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Hi- need some advice miles vs price please

trektheandes

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Mar 26, 2017
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peru
Hi there, I am English but live in Peru, - looking for a Land Cruiser to use as a daily drive ( 25km each way) and for bigger overland trips to explore more of the continent, three of us, myself and my two daughters.

Need something with power for the hills as altitude is a factor- live at 3000 metres and have to cross 4500 metres to get to coast or jungle so engines are often going to be at less than full power. Also to have the power/ speed to avoid kamikaze drivers wanting to overtake all the time.

Below is an overview and links to some options available in Peru- but unsure of the value of low mileage/higher buy price vs high mileage/ lower buy price. At what mileage do you need to start shelling out thousands in replacing parts?

Almost all Land cruisers here are petrol. Troopy´s are very rare. Loads of Prados but I want more internal space and do not like how they look.

Two questions basically:
1.The Troopy price would be a real stretch for me- so want to know is it worth 8 grand more than the 105 , which only has 50,000 miles more. How much does 50,000 miles wear and tear equate to in terms of having to replace parts sooner.

2. Is the Troopy much slower or more fuel hungry than the 105- both have the 1FZ engine, yet I have read the troopy is slow and the 105 is very powerful.

I would certainly appreciate the extra space of the troopy to convert into a camper, just a real stretch on the budget short term. And do not want to be struggling up the big mountain passes ( been there done that in the 1977 VW Westfalia I currently drive).

Any advice would be great. Thanks so much.

Mark
 
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Miles is not an issue for a cruiser age is the enemy , they never fail but rubber gets tired so eventually seals and bushes will need replaced .

So for me it would be between the Troopy and the 105 with the Troopy leading by a considerable distance because that's a very cheap brand new car with forecourt mileage !
 
I'm with Shayne on this one, but I'm not familiar with any of the petrol engines and I'm not familiar with the climate in Peru either.

Seems I don't know much about anything :lol:

As Shayne said, mileage isn't the enemy, but age is. If the old 60 is in fair condition, does that mean you don't have too many issues with rust in Peru?

I can't see any of them giving you a bill for thousands, the worst you'll likely have if you're unlucky is a head gasket failure on an high mileage petrol.

I'm envious of you having a 105 on your list, though.

Good luck with the search.

BTW, I almost forgot, welcome to the forum. :icon-biggrin:
 
Thank you both. Climate- we have everything. Where I am is very dry due to altitude. Where the cars are is on the coast , but if you are not parking it right by the sea rust is really not bad, as the whole coast of Peru is basically desert so hardly any rain. Other parts you have jungle and humidity.

A diesel 1 HZ Troopy just popped up today too, 11,000US, a 2002 ex rental car so probably fairly high mileage but a considerable price saving. Feel it may be very underpowered for the mountains here though.
 
A 1HZ will feel like a slug compared with the petrols. There's loads of torque, so you'll get up any hill, but it won't be quick about it.

You could have a turbo fitted, but it's not designed for one and may give problems if fitted by someone not taking care to set it up properly.

Then you'd enter thousands territory, for sure :eusa-naughty:

On the pro side, a looked after 1HZ will go close to a million km, I recon, mines close to 400k km now and feels almost run-in. :lol:

All JMHO of course.
 
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I would think a low pressure turbo would help massively as it would simply be making up for lost air at altitude so that may well be a good suggestion from Clive there. Most people here would go for the 80 or 105 but these are big trucks. Mileage on most is not the worry, whereas simplicity and reliability mean a cruiser without too many electronic bits is most sought after.
Troopies seem to be favoured the world over. The 60 is well beyond support from Toyota, here anyway, and the 80 is beginning to come up with parts not available, hence age is a factor.
The newest least molested (most original) truck with least gadgets will serve you well if looked after but factor in the possibility of bringing it to a good mechanical condition (baselining) before you use it hard so you know all is good. So the one with most service history is often going to minimise the work in this respect. Rental trucks will have been abused but may have been well maintained, don't know in Peru. It's easier and safer to add extra fuel capacity with a diesel, though fuel quality may be something to factor into your choice. The diesels start first time, every time on half a turn of the key from -10 to +40 and beyond.

Good luck with your search. Simplest advice, get the best one you can afford but don't let mileage put you off.

Welcome to the forum BTW.

Rich
 
Turbo is a good shout for altitude i reckon and i would have thought , though i don't know , diesel having a huge tolerance for a poor fuel air ratio might be better for sea level to high altitude driving . You won't stop an old school diesel by blocking half the air filter it will just it will just fire out dirty exhaust an keep on going .

Something to investigate maybe .
 
Thanks people, one more question- does a Troopy work well as a 3 person camper, or are is it really only with two people where it shines? Not seen any good 3 person examples on the web, it all seems for just two.

Added some links to the original list of choices in case anyone fancies a look. Thanks again.

I like the 80 ad, one careful owner, honest...
 
Thanks. The diesel Troopy just sold so one less to worry about. Yes the 80 ad is very much like the message I got from the 60 owner, very Arthur Daley.

Just found this video of the actual 105 that is for sale climbing a huge sand dune. Spoke to the owner last night, he clearly loves his car, a real enthusiast, so will I think have been very well cared for.

Question- the Troopy and the 105 has the same 1FZ-ZE engine. Will they therefore be as fast, powerful as each other, and have the same fuel economy. Or will the 105 perform better ( aside from being more comfortable)?

The Troopy is what I would buy if they were the same price, for the extra space for camping- but still umming and ahhing about spending that much. Road distances are huge here ( it is 8 hours drive to the nearest city bigger than me with not a lot inbetween. Two days drive to the next biggest one after that. So a bit of on road speed helps you get away more when time is short.

By the way, am I correct in assuming that the Troopy has much more internal space than the 105 ( need to have seating for three total, so space that is left after that.

Thanks again
 
Tread carefully with ex-mining stuff. Many have had an extremely hard life - not big miles, but stop start driving in shite conditions. I'm aware that some of the SA mines vehicles are essentially wrecked after 4-5 years, irrespective of mileage.
 
I bought the 105. There was just something about it. The Troopy although it did look mint, I just did not trust the dealers selling it. Whereas the 105 owner came across as a top trustworthy person and I have mates that vouched for him. Makes a difference. Plus the 105 was vastly more comfortable which is a big factor for a daily drive ( as will not only be used for trips away). Thanks for all your help. Will put some pics up in the next few days on the 105 thread, got a couple of days driving in the dunes with the previous owner and a group of others tomorrow, then 1000km back home through the mountains. Should be a nice test drive.
 
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Huh,

Owning a 105, imagine, not envious at all....










It's pure jealousy...... :sick:

Well done :thumbup:
 
Great news. Well done. Can't wait to see those photos.
Don't forget to hose all that sand off before grinding it into the seals for a 1000 km. :icon-biggrin:
 
Sorry for the delay, been too busy driving everywhere and enjoying the car. After an amazing weekend in the dunes ( photo is of two of the other cars in the party following , just to give an idea of the scale of the place) before we the 1000km back home went beautifully.

Then this weekend we took it to the jungle, over a 4700m pass, a round trip of about another 1000km which it cruised. Really impressed with the engine braking, both in the dunes and down windy mountain passes.

Loving it so far. A real pleasure to drive and was hugely impressed at what it could do in the dunes.

IMG_2985.JPG IMG_3012.JPG View attachment 125868 sand.jpg
 
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Hey, a result, glad you're enjoying Mark! :thumbup:
 
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