Thanks for testing my truck. Viscous coupling deliberately over oiled and stuck on (i modified it) as the temp gauges have a deliberate dead spot) and i used to do lots of towing. And i like the noise! 4runner came in 3.0 non efi spec Also ref reverse lights. It used to be a non swingaway tailgate which had centre reverse lights. But i never finished the conversation as I couldn’t be bothered to change the loom.
I daily drive this exact truck, same colour except mine doesn't have the inter-cooler and it's a 5sp manual. It recently started idling high, just over 1000rpm (idle switch still works, pressing that bumps it up towards 1500). Any ideas where to start looking?
I’m on my third surf, had a 2.4 then 3.0, now back to a 2.4 again. Cylinder head replaced after it cracked and now getting ready to be featured on my channel
To answer your question about where you went these vehicles, back in the '90s there were still plenty of unpaved forest roads known as ’林道=rindo'. Most have either been paved now or have been closed due to a lack of resources to maintain them. Some still remain however. Also, Japan has large areas of snow country and a 4x4 is necessary in the rural parts of these areas. More so when the roads were much narrower and not as good as they have become today. The improvement in road conditions and the lack of places to go with a 4x4 has been reflected in the car market. Toyota are the only domestic manufacturer which sells a full size 4x4. The Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and the Toyota Prado and the Hilux pickup. You have the Land/Range Rover offerings, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, Jeep offerings and that is about it. It has become a very boring car market here in comparison with the 90s. Excluding the 'kei' light trucks favoured by farmers, fishermen and small businesses, there are only two pickups currently available on the Japanese market. The Hilux and the Jeep Gladiator and that's it.
New Zealand's most popular toy 'play truck' for about 20 years. These were, and still are, common as muck out here. The first gen was a two door (pretty much a 2 door wellside, with fibre glass canopy sporting panoramic windows, and the rear trimed out to make it erm... comfortable). They were reasonably cheap in NZ due to our grey import laws, and came loaded up to the gunwhales with luxury JDM options. Unfortunately they'd died off now, due to the prevalence of soft roaders.
They suit NZ well, as they're very capable off road, but as you say there's a lot less of them than there used to be. I remember when I first got in one being surprised by how small it was on the inside compared to the outside. It's a lot of compromise in terms of day to day livability if you're not using its off-road capability much, and I think that's why they've been largely relegated to garden ornaments.
Still got one on the farm here…it’s been on its side in drains, axles in mud…and every time it’s put back in it’s feet it goes again. Horrid horrid vehicle for the road, but for over 20 years it’s brilliant on the farm (3.0 diesel converted to manual 20 years ago)
I had one of these in the same colour, brilliant till it started drinking diesel at an alarming rate, so I took it back to the importer where I got it from and he agreed to a no cash exchange for a Toyota Soarer 2.5 twin turbo that he couldn't get rid of, talk about a complete difference lol, big ponderous 4x4 to a big, fast gt cruiser, loved em both 😀
Some Asian markets got the V8 version of this. passenger versions of pick ups are popular in Asia, I lived in Thailand for 16 years between 2000 and 2016 and the Surf was popular because it was extremely tough, but it was extremely poor quality ride on proper roads as you would expect. The Toyota Fortuner came along in about 2002 and then nobody wanted the Surf, the Fortuner was never sold in the UK but it’s basically a luxury passenger version of a later pickup.
My friend Paul ran one of these for 10 years. He bought it 'NEW' from an import centre and absolutely loved it. Despite its thirst, it was everything he needed in a vehicle. I haven't seen another one since he scrapped his, until now!
A friend of mine used to give me a lift to work in his Surf. He loved that car and so did I. It could easily fit a four piece band, with all the gear. Happy memories.
Glad you mentioned the floor. It's like Toyota designed the Hilux from the roof down... then decided it didn't have enough ground-clearance and just moved the floor up 8".
I'm loving this current 'series' of test drives around Chichester. I used to live there until 2014 and frequently find myself playing spot the location as the scenery goes by 😆
Oddly never got this generation in South Africa. Isuzu started the trend of pick-up based SUV's for us with the Frontier in the late 90s, but we eventually got the Fortuner that replaced this and it almost always tops the sales charts for big SUV's here. They really are everywhere!
I had an earlier series 1990 version of this. It was a great rig - absolutely ideal for Canadian winters. Apart from the fact you lose use of the trunk/boot during the worst part of the cold weather as the stupid back window freezes shut so you can’t drop it down to open the tailgate. A real pain in the arse! Later models went to the regular lift up tailgate which was more practical. 👍🏻
The 4Runner was only sold in the UK for 2 years in early 90’s to bridge over until the then new landcruiser came along. I owned one, 3.0 5 speed, locking rear end. Great truck, comfortable, surprisingly quick when required (for a hilux!), 26mpg average. Unfortunately rust is a problem……
I have the gen 3 surf, it's so similar yet so different to the gen 2. It's got the same 1kz 3.0L engine etc but the gen 3 has a landcuiser chassis, It's in a very retro 2 tone, it's very original also. It is not a common car but I love it.
Had one of these in NZ 20 years ago when we stayed there for a year. It went anywhere you pointed it. The offroading was brilliant. Big memory of the trip was the Japanese warning bell going ding constantly when you went over 60.
Hello from the western USA, i’m in a mountain state, and there’s still many 4 runners of this vintage on the road. They’re great in the snow, heavy with just enough power is in my experience the best recipe for winter driving, and these fit that perfectly. Most common 90’s engine here is the 3.0 or 3.4 gasoline V6. Really enjoy the variety that you bring to the channel, also a lot of fun to see your view on something familiar. Cheers!
It’s funny reading all the comments from other parts of the world with people saying these have all disappeared or became worthless. I also live in the western US and you can’t walk 200 ft in my town without passing a pre-2002 4Runner.
Had one of these, 3 litre, looks like yours has a body lift, they're surprisingly good off road, the rear window on mine had a button on the dash and holding the key in the tailgate lock also opened the rear window. Mine used no oil, didn't leak and always started but it was a boring car, odd sports car like driving position as well. I struggled to sell mine and it was very clean with a new cam belt and new Yokhama tyres, it ended up going to Africa to be used as a water truck, felt guilty leaving it at the docks as it had been a faithful companion. 😢
Always liked these. Remember a mate from work telling me when he had one of these, he spent thousands on it, was his pride and joy. He then made the mistake of selling it and saw it a few months later and the condition it was in, he was gutted
There was also Mitsubishi Shogun Sport that was a L200 with a different body. In some other parts of the globe there is a Ford Ranger based sort of SUV thing which looks good. See plenty of 4Runners of all ages in the USA and they are still a current model in the Toyota range. I agree with you on the seating comfort on these era pickup trucks as it was a case of bolt the seats directly to the floor and don't worry about the comfort. Newer truck designers have learnt that if you raise the seats slightly in the back and front of the cab you get more comfort.
I grew up in one of these. We had one as a family car for 8 years. I sat my drivers license in it as mums car was an automatic. I wish I’d kept it instead of my sportier jdm saloon when dad traded it for a brand new Navara. Ours was a 2.4td it was slow, the head cracked, but it was great. It took us everywhere, I think my parents put 200,000km on it in the time we had it. Can confirm that the boot was a pain in the arse, especially when the window got stuck down when dad was towing a boat. It got quite fumy. Also the key fob is aftermarket, you had to either use the switch in the cab or stick the key into keyhole on the boot to wind the back window down
I had one of these years ago, one of the best 4x4s I’ve owned. It was an ssr-g which was the top of the line model. Here in Australia, these were called grey imports. In Japan, after a certain amount of time the registration or insurance costs went through the roof so they only kept their cars for I think 5yrs. The laws in australia meant you couldn’t import a vehicle if there was a local equivalent. Our local 4 runners had different engines so these were allowed. If they sold these in australia these would have gone up against the prado which is why they didn’t import them. The “G” had full recaro seats, built in sub woofers, a phone built into the stereo etc. the engine was a 3litre turbo diesel really got it up and going. All that on a hilux running gear. Almost all the parts crossover with our local hilux and 4 runner so cheap parts and plenty of aftermarket accessories. Great cars
Without doubt the best vehicle ice ever had the pleasure of owning. Mine was a 2.4td rare manual box, and yes, it did suffer the cracked head of doom. Would love another one 1 day
Hi Hubnut. Interesting review. I'd guess that the lumpy idle indicated the need for new injectors. Likewise it'll need a new fan clutch. They're interesting things and I've pulled a couple apart for a look. The oil inside is very treacle like. In the centre of the thing is an oil reservoir and the oil is centrifuged from there into the next bit - the impellor section. It goes through there to the outer edge and is then somehow centrifuged through other passages back into the centre reservoir. Perhaps some capillary action is involved. When it's cold, there is a closed flap door which blocks the oil from leaving the reservoir, so the impellor just freewheels. When it is hot, the bimetallic coil in the front opens the flap door to introduce oil into the impellor which then grabs. I wish I'd invented it! Cheers.
When I was younger these imported 4x4s particularly surf's were always and exclusively found in rough areas, don't know why that is but outside any council house there was a surf or similar. Also not sure if you're interested but I just bought a fairly average nissan you may wish to test out lol
A garage I worked at in Worthing about 18 years ago, had one of these, a metallic red/burgundy one with that red interior (that had gone a bit orange) they took it as a PX, and we used it as a recovery truck, it pulled plenty of cars back to the garage, and you wouldn't even know you were towing anything. Pretty sure most of the fuel recovered from misfuelled cars went straight into it!
Seem to remember these were popular with the Vauxhall Frontera community back in the 90's as a second car or dare I say a trade up. Loved my Frontera 3 door to bits by the way. You mention Woolley steering...... If you can track down the very first Dacia Dusters from the 80's (ARO10) now these had Woolley steering. Well mine did. Apart from that I ran it for years as an everyday car, loved it too.
I looked at a few of these about 5 years ago. First second and third generation 4Runners. It looks like you have a second generation one. One of those I looked at had a decent cloth interior, not basic but not incredibly luxurious. Another one was loaded to the gills with leather and everything else so you could get them with quite a bit of luxury here in the states. I wound up however with a 1986 first generation 4Runner. While they were all capable, I think the 86 is the best for going off road as it has a shorter wheelbase and is a narrower body. It's very much a Hilux with a one-piece body and a removable fiberglass rear roof. That removable roof is a real treat! There is no diesel or V6 in mine, I have the incredibly long lived 2.2 L Toyota 22RE fuel injected engine. It's one of Toyota's best engines.
I had the US version, in SR5 packaging, for 5 years before she disintegrated. with those EXACT wheels and tyres, btw (the US centre caps had the word mark instead of the toyota needle and thread device, as it was the '90 version) even had the spare carrier version of the tailgate. the rear window controll was only on the inside, and apparently, the wires rotted off the motor while it was in the Up position. never got the tailgate open again (no keyfobs, yet, in the states at the time) seats are so comfy you can sleep in em, and I have. The backups on the US ones were either two clear bars beside the centered reg plate on the regular back, or a seperate pair under the bottom rail of the spare carrier that look tacked on (with the plate on the RH bottom of the carrier). mine had the 3VZE 3 liter petrol.
So excited to see you review a surf. I’ve had three and my current one has recently undergone an expensive engine transplant. The 3lr unbreakable engine… broke. It’s my absolute pride and joy. It’s a 3rd gen and has a different 4wd system.
The Pajero/Shogun has a 3.2l four pot, plus can shift between rwd and 4wd high at speeds upto 60mph. The later models came with a locking rear diff as standard. You wont come across a better able and comfortable family wagon
you should check out the Suzuki APV! it's mainly sold in Southeast Asia as a Van (passenger/panel van) or a Truck (with all sorts of equipment like a crane attachment) but I believe they also sell those in Australia and New Zealand, quite a nifty, rugged and practical minivan that is! Cheers from the Philippines, Mate!
These are naturally very popular in Australia as well, where we got them locally with petrol & NA diesel engines (as well as many Hiluxes of the same era) - but these Surfs were a popular import for a time. If anyone is considering buying one, I think these early 3 litre 1KZ-TE engines have an even higher propensity to crack cylinder heads than the 2.4 versions. Other than that, they are very robust. Fuel consumption is pretty reasonable considering what it is. They will average about 9-10L per 100km / 28-32ish MPG.
These, 4Runners, and the Nissan X-Trail were/are all very common amongst the ski & snowboard bunny set in Japan. That and people running around in 4WD Kei cars. In fact, the 4Runner is named for the skiers/officials that go down any given FIS race course to "proof" the course as course fore runners.
Good to see that driving a JDM truck causes flashbacks: "Here in New Zealand" (12:05). Meanwhile, really here in NZ, the pretext for such things as the Surf was builders--who do indeed have to be able to drive over rough building sites. Mostly however it's the macho, and at the moment there's a stupid tax loophole that lets an accountant get more tax benefits for having a 4x4 kingcab on the business than a sensible little hybrid.
My dads mate has a surf, hes had no problems with it engine wise for 8/9 years now other than toyota rot, these videos are really making me want to pull my finger out and get my lj70 landcruiser finished. I think the 2.4s are luck of the draw really as my landcruisers done 180k and never cracked a head. Like anything really it all depends on how theyre looked after i suppose
Nice one Ian, these take me back. I only wish that I could have afforded and run one but alas a new mortgage meant that the best I could get was a Metro 1.3L, which was nice.
I owned a 3.0 surf 4 runner Japanese import. Eats diesel however the body on mine was rusted so bad sold when MOT ran out. The Chrome bumpers on mine at the back were rusted and the back window motor fails. Great video beings back some nostalgia. Much appreciated.
I almost got one of these myself last year, but I found it to be much smaller on the inside than I was expecting! I'm still tempted however even though I picked up something else.
Oh yes! These things are great fun to drive despite the lifeless steering, and that big 3.0 diesel pulls like a train. My father bought one of these as an impulsive eBay purchase, and asked me one day if I wanted a go of it. As if I'd refuse! The one you drove is almost identical, down to the colour. Glad you enjoyed.
Regarding Japanese need for 4x4s I suggest you have a look at Japanese geography and particularly the winter weather they get in the north. Nearly three quarters of the country is classified as "mountainous" In Hokkaido, the northernmost island they measure snowfall in metres and Japan overall has 500 ski resorts which is far more than Switzerland.
I just bought a grey market 1998 SSR-G 3.0 turbo diesel surf in the US. 90k miles on it. For us, that is considered very low milage. The thing is awesome, we have plentiful offroading tracks here.
The HiLux Surf was a JDM curiosity In Oz for a couple of years in the 90s: Oz had the "official" 4Runner (3.0l V6 petrol only, I think) but the Surf had all sorts of unusual (for Oz) 2.4 and 3.0 diesels. They didn't last that long here, possibly because engine/ transmission parts were difficult to get. They also rusted badly even here, and a relative of mine who lived in S. Wales bought a secondhand one: the rate at which it dissolved reminded me of 70s/ 80s Lancias and Alfas.
Cracking looking vehicle and a very honest review. It's worth hunting one of these down and driving it around just to remind today's PCP hairdresser spec Land Rover buyers what a proper 4x4 actually looks like .
I think we have one of these locally and the rear bumper has completely rusted, and last time I saw it had been removed. Chap also has a mk1 Trafic camper 🙂.
I really wanted one of these, but was unable to find one in good condition. Most of them in Australia have been destroyed in off roading! I settled for my Suzuki Sierra (Jimny) instead.
Great video Ian, would love one of these, they seemed so affordable for ages, came so close to buying one, I think the price of new tyres scared me off! I bought a Volvo 240 instead. Cheers buddy, good luck with the 100k 🤘
Toyota still sell a Hilux based 4x4 wagon (similar to the Surf) here in Australia, called the Fortuner, and they are pretty well spec'd, and still very capable off road - my brother-in-law has one as his work vehicle (he's a financial adviser , and being in a rural area, many of his clients are farmers, which makes visits not always possible in a regular car, particularly in the winter months). The sound of a Toyota turbo diesel engine at adle is a very common soundtrack around here. Lovin' the vid's, hoping you get the 100k soon...sorry I can't help...already sub'd. Cheers!
Not dissimilar was the Isuzu Trooper Duty I used to use, that was a sizeable diesel 4 pot (3.1 I think?) and that was very agricultural and thirsty, can’t quite believe I covered about 120k miles in it and still alive to tell the tale.
I had the same. Great for towing and with super carrying capacity. It was a bit agricultural as you say but I can't remember it being unduly thirsty. Fuel was cheaper in those days though.
I think a lot of similar 4x4's of this era seemed to be agricultural in ways including the Land Rover Discovery. The change from a vehicle designed for towing and the agricultural mindset happened around the mid 2000's. Even early small SUV's around the 1990's early 2000's seemed to be agricultural in ways including the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV and the Honda's off road stance sort of ended with the generation after the MK1 variants.
Coming up as 100 now Ian. Congratulations 🎉 Funny how James likes the fan noise, I would have to replace it with an electric fan & thermostat. I did this on my Cortina after viscous coupling ceased 😂
Took one for a test drive, about 2006, pleasant experience, though not happy with the high floor. Wanted a seven seater so got an Isuzu Big Horn, that was superb, you should try one, had all the bells & whistles. I don't think they rusted (mine hade none), I think when the value dropped, dealers exported them all to Africa, so that's why you don't see them anymore. Interesting feature of the Isuzu, ... When speed dropped below 40mph it would freewheel, so no engine braking (auto 3 speed + overdrive).
The Surf is still a popular vehicle in New Zealand, great for a trip to the beach and perhaps sleep the night in the back for the romantic couples. Also available with v6 petrol power, ?2.7 and 3.4l which usually come with all the bells and whistles.
