kw90surf
New member
Hi all,
First post here! Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but here goes. Let me know if I should also post this in the Toyota forum.
In 6 months I graduate school and take a posting as a ship's officer where I will be working 28 days onboard, followed by 28 days off. With the way the leave system works, I can take a three-month stretch off every year to two years. Perfect work schedule for traveling.
I plan on kitting out a vehicle for overlanding when I get out of school, and was going to buy myself an 80 Series as a grad present, but I've decided to push that off for a few years and build one of the two vehicles I already have. What I haven't decided is which one to sell and which one to build.
The build would be (roughly speaking):
The two vehicles I have are a 1990 Toyota Hilux Surf SSR and a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport.
The Toyota I bought in 2015 and immediately road-tripped from Saskatoon to Nova Scotia (4500km) without issue. It has the mechanically-injected 2L-TII turbo diesel and 5 speed R150F with a electronic part-time T-case and power everything. ~165,000km on it currently, 45,000 of which I put on myself. Service history is iffy. It drives like a low-km truck where most things haven't been molested, but someone has poked around under the hood and not done a good job. It had the head replaced before I bought it (yes, I know, I've done loads of research about the 2LT). It's had its niggles, but its been reliable. It's completely rust-free, drives tight and in really nice shape overall. I've de-smogged it and put a 3" exhaust on it.
The Cherokee I bought this year in Victoria BC after my work term finished, and road tripped it 6500km back to Nova Scotia 2 days later without a hitch. It's got the 4.0 with the AW4, NP242 T-case, 8.25 rear end and no power options. It's got 435,000km on it, but has clearly been well-maintained and not abused. It could use some freshening up all-around, but it runs great and averaged 23.5 MPG US on my trip back. It's also completely rust-free, original, and everything works.
As far as I see it, for an overland build, the Toyota:
Whichever one gets sold would fund the other. I could get significantly more for the Toyota.
Which would you guys choose and why?
First post here! Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but here goes. Let me know if I should also post this in the Toyota forum.
In 6 months I graduate school and take a posting as a ship's officer where I will be working 28 days onboard, followed by 28 days off. With the way the leave system works, I can take a three-month stretch off every year to two years. Perfect work schedule for traveling.
I plan on kitting out a vehicle for overlanding when I get out of school, and was going to buy myself an 80 Series as a grad present, but I've decided to push that off for a few years and build one of the two vehicles I already have. What I haven't decided is which one to sell and which one to build.
The build would be (roughly speaking):
- OME 2-3" lift and reasonably over-sized ATs
- Rear locker
- Body armour (front bullbar w/winch, sliders, rear bumper with tire carrier)
- Snorkel
- Roof rack w/RTT and storage (or possibly a trailer?)
- Dual batteries
- Custom drawer system with power outlets, fridge/freezer, stove
- Etc.
The two vehicles I have are a 1990 Toyota Hilux Surf SSR and a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport.
The Toyota I bought in 2015 and immediately road-tripped from Saskatoon to Nova Scotia (4500km) without issue. It has the mechanically-injected 2L-TII turbo diesel and 5 speed R150F with a electronic part-time T-case and power everything. ~165,000km on it currently, 45,000 of which I put on myself. Service history is iffy. It drives like a low-km truck where most things haven't been molested, but someone has poked around under the hood and not done a good job. It had the head replaced before I bought it (yes, I know, I've done loads of research about the 2LT). It's had its niggles, but its been reliable. It's completely rust-free, drives tight and in really nice shape overall. I've de-smogged it and put a 3" exhaust on it.
The Cherokee I bought this year in Victoria BC after my work term finished, and road tripped it 6500km back to Nova Scotia 2 days later without a hitch. It's got the 4.0 with the AW4, NP242 T-case, 8.25 rear end and no power options. It's got 435,000km on it, but has clearly been well-maintained and not abused. It could use some freshening up all-around, but it runs great and averaged 23.5 MPG US on my trip back. It's also completely rust-free, original, and everything works.
As far as I see it, for an overland build, the Toyota:
- + Will get better MPG (I average 25 MPG with it right now)
- + More load capacity
- + Low kms
- + Already has dual batteries
- - Will need a custom roof rack set-up drilled into the roof
- - 55amp alternator
- - Engine will need to be modded to make more power
- - Engine EGT will need to be monitored to make sure it doesn't pop its head
- - Parts are much harder to come across in North America
- + More power
- + Bulletproof drivetrain
- + Parts very easy to get in North America
- + Aftermarket is better
- + More comfortable (has AC)
- - Worse MPG
- - High kms
- - Lower load capacity, might need unibody stiffeners?
Whichever one gets sold would fund the other. I could get significantly more for the Toyota.
Which would you guys choose and why?
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