New / 2nd Hand vehicle - VDJ78R GXL V8 Troopy

Bush Camping - Requires a reliable vehicle, our 1992, 80 series 

4.2 TD VX Sahara let us down again. Our annual northern safari got as

far as Coober Pedy  Final diagnosis - fuel injectors stopped attomizing the fuel, hence no fuel burn, and a sump full of diesel / diluted lube 

oil, 15 liters in the sump instead of 9.6liters

Time to upgrade with a more modern vehicle and some thing
 that will last our bush camping days. Research over many
 months / years. It was either a 200 series or a 70 series V8.

The 200 series we had a test drive in was from Alice Springs, and
was not a very pleasant experience.

 Perhaps the number plate had something to do with our experience?
This 200 series was fantastic to drive, but was stock standard - no extra's

Hence my nocturnal scouring of the web, with a fantastic vehicle
which had just been posted several hours earlier on carsales.com.au
popped-up. With an eye popping list of extra's. 0800hrs Good Friday could not come around fast enough before I rang the seller in Adelaide. Is the vehicle still for SALE? " Yep, your the 1st caller. We will be over to inspect after Easter - BUT______!

We could not wait - Saturday - between my niece's wedding and the
reception we had booked flights to Adelaide and confirmed with the
seller - Rob, he could meet us at the airport 0900hrs Sunday morning.

No, we did not get to keep the number plate!

Our 1st inspection at Adelaide airport. The vehicle is in show

 room condition, and has been set up very well, with exactly 

what we needed plus heaps more. Test drive down to West Beach and
over coffee - IT WAS A DONE DEAL!!

Not one to procrastinate and all the background checks completed the following weekend it was being driven to Port Lincoln.

We dropped by our cousin's new house in Kadina unannounced.

Well they did say drop by anytime, little did they know.

Great evening with an added bonus, the 'CROWs' won

(Aussie rule footy team - Adelaide) and meal followed - Thanks Nola & Ian

Home again with our new TROOPY - Work to be DONE!!



Here's the EXTRA'S LIST - The 70 Series come very basic thus some of the extra's you would consider standard in a 200 series. But you get what you pay for!

Factory fitted Air Conditioning
Cruise Control
Differential locks - front and rear
Air Bags - Bellow
Turbo Timer
Redarc Electronic brake controller
Electronic rust protection system
Custom made roof rack with access ladder
King - 8" steel rims
Twin battery systems plus 90Ah battery for Engle
75Ah Thumper battery pack
Eva Cool sloar panels - portable - 120watt
2 Engle 40 ltr fridge/freezer
3XP Bike rack, c/w # plate holder and light  - Rhino Rack brand
TX 3440 UHF Radio
2 hand held 6200 UHF radios
Reversing camera on vehicle and pre-wired for Caravan complete system
In-Dash - PC,DVD,MP3, Sat Na, Ozi Exploers Natmaps, wireless key board
BURY - Bluetooth hands free phone system
Shu- Roo
Body Flares
Full bullbar with side rails and full step
Black Widow drawer system x 2
Full 2" TJM lift kit with camber cast correction
Light Force - HID spot lights - these are fantastic
Super Winch 9000#
Full vehicle recovery gear with extra snatch straps
4 x 4 shovel and axe with mounting brackets for rear wheel carrier
2 Kaymar telescopic work lights mounted on wheel carriers
4 x Max Trax mats
TJM Compressor rear compatment mountwed and hard piped
54 Ltr water tank rear cab mounted & piped externaly
2 Kaymar spare wheel carriers c/w wheel and tires
Securtiy system with extra system for front wheels - towing restricted
Central locking system
Window Tinting
LED lighting 2 front cab and 2 rear cargo area
Cargo Barrier with rack
Saturn tire deflators
X-Pack - Extreme duco paint protection
3 Year extended Toyota warranty 

You could say it's a rather extensive list, with invoices for 50k,

and that's without labour cost to fit most of the extra's. We will
sort thru the extra's with some items to be sold off which are surplus
to our requirements.

Minor mod. to the cargo barrier / rear shelf to fit our outboard
motor cradle, which now fasten to the Engle fridge slide out -
works well.

Not impressed with Toyota's bumper bar internal / built in tow
hitch receiver and electrical connections to the caravan
all underneath.

Removed the Hayman Reese tow hitch from our 80 series,
and re-wired the electric's and reversing camera to be
accessable. With our crawling underneath in the mud, sand,
rocks, weeds etc.

Over the PIT! Makes it super easy to work on the vehicle,

sure beats sliding around underneath on your back.

Terry grinding off the bit's we don't need, to fit to the chassis

Bit hard to see the lathe Terry has - 102 years old

All brackets made with 10mm angle iron bolted onto the Chassi with 10.9 high tensile bolts 

which are rated at 150,000#, 8.8 high tensile 120,000# 

NOTE - all the wiring to be installed on the external side of the bumper.

Next Stop - LINCWELD -Mark Kotz

New signage - looks like it's one shed now!

Mark Kotz getting the finer points of our tinnie tosser

 modified and fitted. Great work and looks excellent. Pre-fit before it's all bolted on.

Tinnie Tosser, tow hitch & electric's installed and our 1st V8 tow back to Terry fabrication workshop. Work to be done stone guard sleeves welded back on. The stone
guard had not been removed for several years and was rusted insitu!

Our 1st off road dirt - brother Neils front paddock. Storage of new tire

recently fitted to our 80 series. Will be used on our Bushtracker.

Extra's to be considered

1. Redarc - Low Level coolant alarm - already installed
2. Scangauge -  Impressive list of real time digital gauges
3. Daviscraig - Tire pressure & Temp. monitor - ordered
4. Thermoguard - Exhaust Gas Temp. gauge (digital)
5. DPChip and 3" exhaust, Increase power & tourque

More DIY projects as we get the research done!

CHEERS!