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Date:         Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:51:11 -0600
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      T3s & RHD Japs in Vancouver Island.. ramblings & rantings
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I was in Vancouver Island for the past 2 weeks, tootling around in a = metallic-red 2004 Toyota Sienna. Saw a lot of T3s, none with vanagon.com = stickers that I could see. Only 2 or 3 Syncros. All were either doing = decent speeds or parked; none appeared to be dead. Saw more on the = island than I did in 2 1/2 mnoths in Calgary.

I didn't see any in wrecking yards (looking from the road as we went = by), and am still needing those 86+ front suspension parts...

I'm not sure if I will be going back to Vancouver Island to collect = fossils & shells, but in case I do, anyone between Calgary and Port = Hardy who has front suspension parts for an 86-or-later van can either = e-mail me kgrebneff@shaw.ca or phone me at my sister's in Calgary 403- = 202-3755. Parts are about nonexistent in Clagary, apart from one wrecker who wants $200 per side..

I saw quite a few used- Japanese-import 4WD Mitsubishi Delicas, no LWB 2WDs... and they were all 2.7 diesels... pity the poor slobs who buy 'em, as those = engines are grenades even without turbos... and these are all turbos!

Saw only 2 Toyota Hiaces; one a Super Custom SWB AWD, the other a basic = white van. Infinitely superior to the Delica (and larger too), though = perhaps not as hard-core offroad... these 2nd-generation Delicas aren't = bad in the trackless wastes.

And I saw what I thought I would never see in Canada... some twit had = imported a 1970s Bedford CF van-based cab-chassis with a camper body. I guess = these are close in design to the generic Frod/Generic Motors/Dudge boxes = over time, and about as flimsy.

Saw lots of Mercedes Sprinter (with Dodge or Freightliner badges) = campers, one old VW LT cab-chassis with camper body, a T4 with camper = body and the usual masses of Generic American converted E250s and morons = in unstable underbraked pickups, which can't even get out of their own = way when empty, towing huge dual/triple-axle living trailers that must = be WAY over the pickups' rating and utterly unable to stop or swerve in = an emergency... not only that, but the trailer's coupling is above the = pickup bed, moving the rollover point of the trailer way up... just a = great combination to generate crashes. Super Duty, Powerstroke, HA!! The = housebussers have the idea... a stable vehicle which can tow a runabout = car (OR EVEN GARAGE ONE OR A PAIR OF BIKES IN THE BACK!). A Toyota = Coaster would make a really neat housebus... sufficient performance and = economy from its 4.2 SOHC turbodiesel six (otherwise found in = LandCruisers) and great looks... plus the driver has a normal door on = his right.

Saw a few import RHD BJ90 and BJ100 Cruisers and a few BJ70 Cruiser = Prados (made before the Prado was made a full model in its own right), = Mitsubishi Outlanders, a Mitsubishi GTO coupe,=20

BTW, anyone know what the FJ Cruiser is based on? Even with that = live-axle, it might still be a Camry, as is the Sienna.

Anyone out there have a Toyota Kluger (US name Highlander)? DO NOT expect = the stability control to save you if you overcook it on a bend... the = Aussie ones are better-handling then the US ones (d'oh, just like every = other model)... and the tested car's EST did not function properly = (wrong settings) and the Kluger rolled big time. A US-market Highlander = would lose it far sooner under exactly the same conditions, with its = overly-soft suspension.

Meathead pickups, "the bigger the better", yeah sure, to make up for the = owners' lack of size... these things are cheap and seen to be macho. = What they really are is overpowered underbraked crates with zero = handling ability... accidents waiting to haoppen.

Toyota Tacoma... as far as I can see, the Hilux name has been dropped in = the US and replaced for marketing "reasons" with the name a. Looks = like the Tundra is a widebody Hilux. Toyota has experience = with making various models in narrow and wide variants... Estima, Dyna = cab-chassis, Camry, Hiace...

Any news on the Subaru dieselboxer? These should be on the road by now. = I'd be interested in how reliable these turn out to be long-term, which = is VERY difficult to find out. And how well they perform. However, with = the NZ chief crime syndicate (gummint) trying to force diesels off the = road by boosting distillate fuel prices, increasing registration and = massively increasing milage costs (you have to buy "Road User Charges by = the kilometer), my diesel days may be in danger. Time maybe to buy an = upmarket 1997-2003 AE115 Toyota Carib (Corolla) 4WD wagon (1.6, 1.8 or = 2.0 liters) or a similar-year ordinary upmarket Corolla 4WD AE100-series = (available with 4A-GE 20-valve and 6-speed) and fit a V6 into it... see = if a Camry 3V_ZE will fit the car and the trans/clutch, and get a fresh = 3V-ZE to avoid the head-corrosion problems these engines are noted for, = which causes leaks into the main-bearings, causing crank failure... = sounds familiar??? Maybe a 3.5 from the current Camry (and its Aurion = and Lexus ES35 variants) or Estima, supercharged...

... and don't ask me why Outlook Express has inserted equal signs when I was

about to copy the message into gmail to resend (messages rejected by the list as I initially sent them before my gmail subscription went through).

-- Andrew Grebneff Dunedin, New Zealand Fossil preparator Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut Temporarily in Calgary, AB, Canada


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