Hey guys, I'm new!
I definitely don't know how to use this forum most effectively...but I thought I'd start a thread to document my new build anyway! I'm hoping that as I update my plans people will give their input and hopefully give me better insight into my newbie choices. I like to think our plans are exciting...so here goes:
A little preamble...
I live in Canberra, Australia, and I bought my first 4wd off my Dad about 10 months ago. It was our old family people-mover; a 2003 Landcruiser 100 series. V8 petrol, IFS front etc. I grew up driving it, and I loved owning it for a stint. It was comfy and smooth, super capable, (super thirsty), and I totally fell in love with the 4x4 lifestyle; finding dirt wherever I could...how boring is tarmac! I began to make plans to do a big lap with my wife.
We then had the thought..."if we're gonna do this, let's go all in", and without having too many financial commitments in our early 20's, we began tossing up the idea of buying a newer vehicle for extra peace of mind when it comes to longevity and reliability. We did lots of research and landed up falling in love with the idea of living in the van that is also a 4wd beast...the Landcruiser 78 Troopy. It could only be Landcruiser...so it was really a toss up between a 200, 300, 76 or 78. (79 wouldn't suit my day to day needs). I wanted to try out solid axles for maximum off-roadability, and we chose the 78 over the 76 as it seemed more optimal for living out of. Was I wrong? (Too late!)
After making this decision I called up a bunch of dealerships enquiring about a new troopy; most just laughed. One about an hour out of town however, said, "someone just pulled out of their order and we have one on the shop floor" (without the criminal price-hike). We bought it straight away! With a rough 60% down payment and the rest on finance; we owe Toyota a lot of money. From deciding we wanted one to owning it was about 3 weeks...a crazy timeline, and our first major purchase.
So now I'm a super-stoked-sandy-seventy-series-sucker! (And have a 100 I plan on selling asap). Here she is, brand new, plans to modify will follow.
Please input, say g'day, I'm just havin' a crack!
I definitely don't know how to use this forum most effectively...but I thought I'd start a thread to document my new build anyway! I'm hoping that as I update my plans people will give their input and hopefully give me better insight into my newbie choices. I like to think our plans are exciting...so here goes:
A little preamble...
I live in Canberra, Australia, and I bought my first 4wd off my Dad about 10 months ago. It was our old family people-mover; a 2003 Landcruiser 100 series. V8 petrol, IFS front etc. I grew up driving it, and I loved owning it for a stint. It was comfy and smooth, super capable, (super thirsty), and I totally fell in love with the 4x4 lifestyle; finding dirt wherever I could...how boring is tarmac! I began to make plans to do a big lap with my wife.
We then had the thought..."if we're gonna do this, let's go all in", and without having too many financial commitments in our early 20's, we began tossing up the idea of buying a newer vehicle for extra peace of mind when it comes to longevity and reliability. We did lots of research and landed up falling in love with the idea of living in the van that is also a 4wd beast...the Landcruiser 78 Troopy. It could only be Landcruiser...so it was really a toss up between a 200, 300, 76 or 78. (79 wouldn't suit my day to day needs). I wanted to try out solid axles for maximum off-roadability, and we chose the 78 over the 76 as it seemed more optimal for living out of. Was I wrong? (Too late!)
After making this decision I called up a bunch of dealerships enquiring about a new troopy; most just laughed. One about an hour out of town however, said, "someone just pulled out of their order and we have one on the shop floor" (without the criminal price-hike). We bought it straight away! With a rough 60% down payment and the rest on finance; we owe Toyota a lot of money. From deciding we wanted one to owning it was about 3 weeks...a crazy timeline, and our first major purchase.
So now I'm a super-stoked-sandy-seventy-series-sucker! (And have a 100 I plan on selling asap). Here she is, brand new, plans to modify will follow.
Please input, say g'day, I'm just havin' a crack!