The new tow truck, Trooper

[indigolemon]

Yeah, that's a fair point. Wouldn't want to damage the interior.

[jjmartin349571]

Fwiw with the laws regarding MAM being in place now, towing car transporters with an estate isn't likely to be legal. My mum's friend was recently caught towing an empty Ifor horse box from the yard to his house to using his Forester - he got points and a fine because even though unladen the trailer was within the weight of what his car could legally tow, the trailer MAM exceeded this weight and it's MAM that counts in this scenario.

If your trailer isn't plated then the MAM is determined by the load rating of the tyres.

[Thebusofwoe]

An update that's a bit pointless without pictures but an update none the less. Got the trooper finished today. I fitted a new set of injectors and injector sleeve seals on warranty from Isuzu.

15 year old truck got new parts at a cost of around £1100 from a recall amazing. Also replace the goosed thermostat (stuck open) and disconnected the shitty EGR and removed the Throttle body flap. Boy does she shift. Feels like it could pull a house down going to take it up Over Salisbury plain Sunday with a mate and his Pajero. Will get pics and Go Pro video for sure.

Also had to fix a bloody glow plug system gremlin. Turns out that no 1,2&3 glow plugs are new but the 4th is seized in and shorted out. Went throught £6 with of 50amp pal fuses before I fount the problem So cut the bus bar and bypassed no 4.

So far so good and will get more pics up soon. Cheers fellas.

[lewd lude lover]

sounds like the 3l is a handful

Props to isuzu for the recall but 15 years is a little long to find a factory fault

[Thebusofwoe]

Naa. Just a proposal to a new venture Well Isuzu knew they fitted crap injectors before a cutoff point where they modified them. Mine where we'll before the cutoff so well old. So the recall still applies to the 3.0 4jx1 engine. Amazing if I'm honest. It doesn't help that it's a catipillar design. Basically the same engine they use in plant machinery, that's what IM told us anyway. But hey, I'm starting to really love this truck

[lewd lude lover]

cant see a problem with plant machinery getting retasked to a workhorse vehicle sounds perfect.

Plenty of people buy blown engine landcruisers and put in the cummins. basically tractor heritage This seems like good practice if you want to get to there and back no matter what..

My mate shane found a hilux surf with known family friend history. Seems like a good truck also. I have yet to drive it but it feels solid as a passenger. Bit boat like in the corners I can see my normal driving style being a serious impediment to staying on the road...

[Thebusofwoe]

Yes me also. I find myself trying to drive it like a car, well that is almost impossible and rather unsafe it's a bloody truck, I have to drive it like a bloody truck

[lewd lude lover]

If you know anyone who wants a horse van give me a shout. Thats the bottleneck at the moment.

[wurlycorner]

Seriously LLL, Hilux Surfs are truly drokking awful vehicles to drive or even be in the cabin of whilst being driven! I think the only car I've enjoyed being in less than the Surf was my mate's mk1 tigra!

[lewd lude lover]

*shrug.

I found it fine. Better than the mesobitchy challenger we testdrove a few days before. Bit wallowy but it has big tyres on it.


I think you have to keep perspective on what each is built for. You wouldn't have a go at a landrover for being basic inside and riding like a waterbed on nails because its a landrover. The hilux is the same imho. Its a commercial/workhorse vehicle at its core. like the landy or the ford ranger. If you want comfort and ride you need to buy a landcruiser or a rangerover.
If you want to drop it off the top of a cliff and drive it home through the mud with 30 fenceposts in the back you buy a hilux.

The surf is just a dolled up work truck. I wouldn't expect it to be amazing. I would expect it to be solid and utilitarian. Thats exactly what I found. I wouldn't want one myself but he is very happy with his purchase. Like I say, it comes from family friends who imported it. Its on an L plate with 140k and feels like it has another 100k in it atleast.