Why Rebel Groups Love Toyota...

[SuperDave456]

An interesting article. It makes me want to go hunt one down although I have enough vehicles.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/14/why-rebel-groups-love-the-toyota-hilux.html

 

[J_Sap]

I like how the article commented on Top Gear's test of the truck.

 

[M1Accord]

Quote:
A former British special forces soldier, who asked not to be identified because he still consults on active operations, says he too has faced the Hilux, which he refers to as “the technical,” in both Iraq and Afghanistan. “I’d say the appeal is pretty simple,” he says. “You can’t underestimate the value of having a vehicle that is fast, will never break down, and is strong enough to mount a heavy weapon in the back.”


It is always amazing how loose lips these special force soldiers are. Either that or reporters, and I use the term loosely, just make [censored] up.

According to this article, it sounds like Hilux is the WMD we fail to find.

 

[cbear]

No mention that the biggest volume Toyota dealer in all of central Asia during the Soviet-Afghan war was a CIA front company.

 

[saberz]

The Helix is a very rugged truck. So rugged that Top Gear put it through a barrage of worst case scenarios. Truck was lost at sea, pull ashore and started. Truck was placed on top of a building that was being demo'd, collapsed in on itself. Truck was crushed, engine still started. Truck had a massive amount of weight dropped on its bed, still started and drove true.

They can run McDonald's fryer oil without a flinch. It's Chuck Norris' vehicle of choice!

 

[shadow7]

Wow!

BTW the video above didn't show when they Finally placed it on top of a 240-foot tower block that was then destroyed in a controlled demolition. When they dug it out of the rubble, all it took to get it running again was hammers, wrenches, and WD-40. They didn’t even need spare parts.

 

[Scdevon]

3rd world people drive old school Toyotas for a reason. They never break.

Toyota used to put all of their efforts into making vehicles with rock solid drive trains. "Mouth Breather" consumers have turned Toyota into a company that cares more about making vehicles with DVD players and heated cup holders.

That truck was also Japanese produced. BIG difference.

 

[kelpie]

I've worked on older Toyotas and Nissans and the GM, Ford and Dodge trucks of that era were better. The inline sixes, 3 speed manual transmissions and rears didn't break. The older Japanese trucks were made of tinfoil and blew head gaskets. Alternators on the nissan were down low where they would catch road salt and fail. You still see old Ford, Chevy and Dodges on the road from the 1970s, but where are all the old imports?

 

[mrsilv04]

This is the reason why I don't like overpriced and over-optioned $50,000 pickup trucks with every farkle on them known to man, including tacky H-D badges...

Pickups are to be basic and durable.

 

[Scdevon]

Originally Posted By: kelpie
You still see old Ford, Chevy and Dodges on the road from the 1970s, but where are all the old imports?


You're talking about America where import trucks weren't sold in anywhere near the numbers that Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks were. Naturally, there are more 70's American trucks driving down American roads than Toyotas because there were WAY more of them sold here.

I agree that domestic trucks from the 70's were pretty good, but they weren't THAT good where people seek them out for use in 3rd world countries. In arid areas of the world where rust isn't an issue, old Toyota trucks run forever.

For example, GM had major camshaft problems in their V8's during this era. A rounded off camshaft is a major problem for a 3rd world person. Can't say I've ever seen a rounded off cam in a 20R or a 22R Toyota engine from that era.

 

[meep]

The hiLux is a different breed of vehicle from what we get here. Buddy was stationed there for a while. rough, crude, stiff, hard on your back, and reliable, sturdy, reliable, tenacious, capable, reliable.... but way too rough and TALL for domestic use. not built for highways. would be a rollover nightmare the way our drive patterns are.

 

[Norse]

Why Rebel Groups Love Toyota...

I dunno, because they like Bic disposiable trucks???

 

[ekpolk]

Ahhhh, as much as I like our Toyotas, I'm willing to share this little anecdote -- it should really amuse the "Ford tough" and "like a rock" folks.

Back in 03, I was recalled to active duty and my job had me working on a staff in a command center (being a Colonel ain't all it's cracked up to be...). "Opposing" forces had taken one of these gun-mounted Hiluxes and parked it in a school yard, in a truly dastardly variation of the old cowardly "human shield" dilemma. Anyway, we had to get that gun, but it was, quite literally, surrounded by children.

The solution was a marvel of technology and creativity. Our explosives guys, able to momentarily subordinate their egos to the mission, prepped a couple of ultra special precision "munitions". The made several "custom" 500 pounders, replacing their usual high explosive compound with nothing but simple, good old fashioned cement. Then they added the very latest precision laser guidance head and fins.

And it worked like a charm. The only problem, as I understand, was that the delivering aircrew got none of the usual -- ummmmm -- "feedback" as to how the "ordnance" had performed. Sources confirmed shortly thereafter that we had literally smashed the truck flat, in place, without so much as scratching the first school kid. I don't know if there were any bad boys in or on the truck, but I have to admit -- I really hope that there were a few.

Moral of the story: even a Toyota has its limits. . .

 

[mechanicx]

Those old Toyota pick ups have sheetmetal only slight thicker than a pop can. They were very hard riding and uncomfortable over rough roads, and uncomfortable in general. But I guess they were cheap and pretty durable, kind of like an AK-47.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Those old Toyota pick ups have sheetmetal only slight thicker than a pop can. They were very hard riding and uncomfortable over rough roads, and uncomfortable in general. But I guess they were cheap and pretty durable, kind of like an AK-47.


Two thoughts in response. First, I'm not sure you want to go there with the AK analogy. That danged thing has to be the most rugged rifle/carbine ever conceived. As a Marine, I've actually witnessed the demo where the instructors take an AK, pack it with sand and bury it in dirt, pull it out, shake it a bit, and then it just starts pumping out rounds. I'm sure accuracy and longevity suffer, but no M-16/M-4 could endure that. They showed us this as young LTs so we'd respect what most bad guys would be toting.

Second, the Hilux may be thin-skinned, but OTOH, I don't care how "tough" a Ford is, or how rock-like a Chevy may be, when a ton or so of precision guided, metal-cased cement, flying at about the speed of sound, crashes into your truck, it's done, period.

 

[mechanicx]

There's other comments you can make about an AK or focus on besides just durability too, like less accuracy an refinement. I never said a heavy load dropped at high speed wouldn't crush most any vehicle. But those Toyota pick ups were flimsy sheetmetal and everything else I said from personal experience. Anyway, don't even smart bombs fall vertically at primarily near gravity terminal speed? That is still a lot of force. They probably do travel at a higher horizontal speed.

 

[Spyder7]

500 lbs of cement packed ordinance at terminal velocity is going to flatten pretty much anything in its path. A very creative solution indeed! Kudos to the guys who thought up this very creative solution to this serious dilemma and the airmen who delivered it right on target, eliminating the threat and avoiding collateral damage at the same time. I hope all involved got some recognition for a job well done, although I know from a soldier's perspective, this is another day "in the office" and these guys didn't do it for any recognition; they did it out of the pride and responsibility that goes with the uniform and getting the job done properly).

A little off topic, but I have tremendous respect for the men and women in the armed services whose sense of civic responsibility, duty, and honor keep our nations safe while receiving (from my POV) far too little respect from the general public and compensation for the service they provide to the nation. They are a rare breed of person in a culture where these values are harder and harder to come by (making them all the more valuable).

-Spyder

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

The 500 lb bomb filled with cement wasn't a particularily brilliant invention - it's the standard configuration for training ordinance called an inert 500 pounder. You can drop the bomb with exact ballistics of the bomb filled with explosives, but you don't have the danger and associated real estate requirements in a training environment.

Using that configuration on a truck in a schoolyard was a nice touch, though.

As to U.S. built Toyota pickups, I'm less impressed. My stepfather got in to a tussle with a bush with an early 90s version, and totaled the "truck". A Ford, Chevy or Dodge would have gone right through it without more than a scratch in the paint.

 

[GTO52]

I have 2 hiluxs.

My 1995 Hilux is the 1984 to 1988 body style.

Toyota South Africa carried on producing this model right up to 1998.

http://www.brian894x4.com/Hiluxgeneration2.html

My one has a 22R engine.

It has been very reliable but I must admit the my 2002 Hilux with the 3RZ-Fe engine is better although the 1995 style model is far more popular with car thieves!
But that is because many of the parts are compatible with the Toyota Hi-Ace mini bus taxi(most popular car to be stolen here in SA)
The 3RZ-Fe engine has a very good reputation here, with some saying it is the best petrol engine Toyota has ever produced!

 

[GenSan]

The 3V-ZE and 22RE are just ultra reliable engines.

Here's some serious amount of miles put on these Toyota pick-ups from toyotanation forum.


713,046 - khdkid (unknown)
657,983 - fourwd1
501,018 - ericsurf (22re) Woop-pa-di do!!!! - from the #8 position
500,000 - 22redlined (3vze)
497,000 - jestam77 (unknown)
460,000 - Tazdevil (22re)
459,332 - ksxroads (3vze)
422,638 - Becky (22r)
405,000 - woodsman890 (3vze)
385,761 - countryboy17 (unknown)
373,NNN - bpdgrfan (3vze)
357,000 - ryanschillinger (3vze)
332,000 - Ket4au (unknown)
330,000 - Ripsnub (unknown)
326,000 - Jumbo747 (22re)
324,600 - MR2Jedi (3RZ)
323,195 - Robman123 (22re)
312,000 - KF6BBL (22re)
310,000 - Chris10 (22re)
310,000 - TrustyRusty (unknown)
304,000 - Banshee35 (22re)
300,000 - tervanun (3vze)
286,000 - Subliminaltrips (22re)
284,000 - Jakejjs (unknown)
280,000 - Bumpin' Yota
280,000 - WheelinChick90 (22re) Updated w/additional miles from over-sized tires, original miles on everything. :] (261,000 w.o tires)
275,670 - Vicoor (22re EXTREME)
274,000 - Isenegger (unknown)
268,000 - voodoo827 (unknown)
268,000 - LCD (unknown)
260,000 - Search (unknown)
260,000 - redeyedpanther88 (3vze)
250,100 - F1000x (22re)
250,000 - Subliminaltrips (22r)
240,000 - TRD_JW (unknown)
240,000 - joelm716 (22re)
238,000 - Thevish (22re)
237,362 - Skaterguy200215 (3vze)
235,000 - matanzasace (unknown)
231,000 - Toyota88 (unknown)
221,000 - Zachariah (3vze)
227,000 - Tightleft (unknown)
223,000 - Geemon (22re)
220,000 - shoes138(3vz)
219,497 - 89yotatruck (unknown)
219,000 - Godeep (unknown)
219,000 - JMSteelers11 (unknown)
218,000 - TNRabbit (3vze)
217,000 - Shep1 (22re)
212,988 - SnowCindy (22re)
211,266 - Instantninja (22re)
209,000 - Csxmoose (22re)
202,000 - Dave's (unknown)
201,020 - Tacofan15 (3vze)
201,000 - BluYot (22re)
200,000 - Sailor (unknown)
198,277 - Evko (3vze)
193,000 - Germany (unknown)
190,001 - Ajones1165 (22re)
188,000 - 1bad2WD (22r)
188,000 - =Bullit= (22re)
186,411 - boyota (unknown)
184,000 - Avenged (unknown)
182,000 - Sctout09 (22r)
182,000 - timmy_boy188 (3vze)
181,000 - BigTrucknWheels (3vze)
176,451 - Reachkev (3vze)
172,000 - DubVipers (22re)
160,000 - Cbm! (22re)
160,000 - Jetswim (22re)
157,000 - RottenToy (3vze)
150,000 - rod.s (unknown)
147,500 - Sheeptown44 (3vze)
146,000 - Jcfb (22re)
146,000 - Tackepj (22re)
140,000 - 89Truk (22R)
140,000 - IRelyea0014 (unknown)
139,000 - 90yotapickup (unknown)
135,000 - JayDawg (22re)
135,000 - Codeman268 (22re)
132,000 - Bucketofsoupyum (unknown)
132,000 - StevetheRiddler (22re)
132,000 - Breethrox (22re)
129,500 - Jayota (3vze)
119,000 - Jakejjs (22re)
118,300 - DieToRemain (2rz)
107,000 - lesgarbe (3vze)
101,000 - LeftCoast (22re)
97,000 - Yoter89 (22re)
96,000 - Jimscat (22re)
91,000 - Pologoalie12 (unknown)
89,000 - DSMahon (22re)
80,000 - Camach (unknown)
57,000 - 3in2Out (unknown)
52,000 - Guitarman (unknown)
47,007 - mtnbkr88 (3vze)
44,000 - Brownie (22re or 22rte)
23,191 - 84cressida (22re)
21,000 - Cityfarmer (unknown)
18,300 - slybond (22re)

Toyota pick-up durability