build a rack/exo thing to support the roof load. This will raise your centre of gravity, increase aerodynamic drag and reduce payload all by itself.

Sierras are really awesome cars. They aren't any good at pretending to stand on for patrols, nor are they very good at being daily drivers once modified. That requires lots of money and patience to sort.

Just my 2C.

[wizo4692]

Hmm well you have officially spooked me haha, Iv been doing all this research and everyone rants how they need more power and it's gotta be a 1.6 or a twincam so Iv found a few but now you have got me second guessing haha,
I do want that snappy kind of fun car but reliability needs to be there in some way.. When I say camping I'm talking the basics swag, esky, food and what not or with the missus and the kayaks may come along for the ride .
I don't want to be needing to spend major money on it just to keep it going from a to b .

I have a $5000 budget and I will probably use it Daylie for 6 month tops , in all seriousness lucky to get away once a month for camping. Then once the new patrol is where I want it to be ill decide whether I have fallen for the zook and keep it for the beach runs or part with it .

That wasss my plan but now I'm not sure if my pocket rocket box of fun for a bargain price is such a bright idea haha

[pezz]

personally id just keep the patrol and start saving for a engine conversion..
when the 3ltr go's bang, swap it out

[wizo4692]

Still owe to much money on the car, bad life choices haha.
And I have the opportunity to back track abit clear my debt and build up a new rig to how it suits me just have to compromise on the fancy interior and nice body it has now, but when I'm in the bush with $20k of debt on the edge of rolling or the 3.0 doing some odd things and it's proper lack if bottom end power and pushing the motor hard to keep up with the pack it makes you think about your options a lot haha.

I have the opportunity, time and the skills to build something trusty and unique so it's some thing I really want to do, it's not going to be modern and fancy like it is now but when you have the really nice interior and the waters in the cab is up to the seat you always think to yourself why the f*[% did I get the good interior hahaha

[Gwagensteve]

Keep the 3.0 for daily driving and camping.
Buy a cheap Sierra for offroad use.

Selling the 3.0 and buying two old unreliable cars that need constant attention and cash spent on them doesn't make any sense.
I've been there.

[J--A--C--K]

I've done the heavy loaded zook camping trips , we did 20,000 ks , wind resistance is huge with roof loads , we had all the time in the world and didn't go above 80kph as the 1.6's fuel economy would go from 9.5-11 L/100 to 15-18 L/100 if trying to do 100kph ,if you have big items on the roof you really don't need more power than a good 1.3. Cause you won't be using it.
I'd keep a patrol .
I have a Pajero these days as well as the zook. It gets taken on the big trips now. You get tired of doing unis and wheel bearings in car parks.

[colesy123]

Out of interest...what year is your patrol? Have you done all the NADS mods and keep an eye on egts and boost spikes?

I have had a few different vehicles over time and currently own a CRD pootroll and now find myself back in an NT sierra. You can't beat the sierras. I know the concern around the grenade issue and if you are in a position to get a good price for the patrol then might be worthwhile! Might be worth just finding a real buyer for the 3L though... prices are only shrinking unfortunately.

[shep]

I did lots of traveling like this and as long as you are happy with traveling at 90kph it will be fine.

[Marko_SJ]

colesy123 wrote:

Out of interest...what year is your patrol? Have you done all the NADS mods and keep an eye on egts and boost spikes?

I have had a few different vehicles over time and currently own a CRD pootroll and now find myself back in an NT sierra. You can't beat the sierras. I know the concern around the grenade issue and if you are in a position to get a good price for the patrol then might be worthwhile! Might be worth just finding a real buyer for the 3L though... prices are only shrinking unfortunately.

He says 04... so not quite out of the woods but should be pretty safe.

I second the idea of keep the 3L and buy a cheap sierra. They are 1 million times more fun and easier to wheel.

[Gwagensteve]

And much better at being a fun car than trying to overload it and expect too much in terms of reliability/daily driving/ convenience.

[wizo4692]

It's October 04 so just falls into the later build period with the slightly better motor and the newer body shape with the big guards and tail lights.
I love the look of the rig and in all honesty apart from the money I still need to fork out my biggest issue with it is the lack of Berrys haha.
My decision all depends on what happens with work, if it picks up or slows down more will make my decision for me , starting to think tho Evan if it picks up I might need do pick up a little shofty for abit of fun over the summer, the idea of a zook on the drive has got very exited haha

[Marko_SJ]

wizo4692 wrote:

It's October 04 so just falls into the later build period with the slightly better motor and the newer body shape with the big guards and tail lights.
I love the look of the rig and in all honesty apart from the money I still need to fork out my biggest issue with it is the lack of Berrys haha.
My decision all depends on what happens with work, if it picks up or slows down more will make my decision for me , starting to think tho Evan if it picks up I might need do pick up a little shofty for abit of fun over the summer, the idea of a zook on the drive has got very exited haha

Ever driven a stock 42? My mates TD42T GU is not impressive at the least, it gets left for dead by my other mate's sub 10K grenade.

What mods have you done to your ZD? The aforementioned sub 10K grenade is fitted with a chip and the NADS and leaves my CRD for dead as well.

[wizo4692]

No I honestly haven't ,
It has full NADS done , 3" Thaipan exhaust, upgraded intercooler and snorkel

Have been talking to a couple people around home about it lately and Have found some more go fast parts from hp diesel , toying with the idea of doing things like the billet maf upgrade , airbox upgrade, big oversized intercooler and chip and see if I get it tuned up and turn the boost up more around 20+ mark but then it's always a worry how long will it last hahah , there's a shop it Perth that have something like pushed 200hp at the rubber out of one (think there the numbers can't remember) if you type in zd30 power on YouTube it comes up.

But I definitely still would like to pick up a little zook, Evan if I have to let the tinny go to buy it Iv fallen in love haha