Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hey guys,

I am contemplating on switching from a '96 Holden Frontera Sport to a '87 Toyota Surf. The main reasons being the surf is a turbo diesel. Looks meaner and more masculine and cos it's cheap.

Basically the frontera is a 96 model. Sport model (the 2 doors) 4cyl 2.0L engine. 5 speed manual. 81,000km's. tow bar. Mint Condition.

The surf is a 87 model. 2 door. 4 cyl 2.4L turbo diesel engine. 5 speed manual. 370,000km's . Bull bar. tow bar. 32" muddies. Nice looking wheels. Roof racks. nice straight body. Side steps. Rock Sliders.

I just hear good and bad things and I would like someone to clear it up for me.

Cheers guys

Why swap a low km's car in mint condition for a POS?

Slunnie wrote:Why swap a low km's car in mint condition for a POS?

x2

Because it looks more masculine

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:Because it looks more masculine

Steve.

X Eleventy

Because it looks tougher. Might be tougher. might go harder. cheaper on fuel. Better off road. Its bigger. has all the kit and caboodals already. i dont know. thats what im trying to figure out guys.

I thought frontera's were a chicks car anyways. Am i wrong?

It's false economy. You're going to have lots more maintenance to do. The 2L-T motor in the surf is nothing special. It won't go "harder" it makes less power and torque, has craptastic IFS, the rear LSD will be shot and it's all a million years old.

If you want an off road car, look for an 85 4Runner (A surf with a live front axle)

If you want your frontera to look more masculine, try these,

http://www.truck-nuts.com/index.html

or park it next to a prius.

You have to expect a some flaming asking a question like that on a board that is off-road focussed. We don't generally pay much attention to how masculine our cars look, were more interested in how they work.

Steve.

I wouldnt buy a surf of that age, i actually like the shape of the frontera and nearly bought 1 years ago but that pissy 2ltr put me of- keep it and put a 2.8 isuzu turbo diesel in it.

I don't see Frontera's as chicks cars; done right they look fugging cool. The blokes saying they don't care how their cars look are stretching it a bit, I reckon it is fair enough to like one car over another because of its looks. Where you went wrong was just in using the word mathculine.

2 litre would be a bit of a downer but I think the cost of fuel issue is not as much in the surf's favour as you think.

Engine swaps for the frontera are plentiful, anything from a rodeo should shoe-horn in okay.

Turbo diesel vs petrol economy on a relatively light fourby like the frontera... I would look closer at the numbers if I were you because I think you might be disappointed in the diesel option.

If I had a set budget and those were my two choices, there's no way on earth I would even consider the surf. If you've got a few grand to spend you could beef the frontie up a fair bit imho. Off the shelf parts from the US can do a lot for your suspension, just for starters.

Cheers guys.

I dont have any coin to spend though. I'm pretty much skint and it will stay stock for as long as i have it i'd say. Hence why the surf to me is a good option as i dont go off road too much but love going to fraser or straddie and has a few extras as it stands.

Keep your current car, 'better the devil you know (aka low k's and mint cond) than the devil you dont (expect to spend a few grand on it to get it safe/road worthy etc).

Does your current car do the beach work ok? if so keep it as its doing the job. if your plan was to hit tough tracks then sliders etc will be of some use, but from what you described the surf as I dont know how much better it would be on fraser than your current ride.

And it would probably break down at low tide

One thing i have forgotten to mention is that this guy said he has spent about 8 grand on getting it to what it is today. all with receipts as well. so in saying that it might be up to scratch, it may have had an engine rebuild and what not.

The Surf will be much better offroad and very easy to modify.

If you want offroad ability then the Surf will crap all over the Frontera.

What has the Surf had done to it.

Cheers

got a pic of both vehicles?

Struth wrote: If you want offroad ability then the Surf will crap all over the Frontera.

Cheers

Are you sure? IFS surfs are nothing special. As DEK44 seems to be mostly interested in sand, I would have thought the lighter, revvier frontera would be much better.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:

Struth wrote: If you want offroad ability then the Surf will crap all over the Frontera.

Cheers

Are you sure? IFS surfs are nothing special. As DEK44 seems to be mostly interested in sand, I would have thought the lighter, revvier frontera would be much better.

Steve.

IFS Surfs with coil rears are pretty capable.

Leafs may be a bad point though.

Yes the Fronty might be better on sand, my experience is mountain work.

Certainly modifying the Surf will be s**tloads easier than the fronty.

Cheers

keep the fronty and come wheelin with the Holdens

chikoroll_ wrote:keep the fronty and come wheelin with the Holdens

adventra's, cruz and captivas

some of those maccas carparks can get tricky at times... all those speedhumps and stuff

I've had a Frontera. It was the V6 LWB though. TJM do some 2" but really 3" rear coils, add rear shocks if you like and wind up the front. They're really not that bad. The IFS Hilux/Surfs are not really anything better offroad in terms of flex in my opinion, but they do have more clearance.

If you've got no coin then you'd be mad to chop and change from something with 81000km to something with 370000 and probably copped a flogging and needing a heap of ongoing maintenance.

Hey c'mon I rekon I look real masculine in my 1series BeeMeer

j-top paj wrote:

chikoroll_ wrote:keep the fronty and come wheelin with the Holdens

adventra's, cruz and captivas

some of those maccas carparks can get tricky at times... all those speedhumps and stuff

hahah
almost as hardcore as the Nissan's
Dualis, Murano, X-Trail

or the Toyota's
Rav4, Kluger, TRD hilux



4x4's only thank you, SUV's can play in the carpark
Jackaroo's, Frontera's, Rodeo's, MU's, Drovers and Suburbans a bit lacking with the later 2 in numbers

chikoroll_ wrote:

j-top paj wrote:

chikoroll_ wrote:keep the fronty and come wheelin with the Holdens

adventra's, cruz and captivas

some of those maccas carparks can get tricky at times... all those speedhumps and stuff

hahah
almost as hardcore as the Nissan's
Dualis, Murano, X-Trail

or the Toyota's
Rav4, Kluger, TRD hilux



4x4's only thank you, SUV's can play in the carpark
Jackaroo's, Frontera's, Rodeo's, MU's, Drovers and Suburbans a bit lacking with the later 2 in numbers

can the "holdens" play with patrols?

we try our best not to degrade ourselves to the level of the tractors

comfort & features before flex ramp ability

of course, it would depend on the track, we are 2 feet narrower than the tractors, so we have more track options available, when you guys are driving in the deep ruts with your 35" boggers, we can centre the vehicle and not worry about the ruts all the while on our 29" or 32" tyres

the IFS means we don't fall into the holes that you guys do, so don't need the torque to pull the wheels out of those deep arse holes

the GOOD rear LSD means that we can use the handbrake to make it a locker

the horsepower means that we can run up the hills, and can take off from even the steepest of tracks if we happen to get stuck

and let's not forget, we weigh in at under 2 tonnes, so sinking in the soft or boggy stuff is not as big an issue

chikoroll_ wrote: we can fit the vehicle in the ruts on our 29" or 32" tyrese while the TROLS/CRUISERS driver over the top of us because all we are good for is filling holes

Frontera



Surf

[/img]

j-top paj wrote:

chikoroll_ wrote: we can fit the vehicle in the ruts on our 29" or 32" tyrese while the TROLS/CRUISERS driver over the top of us because all we are good for is filling holes

lol

so what happened to the J-Top?

huh?

I had a Frontera as my first 4by. I had chipped the motor, gave it a body lift and ran 31" muds. The rear LSD is brilliant and the chassis will last forever. Dont underestimate, do some mods, you'll be surprised how capable it is. I had a 80 series snorkel, with OME suspension.

Played heaps with it in the high country and on the beaches in Robe, was a fun car.
Wouldn't buy a surf, go for a sierra or vitara for the same reasons you want a surf. And insurance will be cheaper.

If you have open diffs and mediocre tyres, they are all you need to address with the frontera to get it much more capable, imho. Leave the other goodies till later.

Honestly, you'd be insane to go for that surf.

chimpboy wrote:If you have open diffs and mediocre tyres, they are all you need to address with the frontera to get it much more capable, imho. Leave the other goodies till later.

Honestly, you'd be insane to go for that surf.

Why, it's a pretty clean looking unit?

Will the fronty have better rear articulation, I doubt it, will the fronty necessarily have better IFS articulation, I don't know.

The Surf has one major advantage, it's mid wheel base Vs the Frontys short wheel base, plenty more room inside.

Cheers