Our Hilux Surf, affectionately named Bee-Bee is now in Guernsey, Emma dropped it over last week and we christened it with a lovely bottle of Champagne, the cork of which is now lovingly hanging from the rear view mirror. The long and expensive process of prepping the car for the trip can now begin. The first job is to strip out pretty much everything in the interior from behind the front seats to the tailgate, including the roof-lining. One problem with the 2nd Generation Surf’s is the lack of roof gutters or roof rails which makes fitting a full length roof rack a bit of a mission. Having access to the internal roof and supports will allow Turx’s Custom Workshop to fabricate a full length safari roof rack which will be directly attached to the roof. Having something custom made will mean that we can design it to our exact specification with the rack as close to the roof as possible to keep the centre of gravity down (and it'll look cooler). Once this is complete we can start work on planning the internal storage space in the back of the car, this is going to take some serious planning to maximise the space to the fullest. Before we can do this we need to purchase some of the necessary equipment for the trip. Once we have this we can begin the game of ‘Car Tetris’ to suss out the best way to fit everything in. The 4x4 Storage Components website has been a very useful resource in researching various setups and checking out how other people deal with the same problems. I recommend everybody who is planning a trip like this should also read the 'Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide' by Tom Sheppard this book is basically my bible for the next 3 years. It's available here. This book will tell you everything you need to know and then some. Everyday items like travel books, maps and day food supplies will need to be accessible from the passenger area whilst camping, recovery and spares will be stored in the rear of the vehicle. Heavier items like auxiliary batteries, water tanks and the Hilift Jack need to be stowed as low as possible and preferably central between the two axles. The internal storage space will need to be enclosed and offer maximum security, for this reason it will be separate from the passenger area.Having a bulkhead or cargo barrier not only offers extra security but in the event of a roll over will help protect us from being hit by any heavy objects from the back of the vehicle. More updates to follow soon, so please check back. Andy
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The search for our new adventure mobile is over. After a rather disappointing ebay battle which we initially lost we have eventually got our hands on the perfect vehicle. I spotted a Toyota Hilux Surf SSRX 3.0 Ltd after weeks of searching on Ebay and after reading the description thought it was too good to be true. I promptly added it to my watch list.
The vehicle was described as “probably one of the best 3.0L Turbo Diesel Toyota Hilux Surfs in The UK” and reading the description I had no reason to doubt this. The oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, transmission fluid, differential fluid, transfer box fluid and all grease points have been checked and changed every 3000 miles. The cooling system has been flushed every 2 years using Toyota Red Coolant, flushing right through to the rear heaters and at the start and end of every winter the underneath has been power washed and wax sealed. This is just the start, the service history on this vehicle has been impeccable with new dual batteries, alternator and thermostat fitted recently along with all new belts. The 4x4 has never been taken off road and the current owner has had it for 7 years; basically for the year we are unlikely to find a better example. It has racked up 144,000 miles but for a diesel Toyota this age with this service history that really isn’t much at all. When Emma arrived in Guernsey on Thursday evening I showed her the car, she noticed it was based in Northampton, which conveniently is just 30 minutes up the road from where she lives. After a couple of quick phone calls we had arranged for Emma’s dad to take the short trip up the road to inspect the 4x4 on the following Sunday (the day the auction ended). Armed with a comprehensive list (which I shall upload to the resource section) of things to look at and check he spent a good 45 minutes checking the car over. It seemed the car was as good as the listing stated. On top of all this the guy that owns it had seen our website and was fairly excited at the prospect of his car travelling the world. So Sunday evening arrived and after a bit more research and a look at our finances we decided on how much we were willing to spend on it and set up some sniper software to bid up to our maximum 2 seconds before the end of the auction. Unfortunately, as is always the way on Ebay someone else had more money. We lost the auction and slightly disappointed went to bed. At 4:45am a text message arrived from the owner (he was travelling to the U.S) stating that the woman that had won the auction could not afford to buy it and did we want it? We promptly said yes and lay awake excited at the prospect of what was ahead of us. We shall pick the car up in a couple of weeks once Emma has returned to the UK. I can’t wait for the next few months, although the car is pretty much mechanically sound we are still going to have to do a fair amount of work to it to get it expedition ready. Luckily for us some of the expensive stuff has already been done, the car has had a 4" suspension lift fitted by LA Supertrux in Daventry, to take the larger 33x12.5 tyres and more importantly it has an ipod dock. We are going to have to spend another couple of thousand pounds over the coming months on a fridge, roof tent, heat exchanger and shower, hi-lift jack, heavy duty tow points, awnings, spare wheels, snorkel, new heavy duty front bumper and a storage system in the back to utilise the space. Once all the work has been carried out we are going to be equipped with one capable adventure mobile. I can’t wait. I’ve managed to narrow down the model of Hilux Surf that would be most suitable for the type of trip we are planning. A 1994 - 1996 Hilux Surf KZN130 with a 3L 1KZT diesel motor seems to be the only model that has a reliable reputation, all the others, especially the 2.4’s have problems with over-heating and cracked cylinder head/blown head gaskets. From what I’ve read on many of the forums it seems other than the 2.4 engine issues the Hilux Surf is a tank. The Generation 3 (95 – 02) models also share a chassis with the Landcruiser Prado, only reinforcing the tank reputation. On the whole a great condition Surf tends to be a lot cheaper than the Landcruiser, which is great news for our bank managers and pockets.
My only concern is the availability of spares worldwide. A lot of Surf’s have been exported to South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia; so hopefully the spares are out there. We will obviously carry a selection of essentials with us; tie rod ends, all belts, axle shafts, axle & driveshaft U-joints, spare wheels (x2), wheel bearings, spare hub, brake pads/shoes (full set), fuses, radiator hose, all other hoses, hose clamps, air filters (x3), fuel filters (x5) and oil filters (x3) seem like a good starting list, if anyone has anymore suggestions please comment. A great source for spares in the UK is Milner 4x4. What is also handy is that if we can’t find a suitable vehicle locally, a local dealer who specializes in importing cars could source us one from the UK or Japan to our direct spec and have it fully checked before we buy it and get it shipped over for us. Now all we need to do is decide on the Hilux Surf or Landcruiser. Maybe I’ll flip a coin. |
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