@Gaurav I will have to excuse myself from the drive- have a few work commitments which most likely will flow into tomorrow, so want to avoid a last minute drop out situation. Have a great one!
Thanks @JeromeFJ for an amazing drive! Some very good challenges and overall very smooth!
PS: Shackles and radio frequency issue sorted - thanks for a accommodating it this time!
@Mike M. this is a super helpful framework! Maybe the best next step would be for me to explore the car in other capacities apart from dune bashing, and see what’s the sweet spot accordingly.
That would definitely help me narrow down the decision long term!
@Rob Smaybe abuse was a stretch - but what I meant was generally pushing the engine, transmission to the limits, scraping it in all sorts of places, the occasional bump to the skid plate etc just made me a bit worried- but I think I’ll make my peace with it for now!
Thanks a lot @Frederic and @Gaurav for your expert opinion on the topic- this helps bring clarity!
I think one commonality in both your inputs is, don’t switch from an FJ.
So this narrows my choice to either keeping my current car and rotating levels, or getting an older stock FJ (and keeping it stock)
Since I bought my FJ new this year and have reached IM level, started realizing that the car is taking a bit of abuse (holding up super well mechanically!). While I love the car and the capability- was thinking maybe it would be wise to buy an older & cheaper car which I’d be more comfortable in pushing to the limits + adding mods if needed. (Latter is a no-go for me with the current car)
Below were some options in my mind (looking only at Japanese):
1. LC100
2. LC200 5.7l V8
3. Patrol safari 4dr
4. Lexus GX460
While option 1 is to get an older FJ, wise to consider any of these?
Thanks @Looper, really enjoyed and learnt in my first IM drive! Was a great challenge
My apologies to everyone in the convoy for the late start- thanks all for the patience with this. Will rectify this going forward.