Thread: Show me your cruiser.

I've had a few. Couple of leased 6cyl 75s when I was a contractor, a company V8 TD 78 Troopy, and a company 120 series Prado V6.





Say what you like, but for NZ conditions, give me a Hilux any day over a 70 series Cruiser. The 75/78 Cruiser is fantastic in the open country Outback but its too long, too heavy, hopeless turning circle... for here. That's how I've experienced them.

I can't find a pic of the Troopy now which is a shame cos I'd like to show you what it looked like after six months of driving it underground, in the acid mine water. It was the first of its kind sold in NZ new, in 2007. It was a beast, fucking hopeless. Even with the detuned single turbo V8, on the OEM wheels and tyres it would drift its way home every night on the wet bitumen. Tail happy doesn't come close. It had to be run with 10 ply rated MT tyres to survive conditions on site, so I put some BFGs on it with white steelies and that helped. But man you had to go easy on the gas.

Due to the acid drainage, it turned orange in a matter of months. Acidic water made its way down the inside of the firewall and into the ECU box behind the dash. One of my guys reported that it stalled on him coming up the incline, just cut out. Couple of days later I was driving it to work, there's a one lane bridge over our river, you have to turn 60° onto the bridge, and 60° off it. As I approached the bridge the Troopy lost all power - dead - and with it all braking and steering assistance. I stopped the vehicle from going over the bank and into the river by driving it into the concrete bollard at the entrance to the bridge. That resulted in a lengthy investigation, and thanks to Waikato Toyota who didn't quibble, a new bullbar, ECU and set of window seals all round. I swapped it out for a Mazda BT50 and was much happier after that.

The Prado is not a lightweight Land Cruiser. The ladder chassis are built to the same spec give or take to a regular LC. The full time 4WD with locking centre diff and rear diff was bloody excellent. I did over 200,000km in this V6 in Aus, all over the place, man I loved that car. I'd have a V6 petrol in my Hilux if I could find a good one, bullet proof motors.