Trucks and cars

[Morrolan]

i just had a bit of a ponder recently and i realised i really miss my Landcruiser Prado... in over 35 years and i don't know how many different cars, still the only car i actually miss.

should we ever go back to Australia i'll immediately buy one again.

[FZR1KG]

There is no, "should" here. Just saying.

[geonuc]

The Prado appears to be currently selling as the Lexus SUV line here in the US. In my opinion, an over-priced albeit superior quality SUV that prefers pavement. I'd go with the Toyota 4runner trail version or the upcoming Toyota TRD Pro version (which I saw at the recent auto show here).

http://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/trdpro.html

That's if you want off road capability. If you're after a high end SUV, I suppose the Prado/Lexus vehicle is as good a choice as any.

[FZR1KG]

I disagree geonuc.
The Prado for example has a turbo charged diesel and different suspension and running gear.
Turbo diesels pump out far more low end torque than even the big V8's so the clutch is upgraded, the gearbox is upgraded, the differential is upgraded and has to be re-geared for the lower rpm range, the suspension is upgraded due to the additional weight of the diesel. It has long range tanks fitted as well.
As soon as you change the engine and running gear it's no longer the same vehicle imho.
Like taking the guts out of an old XT computer and fitting it with a modern motherboard and graphics card. it's no longer an XT and comparing it to one other than external looks is not being just.

The same thing with the Mazda B2500/Ford Ranger in the USA vs the Ford Courier in Australia.
It's the same chassis as the Ranger, but like the Prado it has a turbo diesel engine option, the gearbox, clutch, transfer case, differential and suspension are all changed from the petrol version. I wouldn't touch the Ranger but own and love the Courier. It's designed for far more serious work.

In Australia you can get the petrol or the diesel but when you get the diesel the price almost doubles depending on the vehicle. Australia is the only country they do this as far as I'm aware. The Australian HiLux for example is completely different to the US one because of these changes.

Looks wise however they are very similar. Performance and reliability wise they are completely different beasts.

[Morrolan]

yes, the Prado in the diesel version is a pure off-road workhorse, or at least can be used as one. also, my version still had a good, old-fashioned ladder chassis and leaf springs, 180 litre long range tanks, double batteries, steel rims (they don't shatter like alloy). i've used Toyota Troop carriers in some pretty remote locations in some tough terrain and i would without any doubts use a Prado in the same circumstances.

a very powerful and versatile offroader.

[Morrolan]

i had a bit of a read, but the Prado, 4Runner and Fortuner all occupy the same niche in different geographical locations. the 4Runner is typical for North America, the Fortuner for Thailand and other SE Asian countries and the Prado is Australasia.

allegedly you can only get all 3 in Panama and a few other countries in Central America.

[geonuc]

In the back of my mind, I thought that might be the case. I had a hard time thinking you guys would be advocating a cushy Lexus.

It's actually hard buying a reasonably priced, quality offroad vehicle in the US. My '98 Pathfinder is getting a little long in the tooth but the major manufacturers don't seem to have a market for it anymore. The new Pathfinder is not at all something I want. Same with the standard 4Runner. The previous 4Runner Trail version was acceptable, if pricey.

Everyone (except me) in the US seems to want a Jeep Wrangler.

[FZR1KG]

it's kind of funny that you mentioned a forerunner.
In Oz they are not considered a real 4WD. It's like a young persons fun car.
Load you surfboards up etc.
Not, pull out your block and tackle and winch etc.
Oddly my car is also not considered a real 4WD by some but these are usually ignorant wankers rather than 4wd'ers who claim anything other than their heavily modified Landcruiser is a toy. Though having worked on a Forerunner I think its not a real 4WD. Even the diesel was a screwup. They used independent suspension on the front instead of a live axle and used bushes instead of bearings in the front diff. Weak bushes. They failed early.

The cars to get in OZ are almost anything diesel. It's a rare exception that when a 4WD is put out in diesel that it isn't stacked for off roading.
Almost all have manual gearboxes. The ones with auto's are rare and need to be specifically ordered. The auto's are also a lot more reliable now and many can be locked manually so you can pull start.

Top well known cars are: Landcruiser, Patrol, Hilux, Triton.
The less well known are the older couriers, and some specialty vehicles made for off road.
Landrovers, Rangeovers I leave off the list as they were once really good but it's been a few decades since they made a car that most Ozzies would trust in the bush.

The Ford F100 series are no good. Been there done that. They can't take the punishment and fall apart. Even the old ones. The new ones are worse.

Unlike the USA the goal is not to have a big 4WD truck. It's to have a long range reliable medium vehicle or small vehicle. Our distances are long and many tracks are extremely narrow.

[Morrolan]

it's kind of funny that you mentioned a forerunner.
In Oz they are not considered a real 4WD. It's like a young persons fun car.
Load you surfboards up etc.

that's because in Oz the 4Runner is a different vehicle. same difference as with the Prado in the U.S. According to the literature they occupy the same niche only in their respective regions. Outside of that i reckon everything but the body is different. Chassis, suspension, gear box, you name it.

interesting concept, really, and i wonfder if, from a manufacturing perspective, it is really efficient, even when taking into account that they are all manufatured elsewhere.
it'd be ineresting to know whether Toyota has gone so far as to use the same ladder for all three of the models in the regions where they are supposed to be real off-roaders. that at least would show some standardisation.

[cid]

And yet another one bites the dust...

[cid]

Some news items of recent...

BMW to begin restoring Elvis's classic 507 roadster

Light plane hits truck while landing on public road

You have NO idea how often I've wanted to do this...

This may be taking the concept of a tribute just a skosh too far...

[cid]

Sinclair Community College
(as cm refers to it, fashionable) Dayton OH
second floor, parking garage



...check the plate...s'funny...didn't see anyone in a kaffiyeh ambling the halls...

[SciFiFisher]

Sinclair Community College
(as cm refers to it, fashionable) Dayton OH
second floor, parking garage


...check the plate...s'funny...didn't see anyone in a kaffiyeh ambling the halls...

They are probably westernized and dressed in jeans and a button down shirt.

[geonuc]

I have a friend currently working in Dubai. He keeps posting photos on Facebook showing all the awesome things they have (the Dubai folk, not him), such as Ferraris.

[cid]

...oh my...Mom mighta sold the comic books, but she missed this...

[Thumper]

Just about my favorite Ford.

[geonuc]

Just about my favorite Ford.

Just about ...

[Thumper]

Loved the '69-'73 Mustangs
and the '67-'69 Camaros
Especially the "fancy" ones.

[cid]

From years gone by on the Pro Rally trail, various iterations of
Don Rathgeber's "Hairy Canary" Mustang rally car..

[geonuc]

I've never owned a Ford, although I almost bought a Mustang GT this year. It came in second to a Subaru BRZ.

Chevy, Dodge, Chrysler - I've had at least one of each. (Also Toyota, Datsun, Nissan, Audi, Honda, and Subaru).

[Thumper]

Never owned a Ford either. But several of my work trucks have been amazing Fords. Dad was a Chevy man and I still have my first GMC truck. But I love Hondas and Dad drives a Chrysler minivan these days. So, whatever..Those Stangs were and always will be...Awesome.

[pumpkinpi]

For some reason, Mustang has always been my favorite sports car......♫♪♪♫♪♫

[cid]

The local stations have taken to putting on some additional digital channels (which I can receive over the air!!)
running old movies and vintage TV shows.
They're showing "Route 66" at about 0-dark-30 every morning...ahh, to be young, footloose, fancy free, and wealthy enough
to go hoboing it around the country in a Corvette...

Anyway, the boyos find themselves on the East Coast working at a boatwright's shop building luxoschooners.
Things progress as they usually do (the episode is titled "Once to Every Man"),
and there's a surprise. Tod'n'Buzz drive a '61 'Vette -- but what's this? The poor little rich girl in the show pulls up in the boatyard's
parking lot...and she's driving the XP-755 Mako Shark Corvette prototype...

Check it out...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mako_Shark_(concept_car)
http://www.corvettes.nl/gm_prototypes/xp755/

...wow...