quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scriptus:
the old girl is twenty-one years old this year.

Just a youngster mate! - Wait till she's thirty one years old like my baby!



Yup! She is a beauty. The type of pretty girl that has not been anywhere bad. No rough dirt roads, horrible thorn bushes to scratch her pretty paint and chrome work. I seem to recall that she spends a lot of time on blocks waiting for spare parts from across the pond. Is that the bucket to catch the oil leaks.

Now this is a no frills hard working gal. Note; good headlights and spots fitted with cool blues and even fogs and even fitted with a grass seed catcher.

Damn but you can be so hurtful sometimes...... and you surely got me on the spares situation!

The old girl used to make it Botswana every year and then udergo a rigorous polishing regime at the hands of my Roger-o-matic when she got home but she doesn't get quite so much exercise nowadays I'm glad to say.

As for the gearbox oil leak.... All I can say is I like to do my bit for the world economy by keeping the demand for oil nice and high!

Oh and it might not have hit your neck of the woods yet but up here, we've discovered a product called paint...... it'd look a treat on that old bull bar of yours mate!

Hurt?? Geez, what about you? Showing off that fancy floozy, showing off all her chrome. Really hurt my old girl's feelings, and she doesn't even have an oil leak yet. As for that really hurtful comment about paint on the bull bars, just see how long your fancy paint lasts driving through sweetthorn and the like.

That's not chrome mate...... that's all cast and polished duralium (similar to aluminium but stronger) .... and I kid you not!

Takes a lot of effort (on Roger's part ) to keep her looking that pretty!

Have you tried Hammerite on the bullbar? - It's helluva tough once cured properly.

The PH can make me walk all day if he wants to..Once I am on the ground, I`LL have a rifle in my hand and be hunting.

These days, he can only make me walk about three hours out and then have a porter to tote my rifle back to bakkie

quote:

Originally posted by Karl S:
Matt, the Cruisers that we can get in Southern Africa, has that shitty gearbox... About the only bad thing you can say about them.
The 5th gear is an overdrive, and a sure way to bugger it up, is by towing anything heavier tahn a Venter trailer, or loading anything heavier tahn around 500kg on the back, and then drive it in fith gear...

OK - thanks mate. If I understand things correctly the shitty gearbox on the 79 series is the same as the one on the Hilux... too light for the job and problem exacerbated by turbo'ing it. Toyota Australia has had hundres, maybe thousands of those gearboxes come back destroyed with only 100,000km on the clock.

I believe that the newer (V8) 70 series that we have here has a bigger (different) gearbox on it but I will confirm that for you. Not that it matters - you guys really need to find a way to import them from AU or direct from Japan... there must be a way to do it?? Surely one of the African countries will allow it without ridiculous taxes?? Call me naive if you like!!!

Trust you have a good season Karl - take care!!
MG

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by Karl S:
Matt, the Cruisers that we can get in Southern Africa, has that shitty gearbox... About the only bad thing you can say about them.
The 5th gear is an overdrive, and a sure way to bugger it up, is by towing anything heavier tahn a Venter trailer, or loading anything heavier tahn around 500kg on the back, and then drive it in fith gear...

OK - thanks mate. If I understand things correctly the shitty gearbox on the 79 series is the same as the one on the Hilux... too light for the job and problem exacerbated by turbo'ing it. Toyota Australia has had hundres, maybe thousands of those gearboxes come back destroyed with only 100,000km on the clock.

I believe that the newer (V8) 70 series that we have here has a bigger (different) gearbox on it but I will confirm that for you. Not that it matters - you guys really need to find a way to import them from AU or direct from Japan... there must be a way to do it?? Surely one of the African countries will allow it without ridiculous taxes?? Call me naive if you like!!!

Trust you have a good season Karl - take care!!
MG

Matt, there is a dealer in Gobabis, Namibia that import them from Aussie, and when I replaced my one Cruiser 2 years ago, I was looking real hard at them, but at a landed price of around US$ 100 000, I stuck to the "local" one...

Matt - Have to disagree on th FJ Cruiser. I have one and it"s far and away the best,stock, production off road vehicle here in the USA. Simply eats up Jeeps, Land Rovers, pickup trucks, etc. It's not a Land Cruiser like you all have but tops over here,

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

,

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Depends which Landcruiser you mean guys - I suspect you are all talking about different vehicles... these are the models available in Australia - all V8's (except the bottom one - FJ Cruiser) - but with all vastly different running gear. The first one os my favourite!! I believe they are also going to bring the Tundra out here soon too - if not already here...

Wagon


Utility - hunting rig!!



200 series - expensive junk.


FJ Cruiser - pure junk

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
Matt - Have to disagree on th FJ Cruiser. I have one and it"s far and away the best,stock, production off road vehicle here in the USA. Simply eats up Jeeps, Land Rovers, pickup trucks, etc. It's not a Land Cruiser like you all have but tops over here,

Yeah mate, maybe it is better than some of those other vehicles... wouldnt surprise me in the least!! Pretty much everything I see in the USA though just wont take any kind of punishment though...

quote:

Originally posted by Karl S:

Matt, there is a dealer in Gobabis, Namibia that import them from Aussie, and when I replaced my one Cruiser 2 years ago, I was looking real hard at them, but at a landed price of around US$ 100 000, I stuck to the "local" one...

Confirmed that the new 70 series V8 has a stronger gearbox than the 79. The big problem I see Karl is that even if you do get them, who is going to be able to do proper maintenence when the damn thing breaks down, even here I am reluctant to buy one as if it has a problem the whole thing shuts down and the nearest repairer (where we are hunting) may be many hundreds of kilometers away. Chances are the vehicle will just shut down too if there is any engine problems - so you wont even be able to drive it.

The solution as I see it is to buy the much older HZJ75 series (roughly 1992-1998) and have them rebuilt from the ground up. No they do not have coil springs and yes they are old and yes it will cost a lot but they are the only one that is easy to service as well as being strong enough for serious bush work in all respects. And there are THOUSANDS of them here!! I have seen some immaculate ones, completely rebuilt for around $30k. It might sound like a lot for an old vehicle but they are perfect for bush work. You can also make all kinds of suspension mod's and turbo if you like too.... that is what I will be doing, buying those older vehicles and having them rebuilt.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
You mean like from the airport?

Uh oh.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
You mean like from the airport?

Uh oh.

Read the small print on the back of the contract.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
You mean like from the airport?

Uh oh.

Read the small print on the back of the contract.

I guess it's a good thing I'm arriving a day early.

An Afrikaner friend once told me as we were looking at the Indian Ocean together, "The Brits sailed away, shaking their fist and saying we will get even. Sure enought they did---they sent the Land Rover!"

Land rovers...ahem.... Just for you..Steve "S"

http://swimming-in-india.blogs...-old-land-rover.html

http://www.theindiatube.com/tr...d-rovers-of-sandakfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...re=player_detailpage

It's never over in a Rover...... The best 4x4xFAR.

I know they go wrong but they're so easy to fix and I still think they're a bloody comfortable ride and when it comes to the really tough stuff, the best offroad.

And more importantly, they always put a big smile on my face just to see them.

Thanks for that buddy!

Bitch!

just 31 years old..l mine is older than yours by over twenty years.
<a href="http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/hunterkbd/?action=view&current=DSC01286.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/hunterkbd/DSC01286.jpg" border="0" alt="53 chevy panel"></a>

lets try that one again

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
It's never over in a Rover...... The best 4x4xFAR.

I know they go wrong but they're so easy to fix and I still think they're a bloody comfortable ride and when it comes to the really tough stuff, the best offroad.

And more importantly, they always put a big smile on my face just to see them.

That is just blind Angophillia!! The best offroad... hehe - you've got to be kidding??

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
It's never over in a Rover...... The best 4x4xFAR.

I know they go wrong but they're so easy to fix and I still think they're a bloody comfortable ride and when it comes to the really tough stuff, the best offroad.

And more importantly, they always put a big smile on my face just to see them.

That is just blind Angophillia!! The best offroad... hehe - you've got to be kidding??

Easy to fix?

It was designed by some Neanderthal from Birmingham and put together by a team of midgets.

I have had to bend spanners to get into the recesses of the Land rover.

" the best off road" is quite correct, on account that they spend more time in the repair shop than on the road.

Kevin, that is a pretty Chevy, but it won't beat a Toyota in the bush.

I actually reckon the ideal vehicle would be a Land Rover with a Toyota diesel engine in it..... now that would be bloody good!

Kevin,

A great truck..... can we some more pics please?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shakari:
I actually reckon the ideal vehicle would be a Land Rover with a Toyota diesel engine in it..... now that would be bloody good!

I drove a Landrover fitted with a Nissan straight 6 diesel, for a tourist / game drive setup. Driving up a rather steep hill with ten German tourists on the back and the bloody drive shaft snaps right at the diff. No problem, pull the emergency brake. UH OH!! BIG PROBLEM. The brake works on a yoke around the drive shaft. Both feet on the brake pedal, OH SH*TE!! The wheels just drift over the rocks and ground. Only thing to do is to swing the wheel over right and not too hard as the bloody thing will tip over. When the 'rover stops, screaming German tourists beat the driver with handbags, fists and hats, all happy to be uninjured and alive. Only one old chap shakes my hand and says "very good."
Landrover, no friggen ways.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
I drove a Landrover fitted with a Nissan straight 6 diesel, for a tourist / game drive setup. Driving up a rather steep hill with ten German tourists on the back and the bloody drive shaft snaps right at the diff. No problem, pull the emergency brake. UH OH!! BIG PROBLEM. The brake works on a yoke around the drive shaft. Both feet on the brake pedal, OH SH*TE!! The wheels just drift over the rocks and ground. Only thing to do is to swing the wheel over right and not too hard as the bloody thing will tip over. When the 'rover stops, screaming German tourists beat the driver with handbags, fists and hats, all happy to be uninjured and alive. Only one old chap shakes my hand and says "very good."
Landrover, no friggen ways.

Hmmm...... do you think that might possibly have something to do with the fact that the weight of all that steelwork and seats on the back of the Land Rover plus the weight of 10 bloody great German tourists with all that camera kit etc plus probably a coolbox or two full of booze and you at the wheel just might have put the vehicle at least a tad over the recommended load for a Land Rover mate?

Bearing in mind the Landy has not only survived but been hugely successful on both the civilian and military market and used in every environment imaginable for many decades, it must have something going for it huh!

dam wish I could have seen all those smiling face's when they did not die ans see them thank the drives so enthusiastically ohh sorry you said they where germans they would have to finish there beer before thanking you

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

Bearing in mind the Landy has not only survived but been hugely successful on both the civilian and military market and used in every environment imaginable for many decades, it must have something going for it huh!

Oh Yeah!! Next time you watch the news, just keep an eye on what vehicles damn near every terrorist organisation in Africa is using. You will never see a Landy. I think you might find that they could have found something out, like reliability.
A question? What other vehicle has a drive shaft machined down to less than 20% of its diameter just before the differential allowing for a potential stress break.
What did the SAS use in the Western Desert and France in WW2.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

Bearing in mind the Landy has not only survived but been hugely successful on both the civilian and military market and used in every environment imaginable for many decades, it must have something going for it huh!

Oh Yeah!! Next time you watch the news, just keep an eye on what vehicles damn near every terrorist organisation in Africa is using. You will never see a Landy. I think you might find that they could have found something out, like reliability.
What did the SAS use in the Western Desert and France in WW2.

Mate, they used whatever they could beg, borrow or steal but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that since then they've used no end of Landies.

I'm not suggesting they're the perfect vehicle but I do reckon they take a lot of beating in many situations...... Ask Hooker how the Landrover coped when we were following the Toyota in Uganda for example. The Toyota was slipping all over the place but the Landy just waltzed through.... hell, I didn't even have to use the diff lock and didn't lose traction once.

JEEPS!!
Waltzing- slipping from side to side.

ya the running gear and suspention on the landy is great but the rest if fooked rover rides great smooth easy. cruiser gets you there every time on time

jeeps just sink and get it over with fast!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
JEEPS!!
Waltzing- slipping from side to side.

Hey, you're talking to a Jeep fan and owner but there's plenty of evidence of them using Landies as soon as they were invented in 48 my friend.

The (old) Artists's Rifles Club at Bisley used to full of pics of old Landies on Regiment operations from just after WWII onwards. They have a new clubhouse now and I don't know what that one is like but I'm told it's a lot more civilised..... bloody shame really. I used to enjoy that old club.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scriptus:
JEEPS!!
Waltzing- slipping from side to side.

Hey, you're talking to a Jeep fan and owner but there's plenty of evidence of them using Landies as soon as they were invented in 48 my friend.

WW2 ended in 1945

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

Hey, you're talking to a Jeep fan and owner but there's plenty of evidence of them using Landies as soon as they were invented in 48 my friend.

WW2 ended in 1945

I know it did mate but the Land Rover wasn't designed/made (by Maurice Wilks) until 1948.

Legend has it that he was inspired to design the vehicle because his Jeep kept breaking down and he was battling to get spares, (which sounds familiar) and that the first drawings and body shape were originally drawn in the sand.

As soon as the Landies were invented, the British military, including the Regiment used them...... before that, it was either the 3 ton Bedford or whatever they could nick from the Yanks!

another legend has it that the very first SAS Jeep was stolen from an American General who parked it outside a hotel and Stirling had his blokes whip it for their first mission..... don't know how true that is though.

The reason the panels were aluminium was that the Brits had a surplus of it from old WWII aircraft etc and steel was in very short supply.

Jeeps

SSR

I've gotta say that a vehicle I reckon was greatly underrated was the old Austin Champ.