Scotty's SFA

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:28 pm

It was our big day today!!!! :D
We went to go and pick up our SFA!! (And I got up to 110kph on the N2!!)

Thanks to a lot of you, and your optimism and experience with Toyota SFAâ€™s we chose this vehicle. 6 months ago we agreed we would get a Toyota, BUT we said ..â€.nothing more than 8 years old, no more than 150 000 on the clockâ€â€¦â€¦.en kyk hoe lyk ons nou!!

Here are the details:

1987 Toyota Hilux 2.2 4Y(It looks like a Botswana/ Imported Toy - right?)
Power steering and aircon
267 0000kms on the clock

The vehicle has had some mods done (most done in the last two years):

Full sub-assembly done at 180 000km
Saymaans lift, Gabriel Safari shocks
Nudge Bar (A simple one â€“ but seems very well secured)
Hi-lift jacking points
â€œBurglar barsâ€ on canopy windows
Dual battery system
50 litre water tank
115 litre long range fuel tank (with two jerries and the standard tank we can take about 200L of petrol in total)
Stainless power flow exhaust and branch
29 Mhz radio

It also came with too many extras to mentionâ€¦.but some were:

Alu roofrack, Hannibal rooftop tent and separate awning
40 litre National Luna
Compressor and foot pump
Submersible water pump
Full spares kit (still have to go through it), toolkit, 2 inverters, 9 Ammo boxes, 2 gas bottles, gas hob, first aid, HL Jack, spade, 2 spare wheels, recovery equipment, jerriesâ€¦â€¦and more!!!!!!!

The only disadvantage of getting an equipped vehicle is that there is less for us to do!!

So far here is the list of things we think we will change/ mod:

Fit OME suspension, bucket seats, safe, battery monitor, storage system, window tints, storage for fishing rod tubes, new tyres.

Over and out!
Scotty :D

Post by **Family_Dog** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:47 pm

Way to go, Scotty!!

Heartiest congratulations on your "new" vehicle!

I'm sure the guys here will give you lots of useful advice prior to your Africa trip, I would suggest a complete replenishment of brake fluid, diff & gear oils because it appears that vehicle used to "skrik vir niks!.

Look forward to the progress reports and photos :D

-F_D

Cookie Monster · Post by **Cookie Monster** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:26 pm

Hay Scotty

CONGRATS looks great welcome to the SFA club

BenHur · Post by **BenHur** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:29 pm

Congratulations

Great vehicle, now the fun starts. Well you have got everything but I still suggest you strip and service stuff like the dual battery system so that you get to know them an can do bush repairs.

Also service your diffs and maybe do new wheel bearings and swivel hub bearings and seals. Then you will have piece of mind. If you are not technical enough to do it yourself, get in touch with a reputable workshop that can do it for you and take the day off to go and help them so that you can gain some knowledge and be able to do bush repairs if needed. Same goes for the OME. Install it yourself or help whoever installs it so that you can get familiar with the working thereof, and keep the old stuff as spares.

Post by **pietpetoors** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:56 pm

Very nice Scotty, it looks like a very good condition vehicle. Welcome to the club.

johnwalker · Post by **johnwalker** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:31 pm

Hi Scotty

Congrats on the new vehicle. I did a similar trip in 2002--SA to Ethiopia and back again, over 7 months and 40000kms. Thought I'd offer a few bits of info you may find useful We used a 2.8D d/cab Hilux. I don't think you'll have a problem using a petrol vehicle--especially if you have a long range tank so you can fill up whenever supplies are available. Remember, there are also plenty of petrol vehicles in the rest of Africa.
It had full OME suspension, which was great. We bought the vehicle with the OME already fitted, so no idea which 'comfort spec' it was. The ride was comfortable. We broke one leaf/blade in each rear spring pack. Each time we were able to find a similar leaf locally--so don't worry about not being able to find spares--you won't get an OME part, but you'll find something, it will work and get you home.
An important tip--take spare suspension bushes!! Several of ours wore through and were touching metal by the time we had done approx 30000kms--lucky we had spares, and more important, they were the polyurethane type which can be removed/inserted by hand. If you use the standard Toyota rubber bushes, I think you need a press to to remove old bushes.
It is a good idea to practice removing/replacing springs and shocks before you go.
Try and get a canopy which has side panels you can open--we spent much time pulling everything out to get to stuff packed in front of the load bed--a real pain. Also, fit a drawer system of sorts--even something homemade.
We did not have a snorkel-and managed fine, but obviously can't comment on what it's like with a snorkel. Remember to check the air filter regularly, shake all the dust out.
We were 3 guys, and had jerry cans for about 50 liters of water. We found this was enough for 2 nights camping where no other drinking water was available.
We had the standard diesel tank (80l) and a long range tank (60l) plus 2 jerry cans. This was more than enough--I don't think we ever really needed the jerry cans.
We had a fridge-well worth having for convenience--just make sure split battery charging system is working properly.
We just pitched tents on the ground--opted not to have a roof-top due to weight and wind resistance.
When you finally pack--weigh everything, and work out the total. Stay within the manufacturer's GVM. Overweight vehicles are more likely to break.
We did not have a winch, and never missed it--I figure the extra weight on the front may not be worth it. When you are overlanding you are cautious about what you drive into, so you avoid 'camel trophy' situations if you can..well, most of the time! You can winch with a hi-lift jack in an emergency.
We used BFG All Terrain Tires--and had lots of punctures. If you take tubeless tires, take one tube along for each tire. We had many punctures in our tubeless tires which could not be fixed with the 'plug' system, so we ended up having to put tubes into them. Of the 6 tires we started with, I think 4 had tubes in by the time we got back. 2 of the tires were so ruined they were not really usable any more. (Most damage was done on Ethiopian roads--so you may not have such bad tire wear)
DON'T DRIVE AT NIGHT--try plan each day ahead, so you know where you will be sleeping, more or less. This is a very old and worn adage, but well worth sticking to. Don't start off on a long day's drive late in the day.

Good luck

John

BenHur · Post by **BenHur** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:31 am

Hi John

Welcome to the forum. It is great to see more and more members coming here who have the "Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt" type experience as this is always more helpful then just having to listen to one or two journalistsâ€™ advice based on one or two trips they did using all the latest sponsored goodies from the 4x4 accessories industry.

Not every one experience the bush and over-landing similarly so the more views and comments gets published here by guys who did it, the better for the guys seeking advice to get an objective overview.

Did you take picture and or write a report on your trip. We would love it if you can share it with us.
8) 8)

johnwalker · Post by **johnwalker** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:44 pm

Hi
Thanks for welcome. No, sorry, I did not do a trip report or a website. I keep planning to put my pics and a diary on the web--but just don't seem to get round to it.
Cheers
John

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:20 pm

Thanks for the great feedback everyone.

John, that first-hand advice is greatly appreciated.

I have spent loads of time thinking about mods and getting quotes over the last three weeks. So far I have been dealing with 4x4 Mega, Safari Centre, R&D Offroad and Winelands 4x4.

On Sunday I went with some friends to the Blombos trail on the West Coast. The trail was easy, but there was an old quarry called the snakepit where we played a bit. Our "new" vehicle did very well...I think.

Here are some snaps:

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:44 pm

A couple of hours, and a big card-swipe was all it took to get OME fitted today. Well actually, 4x4Mega had a power failure much of the day so tons of elbow grease was required to get the job done.

After lots of research (thanks Bryan and FD :D ) and countless quotes and discussion we went with 250kg constant on the back (7 blades) and Comfort 0-50kg on the front (5 blades). Should we fit a winch and bullbar we have the option of adding an extra blade up front.

To help any of you considering the same thing, here are the codes of the parts we used. (Please note that different suppliers use diffrerent codes and get them mixed up as well :!: )

Part Number Part Code
SP Leaf spring Hilux (LL) OMECS008FA/B
SP Hilux F Spring Bush Kit OMESB5
SP Hilux F.U Bolt OME 52
SP Fitting Kit OMEFKO3
SP Leaf Spring Hilux 250kg OMECSO10R
SP Hilux R.S/Absorber OMEN85
SP U-Bolt Toyota Hilux S/D OMEN53
SP Hilux R Spring Bush Kit OMESB6
SP Rear Hilux fitting kit OMEFK13
SP Hilux F S/ Absorber OMEN 84
SP Hilux Steering Damper OMESD21
OME Anit inversion kit OMEFK13
OME Anit inversion kit OMEFKO3

New re-greasable shackles and pins would have added about R4000!

The improvement in the ride is remarkable

. I have only been driving the Hilux for 6 weeks or so, but the old springs (Saayman lift and Gabriel Safari shocks) just don't compare. The new ride feels almost the same as my Corolla!!! :D :o It is now a real pleasure to drive. Even cornering has improved radically.

I gained about 4cm all round. The vehicle already sat high due to extended (longer) shackles. Bump stop clearance in the front is 12cm, in the rear it is 14cm. Total height up to top of canopy now 187cm.
(And I had to remove the low roof top tent rack to fit into the carport!)

Now I need to do 500km for everything to settle, and then it gets a "Check-up."

Here is some evidence at the field down the road.
Scotty

Niel · Post by **Niel** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:38 pm

Scotty, the bakkie looks lekker. One question is that your front bumper/ bull bar (does it also serve as a water container) because I have never seen one like it? Did you fit it or did it come fitted with the bakkie?

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:47 pm

Hi Niel

Many people who see the bumper think it is either a water tank or part of a compressor system! It is neither - just a bumper for now.

We got the car like this. I believe the previous owner had it made up at Nomad4x4. It is not a bad bumper - has jacking points, but offers little protection for the radiator and is too low to mount driving and spot lights.

I will either fit an ARB/ Desert Wolf/ Burnco bumper or, have Snyman4x4 build up this existing bar. Final decision will depend on us getting a winch or not (Oh yes....and the budget

). Winch = new bullbar.

A friend and I are playing with designs for the bumper that Snyman could put together for the vehicle.

Niel · Post by **Niel** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:54 pm

Pls post pictures when done. The budget is always the problem. Good luck.

Bosvark · Post by **Bosvark** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:52 am

Well done scotty,welcome to the club

Post by **Family_Dog** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:45 pm

Hi Scotty,

It looks brilliant! :D

I hope they supplied you with a step ladder to get into the vehicle

Nice, very nice!

-F_D

Cookie Monster · Post by **Cookie Monster** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:23 pm

Hi Scotty looks really great

I think I need to win the lotto so I can just do all the things I want to do on my van :!:

hilex08 · Post by **hilex08** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:06 pm

damn !!!!

looks nice bru !!!!!

Pixel · Post by **Pixel** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:28 pm

You guys might need a ladder or pole-vault skills but the Ride and Agility is great!! I enjoyed the test drive.
HAPPY TRAILS

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:43 pm

Still working alot on the Hilux and I feel a few posts under "Technical discussion" coming on........

Went to Takbok (near Paarl) this weekend. Had a great day with Pixel in his Prado.

First time for the Hilux offroad since OME went on and it made a massive difference. The clearance of the Hilux makes is very forgiving, especially for a fairly inexperienced offroad driver like me.

There are various trails and a big "play area". Towards the end of the one trail we came to a compulsory water obstacle, that was a little closer to being a little Theewaterskloof dam than an obstacle. While we had stopped and were deciding if we should chance it some locals arrived.....

Well a Patrol with massive Takkies made it through....just. Then a guy with an old Hilux, with a newly overhauled engine threw caution to the wind and .......

Water up to the window winders, wet everything, wet driver and worst of all (you should have heard the complaints

) wet box of Klipdrift!! Then things got worse - they towed the Hilux out with an old Jeep. Luckliy I confiscated all cameras to avoid any evidence of this.

Later the Hilux started up no problem, after a bit of drainage and a check up.

:!: Word of warning about Takbok: The trails are very badly sign posted. Later, while doing a mountain trail we really sweated as things got a bit hairy. When the road forked we had to walk both forks to see what was going on - no signs!!! Made it out eventually.

Cheers
Scotty

BenHur · Post by **BenHur** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:36 am

So did you give the water a miss?

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:21 am

So did you give the water a miss?

Hi Bennie

We did not try and cross the water in the pic with the stuck Hilux. Up to that point we had already crossed a number or shallower water obstacles.

We were still contemplating crossing this deeper one, but seeing that guy swamp his Hilux made me chicken!

Maybe with a bit more experience and diff-breathers I would be happier charging through. All in all the our Hilux impressed us and I am learning alot of things that will come in handy next year when we go on our trip.

Scotty

Pixel · Post by **Pixel** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:25 pm

Scotty wrote:

Water up to the window winders, wet everything, wet driver and worst of all (you should have heard the complaints ) wet box of Klipdrift!! Then things got worse - they towed the Hilux out with an old Jeep. Luckliy I confiscated all cameras to avoid any evidence of this.

Later the Hilux started up no problem, after a bit of drainage and a check up.

Cheers
Scotty

Hmm, some LR drivers might take offence to an old LR being called a Jeep... besides the only reason he got there first is because he had parked in the toyota's

Trust a Hilux not to be stopped by a drowing..
Happy trails
P

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:38 pm

This week is my last week of work, probably until January 2009!! :D

Preparations for our trip are starting to get a bit frantic!! There is still a lot of work to be completed on the Hilux, but we will get there.

Two weekend ago we went off to Monteco with Pixel and some other friends.

Here are some shots:

Niel · Post by **Niel** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:47 pm

I am truely jealous, I hope we will at least meat you before you start your trip?

Papa Joe · Post by **Papa Joe** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:52 pm

Niel, gaan bed toe ! 23h52

Cheers,

Niel · Post by **Niel** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:54 pm

Hopeloos te vroeg eers so 01:00

Papa Joe · Post by **Papa Joe** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:56 pm

Ok, dan gooi ek sommer nog 'n dop....

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....................

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 6:28 am

Scotty, lyk mooi man.

I can honestly say I wish I was joining you

, it has been a dream to do exactly what you are doing. Still time I guess, only we will have to wait till the laatie is older. Would be a good experience for him but only when he can wipe his own bum and sit still for longer than a minute

Are you doing this trip alone or with a convoy? Did you go through a agency or anything to plan etc?
Sorry if you have answered these questions, I probably missed it.

Cookie Monster · Post by **Cookie Monster** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:49 am

Well Scotty must say wish I was in your shoes

The van looks great I am sure you are going to have a really great time :!: Me wish I was going with :!: However my van still needs alot of time and money till she is ready for a trip like that. But in about 2 years time she will be ready and then I hope to do something similar

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:39 am

Hi Guys :D

Eish, number 1: Sorry for being so quiet - can't begin to explain how frantic things have been.

Number 2: Thanks to all of you who have e-mailed and PM'd to check how things have been going for the trip.

Number 3: I don't want to rush reporting back on all the stuff we have done on the Hilux. We have done LOTS and the Hilux is looking great and is now a very capable and comfortable overlanding vehicle.
It may only be on our first couple of nights on the trip that I will take the laptop out and write up some detailed reports on what we have done.

We were in fact supposed to leave today, but need and extra day or two and will prob leave on Wednesday.

I'll post all the vehicle stuff here I guess and will let you guys know about posting trip updates when we have that all sorted out.

Scotty

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:54 am

Well have a fantastic and safe journey Scotty. I am as jealous as anything and wish you all the best :!:

Niel · Post by **Niel** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:25 am

Scooter wrote:Well have a fantastic and safe journey Scotty. I am as jealous as anything and wish you all the best

Ditto

Pixel · Post by **Pixel** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:06 am

Hi All

Just to let you know, all is going well with the Scotty, Lau and the Hilux.
They are in North Natal, next Moz.

Cheers
Pixel

BenHur · Post by **BenHur** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:00 pm

So when are we seeing their first report?

Pixel · Post by **Pixel** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:43 pm

Hi All

No news on when a update will come in from them, their 3G modem is acting up but I can relay the following.

Scott & Lau rock up at a remote beach in north natal, there are only 2 other people on the beach.
They start chatting and it turns out that they are an ex SA couple now living in the USA who are out here
and ..... wait for it....... driving from Cape to Kenya and back in a HILUX :!: :!: As if they would be doing anything else....

They all had a good laugh and will now travel together for a while.

Update:
They are almost through Moz, now staying just north of Isla De Mozambique. So far have had a great trip,
met lots of great people, stayed in quite a few homes, the Lux has survived tropical storm or two and 1000's
of KM's of sandy tracks.

I will post news as and when I have it

Pixel

Pixel · Post by **Pixel** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:32 am

Hi All

Quick update on Scott & Lau.
Through Moz, they weatherd out the Tropical Storm, had to Double back from Pemba as the ferry accross the Rovuma is busted. Now in Malawi, lux lost breaks near Zomba (adjuster on the right rear brake had slipped out of position). They have had it service in Blantyre.

Here's a bit from a trip log: We travelled 7 hours to get back to Guruwe, and 1km to go amongst the tea bushes the road was blocked. A steep muddy mess of a road had three massive trucks stuck in it. The little village alongside had poured into the road and the sun was setting. We had no cell reception and things were looking dire. Desperate bakkies and trucks were trying to ramp up the steep sides of the road to cut a new path around the trucks and getting stuck themselves. Out of the blue (and for the umpteenth time on the trip) a perfect stranger â€“ Peter came to S and offered to point out a safer route. This involved riding around and through the little village, but then descending a muddy 40 degree slope, with a massive ravine through it. And all this with the village determined to stand around the Hilux as it crawled through the muck. It was nerve wracking, but we felt such relief after making it through.

Good thing they are in a LUX :)

Post by **Family_Dog** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:07 pm

Pixel,

Thanks for the update, must have been a few hair-raising moments there! I hope they are taking plenty of photographs for us all to enjoy upon their return :)

-F_D

Cookie Monster · Post by **Cookie Monster** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:11 pm

Wow it sounds like so much fun

Post by **CasKru** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:35 pm

Would love to see some pics

Dadz Toy BFI · Post by **Dadz Toy BFI** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 12:46 am

Scotty

I've dragged this one outa the Archives as:

I was in Kenilworth this morning and I saw a white SFA; though looking back at this post it wasn't you Scotty

How's being back in the City hey

I get seriously City Phobic after being the bush; you guys must feel a bit strange hey

Looking forward to your Trip Report and hopefully we'll meet one of these days soon

Rich

Agteros · Post by **Agteros** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:44 pm

Can anyone shed some light on the following: Scotty has a 1987 model - on the "c-pillar" of the cab it says only "Hilux" whilst with my (presumably) 1986 model it says "Hilux 4WD" (see photo). Does anybody know if you can determine the year model from this?

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:22 am

No idea but I can tell you my '94 model only has "HILUX"

putsy · Post by **putsy** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:32 am

Arnt they just stick on things? You could deturm the year buy looking at the build plate or decoding the VIN number...

Agteros · Post by **Agteros** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:57 am

Hi Tom

My Hilux VIN is YN670007901
Can you tell anything about it?

Hugo

putsy · Post by **putsy** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:45 am

Hay mate,
Iv been looking around and can only find partial lists but will keep digging.

BenHur · Post by **BenHur** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:47 am

Go to your local "friendly

" toyota dealer, they should be able to tell you from the VIN

Post by **Family_Dog** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:39 am

mwhugovr wrote:Hi Tom

My Hilux VIN is YN670007901
Can you tell anything about it?

Hugo

Contact member leonbrink here, I'm sure he'll be able to help you.

-F_D

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:43 pm

Hi all!

I've taken way too long to get some more stuff on the forum about our trip. We wrote up a fairly detailed trip report with photos on Facebook - that info is still there. If any of you have any question, please fire away. We have 11 000 photos from the trip and are happy to share all that we experienced.

Over the next couple of days I'll post some photos of the modifictaions we made to our Hilux. Some of the things we did really helped on the trip. Sadly we are going to have to sell our Hilux one day soon.......

It's great to be back on the forum.

Scotty

Post by **Family_Dog** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:58 pm

Scotty, great to hear from you again! :)

Sadly we are going to have to sell our Hilux one day soon.......

This is not good news.

Your Hilux has been through thick & thin with you, should never sell it. Good SFA's are becoming scarce and a good SFA often commands a higher second-hand price than a later IFS model.

Looking forward to your photos!

-F_D

Post by **CasKru** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:09 pm

Scotty wrote:Hi all!

I've taken way too long to get some more stuff on the forum about our trip. We wrote up a fairly detailed trip report with photos on Facebook - that info is still there. If any of you have any question, please fire away. We have 11 000 photos from the trip and are happy to share all that we experienced.

Over the next couple of days I'll post some photos of the modifictaions we made to our Hilux. Some of the things we did really helped on the trip. Sadly we are going to have to sell our Hilux one day soon.......

It's great to be back on the forum.

Scotty

Want to see all 11000 pics please

Welcome back :)

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:22 pm

Family_Dog wrote:Scotty, great to hear from you again!

Quote:
Sadly we are going to have to sell our Hilux one day soon.......
This is not good news. Your Hilux has been through thick & thin with you, should never sell it. Good SFA's are becoming scarce and a good SFA often commands a higher second-hand price than a later IFS model.

Looking forward to your photos!

Hey FD you legend! Great to hear from you too.

The prospect of selling the Hilux is not a happy one, especially after it was our home for 9 months and 35 000kms.

I'm sorry I didn't make it up to you on our travels. The advice we got from you and the rest of the gents was invaluable. In particular, taking out that single blade from the front springs ensured our ride was comfy and our kidneys were more stirred than shaken.

CasKru wrote:Want to see all 11000 pics please
Welcome back

Thanks CasKru - it's great to be back. One of the more unexpected highlights of the adveture/ trip of our lives was a new appreciation of home.

If you want to see all 11 000 photos you're welcome to pull in here. Just bring your favourite coffee mug.

3RZ · Post by **3RZ** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:36 am

From the VIN Code the Toyota parts locator site http://www.toyodiy.com/gives the following:

Market (multiple) Year 05/1986 Make TOYOTA Model HILUX Frame YN67

Model code
YN67R-MRPN

From To
08/1985 - 07/1986

Frame
YN67

Characteristics
STD SA RHD DCB 4Y CBR MTM 5F CBU

Post by **Family_Dog** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:32 pm

2jz Hilux wrote:Hi people !! You can also look under your Hilux at the back on both sides there is a number stamped on the chassis with the year model :roll:

Louw, approximately where would this be? Specifically referring to a SFA here.

-F_D

Post by **Family_Dog** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:20 pm

Thanks, will take a look under my chassis on Friday. I'm curious, because Bulldog does not have a VIN plate up front.

-F_D