Welcome to the Ranks of the Certifiable

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:34 am

Sounds cool Red

- at least LPG in Aussie is priced right, unlike here. Was tempted to do a V8 conversion on my Cruiser a while back, but sanity/poverty preveilled, I so put in a factory turbo diesel motor instead. Fuel costs woulda been too high the other way, plus diesel is better when doing boat impersonations..........

redpaso · Post by **redpaso** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:48 am

today I pay 50c a litre for LPG while Unleaded fuel is about $1.15 & premuim (for the Paso naturally) is around $1.25 a litre. Teh Gov't here has yet to start taxing LPG but it will come & then it will be just as stupid.

Afew months ago LPG went up 5c a litre overnight @ my local service Station & when I asked the owner why as gas has not been effected the way oil has & he said it was because the truck delivering the LPG was a Deisel. :umm: I laughed at him & questioned whether that translated to an extra 5c/L @ then found a new place to buy it. It cost the same but at least I was not being spun a yarn by some guy trying to make a quick buck from me.

How much are you paying in NZ?

fasterdammit · Post by **fasterdammit** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 3:36 am

True, the newer Land Cruisers are a far cry from off-road ready. Not without a serious influx of cash to undo the lushness. I do see folks who've uprated their FJ80s and FJ100's to tackle some serious obstacles - and they've spent almost as much as a new FJ100 to do so.

I'm not sure what they're running underneath - stock - anymore; I'd guess fully independent. My '72 has leaf springs in every corner, and drum brakes all around, with two cylinders per. What a nuisance that was to replace.

As for anything new ... they're more "MALL terrain vehicle" than "ALL terrain vehicle" now. What makes me crazy are the fools who buy these things thinking AWD/4WD is going to make them better drivers and/or safer; couple that with the fact that these 4500lbs trucks ride and handle like cars - you get idiots who have no idea how to drive what they're in and it just spells disaster. I do better with my old Exploder in rear wheel drive than most of the fools w/ AWD.

I do have to tell you - I wish I had a camera, I just about peed myself - there was a character up the street last winter in a nice big Ford Expedition with 22" dubs and low profile performance tires, spinnin' the hell out of all four of 'em trying to get up the slightest grade ... while I just eased by with power at the rear tires. It has to be something miserable to coax me into 4wd, unless I'm pulling somebody out of a ditch or snowbank.

redpaso · Post by **redpaso** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 3:45 am

do you mean to say that 4wd /Awd does not make you invincible

How come they never say that in the ads on the telly, I figured they all bough tthem because it made them untouchable

I remember one of the current affair TV shows here did a survey & discovered that 94% of 4wd owners purchased them & fitted bull bars simply to intimidate other drivers with their size & road presence. No intention of ever going off road. :screwy:
some bought to tow horses & vans but only a few ever made it past a well worn dirt track.

What a waste of good engineering

I must admit that i am a bit of a fan of the old cruiser troop carrier types, they are serious vehicles

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:48 am

Gotta admit Red, that all 3 of my 4WDs have bullbars, mostly fitted because they save damage off-road, & make good places for using a Hi-lift jack when stuck........

Mind you - they are handy around town too - I don't have any issues regarding car drivers feeling intimidated, at all. Amazingly, they sorta give way when they should when a Bullbar is on the front of the other vehicle, yet - ya just sit there behind the wheel, knowing that if you'd been on the bike, ya woulda been cleaned up by them.........

:thumbdown:
Welcome to the real world, where size does matter, apparently!!!!

Red - will come back to ya on LPG price. Weasel pi$$ 91 octane is about $1.25 litre - 96 is $ 1.32 - Diesel is 86c/litre locally, but I live in the middle of nowhere - slightly cheaper in proper towns.

Faster - older Cruisers were really good - but to me - the 80 series is certainly the best of the station wagons. Most sold here & Oz, were diesel, or turbo diesel - coil springs - beam axles - solid & comfortable. Great trucks!!!

fasterdammit · Post by **fasterdammit** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:39 pm

Yeah, I get a kick out of seeing chrome bull bars and tail lens grilles. When I was wheeling my Exploder, I skipped the bullbars altogether and just Rhino-Linered my bumpers. You can bounce a rocket off that stuff. I was going to Rhino-Liner all the way around, from the trim piece down (rocker panels, wheel wells) but never got to it. That's some pretty awful stuff, that's for sure.

That's how a lot of the Jeep Wranglers look around here - lots of doo-dads that look the part to an untrained eye, but to someone who's been on a rock crawl - all I see is a bunch of pretty, busted, expensive pieces parts ...

oooh I could abuse this, speaking of rock crawlers ...

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:45 pm

Faster - no chrome on my 4WDs - belongs on 'bitumin bunny' vehicles!!! :thumbdown: :thumbdown: 'Real Steel' Bullbars are black...........

& made in Aussie by ARB!!

(At least ya have'nt depressed all us 'upside-downers' by telling us how cheap fuel is in The States........& no - I don't wanna know!!)

fasterdammit · Post by **fasterdammit** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:52 pm

Duck01 wrote:Faster - no chrome on my 4WDs - belongs on 'bitumin bunny' vehicles!!! :thumbdown: :thumbdown: 'Real Steel' Bullbars are black........... & made in Aussie by ARB!!

(At least ya have'nt depressed all us 'upside-downers' by telling us how cheap fuel is in The States........& no - I don't wanna know!!)

OH yeah, ARB is the way to go, that's for sure! I'd love a heavy ARB cow killer with a winch attachment ... oooh ahh drool ...

As for fuel ... can't do the litre/gallon conversion in my head, but our prices have been climbing lately, too. 87 is ~$2.35/gal ... 91/92 is up to ~$2.60/gal ...

Much happier filling up a bike than the truck! Even if it is every other day!

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:27 pm

Thanks for that Faster - I feel soooooo much better knowing that..works out less than half the price of our fuel.........

Probably why ya can get V8 powered lawnmowers there, while our vehicles here have 'rice-burner' motors.......

Everytime I see a Yank full-size pickup drive past me here - I get that little bit closer to needing more therapy..........I reckon they're great!!!
Had a Jeep Wagoneer, & a J20 at one stage of things...........bit big for our 4WD tracks though!!

redpaso · Post by **redpaso** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:46 am

Duck we are paying $1.25 + a litre for deisel here

can't figure that one out but glad i am not using it

I find that the size of the Patrol & presence of Bull Bar do definately make a difference to the rice burner brigade. My Bullbar is original Nissan fittment, my Maverick had an ARB I reckon it was better designed & looked great. If you want people to get out of your way buy a Volvo wagon. :ugh: I had one before my 4wd's It was a 265GLE V6. Don't hold it against me I needed something to cart the 5th little vegimite in our clan about when she was born & it was the right price & a 7 seater. It was a pretty cool car actually. I used to keep a Viking helmet with horns on the drivers headrest & would wear it sometimes as I drove about. If you want people to move out of your way a Volvo is the answer

I found that just as I drove along people would expect me to do stupid things & allow for it by getting out of my way of giving way when I did not have right of way etc. It was really funny because I had a Ducati sticker on the back window so bikers were not sure if they should kick my mirrors off or not. That was when I eralised that Volvo drivers are no different to others but the allowances people make because of the Volvo Driver Legend/Myth is the thing causing the accidents. If you want to intimidate Buy a VOLVO

I wonder if that is one for the Mythbuster guys?

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:29 am

Gee Red - Volvo car, & a BMW bike - how 'lucky' can a guy get in one lifetime.............

(Actually - we already know how lucky you've been - 5 kids..........

)

mike · Post by **mike** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:01 am

saw diesel for $2.79/gallon not too long ago. what's that, $.70/litre? still americans gripe.

however, my CAR gets better mileage than either of my bikes.

TDI POWER.

:laugh:

Duck01 · Post by **Duck01** » Thu May 19, 2005 12:35 pm

Red - did the 'unthinkable' today mate - was a bit sad really - sold my beloved Landcruiser..............

Had to watch someone else who paid lots of money for my darling, drive her away. Jeez - had that truck longer than what the marriage lasted..........

But................sometimes ya gotta move on a bit.........been for a coupla test drives in a SWB diesel Patrol like yours, but I don't think I can do it.............what with being made by Nissan & all that sorta stuff, like.....
So are going down to Skin's city for a look around a few vehicles on Saturday.............
Even had to blow the dust off the bike today - (the 200km trip was my 'therapy session'.............) Took 'The Cook' with me on the back, & the Paso had even created a few grins by the time it found the driveway again...........
Had to spend a bit of time going :neener: :neener: :neener: at Highway Patrol cars - (they are'nt fun..........)

fasterdammit · Post by **fasterdammit** » Thu May 19, 2005 1:38 pm

Duck - I've got a '72 FJ40 for sale ...

Sorry to hear about your loss all the same ... that sucks. Let us know what you replace her with!

redpaso · Post by **redpaso** » Fri May 20, 2005 2:35 am

Duck, It is always sad to lose an old friend mate, especially one that you have travelled many a mile in. I have found vehicles to be longer term friends than life partners in the past as well. I am in the process of Selling my K100RS & the inner turmoil that it is causing me is like when my dog died after 16 years of companionship. It is hard but we all move on.

As for a replacement, you wont go wrong with a Patrol, especially if you get one that has been looked after. Half of them in oz have never been in the dirt so they are pretty tidy (except for where the kids spilt the McDonalds thickshake on she seats :laugh: ) They are a solid & very relaible truck that is ussually no frills & will get you anywhere but I guess you know that.

It is always good to have an excuse to get on the bike but I think selling the car so you have to is a bit extreme don't you