I think you're thinking of the 110 dual cabs utes, rather than the much more common V8 County wagons.
:)
Printable View
your right.
Ron - were you talking about 120 utes??? Or 130DC defenders?
Anyway - Diana - County one-tens with 3.5V8/LT85/LT230T are common as the proverbial, and you can pick a reasonable one up for a few $k.
My county (3.9D) has 340k on the clock. The LT85 was rebuilt at 240k by Mal Story (at the PO's expense fortunately as it cost $4.5k! :eek:). I am happy with my box, and have no concerns about its strength. Not as smooth as an R380, but I have recently started using Castrol Syntrans, and after a while for it to bed in, it has improved the shifting quite a bit.
If you want to do the canning and similar trips - why not a diesel??? Personally I would never take a petrol on a trip like that.
Ben
The main use for the vehicle will be long trips with an 80" in tow so it will have a load of 2 ton behind, plus it's own weight of well over 2 ton. Therefore I don't believe the 300tdi is an option and if I stay true to marque my only other option would be a Isuzu 4bd1 or next option a 1HZ Toyota LC Diesel and transmission.
There is my dilemma true to marque means a Rover V8/trans or move to an Isuzu/Rover trans or otherwise the opposition.
As I have said, I'm not crazy about going to LR events in a Toyota powered LR.
Cheers
Diana
If Tojo IS an option, the 1HD-FTE is fantastic, will make oodles of HP with a simple chip upgrade and is quite pleasant to drive, my old man returns approx 14.5l/100klms towing a kimberely camper, last trip fuel economy was taken from, was the Canning stock route, 79 series troopy fully laden, bars, winch, drawers, twin wheel carrier, etc and kimberely would be 1 ton loaded, think the worst he's got is17l/100km
A mate in the brisbane LR club has a 130DC (300Tdi) and used to tow a 30' caravan on 34's and stock gearing. So don't necessarilt rule it out. There are a couple of people on here who tow heavy trailers with 300's regularly.
Personally I would choose a 4BD1T though. I had to tow a very heavy trailer up a small flight of stairs once (long story) - with the 4BD1's torque it felt like it wasn't there. On the highway things would slow doen a bit with a 4BD1, but a 4BD1T would keep the pace, no problem.
I know a couple of Canadian 101s that have been converted to a 3BT and 3B respectively (along with a toyo 5spd and t-case). They drive quite well (no idea what they tow like though.
22 110 V8 dual cab Utes
My Defender 300TDI dual cab ,I tow 1.5 ton of camper/van long distances with a full load of generators and motor bikes in the back and it just does it OK with a 100kph cruise speed.
The same vehicle with 2.5 tonne of boat on a four wheel trailer will pull the load but at the end of the day it struggles to do it.
On any sort of a hill it is a low range start as the TDI 300 doesnt have the torque to get the whole lot moving from stand still.
The vehicle it self handles the load well and is a good towing machine , it just lacks the low down torque spread it do it well.
I lot lower first gear would save the transfercase shifting on the move..
The 101 landy pulling the same load is better to drive engine wise as it has the deep first gear to get things moving and good torque spread,but has less overrall power and it works hard too .
I feel the 101 drive train takes the strain better.
The fuel burn between the 101 and the TDI is like chalk and cheese.
Both types of motor and drive train are not at there best with this sort of work.
A larger displacement motor is the go.
The TDI requires constant gear changes with a heavy towing load ......even going a round a corner is a gear change affair ,whisle a Landcruiser motor with the same load would just dribble around the corner in the same gear.
Ben and Rovercare
This is diesel Vs petrol is an interesting discussion.
Yes diesels are efficient, particularly turbo diesels and the Toyota LC combination is a possibility.
HOWEVER - economics is a confounding issue. I have priced a couple of Toyota LC tdi combinations and I feel I am looking for about $5-6K for the pair of engine/transmission. If I were to buy an ex-Disco/County combination I could probably get the pair for around $2-3K.
$3,000.00 is about 2,300 litres of petrol and at say 25L/100 Km which is about 9,000 Km travel or about 5,000 litres of LPG and similarly 20,000 km travel.
Then you look at a straight comparison diesel V's LPG - the figures above are about 14.7 L/100Km diesel at $1.40 L gives you $20.58/100Km while LPG at 25L/100 Km and $0.60/L gives $15.00/100Km
A petrol/LPG engine while not as efficient as the diesel is actually cheaper over the distance.
Which way would you go?????
Cheers
Diana
I hope you don't expect to get 25l/100km from a rover V8 through the Canning stock route:eek:, the problem with the petrol is the variation in economy when it gets a hard time, I'd go a diesel route if regular travel is in mind, but if its only going to do a couple of trips, then I guess the petrol will suffice