Help Needed with Troop Carriers

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

I'm after a little advice about Troop Carriers. A long time mate of mine has decided to buy one and head off into the blue yonder with it for a few years. Yep... a few years. :shock:

He's currently looking at a 78 series with 310,000k's on the clock for around 20 grand. It's been fitted out with stove and bed etc which has him all excited about it. He's asked me to go and have a look at it with him.

With a little research, I note you can get Troopies for around the 20 - 25k mark with more like 150,000k on the clock which seems about right to me.

I know Troop Carriers are built extremely tough, but 300,000k will surely be the "first life" of the vehicle over won't it? Surely for any more serious work you'd need to be thinking gearbox rebuild, suspension replacement etc etc. Wouldn't you? I have read that Troopies will reach 400,000k without issue but you're talking 1 experienced owner in those cases who've looked after the vehicle all it's life. Something with 300,000 on the clock in the 2nd hand market gives me serious doubts. Highly modded for camping or not.

Can anyone point me in the direction on some good articles about Troopies and what to look out for as they age? Can anyone offer me some advice about where Troop Carriers go wrong and what I might look out for in the car yards? What has been people's experiences with them?

Is around 25k about right for a 78 series Troop Carrier with 150,000 - 200,000k on the clock?

Thanks in advance! 8)

[Prado887 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado887]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Hey IP
from a search Aust 4wd monthly (or Action) issue 101 had an article buying used 78 troopy
I dont know how to get hold of back issues do you know someone with a subscription??
Hope this may help mate

Ryan

[prado4x4 Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado4x4]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

As the owner of a 79 series - same chassis, different body, as a troop carrier, I can definitely
recommend the LCOOL (Land Cruiser Owners Online) website/forum. http://www.lcool.org/forum in
the '70 series' section.

There are a few different issues that come up, but it will depend upon what he's actually looking
at. Is he looking at 75 series troopies (leaf springs at front and rear), or 78 series troopies (coil
front and leaf rear) ?

I'm assuming the 78 series. I'm also assuming he's looking at the diesels, petrols are rare. The 1HZ is
very reliable if looked after (ie: regular oil changes), but a slow drive (no turbo). The factory turbo
versions 1HDT are a lot better drive, but are priced accordingly. Some people do add an aftermarket turbo
to the 1HZ, but I wouldn't buy one that way myself.

The 1HZ versions have a different gearbox (lighter) than the 1HDT versions. The lighter gearbox has
known issues and is an expensive fix. Make sure is has a smooth throw (all cruiser gearboxes are 'notchy', but
shouldn't balk at going into gear. Also drive along at slow speeds in 5th gear and stab the accelerator. If it
jumps out of gear - run away.

There was also an issue with the early 78/79's (1999-2001) with the input shaft to the gearbox (splines strip
leaving no drive). This was fixed after 2001 (I think I've got those dates right) bu using a different shaft.
The 'new' shaft can be retrofitted to the earlier ones which fixed that issue.

Apart from that, they are a very solid/tough vehicle. Many are used by hire companies and mining
companies though - especially here in WA - make sure he knows the history of any vehicles first, and
it's service records.

I wouldn't let him get excited about one with a stove/etc in the back. Troopies are a big empty box
that's a dream to fit out yourself to suit whatever he wants. Getting one that in good mechanical condition
is a lot more important.

Oh yes - and the 4WD Action magazine review mentioned before is fairly reasonable too.

John.

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

I would recommend checking the vehicles history. Troopies are popular with rental companies and the millage on this one does arouse suspicion.

[fishfinder Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close fishfinder]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

There is not many around with those km's that doesn't have a stuffed cylinder head ( if it has not allready been repaired ) and if the head has been replaced there are alot of dodgy chinese heads getting about ... That is another $2500 - $3000 for genuine head and labour without doing the bottom end .

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Thanks guys. I'm reading all your posts with interest. Thanks John (prado4x4) your words are gold mate!! 8) It can be very hard to find down to earth advice sometimes so I really appreciate the help. I'm steering my mate away from the 300 thou Km's one, particularly after reading these comments. I'll be gunning for the 78 series with the coil front suspension, rather than the 75 series. I don't think I've even seen a turbo 78 series Diesel advertised (2nd hand) yet! But I did know they were out there. I think given his $25thou - $30thou limit we may have to skip on turbo's. Won't be looking at any petrols at this stage.

How do the non - turbo 78's go with camper trailer towing? Will he be doing 100km/h or more like 90km/h?

Been meaning to join LCOOL for a long time, but have never got around to it.

Thanks again guys, we're going to look at few on the weekend and give em a test drive.

[prado4x4 Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado4x4]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Thanks guys. I'm reading all your posts with interest. Thanks John (prado4x4) your words are gold mate!! 8) It can be very hard to find down to earth advice sometimes so I really appreciate the help. I'm steering my mate away from the 300 thou Km's one, particularly after reading these comments. I'll be gunning for the 78 series with the coil front suspension, rather than the 75 series. I don't think I've even seen a turbo 78 series Diesel advertised (2nd hand) yet! But I did know they were out there. I think given his $25thou - $30thou limit we may have to skip on turbo's. Won't be looking at any petrols at this stage.

How do the non - turbo 78's go with camper trailer towing? Will he be doing 100km/h or more like 90km/h?

Been meaning to join LCOOL for a long time, but have never got around to it.

Thanks again guys, we're going to look at few on the weekend and give em a test drive.

The turbo diesel 78's are definitely outside his price bracket. Mainly due to them being newer, and also being
popular (supply/demand - higher dollars, etc).

You can tow a camper trailer with a non-turbo 78, but it's often the towing that puts the strain on the gearbox
and does them in. It'll be a slow drive towing with one, although many people do. As to whether he could tow at 100km/hr, or at 90km/hr - that would depend upon the weight/load of the trailer, and the headwind, lol. A 1HZ isn't known for it's get up and go that's for sure.

Here's a link to an old press release when the 78's first came out. The 'HJZ' versions are for the N/A 1HZ diesel.

http://www.pressroom.com.au/pressroom/s ... kit.htm#20


John

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Cheers John! At the end of the day I'm not sure what his set up will be in terms of camper trailers or even if he'll tow anything at all, but I wanted to give him some idea of the effect towing a trailer might have. I really don't think he's going to be in any type of hurry so I'm guessing the 1HZ is going to suit him perfectly. Really, hes looking for something he can rely on in some fairly remote locations, and something simple that hasn't got too much to go wrong. Prado 887 has managed to get me the 4x4 Monthly article which has some very good stuff in it. Going looking tomorrow, but he probably won't buy anything unless we see something that's clearly the goods. We'll have a good look around before choosing one to buy. Hopefully I can steer him towards something with a few less K's on it than the camping fantastic he found already.

Can't thank you guys enough for the help. Thanks.

If anyone can think of any other Troopy issues to look for in the 2nd hand lots then let me know.

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

:shock: :shock: And there I was thinking we could be looking for weeks / months before we found something that'd fit the bill within my mates price range. Some days luck just falls your way. Either that or someone has paid off the man upstairs without me knowing. We trailed all over Perth on Saturday after staying up into the wee hours of the morning on Friday night surfing the net for Troopies. Even went and bought the paper at the local 24hr servo at around 1:00am to check that out as well. Not many Troopies for sale in Perth right now it seems like!! Got up on Sat and thought to start things off we'd check the local Toyota dealer.... just in case. Well.... Lo and friggin behold.... there was the Troopy he ended up buying. Couldn't believe our luck. 2000 build, 95thou on the clock, 4 near new bridgestone tyres, no damage, 1 owner, no loose rear door hinges, all gears good, front hubs fine, no issue with stubby leaver. Bit of rust up in the transmission tunnel underneath but nothing earth shattering. Only thing is it had been very well detailed with extensive clean underneath along with liberal dose of black paint. Impossible to tell if there are any oil leaks. We took it for a good 15 minute run which is all we were allowed by the dealer of course. Nothing apparent after that but you wouldn't really expect there to be either. Inside had been well looked after, you could just tell, no dints, no tears, no big scratches. Dealer wanted $30k for it. But with extensive research to back us up we got him down to 26.5k which is about right I reckon. Maybe a smidge high for a 2000 build but I think we got the ballpark. And it had been well looked after.

But geez. Saw some other stuff that I wouldn't have touched with a barge pole. Saw one with suspension mountings and exhaust mountings still entangled with mud and spinifex. Inside was a shocker. "good buy" the dealer reckoned at $32k. Was a 2006 but even so..... we vanished from there quick smart.

My mate wishes to thank you all for the invaluable advice and info given. We put that troopy through it's paces and got weird looks from the used car lot staff as I spent a good 10 minutes underneath it checking everything for tell tale signs of abuse. She'd been put to work no doubt, but nothing to worry about. 8)

[Prado887 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado887]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Awesome work IP!!
She certainly looks the goods all Shiny :lol:

Cheers

Ryan

[prado4x4 Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado4x4]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Glad he found one that suited him.

Now it's just time to unbolt those seats out of the back, and start building/setting
the inside up just how he wants it to be.

John

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Heh... well he went and put a top of the line Alpine stereo system in it! I dunno how his CD's are going to like it when the corrugations start up, warned him the suspension is pretty stiff. Seats aren't Prado seats either, I dunno how his butt is gonna be after sitting in it all day. Apparently you can get the standard Toyo seats re-stuffed for around $300 a seat which helps a lot. No Prado seats but better than the stock standard ones. But, geez, cavernous interior is right :shock:

You guys think the stock Toyota shocks are going to be stuffed after 95,000k? The dealer checklist mentioned some of them were leaking slightly. Seems they've been covered in black paint :? and I've got no idea if they are the originals or not. They're certainly not new..... Suspension feels ok so far though.

[Prado887 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado887]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

Hey IP

Well it really depends on how the vehicle has been Driven and what type of terrain it has seen, as to whether std Toyota shocks would hold out for 95000 clicks, we have only just replaced the shocks on a mates 1997 Hilux from original to OME and he got 200000kms outta the std Toyota shocks, (it was looked after and only really ever saw tarred roads and grass from the farm,) but it has held a lot of weight over the years and admittedly he could've changed them long ago as they were really doughy.

If in doubt, change them out......if they are replaced at least your mate will know they will get him tothe black stump and back again hassle free and may be able to achieve a better ride so the CDs don't skip on the corrigations :lol: . or if the budget doesn't allow you could get the suspension safety tested, pedders or autotune have this service from memory fairly cheap and quick but I think most suspension places may offer this:wink:

Cheers Mate
Ryan

[stuart67 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close stuart67]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

I owned a 1996 75 series troop carrier for over 10 years before buying my first Prado.

The troopy was the best vehicle I ever owned and I asked a lot of it. Most of the time it was loaded up nudging 3 tonnes and it never complained. In regards to towing and the gearbox, I did a lot of towing all over Australia and you knew it would just keep on going, sitting on 100kph all day without a problem. The gearbox never caused me any grief whatsoever and believe me I can be tough on them, I destroyed two Hilux gearboxes previously. The troopy gearbox seemed much tougher and I was even known to drive it without using the clutch on occasions. Third gear was the only gear that was difficult to engage however that was always the case from when I first bought it with 72,000km on the clock to when I sold it with 349,000km on the clock.

As far as power was concerned it was a bit of pain when towing as any small rise would knock the speed out of it ensuring that you were always going through the gears. The engine was a non turbo 1HZ. One trip I did heading west from Wilcannia to Broken Hill I couldn't get over 90kph because of the gentle headwind. Again I was loaded up and had a large roof rack system up top.

Faults:

Known to rust around the windscreen area. Mine did it on the left hand side.
Rear seal on the back of the transfer case. Did mine a couple of times.
Transfer case leaked not long before I sold it. Repaired by Toyota for about $700.
Water pump replaced once.
Window winders stiff making it a bastard to wind the windows up or down.

Pretty small list of faults I reckon, however I always ensured maintenance was carried out and never missed an oil change every 5000km.

I must say having bought a Grande Prado you realise how basic the seats and suspension are on the troopy, however saying that I thoroughly enjoyed driving it for its no nonsense approach and do miss it.

Stuart

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Help Needed with Troop Carriers

It's funny you should say you miss driving it. While I've never actually driven a troopy before, we had an old Fj55 and Fj40's on the farm years ago, then there was an 80 series diesel in the mix there too. Just couldn't make em die. Test driving this Troopy bought back some of those memories. A no BS machine that had a somewhat harsh, yet bulletproof feel to it. Damn near felt like paying the 26k myself! But..... there was a reason I went Prado 8). Can't even think of a garage that'd fit a Troopy in for a start, and the other 1/2 would never go for it. She thinks Prado's are big enough... :roll: For some reason, I really enjoyed giving the Troopy a test drive, albeit briefly. Go figure.........

Yeah window winders are stiff in this one too. Even noted on the workshop report. No rust around the windows though, must have been kept under cover I'd say.

Hrmmmmm the shock testing might be a good idea as my mates bills are adding up a bit, god knows what replacement Toyota shocks will cost, more than you might think would be my guess . He was just looking at 60L Engel fridge and balked at the price. Interestingly, the guy warned him off the 60L Waeco's saying there was a compressor mounting issue where they have been letting go over rough terrain.

How about the disc brakes? These felt slightly spongy, nothing to worry over yet but definite sponginess creeping in there. Maybe I'm just used to the hair trigger Prado brakes, the Troopy is a much larger vehicle after all. Depends I know, but what's a ballpark lifespan for Troopy discs?