Hi guys and gals, longtime lurker, first time posting!
I'm looking to replace my wife's daily rig, and I'm looking for thoughts and opinions from ya'll. She currently is driving a '91 3FE cruiser. It's pretty thrashed, mostly (but not completely) by previous owner(s). I don't have the time to bring it back to where it needs to be right now. I'm pretty sure the almost 300K mile engine is tired and possibly in the early stages of headgasket failure. Fuel consumption averages between 7-11 mpg depending on how heavily its loaded (35s and stock diffs).
"Daily driving" is probably different than most of you think of. She's driving 30-40 miles a week on mostly unmaintained gravel and dirt roads and 30 mph or less. Roads are snow and ice in the winter ('cause it's Alaska!). Once a month it takes a 300 mile trek to Anchorage for supplies and groceries. Road glaciers are common on the last 60 miles (springs that ooze water all winter and 20-40 below F turns to ice across the road) in the winter.
The main considerations I'm looking for are:
Better fuel economy (we are talking land cruisers, so I'm well aware that the only way to break 20MPG is diesel, and I'll likely barely clear that with a diesel)
More power (25mph uphill on the highway when loaded gets old fast)
Ability to tow a small to medium trailer occasionally
35-37" tires (deep snow- I don't think flex is much of a concern for now, but clearance to fit aggressive tire chains is)
Lockers (totally fine with either OEM or aftermarket- air lockers might actually be a plus for onboard air dealing with the occasional flat)
3rd row seats (4 boys and counting... and all of them are enamored with "Mommy's Landcruiser!")
I'm pretty certain I can find all of that in one rig, but it'll cost. I'm not opposed to buying and building to a certain degree, but I don't think I have the time to do anything major like an engine swap.
How will a 1HZ or 1HDT in good shape stack up against a tired 3FE? Will there be a noticeable difference in power?
Do I need to consider a Cummins or LS swapped rig to see better power?
Is a 1FZ-FE worth considering? It doesn't sound like that'll be much of an improvement by the numbers, but I've never had the chance to drive a 1FZ powered cruiser. The price difference between it and the other options is tempting...
Are there any other options I'm missing? I'm not totally set on an 80, but there aren't many options out there unless I'm willing to give up capability or reliability.
I'd love to take the family on a road trip down the Alcan and wheel some of the west coast trails, so I'd like to take that into consideration too.
My current vehicle is an '85 pickup (22RE in good shape) on 36s and 5.29 diffs. I'd like to see a similar or better level of performance in her cruiser if possible.
Since such a long post without a pic should be a crime, here's a pic of hauling supplies to build our house.
I'm looking to replace my wife's daily rig, and I'm looking for thoughts and opinions from ya'll. She currently is driving a '91 3FE cruiser. It's pretty thrashed, mostly (but not completely) by previous owner(s). I don't have the time to bring it back to where it needs to be right now. I'm pretty sure the almost 300K mile engine is tired and possibly in the early stages of headgasket failure. Fuel consumption averages between 7-11 mpg depending on how heavily its loaded (35s and stock diffs).
"Daily driving" is probably different than most of you think of. She's driving 30-40 miles a week on mostly unmaintained gravel and dirt roads and 30 mph or less. Roads are snow and ice in the winter ('cause it's Alaska!). Once a month it takes a 300 mile trek to Anchorage for supplies and groceries. Road glaciers are common on the last 60 miles (springs that ooze water all winter and 20-40 below F turns to ice across the road) in the winter.
The main considerations I'm looking for are:
Better fuel economy (we are talking land cruisers, so I'm well aware that the only way to break 20MPG is diesel, and I'll likely barely clear that with a diesel)
More power (25mph uphill on the highway when loaded gets old fast)
Ability to tow a small to medium trailer occasionally
35-37" tires (deep snow- I don't think flex is much of a concern for now, but clearance to fit aggressive tire chains is)
Lockers (totally fine with either OEM or aftermarket- air lockers might actually be a plus for onboard air dealing with the occasional flat)
3rd row seats (4 boys and counting... and all of them are enamored with "Mommy's Landcruiser!")
I'm pretty certain I can find all of that in one rig, but it'll cost. I'm not opposed to buying and building to a certain degree, but I don't think I have the time to do anything major like an engine swap.
How will a 1HZ or 1HDT in good shape stack up against a tired 3FE? Will there be a noticeable difference in power?
Do I need to consider a Cummins or LS swapped rig to see better power?
Is a 1FZ-FE worth considering? It doesn't sound like that'll be much of an improvement by the numbers, but I've never had the chance to drive a 1FZ powered cruiser. The price difference between it and the other options is tempting...
Are there any other options I'm missing? I'm not totally set on an 80, but there aren't many options out there unless I'm willing to give up capability or reliability.
I'd love to take the family on a road trip down the Alcan and wheel some of the west coast trails, so I'd like to take that into consideration too.
My current vehicle is an '85 pickup (22RE in good shape) on 36s and 5.29 diffs. I'd like to see a similar or better level of performance in her cruiser if possible.
Since such a long post without a pic should be a crime, here's a pic of hauling supplies to build our house.