New Forum Member - Cruiser refugee with Vigo D4D, twin cab, auto, 4x4

Introduce yourself and Meet the rest of the crowd
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NickG
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:33 am
Town: Pretoria
Vehicle: Vigo D4D twin cab 4x4 Auto
Real Name: Nick Good
Location: Pretoria

New Forum Member - Cruiser refugee with Vigo D4D, twin cab, auto, 4x4

Post by NickG »

I'm new to the forum, will likely join the club soon. My name is Nick Good. I'm based in Rietondale, overlooking the state President's residence, in the middle of Pretoria, well within 81mm mortar range of Loftus rugby stadium.

Thanks to those who set the Hilux club and forum up and run it, this is not nothing!

I am not new to 4x4ing, I co-founded the Land Cruiser Club of Southern Africa, back in the early naughties. Back then, I had a fully kitted 100 Series GX petrol Cruiser, an awsome vehicle, but she burnt 19.4 litres per 100 km of petrol, which was fine then but these days pans out about a Rand every 250 metres.

I've been out of the 4x4 game for a while and have recently decided to get back into it.

Before I had the Cruiser I had brand new 1999 Colt Twin cab petrol 4x4 on which I cut my 4x4 and overlanding teeth and was involved in the formation and running of the Colt Club. I liked my bakkie, but soon learned the Colt had issues, especially service support and parts availability in the wilds of Africa. I only had it 2 yrs and sold it and bought the Cruiser, on the basis of my hard won experience. Since then I have come to the firm view that if you are buying a vehicle for safari/ overland travel, it has to be a Toyota and no; I don't have any skin in the game with Toyota.

I've always liked a pick-up. The Cruiser pick-up is wonderful, but a tad agricultural, so a Hilux was the obvious choice. My only serious critique of the Hilux, thus far, is the limited rear leg room — the 100 GX Cruiser was a mobile lounge. But all vehicles are compromises.

I bought my D4D twin cab, auto 4x4 on Auto Trader privately in Jan this year and flew down to Bloem to look it over and collect it, having commissioned a Dekra check. She came pretty well kitted, with about R 90 k of accessories. Including BFG ATs, alu canopy, long range tank, seat covers, window tinting, Front runner draw system, decent dual battery wiring (I can feel a Blue Nova lithium ion battery coming on), suspension upgrade and more besides. I've done one 3.5 thousand km, mainly tar, trip to the Cape in it so far. Returning a scenic round about way, via Upington. So far I'm impressed, I love the cruise control, which my year 2000 Cruiser never had. By the way, I averaged 10.9 litres per 100 km (9.2 km per litre if you prefer) on my Cape Sojourn, cruising at a GPS indicated 120 kph. That's about what I was hoping for.

All I've done so far with the Hilux Vigo is remove the DPF (Diesel particulate filter) and put in a Dastek Uni chip, done privately by a chap with his own business — Awie Buekes of Unitune near Silverlakes, Pretoria — who has over 20 yrs in the game. This has made a huge difference.

Hope to do a few trips within SA and to nearby destinations.

I'm married with a grown up son.
Last edited by NickG on Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:44 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Family_Dog
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Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:09 am
Town: Klerksdorp
Vehicle: Hilux DC SFA, Hilux 2.7 DC, Hilux 2.7 SC, Prado 95 VX
Real Name: Eric
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Location: Klerksdorp, NW
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Re: New Forum Member - Cruiser refugee with Vigo D4D, twin cab, auto, 4x4

Post by Family_Dog »

Welcome Nick, good to see you here!

Nice intro, I was after a LC105 at one stage but also decided to give it a miss because of the petrol price.

-F_D
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Baasvark
LR4WD, Lockers, Crawler Gears
LR4WD, Lockers, Crawler Gears
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Vehicle: '97 D/C with all the trimmings & 2011 Troopy
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Re: New Forum Member - Cruiser refugee with Vigo D4D, twin cab, auto, 4x4

Post by Baasvark »

Welcome Nick.

Nice to have you here

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

Aint it ironic that "Common Sense" aint so common after all...
NickG
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:33 am
Town: Pretoria
Vehicle: Vigo D4D twin cab 4x4 Auto
Real Name: Nick Good
Location: Pretoria

Re: New Forum Member - Cruiser refugee with Vigo D4D, twin cab, auto, 4x4

Post by NickG »

Family_Dog wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 7:51 pm

Nice intro, I was after a LC105 at one stage but also decided to give it a miss because of the petrol price.
The 105 petrol 4.5 1FZ-FE is wonderful, arguably as tough and durable as, but alot more refined than the various incarnations of the Cruiser 70 series.The 4.5 litre 105 petrol is bomb proof, but thirsty, the 4.2 diesel with the normally aspirated 1HZ engine is, to my mind, undrivable. It is as wading through thigh-deep mielie pap dragging a dead donkey! The off road capability of the 105 with its coil springs over solid front and rear axles, and stock 3 diff locks, is off the charts. I actually think it is better than it needs to be for most of us.
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