Hello All

[colinmullis286]

hello to everyone on the site, my name is colin and i'm from england, i drive a VW Taro which is actually a Toyota Hilux MK3 2.2 petrol, pic below is of the truck about 2 months ago. it's undergoing a full strip down and complete rebuild which will include a flat bed and internal and external full roll cage. currently have 33x13.5x15's on the truck but will be going to 35's or 37's not sure yet. 2"shackle lift, 4"Body lift, 2" leaf Spring lift. lsd, crawler gears, front and rear winch, bucket seats, full custom stereo install, electric windows, lambo doors, full stainless exhaust.

[Dadz Toy BFI]

Is that anywhere near Helston then? (have spent many a summer down there :!:

(Ex Hull, East Yorkshire, moved out in 1994)

How the hell did a Toyota end up with a VW badge on it????

Cheers, and welcome me ol fruit :!:

Rich 8)

[colinmullis286]

Is that anywhere near Helston then? (have spent many a summer down there :!:

(Ex Hull, East Yorkshire, moved out in 1994)

How the hell did a Toyota end up with a VW badge on it????

Cheers, and welcome me ol fruit :!:

Rich 8)

toyota needed to sell more pickups to make money between 1989 and 1993 so rebadged em and vw sold them and helston is about an hour away from me.

[Dadz Toy BFI]

Well. well, you learn something new everyday :!: :!:

Do you see many of them on the road

You're somewhere in the middle of Cornwall, if my memory serves me right then

Yours is a single cab is it

What motor is in it, 4Y

Cheers

Rich 8)

[Family_Dog]

Hi Colin,

Welcome to the forum, at least you should be safe from the Blue Bull spotters/recruiters. (Long story, Rich will explain).

Toyota never really seemed to get much of a hold into the European market, and by agreement, VW built the Hilux under the VW name sometime from the late 80s to the mid-90's, using the 2.4D diesel engine. There is a story about this on the internet somewhere, but I can't find it off-hand.

Look forward to reading the progress reports about your truck! :)


-F_D

[ToyX4]

Hi Colin

Welcome.

I've just learned something new, this VW Hilux of yours. Very interesting, and strange.

Keep us posted on the progress of the rebuild.

[colinmullis286]

Well. well, you learn something new everyday :!: :!:

Do you see many of them on the road

You're somewhere in the middle of Cornwall, if my memory serves me right then

Yours is a single cab is it

What motor is in it, 4Y

Cheers

Rich 8)

only seen one other myself as there are very very rare to find, it's a single cab and it is the 4Y engine but that will probably change to a 3.5l V8 petrol or 6.0l V8 diesel.



The 1989 - 1997 VW Taro (European Hilux)


In 1989, Toyota struck an agreement with VW to produce all of it's Toyota pick-ups and sell them in Europe.
The deal was a win/win for both parties. VW never had a decent pick-up and Toyota was having a hard time
selling Japanese made trucks in Europe. To allow the trucks to be manufactured in Europe would help sales
and get by some government restrictions. The trade off was that the trucks would not be badged as Toyotas.
Instead they were badged as VWs. But they were were Toyotas in every sense of the name. The trucks
were nearly identical to their 1989-1997 Hilux counterpart and as with the Hilux they retained the solid front
axle. All of the parts were Toyota designed and many were Toyota made. These VW Taro trucks were sold
all over Europe, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany. In 1998 Toyota introduced an all new
body style and suspension for the Hilux. It was determined not to continue with the VW production and
nameplate because of lagging sales. Today, the European Toyota is once again called the Hilux and
produced by Toyota. It is the same 1998-2003 Hilux found in the rest of the world, except North America.
But sales still lag. Europe is one of the smallest Hilux markets in the world

[Dadz Toy BFI]

As you can see you're stirring a great deal of interest :!:

This Forum is GREAT, you'll find really good stuff here and like most things in life, the more you give the more you'll receive :!:

So please tell us more about your vehicle, usage, history, local reputation etc...., really pleased you've chosen to join us here and look forward to seeing more posts from you :!:

Thanks mate

Rich 8)

[colinmullis286]

As you can see you're stirring a great deal of interest :!:

This Forum is GREAT, you'll find really good stuff here and like most things in life, the more you give the more you'll receive :!:

So please tell us more about your vehicle, usage, history, local reputation etc...., really pleased you've chosen to join us here and look forward to seeing more posts from you :!:

Thanks mate

Rich 8)

the veihcle was owned by my grandad, then passed onto my dad and then passed onto me for my 21st birthday. full service history by my family, as for usuage it was used daily as work my veihcle in the woods, i work as a treesurgion. reputation around local offroad events and other people that know me have knick named me TANK.

[Dadz Toy BFI]

Well that's very interesting, and a real education to most on the Forum I'm sure :!:

If you need parts may I suggest that it would be quite affordable to source them here and ship them back

Otherwise there's advice galore here, so enjoy your Inheritance and please continue to share your experience with us :!:

I'm afraid that we're seriously spoilt for choice here, sand, dunes, mud, rock, river trails.... South Africa is 4x4 heaven.

A mate of mine came out here for a holiday after a life times love of 4x4's and only ever experiencing muddy fields. We took him on a comparitavely tame mountain track on his 40th birthday, he's been dining out on 'his story' for the last 2 years!

Don't hesitate to ask questions, give opinions or just Hilux chat, that's what it's all about here :!:

Have fun

Rich 8)

[colinmullis286]

Well that's very interesting, and a real education to most on the Forum I'm sure :!:

If you need parts may I suggest that it would be quite affordable to source them here and ship them back

Otherwise there's advice galore here, so enjoy your Inheritance and please continue to share your experience with us :!:

I'm afraid that we're seriously spoilt for choice here, sand, dunes, mud, rock, river trails.... South Africa is 4x4 heaven.

A mate of mine came out here for a holiday after a life times love of 4x4's and only ever experiencing muddy fields. We took him on a comparitavely tame mountain track on his 40th birthday, he's been dining out on 'his story' for the last 2 years!

Don't hesitate to ask questions, give opinions or just Hilux chat, that's what it's all about here :!:

Have fun

Rich 8)

importing is much cheaper i know because dad has got another 2.2 hilux and i've just imported a new 4Y engine for £1089 english pounds from rollingimports. the plan is than in a couple of years me and some other hilux ethusiast will be doing a camel trek of sorts for cancer research as my nan and grandad died of cancer and recently my sister and a couple of the hilux ethusiast family have been diagnosed with cancer. lets us have some fun in the hilux's but at the same time rasing money for cancer. we did an event about 8 months ago that was a round trip of the english coastline and raised over £10k.

i'm keen to share and receive knowledge of the luxes and help if possible.

[Cookie Monster]

Hi Colin

Welcome to the forum 8) Being from UK you should try and convince Clarkson to do a TopGear special on the Hilux were he restores a great vechile and turns it into a awsome offroad monster instead of distroying it

[Family_Dog]

Justin,

Decent people never mention Clarkeson's name in a family forum such as this. He's a MONSTER!


He ought to be banned from even looking at a Hilux!


-F_D

[Cookie Monster]

Eric

I agee however he could redeam himself by doing as I sugested

[Family_Dog]

That red Hilux would probably spit dirty engine oil at him through its exhaust if he even came anywhere close to it once again!


-F_D

[Scooter]

Welcome Collin, may your stay be an experience and your experience be why you stay. :D

Great looking lux, looking forward to the updates, you have definately come to the right place for Hilux chat.
We have a great bunch of guys with even better advice, there is a huge knowledge base here which is slowly laying a foundation for all Hilux owners to share in.

Don't be shy, especially when the guys start speaking a foreign language, Rich can be testament to trying to understand them at times.

Have fun :!:

[Niel]

Welcome here Colin and enjoy

[Papa Joe]

Welcome Colin,

Well, well ,well, this info re: the HiluxVW is very interesting. A first for me !!!
Thanx for the valuable input. Waiting to see & hear more ...