Around the World in 800 Days

"Andy Smith and Emma Smart are two valiant adventurers who are planning on driving around the entire world."

Not my words - theirs - all I did was lift it off their website at www.aroundtheworldin800days.com

I've begun this thread as apparently new members on the foum can't post website URL's until they reach five posts, so basically I've done it for them.

Over to you! Andy/Emma ...

Thanks Tom, hopefully we'll be picking everyone's brains and vice versa. Always nice to meet other like minded folk.

My pleasure. Definitely a few of those on here.

Also good that it's an 'all marques' forum, so far more interesting than just a single-marque club or group. Good and bad in all vehicles, we're not blinkered enough to think otherwise.

Toyota Surf - not a bad choice, but why particularly this make & model when so many other plump for a Land Cruiser or Defender?

Is it the Surf 3.0? or the 2.4?

Jason

Don't worry, it's a 3.0L. I'm well aware of the 2.4L overheating problem. I'm also a bit paranoid about the 3.0L overheating with all the extra weight too. I've just stuck a new rad in last weekend, the oil cooler is going in this weekend and I've also got a heat extractor fan to go in the bonnet to help airflow through the rad. I've also got a digital temp gauge to go in as well, as the standard gauges are not the most accurate. The car is black too and so it soaks up the sun.

We would have loved to choose a Landcruiser but trying to find a good example in our price range was pretty much impossible. Same with the defender too.

We went for the Hilux Surf (4Runner) as they are pretty popular in Australia, the U.S, a few in the Middle East and obviously in the Far East, easy to work on, reliable(ish) and fairly cheap. We paid £2900 for ours.

We found her on ebay and it was listed as "probably the cleanest Surf in the UK". This claim is clearly questionable, but it is very clean for a 16 year old car. The fella that had it before us had it serviced every 5000miles and had the underneath waxoiled every winter and summer. All this is totally apparent when you inspect the car.

There are a few problems with using a 2nd Gen Surf though...

1) No roof gutters or rails
2) To open the tailgate you must unwind the rear window (famed for crap electrics)
3) Not a massive interior space
4) Hard to source extras like bumpers, snorkels, etc in the UK

These are all problems that we can find a solution for so no big deal really.

The Hilux Surf Forum is also a great wealth of knowledge and full of friendly people.

.....oh and...

5) Rubbish fuel consumption, but that's any 3L 4x4 with big fat tyres.

There are problems with some overheating causing cracked heads but I've not ever personally come across it. I owned 2x 2.4td 70series Landcruisers LWB both with over 250,000 miles when I bought them. One was manual the other auto, both were slow but both worked fine, The Auto was constantly in Lo Range towing a trailer, working on woodland.

As for off the shelf parts, try TJM, Ironman and Tough dog for suspension, TJM for bumpers and Asfir for skid plates. OEC International can supply most TJM stuff, tbr UK can supply asfir skid plates and west coast 4x4 can supply Iron Man suspension.

TJ

Cheers for the tips. The winch bumper is sorted, a seriously hardcore number made by a fella called Monster Truck Man in Dorset for £160, The suspension is more or less done, just need to get some airbags to level it out a little, everything else is pretty much sorted I think. Just need to find the time to do all the work. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.