Holden Rodeo Pricing and Specs

When an engine (petrol or diesel) inhales water through its air-intake system, it's never usually a good outcome. Because water is – as is any liquid – non-compressible, the engine's pistons will try to achieve that but, in the process, the engine will lock up and all sorts of internal carnage can ensue.

If you're lucky, the damage will be fixable but can still involve bent con-rods, broken pistons and bent valves. If the lock up was more severe, there's a chance that the engine block could be cracked or a con-rod has broken and punched a hole through the crankcase. Sometimes the force of the lock up is sufficient to smash the main bearing caps and throw the crankshaft out of place. In any of those latter cases, the whole engine would be considered a total loss.

But even if you've gotten away with a bent con-rod or two, you'd still need to rebuild the entire engine and, in the context of a 2004 Rodeo ute, you might find you're spending more money than the vehicle is actually worth.

A potentially better idea would be to find a good, tested second-hand engine from a wrecking yard or any other sort of damaged Rodeo and do a relatively simple heart transplant.

There was a mid-model update released on the Rodeo late in 2005. It’s probably relating to that.

The Brumby would have been a good choice 10 years ago, but finding one now that hasn’t been driven into the ground, beaten to death, or rusted away is nigh on impossible. Instead of buying a dodgy old your son a favour and buy him a decent car, one that doesn’t belong in a scrap yard, and will serve him well for some time into the future. I would go for a Hilux, Triton, or Bravo 2600.