Andy Heller's 1.9 TDI swapped Toyota 4x4 Camper that he's planning to drive to South America

A few weeks ago I stopped by Fit Garage on my way down to Northern CA to link up with Lloyd Kahn , Mike Idell, and Kate to go hunting for pigs. My Ford Transit is running like a top, knock on wood, so there was no need to spit-shine, and my stop was purely tire-kicking. I've seen all sorts of vehicles come through the Fit Garage parking lot in the years that I've been lurking there, but none got me more excited than this Toyota truck with a VW TDI swap. For those unfamiliar with Fit Garage, they are a shop in Bend, Oregon, that focuses on turbo-diesel Toyota trucks and Land Cruisers. Alex runs a business with a cult following, and people from all over the states get their Troopy sent to him to get worked on. The parking lot is a constant rotation of dream builds, from G-Wagons getting OM605 swaps to Cummins-swapped Land Cruisers to Gen 1 Tundras getting suspension work. It's easy to get won over by the six-figure imported Land Cruiser builds; I've certainly fallen asleep daydreaming of ways to afford one, but the stuff that really catches my attention are trucks like this red Toyota with a VW TDI built by a person that's serious about using them.

While I was catching up with Alex in the parking lot, I heard the clacking of a familiar turbo diesel coming down the driveway. For two years, I daily drove a 2002 VW Golf TDI and got very used to the sounds it made. The clattering and the occasional low oil pressure alarm that short outs, and, to the uninitiated, feels like an alarm for an incoming ICBM attack. My brother now drives it, so I still hear its noises regularly. I was shocked to see a 4x4 Toyota truck round the corner instead of the familiar Mk4 shape. The sounds emitted from an exhaust vent cut into the hood, and whirring turbo noises continued until Andy, the proprietor of the exemplary vehicle, shut off the ignition and hopped out.

He was there to grab a set of well-loved tires from Alex for a summer of exploring and camping in Oregon before pulling up stakes and heading down to South America. I immediately put down my coffee and came up to Andy to get the rundown on the build.