2004 JDM UZJ100 Africa Build
- Thread starter Diplodocus
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Diplodocus
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- #22
This thread is definitely documenting the ups and downs of owning this truck. We haven't named the truck yet...maybe something tied to a roller coaster theme?
Speaking of cheering things up, this truck came with a MiniDisc player
.
What, you don't remember MiniDiscs? They were a flash in the portable media pan in the U.S., but took off big time in Japan.
The funny part is that my high school band jumped on to that bandwagon a little early and recorded our music on MDs. We thought we were on the "cutting edge" but it turns out we were just making a bad investment.
So the thing is...I have had these MDs lying around for a long time; waiting until I could find an MD player so I could re-live my glory days as a long haired lead singer...
Needless to say I am now rocking out on a regular basis
Speaking of cheering things up, this truck came with a MiniDisc player
.What, you don't remember MiniDiscs? They were a flash in the portable media pan in the U.S., but took off big time in Japan.
The funny part is that my high school band jumped on to that bandwagon a little early and recorded our music on MDs. We thought we were on the "cutting edge" but it turns out we were just making a bad investment.
So the thing is...I have had these MDs lying around for a long time; waiting until I could find an MD player so I could re-live my glory days as a long haired lead singer...
Needless to say I am now rocking out on a regular basis
Awesome looking vehicle.
Eish...those taxi's. We have the same issues down in South-Africa.
Will pm you in the new year - going up to Zim in Feb up to Harare and Bulawayo
Maybe have a cold one.
Eish...those taxi's. We have the same issues down in South-Africa.
Will pm you in the new year - going up to Zim in Feb up to Harare and Bulawayo
Maybe have a cold one.
what is the end goal for the LC?
Your house in Zimbabwe looks like it could be in any town USA. How is life there?
Your house in Zimbabwe looks like it could be in any town USA. How is life there?
Diplodocus
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- #26
@Martiens Booysen, sounds good. Oddly enough I will be in Pretoria for a couple days in February. Hopefully the timing works in our favor.
@onemanarmy, the plan is to have the LC ready to tackle all that Southern Africa has to offer. From the mountains of Lesotho to the skeleton coast of Namibia. From the pot hole riddled streets of Harare to the beaches of Mozambique. Everything is fair game, but Time is already flying. We have been here 5 months already which means only 2.5 years left!
Living in Zim is, I think, as close as anyone (outside North Korea?) can actually get to living in an alternate universe. At the end of the day, though, we can get pretty much anything you can get in America (for a price) and the crime rate is surprisingly low. The housing is indeed fantastic and you cannot beat the weather. There is even a gun club with a good range and even better conversation. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the 4x4 club,whose members have essentially adopted me and my wife, inviting us into their homes for Christmas and other gatherings and making us feel right at home.
@onemanarmy, the plan is to have the LC ready to tackle all that Southern Africa has to offer. From the mountains of Lesotho to the skeleton coast of Namibia. From the pot hole riddled streets of Harare to the beaches of Mozambique. Everything is fair game, but Time is already flying. We have been here 5 months already which means only 2.5 years left!
Living in Zim is, I think, as close as anyone (outside North Korea?) can actually get to living in an alternate universe. At the end of the day, though, we can get pretty much anything you can get in America (for a price) and the crime rate is surprisingly low. The housing is indeed fantastic and you cannot beat the weather. There is even a gun club with a good range and even better conversation. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the 4x4 club,whose members have essentially adopted me and my wife, inviting us into their homes for Christmas and other gatherings and making us feel right at home.
Very cool build, excellent starting point. Nice to hear about Zimbabwe as well. I'd love to visit there some day.
Diplodocus
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- #28
So I headed back to Mr. Cruiser on a Saturday morning. When I stepped out of the truck in my mechanic coveralls, the look on his face was priceless. "Are you....working...today?" he asked. "No, and I don't mean any offense, but I'm not leaving my truck alone with you again. I'll stay and work on it with you until it's done right."
He explained that he had put two of his lowest-rung employees on the job thinking it would be a "simple bolt on" and that he would "give them hell on Monday" but not to worry, because today he had brought in his best mechanic.
After scoping out the shop a bit...
I again brought out the printed ARB instructions, showed them the steps they had missed and asked where my missing parts where. Luckily they were all still together in the milk crate I had dropped them off in.
So we took the bumper off the truck. Then the fun started.
As his "best mechanic" was looking over the bumper on the workbench, the body shop owner said "See, ARB gave you the wrong [indicator] lights. Look - the lights you have are square but the holes in the bumper are rounded." I then showed him how, when you screw the lights to the backside of the brackets they APPEAR rounded when looking at the truck because of the cutout, but yes, the square lights can and do attach to the back of the rounded opening
.
As all this was going on, the "master mechanic" started drilling holes in the bumper on the workbench.
Why is that a big deal? Because, as you remember, the bumper was not oriented correctly on the brackets, causing the front to point skyward.
To back up a little, the gist of the ARB instructions are:
1. Cut the frame horns off
2. Install brackets to frame using factory bolts
3. Attach bumper to brackets using bolts through slotted holes (adjustable)
4. Line everything up properly
5. Drill holes through the brackets and frame to securely attach. Drill holes through bumper and brackets to securely attach (there is no more adjustment that can be made at this point)
By the time I realized what the "mechanic" was doing it was too late, the holes that pin the bumper to the brackets were drilled. There goes any adjustment we had to work with
I wanted to scream at this point. I mean literally scream "LOOK AT THE DIRECTIONS. THEY ARE RIGHT HERE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY WON'T YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!"
So we bolted the bumper back on and sure enough it still (and will always) point skyward in the front. I guess the silver lining is that each time I look at it I'll remember why I do my own work whenever possible
One thing that stood out was that even with the ARB frame brackets mounted correctly, my URB on the passenger side is not usable because of the condenser plumbing. It is not physically possible to get a shackle pin in there. Even if the A/C condenser wasn't there the skid plates would have to be notched in order to use the recovery point.
I didn't come across this in my research of the URBs and it certainly wasn't mentioned on Jonsey's website, but to use these recovery points with an ARB bumper takes some extra effort. My plan is to torch an opening in the ARB bracket so the URB can be flipped. Should be easier to secure a shackle in an actual recovery situation that way too.
Next up was tires.
Or is it tyres
Again, "best tyre shop around" - this is Brusta Motors in Harare. Frankly not that bad. They mentioned my 255/80R17 KM2s would cost $500 ea if I had bought them in Zimbabwe. I was watching the tire guys like a hawk as they changed out and balanced my 5 tires. Near the end, after about an hour and a half of basically watching over their shoulders every second during the process for the first four tires, I found myself leaning up against the garage door jamb kind of dazed, looking out into the parking lot as the rain started to fall.
In the background, somewhere, was the sound of a handheld grinder doing its thing. Then I hear the shop manager come around the corner screaming "WHY? WHY? WHY?" and I turn around to see my fifth tire on the floor with a guy using a grinder around the inner (bead) lip. "Boss, it's too tight to fit on the wheel."
In truth, I think the guy was just tired after using all of his body weight to mount the previous four tires. It was the end of the day. He wanted to go home. Why continue to make such an effort with these stupid tires (which according to BFG have "single strand beads...[which] enhance the tire's fit to the wheel to improve uniformity and ride quality) when the customer isn't looking and the boss isn't around? Logical if nothing else. Obviously, that one is my spare and my new motto is "Don't turn your back, don't look away, and DON'T blink."
He explained that he had put two of his lowest-rung employees on the job thinking it would be a "simple bolt on" and that he would "give them hell on Monday" but not to worry, because today he had brought in his best mechanic.
After scoping out the shop a bit...
I again brought out the printed ARB instructions, showed them the steps they had missed and asked where my missing parts where. Luckily they were all still together in the milk crate I had dropped them off in.
So we took the bumper off the truck. Then the fun started.
As his "best mechanic" was looking over the bumper on the workbench, the body shop owner said "See, ARB gave you the wrong [indicator] lights. Look - the lights you have are square but the holes in the bumper are rounded." I then showed him how, when you screw the lights to the backside of the brackets they APPEAR rounded when looking at the truck because of the cutout, but yes, the square lights can and do attach to the back of the rounded opening
.As all this was going on, the "master mechanic" started drilling holes in the bumper on the workbench.
Why is that a big deal? Because, as you remember, the bumper was not oriented correctly on the brackets, causing the front to point skyward.
To back up a little, the gist of the ARB instructions are:
1. Cut the frame horns off
2. Install brackets to frame using factory bolts
3. Attach bumper to brackets using bolts through slotted holes (adjustable)
4. Line everything up properly
5. Drill holes through the brackets and frame to securely attach. Drill holes through bumper and brackets to securely attach (there is no more adjustment that can be made at this point)
By the time I realized what the "mechanic" was doing it was too late, the holes that pin the bumper to the brackets were drilled. There goes any adjustment we had to work with
I wanted to scream at this point. I mean literally scream "LOOK AT THE DIRECTIONS. THEY ARE RIGHT HERE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY WON'T YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!"
So we bolted the bumper back on and sure enough it still (and will always) point skyward in the front. I guess the silver lining is that each time I look at it I'll remember why I do my own work whenever possible
One thing that stood out was that even with the ARB frame brackets mounted correctly, my URB on the passenger side is not usable because of the condenser plumbing. It is not physically possible to get a shackle pin in there. Even if the A/C condenser wasn't there the skid plates would have to be notched in order to use the recovery point.
I didn't come across this in my research of the URBs and it certainly wasn't mentioned on Jonsey's website, but to use these recovery points with an ARB bumper takes some extra effort. My plan is to torch an opening in the ARB bracket so the URB can be flipped. Should be easier to secure a shackle in an actual recovery situation that way too.
Next up was tires.
Or is it tyres
Again, "best tyre shop around" - this is Brusta Motors in Harare. Frankly not that bad. They mentioned my 255/80R17 KM2s would cost $500 ea if I had bought them in Zimbabwe
. I was watching the tire guys like a hawk as they changed out and balanced my 5 tires. Near the end, after about an hour and a half of basically watching over their shoulders every second during the process for the first four tires, I found myself leaning up against the garage door jamb kind of dazed, looking out into the parking lot as the rain started to fall. In the background, somewhere, was the sound of a handheld grinder doing its thing. Then I hear the shop manager come around the corner screaming "WHY? WHY? WHY?" and I turn around to see my fifth tire on the floor with a guy using a grinder around the inner (bead) lip. "Boss, it's too tight to fit on the wheel."
In truth, I think the guy was just tired after using all of his body weight to mount the previous four tires. It was the end of the day. He wanted to go home. Why continue to make such an effort with these stupid tires (which according to BFG have "single strand beads...[which] enhance the tire's fit to the wheel to improve uniformity and ride quality) when the customer isn't looking and the boss isn't around? Logical if nothing else
. Obviously, that one is my spare and my new motto is "Don't turn your back, don't look away, and DON'T blink."
Diplodocus
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- #29
After getting the tires on I headed to my friend's house again to change out the transfer case and differential fluids before we installed the full complement of Slee skid plates.
I was all set with several quarts of Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 ready to pump into all three fill holes. The transfer case and front differential were uneventful. Greenish-Grayish gear oil came out and fresh new oil went in.
As I pulled the drain plug on the rear diff dark red fluid came flowing out. Huh. Oh! Would you look at that!
It never even occurred to me that this truck might have an LSD. I figured that without ATRAC I was completely open front and rear. Since the ARB has already been ordered there is no going back now, but it's nice to know that until the ARB is installed I'm not completely open. Luckily my friend had some GL-5 dif fluid in his garage that will work just fine until the locker is installed. At that point I'll fill it with the Amsoil.
I even had an opportunity to try out the effectiveness of the LSD at a local "Mud Run" last weekend in Harare. The main event was a running event (like a "warrior dash" or whatever your local company calls it), but the 4X4 club tacked on and in the field next to the main event set up a course through a swampy area. In this picture you can see the running course in the background to the right.
No pictures of my truck, but I made it through a few laps just fine. In fact one of the 4X4 club members insisted that my truck was looking "far too comfortable " and let me take out his SWB Patrol to have some real fun
. After the race the runners could come over to our side and donate $5 to a kids with cancer charity and take a ride in something like this. Much fun was had.
And when you live in a country where schools send home warning letters to parents saying that lions may eat their children if they walk unaccompanied to school, having the kids enjoy a ride on the roof rack doesn't seem too unreasonable.
I was all set with several quarts of Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 ready to pump into all three fill holes. The transfer case and front differential were uneventful. Greenish-Grayish gear oil came out and fresh new oil went in.
As I pulled the drain plug on the rear diff dark red fluid came flowing out. Huh. Oh! Would you look at that!
It never even occurred to me that this truck might have an LSD. I figured that without ATRAC I was completely open front and rear. Since the ARB has already been ordered there is no going back now, but it's nice to know that until the ARB is installed I'm not completely open. Luckily my friend had some GL-5 dif fluid in his garage that will work just fine until the locker is installed. At that point I'll fill it with the Amsoil.
I even had an opportunity to try out the effectiveness of the LSD at a local "Mud Run" last weekend in Harare. The main event was a running event (like a "warrior dash" or whatever your local company calls it), but the 4X4 club tacked on and in the field next to the main event set up a course through a swampy area. In this picture you can see the running course in the background to the right.
No pictures of my truck, but I made it through a few laps just fine. In fact one of the 4X4 club members insisted that my truck was looking "far too comfortable " and let me take out his SWB Patrol to have some real fun
. After the race the runners could come over to our side and donate $5 to a kids with cancer charity and take a ride in something like this. Much fun was had.And when you live in a country where schools send home warning letters to parents saying that lions may eat their children if they walk unaccompanied to school, having the kids enjoy a ride on the roof rack doesn't seem too unreasonable.
Diplodocus
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- #30
Next up was a more adventurous 4X4 club run up Ngoma Kurira mountain outside of Harare:
Up, up and away
"Touching the beacon" - a local right of passage.
After I sent the sliders off to the powder coater I had a couple weeks to get worried about whether the sliders would simply bolt up or require some more fabrication, based on threads like this: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/slee-skid-plates-with-metaltech-sliders.542591/#post-7188724
But it turns out WKOR sliders and Slee skids mate up just fine - no welding or cutting required.
Instead I had a different issue with the WKOR sliders. In fact, it was the same exact issue identified in this post from 2013: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/squeeky-ome-set-up.85297/page-2#post-8710664
At its core, the issue is poor workmanship. Ok, ok, maybe not poor workmanship, but when you get used to bolting on Slee's products, the bar is pretty darn high. The issue is that the sliders are too close to the body in front (touching when first installed) and too far away at the back.
I am surprised and disappointed that the issue (whether it is a worn/old jig, improper welding technique, or just sloppiness, I don't know) has continued even after it was identified in at least one post almost a year before I bought my sliders. I just wish I had seen that post before I made the purchase, if only to spur a conversation with John @WKOR about it before I sealed the deal. And in fairness I was very happy with every other aspect of buying from John.
The fix required making shims for the front legs (placed at the top of the bracket). I used two on the front legs and one in the center legs. Its not perfect, but to the untrained eye there really isn't anything to complain about. I just hope that the shims stay in place and that the front of the sliders don't tweak into the body under hard use.
Up, up and away
"Touching the beacon" - a local right of passage.
After I sent the sliders off to the powder coater I had a couple weeks to get worried about whether the sliders would simply bolt up or require some more fabrication, based on threads like this: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/slee-skid-plates-with-metaltech-sliders.542591/#post-7188724
But it turns out WKOR sliders and Slee skids mate up just fine - no welding or cutting required.
Instead I had a different issue with the WKOR sliders. In fact, it was the same exact issue identified in this post from 2013: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/squeeky-ome-set-up.85297/page-2#post-8710664
At its core, the issue is poor workmanship. Ok, ok, maybe not poor workmanship, but when you get used to bolting on Slee's products, the bar is pretty darn high. The issue is that the sliders are too close to the body in front (touching when first installed) and too far away at the back.
I am surprised and disappointed that the issue (whether it is a worn/old jig, improper welding technique, or just sloppiness, I don't know) has continued even after it was identified in at least one post almost a year before I bought my sliders. I just wish I had seen that post before I made the purchase, if only to spur a conversation with John @WKOR about it before I sealed the deal. And in fairness I was very happy with every other aspect of buying from John.
The fix required making shims for the front legs (placed at the top of the bracket). I used two on the front legs and one in the center legs. Its not perfect, but to the untrained eye there really isn't anything to complain about. I just hope that the shims stay in place and that the front of the sliders don't tweak into the body under hard use.
Awesome thread! Please keep chronicling this build and resulting adventures so I can vicariously live out my African expedition fantasies.
This may sound stupid, but after owning a brand new FJ Cruiser that was completely trail ready, reliable and capable I found myself missing the adventure of having to 'MacGyver" my rig and figure out how to make sh*t work on the fly... My (new to me) 10yr old 100 is ultimately more capable and I am having all kinds of fun figuring out how to customize it and fix things that at 150,000 miles are just bound to go wrong. This sickness may be there result of crewing on old wooden tall ships when I was young; where even a simple cruise became an adventure.
This may sound stupid, but after owning a brand new FJ Cruiser that was completely trail ready, reliable and capable I found myself missing the adventure of having to 'MacGyver" my rig and figure out how to make sh*t work on the fly... My (new to me) 10yr old 100 is ultimately more capable and I am having all kinds of fun figuring out how to customize it and fix things that at 150,000 miles are just bound to go wrong. This sickness may be there result of crewing on old wooden tall ships when I was young; where even a simple cruise became an adventure.
Diplodocus
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- #32
Thanks @Tkb. I agree, just like being on the trail and having to figure out a way to extract yourself from a difficult situation - it is fun to work on the truck when some kind of (even minor) fabrication is necessary.
That is a good segue to the next project: installation of the used WAECO 50 litre fridge (in the US sold under the Dometic brand name and sold on Amazon) and National Luna Portable Power Pack with a remote-mounted dual battery controller I got from my friend. After 14 years in Africa (and 6 years with this equipment) my friend is getting off the continent and gave me a hell of a deal on these as well as other assorted camping equipment.
When we started this project I had a simple goal - I wanted everything to be easily removable and to leave no trace (in the unlikely and incredibly depressing event that I have to sell the truck when I depart). That meant no holes drilled into the floor. In addition to aesthetics it would have almost certainly required dropping the auxiliary tank - and that wasn't going to happen unless absolutely necessary.
So we did some thinking.
We made feet for the Front Runner fridge slide from the 1inch spacers from the Slee skid plate kit that had gone unused since we did the diff drop at the same time. Then we used a piece of flat aluminum flat strap that would line up with the seat attachment points already in the floor. The flat strap isn't attached yet in this picture, but you can see how the whole thing lines up with the seat mounting points. But how to attach the aluminum strap to the seat attachment points?
Aha! Turnbuckles!
The fridge slide is now securely mounted and with some short work can be completely removed without any trace. Of course we had to mock it all up before getting to work on mounting the battery or strapping the fridge to the slide...
We put the battery in this location because I wanted to keep the option of using one of the third row seats even with the battery and fridge installed. To mount the battery we unbolted the left rear D-ring from the floor and using a nut-sert and longer bolt, repurposed it as a tie-down for the battery using an existing hole for the tailgate trim. The other side of the strap currently goes to the seat attachment point, but if I ever actually need / want to put the third row seat back in I would just do the same for the other side of the battery - use a factory D-ring and attach it to the floor using a nut-sert.
The remote dual battery controller is mounted nice and cleanly in the top section of the center console using velcro. It is there when I need it (e.g. linking the two batteries together during winching or a self-jump), and invisible when I don't
That is a good segue to the next project: installation of the used WAECO 50 litre fridge (in the US sold under the Dometic brand name and sold on Amazon) and National Luna Portable Power Pack with a remote-mounted dual battery controller I got from my friend. After 14 years in Africa (and 6 years with this equipment) my friend is getting off the continent and gave me a hell of a deal on these as well as other assorted camping equipment.
When we started this project I had a simple goal - I wanted everything to be easily removable and to leave no trace (in the unlikely and incredibly depressing event that I have to sell the truck when I depart). That meant no holes drilled into the floor. In addition to aesthetics it would have almost certainly required dropping the auxiliary tank - and that wasn't going to happen unless absolutely necessary.
So we did some thinking.
We made feet for the Front Runner fridge slide from the 1inch spacers from the Slee skid plate kit that had gone unused since we did the diff drop at the same time. Then we used a piece of flat aluminum flat strap that would line up with the seat attachment points already in the floor. The flat strap isn't attached yet in this picture, but you can see how the whole thing lines up with the seat mounting points. But how to attach the aluminum strap to the seat attachment points?
Aha! Turnbuckles!
The fridge slide is now securely mounted and with some short work can be completely removed without any trace. Of course we had to mock it all up before getting to work on mounting the battery or strapping the fridge to the slide...
We put the battery in this location because I wanted to keep the option of using one of the third row seats even with the battery and fridge installed. To mount the battery we unbolted the left rear D-ring from the floor and using a nut-sert and longer bolt, repurposed it as a tie-down for the battery using an existing hole for the tailgate trim. The other side of the strap currently goes to the seat attachment point, but if I ever actually need / want to put the third row seat back in I would just do the same for the other side of the battery - use a factory D-ring and attach it to the floor using a nut-sert.
The remote dual battery controller is mounted nice and cleanly in the top section of the center console using velcro. It is there when I need it (e.g. linking the two batteries together during winching or a self-jump), and invisible when I don't
Nice Build Diplosport, I live in emerald hill, close to Brusta motors, I would really like to see your cruiser sometime, I have done as much as I can on my 1hd-fte 100 series... But the budget hasn't quite made it to the protection that you have done here, hasn't stopped me having fun though. Always wanted to see slee's work up close. Spoke to Martiens Booysen today and saw the ONCA bumper he fitted onto his 105 series via what's app, that's some serious tough mods he has done there!
Diplodocus
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- #34
Wow, has it been almost 6 years since an update?
As I pour through MUD in preparation for my next 100 Series purchase / build, I have come to really appreciate the threads where folks follow up with a "what happened" bookend. So here's mine...
After building the truck, we found it to be a fantastic vehicle for everything Southern Africa has to offer. From taking pictures like this from the drivers seat...
To adventurous ferry rides like this...
Even so, the way things worked out, the Landcruiser ended up as 90% grocery getter and only 10% overland vehicle. I ended up doing most of my overloading adventures across Southern Africa in something completely different:
No, not the Merc camper. The 1970 Volvo Amazon.
If you think the 2UZ-FE is a reliable powerplant, let me introduce you to the Volvo B18 motor. Rock solid dependability 50 years after being built, plus I could fix the Volvo anywhere with a small handbag of tools, no tech stream or SSTs required. And as long as I wasn't stuck in traffic, the vent windows were all the A/C I needed. I had a lot of great adventures in that car around Africa. That is until just before I was scheduled to leave Zimbabwe for my next assignment. A storm blew through and pushed over a tree in our yard - directly on top of both my cars!
You can actually see the tree itself sort of reached over the land cruiser and pinned my Volvo to the ground (don't worry, after the tree was cut off I laid in the back seat, put my feet on the buckled roof, popped the roof back out and drove it to work the next day, no problems beyond the dents and cracked rear windscreen). The damage to the Landcruiser was inflicted more by the metal frame of the car awning. It dented up the roof and right side pretty bad and cracked the windshield.
It was within two months of my permanent departure from Zimbabwe, so I took the easy way out and sold both cars locally.
As you might imagine, I have been hearing every day since "When can I have a 100 Series again?" from my wife, peppered with "I miss that long range fuel tank SO much" and "I can't wait to have a fridge again."
Well it turns out I'm headed back to Africa for another 3 year assignment (this time to Zambia) so I'm going to do this whole adventure over again - hopefully with a lot less carnage this time around!
As I pour through MUD in preparation for my next 100 Series purchase / build, I have come to really appreciate the threads where folks follow up with a "what happened" bookend. So here's mine...
After building the truck, we found it to be a fantastic vehicle for everything Southern Africa has to offer. From taking pictures like this from the drivers seat...
To adventurous ferry rides like this...
Even so, the way things worked out, the Landcruiser ended up as 90% grocery getter and only 10% overland vehicle. I ended up doing most of my overloading adventures across Southern Africa in something completely different:
No, not the Merc camper. The 1970 Volvo Amazon.
If you think the 2UZ-FE is a reliable powerplant, let me introduce you to the Volvo B18 motor. Rock solid dependability 50 years after being built, plus I could fix the Volvo anywhere with a small handbag of tools, no tech stream or SSTs required. And as long as I wasn't stuck in traffic, the vent windows were all the A/C I needed. I had a lot of great adventures in that car around Africa. That is until just before I was scheduled to leave Zimbabwe for my next assignment. A storm blew through and pushed over a tree in our yard - directly on top of both my cars!
You can actually see the tree itself sort of reached over the land cruiser and pinned my Volvo to the ground (don't worry, after the tree was cut off I laid in the back seat, put my feet on the buckled roof, popped the roof back out and drove it to work the next day, no problems beyond the dents and cracked rear windscreen). The damage to the Landcruiser was inflicted more by the metal frame of the car awning. It dented up the roof and right side pretty bad and cracked the windshield.
It was within two months of my permanent departure from Zimbabwe, so I took the easy way out and sold both cars locally.
As you might imagine, I have been hearing every day since "When can I have a 100 Series again?" from my wife, peppered with "I miss that long range fuel tank SO much" and "I can't wait to have a fridge again."
Well it turns out I'm headed back to Africa for another 3 year assignment (this time to Zambia) so I'm going to do this whole adventure over again - hopefully with a lot less carnage this time around!
D21FJ60
#LiveLaughLove.
Where do I sign up?
Doing all the Rhodesias. Nice. I wish I had seen this thread back when I was in Dar. Same issues different place. Fortunately, I had most of the work on my truck sorted while we were in Namibia. Did you ever think, I'm just going to load the parts up and drive down to Jo'burg and have the guys at Cymot or any of the hundred other 4x4 shops do the work? As for tyres. I always had good luck with tiger wheel and tyre. I know they have outlets in Zamibia. Overall, Zamibia is a much different experience than Zim.
We're off to Ethiopia in August/September and that country's importation laws will probably drive me insane before I drive one mile. I'm probably going to source a new (to me) truck out of Dubai but haven't a clue what yet (though the 300 series truck should be hitting the ground in the fall). I'm also doing it all without a net (the USG) which should make it that much more fun.
We're off to Ethiopia in August/September and that country's importation laws will probably drive me insane before I drive one mile. I'm probably going to source a new (to me) truck out of Dubai but haven't a clue what yet (though the 300 series truck should be hitting the ground in the fall). I'm also doing it all without a net (the USG) which should make it that much more fun.
