2014 Toyota Landcruiser VDJ76

[Dueller]

Hi from Australia,
This is a bit of info on my Toyota Landcruiser 76 series. I've previously built up a 120 series Toyota Landcruiser Prado as our first tourer but found it was time for a bit more grunt once we purchased a camper trailer. I have been a Toyota fan for as long as I can remember and fell in love with the 70 series a long time ago when I was driving a naturally aspirated troop carrier, one of the best 4WD's I've ever owned. Originally I was in the market for a second hand, low km unit but they are really hard to come by in Australia without having done some time with a fleet rental company or in a mine somewhere. I’ve used these vehicles at work and see what they can go through, plus the high asking price for second hand really made my mind up that buying new was the better investment. The vehicle is a 2014 December plate 76 Series Landcruiser with a 5-speed manual, 4.5ltr turbo V8. I opted for the wagon platform as it, in my opinion, is the best combination of 4WD ability, passenger requirements and touring buildability. She came stock as a rock from Toyota with the only inclusion of the tow ball. To say I’m happy with this truck is an understatement. So capable out of the box and to modify these things is a dream compared to my build-up of the Prado. With 34km on the clock, she was licensed and the build began straight away.

As mentioned, our previous Prado was our first 4WD so I learned a lot about what modifications did and didn’t work for what we wanted to do when it came to touring and camping. Some modifications and equipment were saved from the sale of that vehicle so they could be added to this current build. The cruiser build has had the items below added by myself and the help of my father with long hours in the shed and various workshops to transform it into how it sits today. The aim of this build was to be as self-sufficient as possible when camping coupled with our camper trailer. It is a long range off road tourer that takes us where we want and back again.

We are lucky enough to live in Western Australia. This vehicle is well travelled within this state as we have visited some of the best touring destinations and 4WD tracks our country has to offer. The below build list has transformed our Landcruiser into what we think is the best 4WD adventure machine for our adventures.


Engine/ Driveline
Bramac brake booster upgrade
DBA T3 slotted rotors and Bendix 4WD pads
Custom 1000Nm heavy duty clutch
Eaton rear electric diff lock
Strongarm 170ltr long range fuel tank
TaipanXP oil catch can
Engine Saver low coolant level alarm
Minecorp bonnet gas strut kit
Under bonnet LED strip/ work light
Extended diff and transmission breathers
Redarc dual battery system
Couplertec electric rust resistance system
NewproTech turbo timer
Fuel Manager primary fuel filter with 12v water alarm.
Safari snorkel
Redback 3" exhaust with resonator option
ARB under bonnet compressor
DPU intercooler upgrade
ECM remap

The three best mods for this section that have transformed the Cruiser into a better tourer have been the brake booster and rotor upgrades for towing, the dual battery system for the fridges and gadgets plus the addition of the primary/ 2nd fuel filter for peace of mind. In saying all that though the note coming from the 3" exhaust is something you can never get enough of!

Tyres & Suspension
285/75/R16 Nitto Trail Grappler MT's on 16" Kings Terra Black rims
Ridepro 50mm suspension lift combined with EFS XTR shocks and Extreme steering dampener.
Boss triple bellows rear airbags

I opted for the 33" tyres as I think they are the sweet spot for economy and performance with the type of driving I do. They also match the gearing well. The Ridepro springs and airbags have been great since day one. I can not fault them and the triple bellows airbag design lets me level out the vehicle when towing but also doesn't restrict articulation when the Cruiser is un-hitched and aired down. I'm now on my second set of shocks after the punishment took their toll on our most recent trip through the Gibb River Rd and have now opted to try out the EFS XTR's.

Exterior
ARB Deluxe Bullbar
Heavy duty recovery points
VRS 12,500lb synthetic rope winch
Stedi Type X 8.5"LEspotlightsts
Stedi 48" 260w LED lightbar
ARB scrub bars and steps
TJM flare kit
Rhino Rack alloy Tradie roof rack with roof-mounted lightbar, sand flag, shovel holder, awning, Maxtrax x4, 10w rear work light and 120W solar panel.
Reverse camera
Superior Engineering radiator, diff and transfer guards
Slimline weather shields, bonnet and headlight protectors
Tinting
UHF and phone ariels

The Rhino Rack is one of my favourites here. They have the system down pat now for a light and highly versatile rack system I can pretty much add anything to. The bar work and the protection it gives goes without saying considering the high possibility of animal strikes. We took the vehicle protection a step further by covering the running gear with Superior guards and bash plates. The 120W solar panel up top means we have all the power we need to run the two cabin fridges indefinitely in sunny conditions when the vehicle is stopped.

Interior
Redarc Solar regulator & monitor
3500 GME UHF unit
Cargo barrier
Custom made centre console with battery monitor and accessory outlets
Department of Interior fibreglass, large, front door pockets
Street Guardian dash camera
LED interior light upgrade
Powertech 400W inverter
Dual pillar pod with VDO boost & EGT gauges
Redarc Tow Pro electric brake system
Department of Interior overhead centre roof console
Outback Solutions twin draw kit
MSA 50ltr drop down fridge slide
Ironman 50ltr rear fridge
Toyota dash clock and ambient temp sensor (the most expensive clock in the world)
Rear door fold down table
Dashmat
Black Duck canvas seat covers
Waeco CF 11ltr centre console fridge
Sandgrabber front floor mats
Autostrada cruise control kit
Scanguage II
RAM Mount to use iPhone as GPS
Solar Screen cargo area sunshades
Sharp Tooling gear stick extension

Without a second thought, the Waeco console fridge modification is the best thing on the entire build. Coupled with the cruise control kit and rear draws with a second larger fridge in the back, it makes those long trips a breeze.

Future Mods
Wrap around style awning/ Alu Cab
Cabin airbag controller
larger air compressor and tank inclusion

What I have replaced/ changed
Fuel tank, trip damaged
Shocks, trip damaged
Spotlights and lightbar, trip damaged
Tyres to a mud terrain style

Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Matt

 

[Dueller]

 

[Dueller]

And a few of what we use her for........
View attachment 55755 View attachment 55757

 

[ATXnative]

Oh my good gawd I wish we got these in the states.

 

[Tim]

Wish we had them in the U.K. too. That V8 Diesel just sounds awesome. Looks like a nicely prep’d tourer.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[thispiece]

Toyota dash clock and ambient temp sensor (the most expensive clock in the world)

I currently live in UAE and have a 2016 lc76. Mine came from Toyota with an aftermarket navigation installed I place of normal hazard and clock. I removed it and wow was that clock expensive. Finally, someone else understands the pain.

 

[Dueller]

I currently live in UAE and have a 2016 lc76. Mine came from Toyota with an aftermarket navigation installed I place of normal hazard and clock. I removed it and wow was that clock expensive. Finally, someone else understands the pain.

Haha, mate your telling me! When they told me the price I actually thought they had a typo or read the wrong part list!

 

[thispiece]

You have a great looking ride! Thanks for sharing.

How do you like your seat covers? I have been eyeing the ones from Escapegear out of South Africa.

Can you fold foward your rear seat with the fridge installed? I have a rear fridge, but I assume center one also gives you an armrest.

Do the Solar Screen keep your vehicle much cooler? I have 3M heat reduction tint, but it’s hard to keep it cool when it’s 50c outside.

Have you done or thought about dynamat? I’ve been reading reviews and people say it makes a huge difference. Reduced sound and heat.

 

[Dueller]

You have a great looking ride! Thanks for sharing.

How do you like your seat covers? I have been eyeing the ones from Escapegear out of South Africa.

Can you fold foward your rear seat with the fridge installed? I have a rear fridge, but I assume center one also gives you an armrest.

Do the Solar Screen keep your vehicle much cooler? I have 3M heat reduction tint, but it’s hard to keep it cool when it’s 50c outside.

Have you done or thought about dynamat? I’ve been reading reviews and people say it makes a huge difference. Reduced sound and heat.

Thanks for the comments mate. The seat covers area great. Cant go wrong with canvas for overall protection. Only downside is they are harder to clean while still keeping the integrity of the material. I'm not to familiar on Escapegear but most products that come out of South Africa seem to be great quality.

I've never need to use the fold down function on the rear seat due to not having any space behind it because of the cargo barrier so having the two fridges has never been a problem. Replacing the old center console with the 11ltr fridge has been one of the best mods I have done to the vehicle. As you may know the original piece doesnt give you any arm rest or cup holders so this settles all of those grievances and fits nice and snug. It basically holds 12 cans.

The Solar Screens have been on two vehicles I've built now and are great for keeping the ambient temps around the rear fridge down. I found the fridge worked allot harder with just tinting. The car will still heat up when sitting idle but it keeps out the beating sun on everything in the back. The other bonus is it also keeps prying eyes out of the back where all my gear is stored.

I have not installed Dynamat but those who have say its great to limit the road noise and compliment a decent sound system install. I have no problem with the cabin noise. In fact id rather hear the V8 over the OME sound system any day! Its a bit of a process to install but those who have the patience seem to be happy with the results. Not too sure if ill do it though now I've installed everything else. Possibly better to do at the beginning of a build.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[AZAdventurer]

WOW What a great build! Thanks for sharing!