Hilux Surf or Hilux Dual Cab

[Smithy87]

Hi i was just wondering what type of 4wd is better a Hilux Surf or a Normal Hilux? I want to find out which is better for Australian Conditions. I also want to find a Cheap 4wd maybe around the $3,500-$10,000 mark. Can anyone help me cause i really would like a 4wd as all i'm stuck with is a 84 Mitsubishi Colt 45. It would be a great help to me. Thanks

[fatboy74]

i would go the hilux there a better truck i had a 93 dual cab best truck i ever had i wish i never sold it know.

[TERRY_-_Can_Do]

You can pick up a mid eighties Landcruiser for less than $10,000 now in top cond. Back in october I picked up an 85 Landcruiser 60 series (4L. petrol) for $6,500 with 211,000 orig K's, 5mnths rego, bull bar, tow bar, alloy roof rack/cage & ladder, alloy side steps, flares, uniden am/ssb radio, kenwood tape deck, sol-ace tinted windows, Gabriel gas ryder LT shocks & that was from a dealer in south/west Sydney. The only things I've done to it is 2x new bridgestone desert duellers, a service & the other day fitted a Uniden UH077 UHF radio (it was given to me) only had to buy an aerial kit & works great.
Personally I think the landcruisers pre 1990 are a stronger truck & better suited to our conditions & spares available pretty much anywhere in this big brown land of ours.
Only 2 spots off rust on each rear guard less than the size of a 10c pce each.

[zaneg]

I own a Hilux dual cab (family meant getting rid of my single cab, another beast) and though she's a little slow off the mark I can't fault her. Been across Aus and back and not one mishap.

I've had a heap of Army buddies buyin Surf's and yes they have a few extra mod cons but 4 of them blew motors at the 170,000 mark for some reason. The one and only reason I heard, was that the Japs (Surf = grey import ???) drive them into the ground without giving them the love they need which equals one stressed out motor. When one mate went through 2 at about the same stage in life, I decided to give them a miss. If I remember correctly they were around the 95 - 97 year old mark.

This info came to me second hand so take it or leave it, just what I heard.

Regards

Zane

[waznot]

smithy, go the dual cab mate, you can still throw shit in the back and hose her out when your finished, not as flash, but less things to go wrong. i,m on my second one, 3ltr turbo diesel, absolutely wrapped. good luck shoppin around. 8)

[MTpockets]

I own a 92 2.4 turbo diesel surf and I am totally wrapped in it. I started looking for a hilux ute but the ones I saw for sale were pretty clapped out, and then I started looking for surfs and found the one I own now. I had to replace the head not long ago, but now she has a 2.8 hilux head on her, she runs perfectly.
Its not hard to get parts for them now as many wreckers carry one or 2, and most parts from 4 runners fit as well.
Its your call, but if you want some more info, go to our website dedicated to owning a toyota surf, and read the many write ups and so on from our members. Ask them a few questions, and that will help you make your mind up.
cheers
Les
FORUM : http://toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/index.php
WEBSITE : http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/

[Smithy87]

Thanks guys. Do any of you know where i could get a cheap 4wd from. I'm willing to spend $2,500-$10,000. Maybe a 90's model or late 80's model.

[TERRY_-_Can_Do]

If you go for the 3Ltr. diesel, make sure you change the oil & oil filter every 5000k's as the oil ways are a little undersize, also make sure the oil is always on the full mark on the dipstick as the #4 (rear) journal starves for oil & the bearing is prone to colapsing at the 90-95,000km mark. Wife's '99 hilux 2WD. did this. Toyota fixed it under warranty.

[brush]

Smithy , If you look a surf make sure you ask your insurance co IF they will insure an import, and sit down before they tell you the cost!!!! Cheers Brush

[MY-TopEnder]

I was in the same boat as you mate... looking at a Lux or a Surf. I had an extra $5k to you but was still torn between the ute or the wagon.

In the end it came down to the fact that there were no auto lux's out there in my price bracket. I looked at the Surfs and fell in love. I now have a 92 model the same as Les's and love the thing.

They'll go anywhere a normal hilux will offroad, and have alot more mod cons than a lux of that year. Fair enough ya can't chuck stuff in the back and hose it down when you're finished but thats easy to fix. Pull the carpet out and chuck some rubber from Clark Rubber in there... piss easy.

Parts wise i haven't had much in the way of problems.... i have an elbow thats cracked but the car still runs, the only other problem i have found through tinkering is that some of the bolts are starting to strip. I've had the lower bash plate bolts strip on me, and theres one on the air intake pipe mount thats stripped the thread. Easily fixed though.

Great cars to drive.