Troopy questions

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The Red Camel

The Red Camel

Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Threads
82
Messages
462
Location
Ontario, Canada
What country is the best place to get a troopy rust wise.
Is it hard to change a right hand troopy into a left hand troopy.

If from germany I would not have to change it over.
From Australia I would have to.

Thanks

Im in Canada
 
Middle East?

I would think that somewhere in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia or Egypt would be your best bet from a rust perspective. Unless you speak/read Arabic, however, you'll probably find that the searching is much easier in Europe or Australia.
 
I have looked in the middle east online and can't seem to find any. That one on kijiji is a later model, Im looking for a 1980 to 1984 HJ47.

As it goes for changing it over a right hand drive to a left hand drive there must be a thread on that. I could drive a right hand troopy here in Canada just looks strange.

Anyone know any good websites in middle east,
I have looked at alot of Australian web sites.
 
I think it would be hard to do the transaction remotely from the middle east--language barriers, technology, etc. Only guy I know that used to buy them there would go and hunt them down--looking over walls or following them on the street. Pay cash, then it's yours to deal with. They aren't always rust free from there, either.

Europe I think you are more likely to find bj-45 than hj47. Easy to find in Australia. They are easy to deal with, too--all my experiences were good with sellers--products as described and trusting with money and delivery. RHD is no big deal, but if you want to convert it, I think it's pretty time consuming. I seem to remember Proffitt's Cruisers saying about $6k for them to convert one, but that was a couple years ago.

The AUD is stronger than the USD right now, so you will pay a premium for an Aussie rig.

Good luck
 
Hi Red Camel,

I think I got the answer to your question. Go to mobile.de (This is a website from Germany. Sorry don' know how to link it). Search under toyota, landcruiser model, type registration between 1980 to 1985. There you can see a couple of LHD landcruiser troopys for sale. As of today there are four choices:

1) 1982 3,900 Euros (needs a lot of work)
2) 1981 12,700 Euros
3) 1983 14,999 Euros (from the pictures it looks good)
4) 1983 22,500 Euros (looks excellent from pics)

Unfortunately the Euro is much stronger than the US dollar.
By the way, I don't have any affiliation with this website. I am Just helping a fellow mudder.
Good Luck.
 
The Red Camel said:
It seems those troopies in Europe are more money then the Australian troopies from what I can see.
Click to expand...

That's been my experience in tracking these things over the past five years or so. In very broad strokes, it seems to me that the European trucks run about 20% - 50% above what a comparable truck would cost in the US (appreciating that they are not truly *comparable* since what is available there is not available here). In Australia, they seem to run much more on par with prices in the US, shading a bit cheaper. Of course none of that pricing factors in shipping.

I think that shipping from Europe to the East Coast of the US, and from Australia to the West Coast are roughly comparable.

A few years back Marv Specter took a trip to Saudi Arabia and I think they shipped back a few containers worth of parts and maybe a truck or two. There was video on sor.com for a while, it might still be there if you poke. Pretty crazy to see them walking through a boneyard with all sorts of soft tops and Troopies.

FWIW, I bought my '83 in Oz for $3000 USD (at the time it was listed for $4000 AUD, and that was pretty close to the exchange rate at the time). It cost me about $2500 to have it moved to the port and shipped to the US. So, total cost was a bit less than $6000 USD for a truck that's no trailer queen, but had no major issues.
 
Jay is helping me out here abit and also Josh, I have many questions about these troopies. I am sick of looking around Canada for rust buckets, they use salt here in Ontario like crazy. The west coast not so bad.

I don't understand why they did not bring the troopie to Canada or USA.

Or why they don't ship the new landcruisers here..... I could also use a ute for landscaping bizzz
 
Yes, I know what you mean. Salt is very bad for a 40 Series Landcruiser. Here in the Philippines, they also did not bring troopies locally. Toyota only sold the Bj/Fj 40 (swb). The only troopies that were brought in country were service vehicles by the Philippine government, United Nations and Red Cross. They are very rare here in Manila. The last time I counted there were only 7 troopies here, all of them LHD. They are now owned by private citizens after the organizations sold it through auction. The cheapest way to bring a troopy into Canada is from Australia. They are many to choose from and they are reasonably priced. Unfortunately, they are all RHD. Don't know the laws of Canada, but here in Manila, RHD vehicles are illegal. The only hurdle of bringing a troopy into Canada from Australia.... logistics (Ex: shipping company that you can trust, paperwork, cost of shipping, etc...). But, I guess wherever you buy the troopy (Australia, Europe, Middle East, Asia), you'll probably encounter the same logistic nightmare. Advice: just do your research and take your time. Good luck on your search!
 
Why not keep the troopy right hand drive. I would never consider converting my 45 from right hand to left hand drive. The one thing you'll notice when driving a troopy which has got to weigh as much as my HJ45 with the rear cover on is that if you hit 60mph you're having a very good day. I am rarely ever in a position to where I am the one passing someone which is the only time I think having a right hand drive would be an issue. Plus just watching folks do a doubletake when they see you sitting on the other side of the truck is awesome. It will definitely be an attention getter. Best of luck with your search. I hope to add a troopy to my collection one day.
 
The Red Camel said:
It seems those troopies in Europe are more money then the Australian troopies from what I can see.
Click to expand...




He wants 12.000 Euros including a spare H Engine and some axle parts.

Not my rig!
 
mhall10407 said:
Why not keep the troopy right hand drive. I would never consider converting my 45 from right hand to left hand drive. The one thing you'll notice when driving a troopy which has got to weigh as much as my HJ45 with the rear cover on is that if you hit 60mph you're having a very good day. I am rarely ever in a position to where I am the one passing someone which is the only time I think having a right hand drive would be an issue. Plus just watching folks do a doubletake when they see you sitting on the other side of the truck is awesome. It will definitely be an attention getter. Best of luck with your search. I hope to add a troopy to my collection one day.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have to agree. Going fast in a troopy would be a problem. I had mine only up to 60 kmh here in the city. They are not built for speed. They are very heavy machines. They are designed to be a work horse: carrying people, hauling stuff and towing heavy items.
 
I was looking in south america and its funny to see the colors these guys paint there troopies, some pink, bright colors, with custom lifts and small tires, horns, everything that a troopie should not look at.

I did have a question is it me or are all the troopies down there gas, even the 1982 to 1985 's seem to be gas.
 
jay2000 said:
Yes, I have to agree. Going fast in a troopy would be a problem. I had mine only up to 60 kmh here in the city. They are not built for speed. They are very heavy machines. They are designed to be a work horse: carrying people, hauling stuff and towing heavy items.
Click to expand...

I've got a Vortec 350, 5 speed and 3:73 axles in my troopy back home in Santa Fe, and it cruises pretty comfy at 80-85 MPH. I pass folks without much worry, but I am 6'6" and can lean over to the passenger side pretty well. If I have a passenger, then they act as my eyes.

The hardest part of a RHD in a LHD country is drive-through banking and turning left across traffic when there is a large vehicle in front of you... and having people ask when the mail will arrive:)

Josh
 
The Red Camel said:
I was looking in south america and its funny to see the colors these guys paint there troopies, some pink, bright colors, with custom lifts and small tires, horns, everything that a troopie should not look at.

I did have a question is it me or are all the troopies down there gas, even the 1982 to 1985 's seem to be gas.
Click to expand...

Don't know about all of them but mine was a factory 2F with H41 and 3.70 gears.
 
HJ47 said:
I've got a Vortec 350, 5 speed and 3:73 axles in my troopy back home in Santa Fe, and it cruises pretty comfy at 80-85 MPH. I pass folks without much worry, but I am 6'6" and can lean over to the passenger side pretty well. If I have a passenger, then they act as my eyes.

The hardest part of a RHD in a LHD country is drive-through banking and turning left across traffic when there is a large vehicle in front of you... and having people ask when the mail will arrive:)

Josh
Click to expand...

Haha....That's funny. People mistaken your troopy as the mail truck. Yes putting a Vortec 350 will solve the problem your troopy of being slow. My troopy has a 2H diesel engine with a 5 speed tranny. I've never taken it out to the highway or for long distances. I always use my Toyota Hilux, it is much faster and much more comfortable. I am 5'11 and the factory seats of my troopy doesn't go back as far as I want. An acquaintance of mine also has a troopy with a 2b diesel engine and a 4 spd tranny, He says the fastest he has reached is about 120 kmh. But he says at that speed, the troopy moves a lot when the wind hits his vehicle or when a truck passes by.

Jason:)
 
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