Prepping my 100 for an Africa-Adventure

[Swisscheese]

Hi guys

i am totally new to this forum although i have been following many of the threads for months.
let me introduce myself:
i am 26, coming from and living in switzerland, i have acquired my first car ever, which of course is a 4.2 TLC 100, 1HD-FTE, year 2003 with 160'000km on the odometer. car is stock with AHC has some exterior rough edges but seems like a sturdy car. the reason for this purchase is a planned africa-trip with my girlfriend through eastern and southern africa starting coming december.

so my task is to prep the car for the upcoming journey as good as possible. i will try not to overdo and exaggerate the mods and to keep it as functional as possible. as i mentioned, i have looked over the shoulders of many of you to get an idea, what i can and should do. nevertheless, i invite you to give your inputs where you think i should improve something or if you have an alternative idea for a task.

i will update this thread as i am moving on with the build and list stuff that i would like to do.

i have purchased the car last october and haven't done anything to it since due to my studies which keep me busy at the moment. nevertheless, i will build up the car step by step in the coming months:

- underbody rust removal and coating
- new rubber for my 275/60R18 tires
- roofbars
- rooftent
- compressor fridge
- bull bar
- replace cracked third brake light
- replace left indicator front (cracked mounting point)
- find recovery points for the front
- buy snatchstrap and further recovery gear
- install dual battery system
- upgrade my radio with an aux-port
- find a solution for navigation
- new material for lower tailgate surface
- drawer system for the back
- new air horn install

i probably will come up with more thing to do, but lets start with some pics of my 100.

Cheers

 

[Swisscheese]

Following some pics of my 100:

 

[Swisscheese]

manual 5-speed transmission, non leather interior, big overhead compartment, rear and center locking diff.

 

[Swisscheese]

underbody needs some love, the car used to be near the coast. the rust although is merely superficial, not one problematic spot. so underbody coating after removing the rust will be one of the upcoming tasks.

 

[yotasavg]

Very cool truck, following for sure. Very jealous of that combo over here...

 

[Julian Stead]

I have done a list on what is required for a Africa overland trip and I was advised to put a bigger radiator in(Africa spec), strengthen the front lower control arms and to up my tire size to 285's. I thought the diesel was dual battery anyway, I have seen a lot with two battery's.

 

[Ramathorn15]

I would kill for a 5-speed manaul 100. The 100 is actually the very first auto I've ever owned.

 

[Julian Stead]

Also noticed it's a 2003 with rear diff lock(it has a switch) and no NAV.

 

[Knox_Overland]

I would kill for a 5-speed manaul 100. The 100 is actually the very first auto I've ever owned.

I 2nd the love for the 5-speed!!

 

[chrisratz]

This sounds like the start of a great adventure! Hopefully you will do a trip report here with lots of pics.

 

[Swisscheese]

I have done a list on what is required for a Africa overland trip and I was advised to put a bigger radiator in(Africa spec), strengthen the front lower control arms and to up my tire size to 285's. I thought the diesel was dual battery anyway, I have seen a lot with two battery's.

It actually has a dual battery setup, what i would like to have is a system to separate the two batteries, one as starter battery the other one as auxiliary battery. i have looked into buying the Tmax dual battery system as described here in the forum: T-Max Dual Battery Install

as i have only a basic understanding of cars (until now), what do the lower control arms do and why do they need to be strengthened for a trip like i plan?

Also noticed it's a 2003 with rear diff lock(it has a switch) and no NAV.

i guess the NAV has been replaced, the radio is out of a Toyota familyvan as far as i know.

This sounds like the start of a great adventure! Hopefully you will do a trip report here with lots of pics.

i certainly will if i don't bother to start a blog

 

[Julian Stead]

The lower control arms are part of the front suspension and are known to be a weak link, you can buy a strengthening bracket to overcome this.

Not having NAV is good thing in my opinion as you can upgrade your system, as the NAV screen controls your heating so not easily removed.

 

[Kabanstva]

Wow....manual tranny. Lucky guy! Never had that option in the US.

 

[ponytl]

hell and all i want is the overhead console without a sunroof... the problem I see with the manual is having to give up the cup holders...

 

[txtortoise]

AHC suspension? That load may be significantly over what it will be comfortable handling, though don't know what the Euro spec is on shocks and gross payload for your truck. That said, you probably have better access to AHC specific heavy duty shocks than we do in the US. Your load list is probably close to 1000lbs without gear, but with passengers.

Do a tight list of gear and weight and see how it compares to capacity limit.

Sounds like a great trip.

 

[bwell]

Not sure what your budget is. I would focus on all the maintenance. Spare bearings/hub rebuilding items. Research ahc load capacity for your euro spec. If anything consider ditching ahc all together, and going with heavier duty stock height suspension items.

Having lived all over east Africa for a year and traveling to a few other regions of the continent at different times. I would encourage you, in the regard of availability to consider going down to 16" wheel size. 235/85r16 is much easier to access than what would be considered odd ball 18" size wheels there unless you are actually down in South Africa and or money isn't an object. Ability to plug tires on your own. Two spares.

If you can really afford it auxiliary fuel tank plus 4 more 5 gallon cans for fuel and at least 4 more for water. A self contained water purification system, then emergency back ups such as uv light systems/iodine tablets. - All as back up for when you are not able to refill with bottled water. Doxycycline for malaria is a must for prevention.

I would encourage you to reconsider a roof top tent. Pull out the second row of seats. Convert that into a locking storage, and sleeping area. Ability to chain and lock all of your fuel/water cans down to roof rack.

Above all else, especially depending on where you are crossing over from Europe or shipping the vehicle too to start your travels..... As genuinely friendly as the different demographic background of everyone you are likely to meet on your travels, don't ever trust anyone. Be careful no matter where you go. It is an amazingly beautiful place! Value of life there is not something to be compared with Europe or the US.

 

[DirtDawg]

What a clean cruiser. That is the dream cruiser for most on the forum here.

I would suggest rethinking suspension as mentioned above. The AHC system is great, but with your increased payload and the severity of African roads I would want to upgrade to a firmer, heavier-duty suspension. You will probably get into situations where you have to make evasive maneuvers and a firmer/sportier suspension able to handle your weight will help you from ruining your pants.

 

[hoser]

@Swisscheese Perhaps you've read 4x4tripping's blog/thread. If not...

Transafrica with a Land Cruiser 200 (Diesel)

 

[kusok]

I have exactly the same interrior, except for an 4 speed automatic.

My cruiser came with a factory manual and the AHC load specs are:
If loaded above 450kg, the suspension will not go into Hi mode. The total load for N mode is 600kg. These numbers are for new springs and torsion bars, so its likely lower now.

For reference mine came with 3-rd row seating, those are 70kg in total, so you can save some weight by removing them.

 

[feddomw]

I second the thought of going for 16" and then sell me your current wheels. I can pick up, depending on your location in CH.

Even for a Euro car, this is still a unicorn. Facelift HDJ, with manual transmission (!) and no nav (!) and cloth (!) interior. One of a kind for sure. Where is it from? This was never a first delivery CH 100-series.

I second the thoughts on AHC though. I love AHC and have it but it severely limits your load capacity. Consider removing the second row seats as well as the third row (which you were planning anyway because of the drawers?), for weight loss and thus more load capacity. If you remove both and it will just be the two of you, you should be able to carry a s***-ton of gear, more than enough. Many will advise against AHC though, for Africa travels, because if it fails you will have major problems.

The Dutch Landcruiser club has a PDF with more than a few useful africa tips (incl gear, spares and weight tips). I can send if wished, but it's in Dutch and you'll need to run it through Google translate.