How slow is slow? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Nov 13, 2005
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Hi guys,

Just wondering, from your experience, is it feasible to use a BJ70 for a daily driver, including the occasional highway trip? I've read that it's underpowered, but just what does that mean exactly? Can it keep up with traffic or cruise at 110 km/h for long distances? I don't want to get into aftermarket turbos or anything, so I'm trying to figure out if I could live with what comes stock.
Thanks,

Paul
 
nope, not feasable at all. I'm amazed they even DOT certified those smelly old tractors....


maybe you should take one for a test drive? or test drive a 60 , as they're basically the same. thousands daily drive them and don't complain...

as for slow....diesel rabbit with 4 fat people in it is slower. vw van full of hippies is slower.....they really aren't that bad

cheers,
ryan
 
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i got a BJ60, yeah big f**k-off wagon powered by the baby 4cyl diesel!

yeh it is slow! but i mean fourbys always gonna be slower than a car.

i just got back from a quick weekender up north! Cruiser has alloy bullbar and pto winch, there was 4 people, booze, grub, clothes and recovery gear for the 3day trip.
i was sitting pretty happily on 100-120km/h all the way. long sweeping hills sucked, usually had to drop to 4th. (only to 3rd once for particular huge hill!!)

i drive it 40-50km every weekday, and the ONLY problem i got is impatient people who sit on ya rear bumper when im working up from a standstill!! (Its a diesel, wat do ya want!?!)

personally, i know its slightly underpowered but being economical is more important till i finish studying.

well my 2 cents anyway :D
 
The 3B is never going to win races in traffic,but if they are in good condition they can be perky little motors.
It gets away nicely on flat ground but there aint much more power when you flatten it,but this is true of most na diesels except my 1HZ:D
It also gives drivers of lesser 4x4 time to check out your cruiser as they pass you:cool::D
 
LCFan said:
Hi guys,

Just wondering, from your experience, is it feasible to use a BJ70 for a daily driver, including the occasional highway trip? I've read that it's underpowered, but just what does that mean exactly? Can it keep up with traffic or cruise at 110 km/h for long distances? I don't want to get into aftermarket turbos or anything, so I'm trying to figure out if I could live with what comes stock.
Thanks,

Paul
many on the list have drivie BJ70s and yes they are fine for city driving, actually with the increased visibility of these trucks you can watch ahead for trouble and advoid it. the 3B will also perform fine on the highway. with stock tires up to 31 a NA 3B will turn these comfortable at 110. if you go bigger than 41s then i recommend the 4.11 diffs.
i have driven a 3B for decades in the 42 and the 70 series. i found it acceptable. if you have a need for speed then i suggest you stay away from the 3B but if you are a laid back driver then this unit (in good shape) will do you just fine.
 
Were locking differentials and full floating rear axles options on the BJ70, and if so, are they hard to come by?
 
If you have been driving a 65 VW bus you will like the 3b :D Otherwise you WILL want a turbo... There are just no ways to sugar coat it.

I love my NA 3B as long as I'm not going up hill or long grades...
 
I drive an 88 BJ70 90kms/day to college and back, over a mountain. I run 4.11 gearing.

The truck will cruise along at 90km/h easily in 5th gear all day long. Going up a steep hill, you downshift into 4th and maintain 80km/hr. I can't keep it at 90 climbing a hill...sad but true. In fact, if you come up behind a tractor-trailer and have to brake, you will need 3rd gear and a lot of road to get past him. I just settle in behind the big trucks and listen to the radio.

You can't be in a hurry on the highway with a 3B...you just have zero ability to accelerate in comparison to anything else on the road. Maintain your momentum, plan ahead, and you won;t have to downshift much though.

Having said this, I've never driven a vehicle with so much torque off the line, it will pull away at idle.

Finally, a turbo would really help...just a matter of money and time.
 
I believe if everyone drove a 3B the incidence of high blood pressure and heart attacks would go down. Patience is truly a virtue. Leave a little earlier, enjoy the popcorn purr from under the hood, listen to some more music like Moose does etc. As we say in Cali, I just chill with it.

That being said I've considered having a custom tire cover made to warn drivers about how slow I am, especially now that I'm running some BioDiesel. Maybe we should all get those yellow triangles they put on the back of farm vehicles down here in the states.

Mine is a daily driver when I'm not on my bike. I've owned a (4 cylinder) Porsche and I'm fine with the 42, even with the 33 in tires now. I've had it in San Francisco a couple times and there's something to be said for the compound low 1st gear and a nicely torquey engine with exceptional speed control at throttle for going down hill too...

My .02
B
 
Coming off the line up to about 30 or 40 is really fastm other then that, I usally take it easy on the old girl, people behind you can wait and they usally back off when they get a good wiff of your tail pipe, as slow as it is, I wouldn't want anything else! well other then a faster diesel LC!
 
I just upgraded to a 64 fj40, 3 on the tree. Damn thing is a race car compared to a 3b. Even my wife commented on how much pep it has. She must be used to the slowness to. It's nice to have 1 cruiser that goes 60-70 up hill. :D
 
LCFan said:
Hi guys,

I don't want to get into aftermarket turbos or anything, so I'm trying to figure out if I could live with what comes stock.
Thanks,

Paul

don't be afraid to turbo it. it really is a great choice.

with gears and a turbo, you can defiantely cruise 110 all day.

best part of a 3b is the awesome mileage it gets. I don't think anything is as good in the toyota lineup, that said, maybe there is. :)
 
i drive my BJ60 every day for work, and find it the perfect wagon for me. it carries all my survey gear and is (almost) guaranteed to get me out of the sand/clay/mud. no she's not fast, or swift from a standstill but you can't everything if you want 20+ mpg, 4x4 and a reasonable amount of space.

i second the opinion that a slow vehicle is good for the blood pressure :)
 
I daily drove my 70 for several years until I started keeping a beater as well. I took it on MANY long trips too. Just get used to cruising along on the flats at 120 km/h, then going straight for the slow lane when the road heads uphill.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. The naturally aspirated 3B doesn't sound bad at all, and actually a rugged tough simple engine that makes some nice diesel noises and keeps on chugging forever actually appeals to me quite a bit. I think I'd like it.
 
I thought if you go with 3B and 4.11 on the diff you can drive fine a 32" tires .. with time and some saving money status you can install a turbo and why not an intercooler and drive so better with 33".
 

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