1993 Toyota Hilux Surf

[TrabbieRonnie]

My old jeep (I know, I know...) just passed it's MOT without advisory, at 27 years and 205,000 klicks... worthy of a few pics on here!

 

 

 

 

 

Owned for 5 years now, cost £1200 then, lots of maintenance since, but nothing serious or expensive.  28/29 mpg, 250 miles a week, I've put 75,000kms on and it has been faultless.  Bit rusty here and there now, cross member behind the rad got cut out and replaced a couple of years ago, but chassis is excellent.  Got the wheels and tyres currently fitted for a hundred quid from a local breaker.

 

If you've ever fancied one, just do it... they seem to be getting a bit thin on the ground now, spares availability is excellent though, I was £130 quid for discs and pads at Roughtrax.  

 

 

Audi Coupe and Rosie the Trabbi were less up for fun in the snow...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

That's what 4x4s are for.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Agreed!  We had great fun doing burnouts and donuts in two-wheel drive, pretty unstoppable in 4wd.

[Guest Hooli]

When I had an OLLI'd Disco I'd go to play everytime it snowed too. Even if I had to drive hours to find a ditch on Salisbury Plain where it thought the track went to get stuck in

[Bren]

A navarra would'nt last 26 years.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Love it. I always enjoyed driving my NA Mk3 Hilux; I’d imagine a Surf is more comfortable again! How’s the head on yours - most seemed to have been J imports with auto boxes, and cooked heads?

[TrabbieRonnie]

Still on her original head afaik. Changed the water pump, rad and flushed for all I was worth following purchase. They're no more likely to overheat than anything else, its just that the head cracks when they do, not the gasket! I think the reputation is a little unfair, not much else lasts long enough to have this problem! A pump and a rad every 20 years isn't much to ask is it!

 

Like you say, very comfy things... Same chassis as yours but with torsion bars up front and coils at the rear. Damper stiffness is electronically adjustable!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Still on her original head afaik. Changed the water pump, rad and flushed for all I was worth following purchase. They're no more likely to overheat than anything else, its just that the head cracks when they do, not the gasket! I think the reputation is a little unfair, not much else lasts long enough to have this problem! A pump and a rad every 20 years isn't much to ask is it!

 

Like you say, very comfy things... Same chassis as yours but with torsion bars up front and coils at the rear. Damper stiffness is electronically adjustable!

 

Amazing spec and build quality for a 27 year old motor. As for the rep, I take your point. I guess when I owned my Hilux, the 2.4 NA was renowned as being bombproof, but agricultural and sloooooow, whereas the Surfs were always much livelier, but with a price to pay. As you say, it's lasted this long - it's obviously a good one. Great that you use it for what it was intended, too. 

Audi looks interesting as well...

[TrabbieRonnie]

Don't know if it's the done thing, but here's a link to a thread I wrote on the Audi last year on RetroRides…

 

 

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/202461/1993-audi-coupe?page=1&scrollTo=2386986

[Wingz123]

BUT.....make sure you buy the 3.0 that has larger cooling channels as opposed to the 2.4 that knackers heads like its going out of fashion....

 

I’ve had several of these and the 3.0’s always sold well

[omegod]

I had a day tearing the arse out of a surf on a works away day, proper capable off road and swims pretty well too 

[TrabbieRonnie]

Mine is a 2.4, lack of maintenance is what kills the heads... The 3.0 litres are not immune to that, they are failing now too that they are reaching the same age.

[Lacquer Peel]

Where are you based Ronnie? I like the Inverness reg on the Audi.

 

I do think a lot of these imports crack their heads and burst their gaskets due to first UK owners neglecting the maintenance and the bad quality of Japanese radiators especially exposed to road salt.

[Wingz123]

That and the fact many (not all) spent most of their life pottering around built up areas. Hence why you can find even now Jap registered mk4 golfs imported over here with less than 30k miles on....

[TrabbieRonnie]

Speyside, Moray LP. Yep, the car was in Inverness for twenty years ish with the previous owner, although originally sold in Ireland I believe.

[Lacquer Peel]

Speyside, Moray LP. Yep, the car was in Inverness for twenty years ish with the previous owner, although originally sold in Ireland I believe.

I grew up in and just moved away from Strathspey.

 

Have you seen the haul of old cars on the back road to Grantown? I wondered what the story was there.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Back road to Grantown?  No, can't say I have...  unless... there is a guy a couple of miles from me whose yard would fit the description.  Between Knockando and Blacksboat (the road does eventually lead to Grantown, following the river).  He deals in auld shite, I think, as his full-time occupation. 

 

Mrs says I'm not allowed in that yard.

 

 

Not ever.

[stuboy]

looks funky in the snow

[Lacquer Peel]

Back road to Grantown? No, can't say I have... unless... there is a guy a couple of miles from me whose yard would fit the description. Between Knockando and Blacksboat (the road does eventually lead to Grantown, following the river). He deals in auld shite, I think, as his full-time occupation.

 

Mrs says I'm not allowed in that yard.

 

 

Not ever.

That's the place, I didn't realise he sold stuff, it seems like a hoard but the fleet does change sometimes.