TLC 75 petrol
 

Sorry to bother with this much regurgitated subject but I can't find the answer here or elsewhere. Is a series 75 troopie with a 4L petrol motor trash - no matter how good it is otherwise? Should I hang in for a diesel? Should I forget this idea and go for an 80? Bit posh for me I think!

Second, is Sahara Overland revised edition only available from Aug 04 (according to Amazon)? Can it be acquired sooner?

Fanx a lot

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A 4L 75 petrol six is a great motor - in Libya and Arabia they are everywhere and like the old LR 4-cyl nails, they go on forever. Much more torgue than an LR V8.

Make sure it's an FJ a six and not a 3.5 four or PJ five.

Only problem is of course fuel consumption, but if its cheap enough to buy and not knackered, it could be a deal. I did some calcs for edn2 on old RRV8s - below a couple of grand they make a viable desert car. In fact in the UK I would go for an RRV8 over a 75 petrol six as you have a whole lot more choice, despite the build-quality issues.

And anyway, a non-turbo HJ75 diesel six is not that great on fuel compared to the turbos

An 80 is nicer all round of course and makes a decent town car compared to a 75 (which is as rough as a Defender). I think 80s can be a bargain in the UK as people who dont know Tojo are frightened off by high mileage

New edn is out in Oct, realistically. Amazon is jumping the gun (like they do). Cheap, isn't it!

Chris

Thank you Chris

Every road I take leads back to a series 80. At a 1/4 the price it is in SA it is really tempting. Perhaps I'll commit to this route. The 75 was brought here from Oz - uses about 20L/100km - surely too high?

If your 20L/100Km is in in the UK, then I reckon it's too high! The moment the going gets soft, your fuel consumption can double (and more).

That having been said, I often notice a small improvement in the desert when the going is firm - due to the fact that I'm going at 60kph instead of trying to force a very un-aerodynamic shape (yup, it's a Land Rover) through the air at 120kph.

Sam.

20L/100km or 5kpl (15mpg) is about right for on old a petrol six - as long as its not doing 100kpl on oil like mine did, you're doing OK.

A 75 is a tough, functional machine - the choice of cig smugglers - why not buy a rusted-out early Hj60 and stick the motor in.
Or better still, just live with it and enjoy the power. Let's face it, that's why we all drive diesels...


Ch

For my two pennorth, I would give the petrol 75 a whirl. As Chris says, petrol is likely to be cheaper virtually wherever you go.

I've just bought a 4.5 petrol 80 (the 1FZ-FE engine) for some summer fun while I rebuild my overland disel 80. Having driven them back to back, I reckon that the petrol is, in some respects a superior machine. It's sooo quiet, more torquey, more powerful, can actually overtake at motorway speeds. Okay, so it's thirsty (about 20mpg), but that really is the only downside I can find. Compared to the diesel, it's also got longer service intervals and possibly lower maintenance costs in some respects (no turbo or diesel injection pump to worry about).

For me, the problem seems really to come down to range. If you can carry enough cheap petrol to get you between fills for the planned trip, then you're laughing.

Just an opinion. Now, I'd better get back to working on my diesel..... :-)

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AndyBee