Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

So here is some necessary background:

My dad loves the bush and has been a miner working in the bush in Zim/Zambia his entire life. He has now retired in Cape Town where I live.
He has always owned a truck because of work - loves toyota. But on the few times it has been a 4x4 truck he has not used its capabilities and certainly never done 4x4 trails.

I have bought my first 4x4 - a big pajero. He says yes every time I ask him to come with me on a trail and I can see he loves it.
But he won't drive my car because its not his and he doesn't want to damage it...

So I am encouraging him to get a 4x4 and join me. He deserves it in his retirement and its something we can do together.

BUT - he is worried that a 2nd vehicle is an irresponsible buy since he is so concerned with finances now that he is retired. (i can understand that)

I have convinced him that spending up to about R180,000 is fine with his financial position and he is now all excited about buying a 4x4 and joining me in the hobby.

What would you buy as a newly retired person with say R100-R180k to spend? Obviously you are concerned about cost so fuel consumption, reliability and cost of repair/maintenance is very high on your list, compared to me who has a job and is young and can take a financial knock.

PS - he likes toyota and the jimny, but is not set on anything in particular.
I think an older SWB Pajero? (how reliable with that be if it has 220,000km on the clock?)

Any comments on what you would get and why? (if you were in my dad's position)

Tx

I'm also considering the Gen2s but I don't know what their reputation is as I only researched the Gen3s.

Here is my thinking at the moment:

Why spend over R150k on a 4x4 if its not your primary drive?
Maybe my dad should buy a Gen2 Pajero SWB (it MUST be a SWB) for R50k-R80k and then keep R40k aside for repairs and mods? Maybe get the Paj with a couple of mods on it already.

What is the reputation of the '96-'99 Gen2 Pajeros?
Are they good engines that can do big mileage if in good condition?
Are they as good as the Gen3 reputation?

Advice please!
This seems like a sensible way to get a better 4x4 than the Jimny and still manage the risk of serious repair work (because you pay less than half the price of a Jimny).

Gen2 built the reputation. Tough as nails... real hardened, industrial strength nails.

I would lean toward a Jimny.

Superbly capable 4x4, very economical, Uber reliable(Japanese) and much newer that a Pajero in his budget.

Go and test drive a Jimny. Maybe have a look in youtube to see how far a Jimny can go?

I have a Gen3 LWB Pajero for 2 years now and using it in the dunes here in Egypt since then.
Recently I got myself a Jimny mainly for City driving, but always wanted to try it in the dunes, which I did last weekend, and I can tell you if he wants to get a 4x4 as a second car for offroading, the Jimny is very nice choice.
It's performance surprised me and it's angles are superb for playing in the dunes. We were a group of Wranglers, XJs, Pajeros a Terios and me with the Jimny, and I can tell you I did with it what I couldn't dare to make with my Pajero (mainly because of it's stupid departure angle - Not the case in the SWB version), but compared to all others in the group the Jimny was never unable to climb the dunes which others had difficulties to cross from the first try.
To save some money he can get a slightly used Jimny and upgrade its suspension, since its Stock susp.sucks.
I got myself an OME suspension and it turned it into a totaly different ride.