Vehicles

Alan and Lynn Taylor’s LandCruiser

1991 GXL factory turbo diesel, 6cyl, 4.2 litre, 12 valve 1HD-T.

Purchased 2007 with 220,000km on the odo. I’m the second owner. Now has 410,000km up.

It’s had regular 5k oil changes and 10k filter changes and has been used to tow cars, excavators, screw piers, caravans and heavily loaded plant trailers for 30% of the time.

In June 2008 I installed a Fuel Mate to see if it improved fuel economy, but I’m yet to be convinced. Unladen it returns about 11.5 l / 100km and fully laden I’m hoping for about 14 l / 100km.

In July 2010 at 300,000km the engine blew due to inadequate fuel to no.6. I’d noticed an uneven rumble at 1650 revs and I should have done the injectors. The engine was rebuilt by a bloke in Sydney who does our race motors. High precision, but not hotted up; re-sleeved the bad cylinder, rebuilt the fuel pump and also installed an intercooler. This made a huge difference to the power curve, made the engine breathe and rev out 40% better.

March 2011 315,000 km, split an air bag (within rear coil springs), so bought a new set – Poly Air – brilliant.

April 2011 317,000km. New front brake rotors

August 2011 325,000km. New brake hoses all round. Car is lifted 50mm and the old hoses were original, unlengthened, so I installed longer ones.

July 2013 375,000km. Replaced alternator

Dec 2013 382,000km. Suspension major upgrade – 4 shocks, front and rear bushes

June 2014 395,000km. Fuel pump and injector recondition.

June 2014 395,000km. Replaced front axles, ball joints, front drive (tail) shaft. Parts were from “All four x 4” at Cardiff, Newcastle.

Aug 2014 398,000km. Replaced front seats with Cobra sports seats. They are like a race seat, but the back can recline and they’re very comfortable, with good head and hip restraint. Terrific for long, rough  stints.

Feb 2015 405,000km. Replaced turbo with an exchange unit for $1800. Also fitted a new clutch (cost $1000) because we changed the rear crank seal. The old clutch was only half worn but I wanted one to last at least the next year. Also fitted new BF Goodrich tyres.

Spares:

Two sets front brake pads, 1 set rears.
Top and bottom radiator hoses and clips
Two sets belts (the Cruiser has two alternator belts)
Three oil filters.
Two fuel filters (x 2) as I have two fuel filters in line. Dirty fuel is a worry in Mongolia/Russia/Kazakhstan.
Five litres engine oil, half litre brake fluid. Oil (and tyres) are readily available en route.
Set of chains for mud/snow.
One spare wheel/tyre. Barry’s Ranger has the same bolt pattern, so in an emergency we’ll still get by, but tyres are available all along our route.

Barry and Donna’s Ford Ranger

Purchased the car new in Sept 2007. It’s a 3-litre common rail diesel and we’ve put 222,000km on it, about 50,000km towing a 21′ Jayco van all around Australia.

In 2010 I built a lockable fibreglass canopy on the back and bought an Up Top rooftop camper and mounted that on the canopy. We did the Simpson Desert using the rooftop camper as our accommodation and it’s perfect.

Work on the Ranger for the trip includes: installing a bull bar, an aluminium tool box on the rear bumper area and fitting two 50 litre water tanks in the canopy area.

Storage is a set of 1200m x 300mm x 350mm wide drawers I built from  NEMA Board (brilliant stuff) which has clothes in one (90% for Donna, 10% for me). The other drawer has food, cooking gear, plates cups pots pans etc.

Other additions are: A Glind brand in-car shower for hot showers when travelling; LED lighting in the rear canopy area; brackets to carry a table and three chairs; a 3m x 2.5m rear awning on four poles and ropes; four new all terrain Mac tyres; one spare tyre on standard Ranger rim plus one tyre and spare tube.

Where the back seat was is now a Companion fridge and a Porsche 944 bucket seat for our guides through China and Iran.

I also fitted an aluminium roof rack over the cab and mounted an 80 watt solar panel system, tilted to deflect air over the rooftop tent.

There’s also four plastic containers, 650 x 350 x 330mm to carry more clothes (for Donna) as well as a medical kit and medications, games etc.

Other important additions were heavy duty leaf springs and all new shock absorbers, along with new drive shafts and drive boots and a long range fuel tank (121 litres). We’re also carrying two spare jerry cans, giving us 161 litre capacity.

Tools and spares is a long list, but not as long as it could have been! There’s a roll of open end and ring spanners, a Makita battery drill, charger and spare battery, small tools like screwdrivers and pliers, spare fan belts, two standard fuel filters, two fuel filters for the extra in-line filter, two oil filters, one air filter, 10 litres engine oil, a small shovel for bogs (human and car), drills and drivers and an assortment of hex screws, cable ties, nuts, bolts etc.