Living in Colombia & Buying a 70 Series

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Hendricks83

Hendricks83

Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
11
Location
Pereira, Colombia
I’m a US expat living in Colombia. Owned a 100 series back home.

After doing a TON of lurking and researching the 73/74 looks like a good fit out here.

I’m going to use it for touring/overlanding... Explore the country. No heavy rocks or deep mud.

Should I avoid the carbureted models or can I live with it? Anyone done an EFI conversion?

What trim/drivetrain options should I look for?

Any local contacts I should introduce myself to?

I thought it would be smart to check in with the 70 series wizards before I pulled the trigger.
 
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I'm very jealous of you. Lived in Medellin for a brief period a decade ago and love the country dearly. To get the chance to toodle around some mountain roads in a 70 series would've been a dream. Others may have a better knowledge of the Colombian market but I'd prioritize low rust and a diesel, and if you end up in a 2-door, suspension seats if you can find them :)
 
Hello,

Most of the trucks there are gas/petrol.

Nothing wrong with carbureted trucks. From 1999 on, fuel injected engines are available.

Check for rust, shiny paint and bondo. Many trucks there have lived hard lives and sellers are eager to throw in accessories/mods to hide damage.

A magnet for bondo and a trusted mechanic are your friends.





Juan
 
Thanks fellas,

I'm still developing local contacts.

One shop that does frame-off restorations of fj40s showed me this one. They work on 70s and 80s as well. I'll be test driving it and get better pics in a week or so.

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If I were in your shoes I’d go for a FZJ73 with a 1FZ-FE. Can’t tell if that one you pictured is EFI or not. But it does have the 24valve badging indicating the 1FZ motor. Send a motor pic if you get a chance.

Colombia also got the 1FZ-F carb...no experience but efi would be ideal to me, I wouldn’t mind the carb version but I’d ensure everything is in working order as with Colombian travel you’ll see some elevation changes.

The 3F carb is common of course. Much less power.

What part of Colombia?
 
Devils Paw 80 said:
Columbia gets a lot of rainfall. I'd go for a hardtop.
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Good point. I'll be keeping it garaged and look after it, but previous owners could be another story.


cwwfj60 said:
Colombia also got the 1FZ-F carb...no experience but efi would be ideal to me, I wouldn’t mind the carb version but I’d ensure everything is in working order as with Colombian travel you’ll see some elevation changes.

What part of Colombia?
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Definitely only looking for a 1FZ. The carbureted versions here are much cheaper and more common, which expands my options for good vehicles.
Been doing research on aftermarket EFI conversions. Pretty sparce on the web, but can be done, so if I ever wanted it I can.

I'm in the Andes, most of my trips will be between Medellin (4,900'), Bogota (8,660'), and the Coffee Region (Similar Altitudes).
 
OGBeno said:
Ditto what Cody said... get the fuel injected version. Then you can install at one of @NLXTACY nice turbo systems to give you some more power at the elevations you’ll be operating.
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I know you've got considerable experience... I'm prioritizing longevity/reliability and efficiency, don't mind if it's average in the power department, is this still what you'd recommend?
 
Hendricks83 said:
I know you've got considerable experience... I'm prioritizing longevity/reliability and efficiency, don't mind if it's average in the power department, is this still what you'd recommend?
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A proper turbo system joined with a proper installation and preventative maintenance program will make the turbo an asset for durability and longevity— not a negative.

As in all aspects of vehicle care and maintenance (for the long haul), It’s all about preparation, function and goal structure.
 
OGBeno said:
A proper turbo system joined with a proper installation and preventative maintenance program will make the turbo an asset for durability and longevity— not a negative.

As in all aspects of vehicle care and maintenance (for the long haul), It’s all about preparation, function and goal structure.
Click to expand...

Question for you, Onur... Maybe more of a puzzle...

Is it possible to apply a Wits End Turbo to a carb 1fz-f to EFI with an aftermarket unit?
 
Hi H, I noticed how nice the floor mats are in that truck. If you have a moment would you mind asking where they got them and how much they are? I've got tatty floor mats in both my pickup and troopy and have not had a lot of luck in getting replacements at a reasonable price.
 
John Young said:
Hi H, I noticed how nice the floor mats are in that truck. If you have a moment would you mind asking where they got them and how much they are? I've got tatty floor mats in both my pickup and troopy and have not had a lot of luck in getting replacements at a reasonable price.
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John, have you found replacements at any price?
 
John Young said:
Hi H, I noticed how nice the floor mats are in that truck. If you have a moment would you mind asking where they got them and how much they are? I've got tatty floor mats in both my pickup and troopy and have not had a lot of luck in getting replacements at a reasonable price.
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Yeah, sure I'll ask the shop i'm talking to.
 
WarDamnEagle said:
John, have you found replacements at any price?
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I did find an 'ok' rear mat for the troopy in a salvage yard in Sharjah, but they wanted 800 AED (220 USD) for it and I thought that was ridiculous for a used piece of vinyl with a few cutouts. I then went to Dragon Mart and I can buy a 2m x 10m piece of thick vinyl flooring for 700. I've been thinking I would buy one of those and see if I can't do some tailoring myself. I just don't have a big area to lay out this sort of thing. I've just kind of delayed. And in the meantime I carried back from the US 50 pounds of Noico sound and heat insulation that I plan to put down in the floor of the troopy. The driveline is pretty annoying loud, especially in the back. Strangely, the Noico mats on Amazon US are 1/3 the price of the same item on Amazon UAE.

I've also seen some piece on partsouq and DIYtoyo but have not really pursued that. The diagrams tend to be somewhat confusing--and I'm not sure which are sound mats that you glue down and which are just ones you lay in.
 
Hendricks83 said:
Question for you, Onur... Maybe more of a puzzle...

Is it possible to apply a Wits End Turbo to a carb 1fz-f to EFI with an aftermarket unit?
Click to expand...

Hello,

One user from Australia installed a turbo on a fuel-injected 1FZ some time ago. It was a Toyota unit but I am not sure about that.

Fuel/air ratios need some fine tuning when fitting a turbo to a 1FZ engine.

Some 105 Series with 1FZ engines had superchargers fitted by TRD. That might be another option.





Juan
 
John Young said:
I did find an 'ok' rear mat for the troopy in a salvage yard in Sharjah, but they wanted 800 AED (220 USD) for it and I thought that was ridiculous for a used piece of vinyl with a few cutouts. I then went to Dragon Mart and I can buy a 2m x 10m piece of thick vinyl flooring for 700. I've been thinking I would buy one of those and see if I can't do some tailoring myself. I just don't have a big area to lay out this sort of thing. I've just kind of delayed. And in the meantime I carried back from the US 50 pounds of Noico sound and heat insulation that I plan to put down in the floor of the troopy. The driveline is pretty annoying loud, especially in the back. Strangely, the Noico mats on Amazon US are 1/3 the price of the same item on Amazon UAE.

I've also seen some piece on partsouq and DIYtoyo but have not really pursued that. The diagrams tend to be somewhat confusing--and I'm not sure which are sound mats that you glue down and which are just ones you lay in.
Click to expand...

FYI guys I have new take out rear troopy mats in stock in the US , only brown for now but hope to get gray ones in again next year.

Joe
 
The holley sniper kit would work well for adding EFI. It can handle forced induction and is tunable. You would have to make a plate adapter for the throttle body. Could use 3/4" thick plate aluminum and drill some hole in it-pretty easy. I'm thinking of becoming a expat in South or central America. How much would it cost expat to live decently in Columbia? Nothing too fancy but I'd want a garage.
 
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