To get a MU UTE or not?

[amber]

I have had a 2.8 93 mu and I now have a 3.1 95 Mu with 85000kms on it. Its a little too good to take bush bashing so I am looking for a rougher cheaper one. There is a ute type one local which I presume is the petrol 2.6lt. It has extended shackles which is quite handy. It's tidy but quite a lot of surface rust underneath so it's prob been in the sand I suspect as when I thought about buying it a couple years ago at the dealers it was absolutely mint! Anyway it's manual which I am not so sure about as I have always used autos off road no worries at all especially as I do quite a lot of deep river big boulder crawling crossings so I am not to sure how I will go with manual. What do you reckon? Also, how is the 2.6 petrol performance and reliability? I have had absolutely no probs with the high km 2.8 or 3.1 apart from lacking the overtaking power on the highway but the 3.1 will pull anywhere off road that the tyres will let it. Can a 2.8 engine be dropped straight in in the future without modification? Can a back seat be bolted straight in from a wagon? Not sure whether to go down the ute path or not.

[geeves]

The 2.6 petrol is a good motor but you wont like its ecconomy.
Surface rust is easily fixed. To fit a back seat would send you down the certification path.
They are good wagons if a ute body suits your use

[BUSHPIG]

if its got the factory seat/seatbelt mounts they all uasuily have them with a bung in it if there were no seats from the factory. you dont need to cert because your not changeing/adding mounts.

[muzila]

The utes dont have the holes for the back seat belts do they? Arnt the bolt holes on the back piller?
or are those just the belt holder holes?

[BUSHPIG]

they should still have the lower seat mounts. the other mount is on the piller the ute mu's ive seen even had the holles so you could but a back bit on it. and take it of so it can be a ute or a normal mu.

[muzila]

Thats sounds way kewl. I have to check the ute shell I am lookin at getting.

[pig75]

My ute has no rear seat mounts and never has. I don't know if the soft top has

[KIWIINGENUITY]

manual is good, you will find out what you have been missing out on when you get it.