First post here. Been lurking for a bit. This is the conundrum that I'm in. I've currently been overlanding in a 2005 ford excursion with a 6.0 powerstroke. Its been the single most unreliable vehicle that I've ever owned and I'll be getting rid of it as soon as I've got our other "family" vehicle paid off. I've been bitten by the Toyota bug and the promise of long term reliability. I've also been bitten by the "I wanna be different" bug. I've been spending a lot of time perusing the classic import companies and have become smitten with the 95 hilux surfs with the 1KZ-TE 3.0 diesel. I don't know a thing about them other than they are essentially a right hand drive 4runner and I don't know anybody that has an in depth knowledge of them. I'm not a mechanic, I don't claim to be and I did not stay at a holiday inn. Serious repairs will have to be done in a shop as I do not have the equipment, tools, or inclination to become said mechanic. Should I run away from this silly idea and look for something more common or are these motors as bomb proof as the legend says?
Talk me out of doing something stoopid.... or don't.
- Thread starter bobinmi
- Start date
Far more knowledgeable people here than me, but the last thing you want if you're not handy and plan on overlanding is a rig that takes a specialist to work on and a bunch of parts you can't get at your local O'Reilly, imo.
I assume you have perused ih8mud, but if not there's a ton of info on jdm rigs.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
I assume you have perused ih8mud, but if not there's a ton of info on jdm rigs.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
cbobgo
Member
I came very close to doing what you are considering. But I am also not a fix it myself kind of guy, so went with a first generation tacoma. Old enough to still be a little interesting, but new enough that parts are readily available and can be fixed anywhere. I'm very happy with it.
4runnerteq
Explorer
Down For Maintenance
inventory.adventure-motors.com
Here ya go
This is the one ive been looking at. https://www.japaneseclassics.com/vehicle/1995-toyota-hilux-n185/Down For Maintenance
Here ya go
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
Sooooo... You're not mechanically inclined, don't own the tools required, and you are thinking of buying a 25+ year old vehicle that was never sold in the US? My advice is to run as far away as fast as you can from that idea... Lol.
I'd definitely follow the advice of @phsycle and look at the Sequioa. It's native to North America, reliable, much larger, you can get parts locally and on a weekend, and any shop can work on it.
4runnerteq
Explorer
Man thats pretty sweet. As others have said though, you need to have some mechanical ability and a network of help when owning something odd like that. Chances are it would be fine, but..... It would definitely be cool. Homework, homework, homework. For me, if I was going to go diesel it would have to be Land Cruiser.
Washingtondave
Member
Buy a 4 runner, GX or Tacoma. Make mods that fit your needs and have fun with the adventures.
ITTOG
Well-known member
I emphatically agree with this post. Since you are not mechanically inclined run far away from that vehicle. Well, unless you like to have vehicles sitting because you don't know how to repair it.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
A buddy of mine made a similar decision with a JDM Toyota Hi-Ace diesel 4x4 a few years back. It was unique, fun and kitschy, until it wasn't. For over a year now it has been between three different shops for repairs, none of which really have any knowledge or experience with that motor nor is there any used market or parts supply for them here state side or even on this side of the world for that matter. None of the shops have successfully repaired it and the last one actually broke more stuff than it repaired and they are a nationally known diesel shop and aren't taking any responsibility for their mistakes. Parts have to come from Japan which are hard to find and pricey and there is really only one shop knowledgeable enough to work on them here in the states and unfortunately they are in Oregon some 2,200 miles away.
Lesson learned here, don't be like my buddy and make this same mistake that is still biting him in the ****** to this very day as it sits unassembled in the yard of a repair shop that has pretty much given up on it. He now has nearly double the initial money spent on it tied up in it and it still sits undriveable while he was forced to pick up another vehicle in the interim to replace it. My advice is to admire this older stuff from afar and pick up something more readily available and easier to fix here stateside.
Lesson learned here, don't be like my buddy and make this same mistake that is still biting him in the ****** to this very day as it sits unassembled in the yard of a repair shop that has pretty much given up on it. He now has nearly double the initial money spent on it tied up in it and it still sits undriveable while he was forced to pick up another vehicle in the interim to replace it. My advice is to admire this older stuff from afar and pick up something more readily available and easier to fix here stateside.
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Highly doubtful and probably not enough room seeing how it's a cab over van, but funny to think about.