The Self Healing Surf prevails....

[TonyN]

Nice going Nev, great pics, good to see someone giving Jotto and Games dude a rival in the 'it got wet' stakes.

[nero279]

Why risk breaking it for the sake of a pay&play???

1) We enjoy it
2) Byways are getting few and far between in some areas, going to a pay and play is better for relations with the anti's and other countryside users than going mud-hunting on overused green lanes. I'm not against greenlaning and enjoy it regularly, but certain lanes which are being trashed through over and irresponsible use round here do nothing towards changing tarred ill-informed opinions of the 4x4.
3) We enjoy it
4) They're designed to go offroad
5) We enjoy it
6) If it breaks we fix it (or TonyN does)
7) We enjoy it
8) 4x4s look better muddy
9) We enjoy it
10) Did i mention it's fun?

[Maverick]

Having done many off road miles in the real world (not just pay & play mud holes), I do know what a Toyota is capable of……

Yes, off-road sites are fun….. but what happens when hours, days months later something blows up or breaks because of mud and water damage? Fair enough if it is just your toy, but not much fun if it’s your daily driver and it happens one a dark cold night in the middle of nowhere.

Each to their own I guess.

I have managed to break or damadge mine more times on road, then ever off road. In fact I've never damadged it off-road, even on Salisbury plains last December (my trucks mantra that trip "I will survive, I will survive").

[PDR]

Yes! off-roading IS great fun… but you can also enjoy it without involving gallons of dirty, muddy water! Some of the best off road drives I’ve done have been along dried up riverbeds, “roads” into the Rainforests… oh and 1,000’s of Kms in the Sahara.

I few years back I had an old Series Land-rover which I rebuilt with the intention of using it off road…. It did get very wet and muddy on various pay & play sites…. But it was easy to hose down inside & out (no carpets or fabrics to worry about). I also had plenty of spare diffs, half-shafts, gearboxes etc. if I ever damaged something… and plenty of friends local to me who would gladly go and pick up parts for me if mine was broken……..

It is not quite the same with the Surf, yes there is a neighbour across the road with a Surf…… but I don’t know him well enough to ask him to go to the Toyota dealers for me.

I also think my Recaro interior is too nice to be covered in stinky, muddy water.

If I do feel the urge to play in water again….. I’ll buy a cheap Zook, strip it out and trailer it to the P&P sites.

[nero279]

Some of the best off road drives I’ve done have been along dried up riverbeds, “roads” into the Rainforests… oh and 1,000’s of Kms in the Sahara.

Do i need to point out that we don't all have the means of popping to these places on a sunday afternoon?

Yes, for many of us the ones mentioned above would be the trips of a lifetime. But in the meantime we make do with local greenlanes for the scenery, but most of them, certainly round here are either overused or been resurfaced and not much fun. When we want a fix of mudplugging, side slopes, hill climbs, water, holes, axle twisters, logpaths or whatever else is available at the pay and play sites that's where we go.

[PDR]

Do i need to point out that we don't all have the means of popping to these places on a sunday afternoon?

Fair comment

I have obviously been spoilt

[laser_jock@work]

Fair comment

I have obviously been spoilt

In Africa (and even parts of Britain)- as you point out- a 4x4 is essential just to get from A to B. I bought my Surf and modified it with the intention of going recreational offroading. The trouble is they're very good for 'onroad' use too- which is why it is our only family car!

Just taken all the seats out and had the inside valeted for £30. Doesn't look to bad now- just needs to dry out.....