Athertons 2010 Prado 150 GXL D4D Build

['Dan' Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 'Dan']

Somehow double post.

[Atherton Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Atherton]

A territory is not in the same class as a Prado- It's not a valid comparison to say one is better than the other, they're fundamentally different vehicles. The Prado is lugging around a tonne more than the territory as it's got a ladder frame chassis, heavier gearbox and transfer case, bigger tyres as well as being a larger vehicle.

I'd save your money on that larger exhaust- Without a tune or other performance modifications you're wasting money unless you're doing it for the noise. Modern exhausts flow a lot better than something someone is going to knock up in their shed with a mig welder and pipe bender. There's teams of engineers at Toyota running fluid modelling simulations to get the best possible performance out of the car for a stock application- unless you're going to be pushing significantly more fuel into it you're not going to see any change.

There's a post on one of the facebook groups that back this up- old mate took his 150 in for a remap and exhaust- The changed the exhaust first and did before and after on a stock tune and it made no difference- he had dyno graphs showing this.

EDIT: I see you've got a 1GR, I assumed you had the 1KD- In this case I'm not sure of the performance benefits of an exhaust- would be interested to see dyno sheets either way.

['Dan' Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 'Dan']

A territory is not in the same class as a Prado- It's not a valid comparison to say one is better than the other, they're fundamentally different vehicles. The Prado is lugging around a tonne more than the territory as it's got a ladder frame chassis, heavier gearbox and transfer case, bigger tyres as well as being a larger vehicle.

I'd save your money on that larger exhaust- Without a tune or other performance modifications you're wasting money unless you're doing it for the noise. Modern exhausts flow a lot better than something someone is going to knock up in their shed with a mig welder and pipe bender. There's teams of engineers at Toyota running fluid modelling simulations to get the best possible performance out of the car for a stock application- unless you're going to be pushing significantly more fuel into it you're not going to see any change.

There's a post on one of the facebook groups that back this up- old mate took his 150 in for a remap and exhaust- The changed the exhaust first and did before and after on a stock tune and it made no difference- he had dyno graphs showing this.

EDIT: I see you've got a 1GR, I assumed you had the 1KD- In this case I'm not sure of the performance benefits of an exhaust- would be interested to see dyno sheets either way.

Holy slow response Batman!

Sure they are made for different usage, but you can still compare them in plenty of ways. For whatever reason, Territory is a better performer in my eyes as a daily commuter/family SUV on the tarmac, something they are both expected to do. They're shit offroad though, another comparison you can make despite us knowing Terry was never made for proper off road work.

A think a ton is a bit off the mark, Terry is just under 2T, Prado isn't just under 3T, not by a long shot. If we compare 2010 Terry to 2010 Prado it's not as bad, and you could say I'm unfairly comapring 2017 Terry to 2010 Prad because those are what I've owned, BUT 2010 Terry is not worth anywhere near what 2010 Prado is.

Anyway, I just ordered my remap and where the hell have you been lol

[Atherton Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Atherton]

Sorry, incorrect spelling of ton- meant substantially heavier (which it is). Kerb weight of a Prado is around 2.5 tonnes just sitting with full oils and fuel (no passengers or cargo).

I'd expect a territory to be better onroad than a Prado, they're essentially a lifted falcon- They've got less unsprung mass than a Prado, a lower center of gravity and all around independent suspension.


As to where I've been- You know what they say, no rest for the wicked

['Dan' Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 'Dan']

Thought kerb weight was like 2.3, but still Terri, is 1.9 so 600kg is still not a ton.

I still miss mine.

It's only when I do what I did today, go up a steep hill and big ruts and into the bush to bring a trailer of wood back that I remember why I bought this car.

I just need to go use it more.

[Atherton Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Atherton]

Just as a last tidy up. The Prado has gone on to its next owner and I've taken the (backward) step of buying a late model GU Patrol. (swore I'd never buy a Nissan, but i already own a 40 series so I've still got a bit of Toyota in the garage).

Some final thoughts.

The Prado is an incredibly capable off-road car. I'm certain that the thing is more capable than I was- although that was probably due to me being leery of scratched or smashed panels. I never tired of people seeing me at cruiser park the few times i went with 34 inch tyres on it and doing the big boy tracks with 80's and GQ's- and gotta give credit where it's due, it'd do it.

For the most part the car is really well built, everything is solid and i love the way that Toyota goes the extra mile when building things- All of their under chassis bolts have nice huge captive washers on them and it's pretty easy for the most part to service and work on. Most of the interior panels are held together not only with clips, but with actual bolts and captive nuts (A far different approach to Nissan that's for sure).


My biggest gripe with the car is the motor.
The 1KD isn't a bad engine, but if I had my time again I'd be getting the 1GR and living with the cost of petrol. Having something that won't explode on me or do injectors/ turbos etc. is worth paying more at the pump. I think Australians have an inbuilt aversion to petrol 4wd's which might have made sense when you had options like the 1HD-T family of engines as options. A common rail is more complicated, has the same amount of electrical components and costs way more to fix when it breaks stuff than the petrol equivalent. Sticking small engines in big cars and then winding the boost up to make them go isn't a great design philosophy and the reality is that the poor little 1KD is living life being thrashed trying to move around a 2.4 tonne car.

So, going to the dark side.

The GU is definitely not put together as well as the Prado in many areas- Nissan have slapped everything together with little stamped sheet metal brackets outside and self tapping screws inside (honestly, it reminds me of my falcon- and not in a good way). The thing is an absolute nightmare to work on as well- To do anything serious that top mount intercooler has to come off (which is a pain in the arse) and you can just tell it's been built and designed a lot cheaper than the Toyota.

But the reason that I've brought it is for the stuff underneath- I don't need to be worried about CV's and the patrol drive-line is just so much stronger.

In any case, I'd like to thank everyone that's given me pointers and advice.

Cheers,

~Ath

['Dan' Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 'Dan']

Sorry to hear that and yes I am still loving life in the 1GR 65ks on from when I bought it. I don't even blink when I fill it with 98, just too nice to drive.

As you said though, Patrol is rugged as and you will not be worried about drivetrain damage and probably less concerned with some scrapes which might make you go a bit harder and maybe have more fun, who knows.

Enjoy