Finally chose a Toyota!

[Doctor W]

Did a LOT of research on LR4's and decided that due to wheel/tire size limitations, small fuel tank size (for me an auxilliary 110 litre is a neccessity!) remounting spare tire/wheels on rear bumper and multi-battery charging problems on Euro 5 engines are such that I would need to spend about $AU1600 on supply + fit aux. fuel tank, $AU2800 on new rear bumper and dual wheel carrier and how much??!!?? to retro-fit smaller brakes to be able to fit smaller wheels and sensible size heavy duty tires that a Porsche Cayenne 3.0 litre Diesel was a better choice (110 litre tank standard, 18" wheels available option etc)...... until the mechanics in town advised me that they were flat top truck towing an Audi Q7 (basically same VW Group engine and drive train as Porsche Cayenne) 2600 odd kilometres to Perth W.A. because this was the closest place to diagnose and (hopefully) rectify a no-start problem they had been working on for a few weeks without success.

Did a lot of thinking after that..... ended up with a 2nd hand ex-Australian Government Toyota 100 Series - specifically a 2005 build, 126,000 kilometres HZJ105R series. This was the last of the mechanically injected diesels a 1HZ type, last of the solid front axles, 4 wheel coils and discs, factory steel split rim 16" wheels with 7.50x16 Bridgestones and a set of steel "spoked" steel rims with 285/75x16 Cooper ST Maxx that I've just bought, rear barn-type tailgate, 5 speed manual transmission, a part-time 2 speed 4WD system with manual free-wheeling front hubs, factory bull bar, side steps,tow bar, large roof basket and ladder (all by ARB).

More to come!

 

[mtnbike28]

Pictures! Nice choice....

 

[enzo]

We need some pics! Sooooo jealous.

 

[redthies]

Congrats Doc! The HZJ105 is what I would be driving given the option. I tried to buy Rumpigs when he moved to his 76, but it was already spoken for. Be sure to post up some pics of the new beast in its natural environment!

 

[oliverlove]

Wow that sounds very different from the run of the mill 100 series here in the US. Pictures please!

 

[redthies]

Wow that sounds very different from the run of the mill 100 series here in the US. Pictures please!

The 105 is essentially a 100 series body and interior on a 80 series chassis. Solid front axle, f&r lockers etc. Very very desireable LCs in my opinion.

 

[Doctor W]

OK.... I finally took some photos of the new (to me) HZJ105R 100 Series LC.....

I've driven one before, about 15 years ago, in Zambia (ex-Northern Rhodesia) and Rhodesia (currently Zimbabwe) and ended up buying this in Broome the "capital" of The Kimberley district of far north west Australia. It was originally ordered up by a state or federal government department or agency and then after 3 or 4 years traded off to a local quango (# Aussie for a quasi-autonomous non-government organisation !) for the next 5 or 6 but has only done about 126,000 kilometres (approx. 70,000 miles) in its 12 years of existence. I got it because it was low miles for its age, had full service records by the local Toyota dealership and had a solid front axle and 4 coil suspension.

When I was looking for a replacement for my 97 ZG (like a ZJ) Grand Cherokee which after having spent $2600+ on Auto transmission repairs I realised had heaps and heaps more stuff that needed/wanted doing. I had looked at the L-R Discovery (LR 4) and that was sooo unsuitable that a Porsche Cayenne was actually a more sensible choice. I was going to buy one and fortuitously had flown back to Broome and was talking to the guys at my repair shop of choice in town and noticed an Audi Q7 diesel that was still in the work shop from a month previously, I asked why was it still there? (curious because Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and the Volkswagen Touareg diesels are basically "all the same" vehicle... I was told that it had most probably taken on some dirty fuel and the common rail injection system needed total replacement from tank to injectors and was going to cost maybe $20-25,000 and was NOT covered by warranty, also it required a tilt tray tow 2600 kilometres to Perth the state capital to the nearest dealer there (and back I guess)(another $1000 x 2) to fix it.

The guys had always been telling me that the Toyota Landcruisers (especially the 80's, 100's, 200's and Prados (small LC's)) were the best thing to have up here for my purpose.

I had a few years ago test driven a 70 Series Troopy and hated the ride and and "basicness" of the car - it was like driving a bad truck (nothing like a US truck!!) ... so no way.

I looked at a LC 200 Sahara diesel V8 that that the shop owner drove and didn't like the idea of torsion bar IFS, nor common rail injection nor the generally rather vulgar interior (brown striped plastic dash etc), he told me that there was a base model that might suit my needs/wants better. So I went to the Toyota dealership to look at a base 200GX, nil stock only to order, usually only purchased by mine companies and government departments. And, they also had a torsion bar IFS - which I think is just quite unsuitable for a 4WD as it has such limited travel and articulation. But..... he did have a really good secondhand 100 series that he thought I might like.....despite my general dislike/distrust of car salesmen.... I did like it!

Some pics:

 

[Doctor W]

I haven't mastered the art of posting pics to here - I did try to describe each photo's content/point of, but that didn't work and there's a limit of ten files per post that size.

What I was trying to show was how basic, but still with a modicum of comfort, the car is. also the Genuine Toyota options like the roof basket and ladder, and bull bar all made by ARB for Toyota. I don't know who makes the HD snorkel for Toyota.

The rear barn door type rear opening.

Lots of available space for any dash switches you might wanna put in!!

5 speed manual shift, 2H, 4H and 4L and N transfer and with manual front locking hubs.

Front bucket/bench seat with big comfy armrest with drink holders and sunglasses etc holder that folds up so that you can seat a short child or double lower limb amputee or any one who can shift gears or transfer case with their feet for you (with a lap belt and free from contact with those pesky air bags but not the middle of the dash!!).

Floor is really heavy vinyl with heavy felt type sound proofing under it.

BTW, the water in the background is Roebuck Bay which was first discovered about the 1690's by the privateer Captain William Dampier. (A privateer is a pirate with a Royal Licence issued by the English King or Queen to pillage and plunder at will, all over the world, provided the Crown gets a cut of the loot.) Dampier was a West Country fellow, an autodidact who added so much knowledge about the world's tides, currents, prevailing winds etc that he wrote best selling books on the topic and was invited to deliver addresses to the Royal Society. He didn't much like whiners, one of his officers who kept on complaining that the ship he was in command of had a bottom so riddled with Teredo worm that the it would soon fall out. This constant whining so annoyed Dampier that he put Alexander Selkirk ashore on a desert island about 1000 n.miles east of Brazil and left him. Shortly after the bottom fell out of that ship, but Dampier was disinclined to go back for Selkirk. When Dampier returned to England after this seven year voyage around the world a trip that included visits to Panama, Peru, Pacific Islands, discovery of the west coast of Australia, went to Java, Kingdom of Thailand, Cambodia (he called it the land of Kampuchee), New Guinea, discovered New Britain...... he was court martialled and had all his pay (his piratical bounty) docked by the Crown, it seemed that Selkirk was a younger son of one of the Lords of the Admiralty. Dampier would never have any officer rank again for the rest of his life and was told to go and find Selkirk and bring him back to England alive or else be hanged. He was such a good navigator that he found the island and Selkirk and the whole thing was such a major story of its day that Daniel Defoe wrote the book Robinson Crusoe based on the Selkirk story! Dampier decided to write books of his travels and books about the world's weather, tides, currents and winds in order to make some money due to losing all his ill gotten gains to the Admiralty .... the books were all best sellers and inspired and were even used by Captain James Cook on his great voyages. Do Google William Dampier!!

In the next photos you can see the standard twin batteries arrangement (I'm waiting on a second OptimaD31M) and the engine bay pics show the naturally aspirated 1HZ mechanically injected diesel engine, straight six, 4.2 litres.

I've had all oils and fluids and filters changed in engine, engine bay and drivetrain. The A/C compressor was very rattly and the pulley bearing near to collapsing, so a whole new compressor assembly fitted and new condensor/receiver drier also.

Buying some new stuff for it. I have already fitted new LED bulb inserts for the high and low headlights so I can drive this thing at night - honestly the standard headlamps were a joke!!, replaced the bullbar's lamps with LED units and am replacing the LED light bar with something better and am planning out some custom wiring work that I'll have done . Also have bought a new UHF 2-way and 6.5dB antenna, and fire extinguisher to replace the one present which shows zero pressure Lots more gear to come..View attachment 389600View attachment 389601View attachment 389602View attachment 389603View attachment 389604