Proud new owner of my first LC!

[thelostscott]

Hi all,

So today after a good while on the hunt, I purchased my first Land Cruiser and she's a beaut!

1999 100 Series, 4.2td, 5-speed Manual, OME shocks, massive Cooper STT's and that's just for now....

Planning on adding a couple more mods to get it to overlander condition for a big trip in 18-24 months.

I'm pretty new to the whole 4x4 scene but have been on a couple excursions around the New Zealand bushlands. I'm now looking forward to joining in on a few P&P days around the UK, and getting the truck into a mud bath or two

Was hoping for some input on some immediate mods I'd like to add on and where to get them from.

Firstly, I'm wanting to chuck on a snorkel, roof rack, rock sliders and a front bumper with winch capability.

From a bit of brief reading it seems that a few people on here like West Coast Offroad, but are there any other places where you could recommend to get the best prices for quality products? Or maybe someone on here that builds things like sliders?

Thanks all, hope to meet-up with some other club members soon!

Scott

 

[adrianr]

Welcome, pretty rare in manual!

Where are you located. Julian v at overland cruisers gets my vote. He's in Ledbury.

 

[Andrew Prince]

Hi Scott,
I'm guessing your 100 is a GX spec with manual? if that's the case then no troublesome AHC, which would otherwise be a worry on a 100 of that vintage.

Have a look in the Club Function Room section for details of gatherings. The Lincomb weekend takes place in 3 weeks, which would be a good opportunity to chat to members, have a look at other trucks and maybe test out those STTs in the dirt

Cheers,

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Welcome too from me!! I don't know a lot about 100 series but I will watch your progress with interest.

Andy

 

[Ben]

welcome to the club.

westcoast and Devon 4x4 are the 2 companies i use. some people say devon are expensive but after calling around they were the cheapest place for me to buy my ARB locker from.

 

[thelostscott]

Thanks all, this site looks like a great wealth of knowledge

I'm in London but head up to the Lake District a couple times a month so hopefully I can find some great places to play around when I'm next up there!

You're spot on with the variant, it's a GX model so nothing too fancy in there apart from the IFS.

Does anyone know of any place to get a reasonably priced snorkel?

 

[Scott]

Hi Scott, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your purchase. Let the fun commence!

With regard to mods, be wary as its very easy and tempting to get carried away. Pretty much every mod has a compromise, so it's worth thinking every one through.

It's also worth considering the weight that some mods can add to the vehicles overall weight. Some vehicles end up with so much protection and toys, that it's weight works against it. Weight wears your drive train out faster, costs more in fuel to lug around and can cause the vehicle to sink earlier when off road. It's a fine balancing game, that is dictated by each individuals circumstances.

Try and by the best quality bits that you can, as in most cases you get what you pay for. There's tons of info, discussions and experiences of products and suppliers on the forum so have a look around, if you haven't already, as research can save you a lot of time and money.

Regarding winch bumpers, I've fitted a few ARB bumpers and although they aren't cheap I think that they are worth the money. It's important that a bumper is well designed from a safety aspect, as well as an aesthetic point of view, after all it does make up a sizeable chuck of the Land Cruisers face.

If I was you I'd be very wary of taking a 100 to P&P sites, as the routes at most sites will have been made by much narrower 4x4's than yours, and your 100 may not be the shape shape at the end of the day. Also, I'd go easy on the mud baths, deep muddy water is a real car killer, it fills and blocks the rads causing overheating and possible engine damage, plus when it all drys it can turn into a grinding paste that wears out the vehicles components pretty fast. Vehicles that are used in deep, wet muddy conditions normally need intensive maintenance to keep them reliable.

If you can make it, the club meet at Lincomb would be a great starting point for you, all the routes were made by Land Cruisers so yours will fit fine, plus there will be loads of people to give advice on every aspect of your new toy!

Enjoy!