Thank you! from a newbie

[Hawkan]

Hi
I joined the forum a few months ago, but to date this is my first post! ...and it's to say A BIG THANK YOU!!!
I bought a 95 Surf ,Gen 2... 3.0 SSRX auto in May 2008 after my old SAAB 9000 of 6 years ownership started to get a bit long in the tooth.(mot failure pending)
I knew absolutely nothing about the surfs and only bought it as I needed a motor and then surf looked the puppies bits!!
I wanted a 4x4 as I have a growing family , and live in a rural area of Lincolnshire but had no idea what to buy, (apart from owning a 3.5 Range Rover on a 72 plate 20 years ago, which I only had for a few months as it was stolen)
I bought the Surf from a local owner, and as a non mechanic, and not very agile due to health reasons ,I have done so much to it..(pics to follow when I figure out how to post!)
I have changed, oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, drained and refilled coolant, tightened aircon belt, refurbished the rear window motor, changed my tyres for 31's from 275's and even changed the bushes on the drop links and Rear ARB (well 1 on the ARB the other b*****d beat me after 4 hours I gave up totally Kna***ed!)...but maybe when the weather warms up I will complete the task)...
Anyway.. I hope to be able to contribute to the forum even though I have a limited mechanical knowledge, I worked in a CB radio shop back in the 80's and have a decent knowledge of radio, always happy to help (this weekend hope to get my radio installed in the truck ).
CHEERS GUYS!!

[Hawkan]

To answer an e-mail I received, the radio I am fitting is not a CB , I was tempted..VERY tempted, but...to be honest the coastal area of Lincolnshire I live in, the channels are dead, all 80 of them!..
I used to have a CB radio with 25-30Mhz coverage which I mounted on the roof of the truck and used a sirio mag mount, it was ok for distance,(SSB) but locally- zilch!
Soooo..fitting a piece of radio ham kit, which also covers the PMR 446 Band, and believe it or not quite a bit of activity in this area, and good coverage(plus can chat to the Boss on her 446 handheld! she will be happy!)
Anyone else have or use a 446 radio in their vehicle?
I intend to mount the antenna in the place of the parking mirror on the front passenger wing as my mirror has been damaged (using a dv27 type mount so can get the antenna upright, and being 70cm bandwidth, not noticeable and shorter in length)
Hopefully radio will mount in the 2nd (lower) din slot (the cubby box), and be a permanent fixture.
Anyone intrested in this type of set up/installation I am happy to share info.

[BioHazard]

Welcome to the nut house .........Beware the squirrel





If you have been nosing you'll know what i mean

[Hawkan]

Thanks mate!...Oh yes, I know what U mean!!

[jotto]

Welcome to the home of the insane

I see you are just up the road and around the corner from me(well 40 miles ish)

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Welcome to my nuthouse

I'm the squirrel you NEED to be worried about

Sorry about yeti, we have tried housetraining him, but he's too much of a gas bag to house train, so we have to turf him out every night and also when he has been on the curry


Hows about some pics of the old truck then ?


Trev

[Hawkan]

Hi Jotta, Thanks for the welcome!
Yep not far away mate, spent a fair bit of time working up you way when we lived in Mabo.... Nice to know you are there mate!

[BioHazard]

Hi Jotta, Thanks for the welcome!
Yep not far away mate, spent a fair bit of time working up you way when we lived in Mabo.... Nice to know you are there mate!

Jotto......

[MUD MUNCHER]

To answer an e-mail I received, the radio I am fitting is not a CB , I was tempted..VERY tempted, but...to be honest the coastal area of Lincolnshire I live in, the channels are dead, all 80 of them!..
I used to have a CB radio with 25-30Mhz coverage which I mounted on the roof of the truck and used a sirio mag mount, it was ok for distance,(SSB) but locally- zilch!
Soooo..fitting a piece of radio ham kit, which also covers the PMR 446 Band, and believe it or not quite a bit of activity in this area, and good coverage(plus can chat to the Boss on her 446 handheld! she will be happy!)
Anyone else have or use a 446 radio in their vehicle?
I intend to mount the antenna in the place of the parking mirror on the front passenger wing as my mirror has been damaged (using a dv27 type mount so can get the antenna upright, and being 70cm bandwidth, not noticeable and shorter in length)
Hopefully radio will mount in the 2nd (lower) din slot (the cubby box), and be a permanent fixture.
Anyone intrested in this type of set up/installation I am happy to share info.

welcome welcome welcome
cheers shaun

[Hawkan]

Hi UDTRev, working on the pics of the truck, will hopefully post a few soon plus if anyone intrested , will post pics of the radio install too...
Sincerely..
Thanks for the welcome guys, didn't expect this...forums I have used in the past (not surf related)........ The members spent most of their time "flaming" other users....HILUX SURF FORUM is diffarent..that's why I paid my membership fee and joined...so anyone in the wings pondering, don't hesitate "JOIN UP"...
...Ok done enough sucking up now.. so ....couple of questions..well 1 to start with....bushes on the ARB...I did the drop links..no probs, first
bush , no probs (I am using Milners bushes by the way)....The 2nd one (by now you need to be able to bench press 2.4 tonnes to move the bar!).. just can't seem to get the bolts to align on the clamp, do I use a replacement longer bolt to allow realignment of the clamping bracket? ....Advice appreciated! (I did undo the respective droplink prior to attempting the bush replacement)...I will persevere as I had a bad experience with local Toyota stealership during steering recall.

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

There are those who say remove the ARB, it cannot be MOT'd if it's not there


Trev

[Hawkan]

Trev, I did try that, and all was fine till I cornered sharply on a roundabout!.......well a while ago I hired a boat on the Norfolk Broads..and the handling of the boat was better!, so since investing in the bush kit I decided to forge ahead and get it done.. I won't let it beat me (until it gets near to MOT in May..Then it's comming off if I have not done it!)

[TobyJug]

welcome mate.....

[Phantom]

Welcome mate fit some procomp es9000s and bin the arbs. I don't run any on either of my trucks. If you have standard shocks and remove them then it will handle like a bucket of custard. Stiffen up the shocks and it will be ok.

[tintin]

Wecome aboard the forum !

Done the trip to Skeggy 4 times in the last couple of years, Quite like some of the suburbs!
(and all the buses smell like my truck, cos they run on veg oil)
Fortunately eldest daughter is no longer a redcoat so wont have to do that drive anymore!

Alan