1hd-ft landcruiser engine on a gu patrol

Adrift,

I just checked the archives, and there's 7 threads re TONI project. Didn't open them, but just use "TONI project" in search function at top of screen, on forum index page.

It was a long time ago, but recall that there was quite a bit of info given out. There might even be a blog about the conversion too, can't remember.

Bob

last time I seen Toni it was still going well, Colin may well drop in later.
Cheers Pete

Ardit - The Google search below will help you out.

TONI project

Always remember that a project like this involves a lot of money, a lot of customising, a lot of "oddball" parts and changes - and it makes reselling the vehicle almost impossible.

So you need to be sure that you are going to keep the vehicle for a long time, and effectively wear it out.

Most people swap their vehicles every few years, and technology gains and new models can make your project look old and oddball very quickly.

Cheers, Ron.

Thanks to all of you, - I actually plan to build a decent weekend vehicle to serve me and my friends. We do have a 7-seats Prado, another 7-seats GQ Patrol which are already in very good shape and do the job properly. With the addition of this GU I am planning to build, we are all set since some of our families are about to increase in numbers soon :) On the other hand, these vehicles, most of the time and on majority of circumstances are much more reliable and independable than the majority of the recent high-tech ones out there.
I live in Albania (Europe) by the way and the weekend trips here are short compared to yours, i.e from the Northern Alps to the Southern Coast takes about 5 hours drive or from the Albanian Jonian Coast to the Greek Egean Coast takes some 4-5 hours. Otherwise there's a lot of space for offroading in a very crushed terrain.
The replacement parts here are quite cheap as well. For instance, I can buy a decent 1HD-FT/E engine in Albania or Greece or Italy, for about 3000-4000 AUD. The labor is cheap as well, everything I need for the mods can reach 2000 AUD the max.
On the negative side, there are problems with the availability of the replacement parts. It is better to buy online the suspension lift kit in Australia, altogether with other parts needed for the mods, instead of ordering them in here.
We used to have a fleet of Bunderas modified with 1KZ-T engines on them and they were very entertaining but we started feeling the need for more space that's why we shift to the bigger vehicles.

Thanks,

I simply do not understand why you would graft a toyota motor in to a nissan, with all the associated fiddle, adaptors and modification...when the 6 cylinder nissan motor is a good solid reliable unit ( some would argue a better unit) and either putting an after market turbo on a nissan engine or grafting a whole turbo nissan motor would be a more or less a bolt up thing.

Why create a bastard when its not necessary.

cheers

Well, both 2.8 and the 3.0 di nissan engines have not proved to be that reliable (at least up here) and for more, the 4.2 hd engine is much more convincing when you plan puttind a 5" lift and 35" tires on your rig. Patrol is known to have a strong driveline and I am very much leaning towards the idea of putting together the best of both worlds. What I have not decided yet is either to keep the original nissan gearbox or put the toyota unit behind the 1hd-ft. I would actually need a manual one because we do a lot of downhill on slipery snow here and there is much more control with the manual box on those conditions.

Cheers,
Ardit

Thanks for your suggestions - actually i do have already the patrol so will keep working on it. There maybe a point on your logical deduction about the strength of the driveline versus the power coming from the engine. Anyway i have to stick with it.
Thanks again,

Send Colin an email , he's the man that owns TONI and lives at Canowindra , tell him I give you his email.

I have seen his conversion done in Sydney and it's most impressive

rencol2013@bigpond.com


.

Thanks Life Member-Doug T NSW, - I will do so!

Ardit,
as the owner of TONI I can categorically say the detractors don't know everything HAHAHA.

Why would I want to use a vehicle (Toyota 80) or any other Toyota for that matter & then have to put in diff locks to compensate for poor limited slip diffs that are prone to breaking anyway, the chassis of the Patrol is far superior in strength.

The tail shaft is fine and has been for 250000km since I did this conversion that remains a far better financial project that simply buying a Land Crusher for example. from near new this vehicle has cost me about $55000 Aust

A similar Toyota would have cost more & not satisfied my needs during the vehicles life

I believe the Toyota motor is a better one that the 4.2 Nissan & the Nissan chassis & running gear is much tougher = the best of both worlds. Members, Madfisher & Doug T, both know my car well & I am sure they agree with my choice.

Some folk just don't get it. I'm Cool.

Thanks a lot Colin for the detailed info you sent me over. I really appreciate it and am sure that it will make the path much more visible for me now.

I actually am a Toyota fan and I have had a number of models in use up to now, starting with a 70 series trooper, than a 95 sr Prado, two Bunderas and another Prado which I still have. I really think that the Land Cruiser is the most reliable vehicle around.

Still, I do have a huge dispute with the IFS used in Prado and the 100 sr and even though I like both their engines and gearboxes, the IFS does not allow for the mods I intend to do.

Later I had my hands on this Patrol which I like for the feeling it gives both on and off road. Beyond that, the engine is a real disappointment and that brought me thinking to go for the hd-fte in patrol setup.

Actually I have already found a HD-FTE engine from which I will get rid of the electronics and put a mechanic fuel pump from HD-FT. Than I am still biased either to keep the original Patrol gearbox or to go for a manual Toyota one and that's where I would need some serious and constructive piece of advise :)
Either way, I am decided to go for the manual because want to keep the things as simple as possible.

Hope to start working on the cabin and the chassis by the end of this week, while in the meantime making a decision on the gearbox issue.

Thanks again sooo much for the support,
Ardit