I’ve taken the plunge and after 13 years and 9 Land Rovers I have bought a 79 Series V6 which I’ve named Bo .
Why Bo ?
Well it’s my 10th offroad vehicle which reminded me of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078721/ which I remember was a hit when I was a kid. Dunno why my brain went there , didn’t like the movie or her , but once I had the name it seemed to fit.
Why a Toyota ?
IMHO Land Rover has lost the plot . Even the most agricultural defender these days (the pickup) has a measly 2.2 l highly stressed turbo diesel engine . To add insult to injury , you must run the vehicle on 50 ppm diesel , or else you are liable for servicing at your own expense every 5000 km , as per this link here
https://heine9999.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/diesel-fuel/
Also the toyota is streets ahead with in cab comfort and std accessories like :
Front and rear lockers
Dual fuel tanks
Much better aircon and instrumentation
Land Rover may have made some cosmetic changes to the defender , but the bottom line is that the seating arrangement is cramped and the damn handbrake lever is still in the same place …. pressing up against your left leg
Why a pickup
My plan is to turn Bo into some sort of overland camper , and this seems the easiest and most cost effective route to go
Heine's Ramblings and Rumblings 
December 14, 2011 at 09:10
next – get the ONCA bullbar – only decent one going!
Northern Offroad is their JHB dealer!
December 14, 2011 at 09:56
Congrats !
December 14, 2011 at 17:18
all in the name on fun, so have great time with your new toy…ta ha ha.
December 14, 2011 at 22:37
Congrats Heine…the right vehicle to change into a camper…
May 31, 2012 at 23:20
Well, as a 9 time Land Rover Defender owner I bet you have made the following statement on many an occasion: ‘shes not built for comfort but she goes anywhere.’ Then there is the aircon. Did you seriously buy a Defender for its non existing aircon ? O yes, the highly stressed 2.2 diesel engine that is designed to perform at its peak at 2000 which I bet you constantly drive or tried to way past its threshold. Tell us what your legal towing capacity on Bo’s chassis is…… O wait, its 1500 kgs right ? The fuel. Sasol, Engen, all imported and know to be the lowest quality fuel in the world. I have to let Land Rover know they have to stop making fuel. And then there is the handbrake. Friend, I hope it wasnt all Defenders. I think your second car should not have been a Defender if the handbrake bothered you on the first one.
December 19, 2013 at 23:06
This will be the best bakkie you’ve ever bought!!! Land rover cant come close in a hundred years!!!
Enjoy!!
August 27, 2017 at 06:46
Heine, nice site and account of your Cruiser build-up.
After owning a number of Cruisers over the years, but never 70 Series.
My last Cruiser was a 105 with the 1HZ. Done many trails and trips, and never a day’s trouble.
The lack of power was a bit of a problem in some dunes, otherwise the low torque was a winner in the rest.
After a few years in the 4 L petrol Cruiser, are you still happy?
Looking at your Fuelly consumption figures, what sort of driving style and road was that?
Did the latest camper top improve your fuel use?
Regards
August 27, 2017 at 09:53
Hi Kiri , most of the driving is around 120 k/h on tar or else the lower readings are offroad. My biggest improvement in consumption came after fitting the new exhaust. Definitely worth the money