04/12/2025
After successfully completing the road rally in the newly built Safari Cressida earlier this year, it was time to fine-tune the setup for the next adventure: the 2025.
Does work on project cars ever get done more than a few weeks before a trip? As usual, this was no different for the Safari Cressida Project. The car proved reliable on the previous rally, but with its age, a few items needed attention.
One of the first fixes was chasing down a low-speed propshaft vibration around 60 km/h. The lift in suspension amplified it slightly, so the first part replaced was the centre bearing (along with the yoke seal while we were there). Unfortunately, the UJs couldn’t be sourced in time and will be done later.
The OEM carburettor was swapped for a simpler, more performance-oriented Weber 32/36 DGEV. The initial jetting was a complete guess—she ran, but improvements were definitely possible. We averaged 7–8 km/L on the road rally, which wasn’t great but not terrible considering the bigger AT tyres and the Baja-style roof rack.
Once we finally found the correct jetting, the car was transformed instantly: more power, better fuel economy, and a noticeably smoother drive. Next up was a homemade oiled pre-filter to help prepare for the dusty sections on the upcoming Dirt Rally.
We’d also noticed the front end diving on mountain passes during the road rally. The leaking cartridge shocks were the culprits, so they were replaced with fresh units and some MacGyver-spec progressive bump stops.
With almost all the mechanical work wrapped up(project cars...), we applied the new rally sticker pack—and even had time left over to give the Safari Cressida a proper wash this time. Fueled up and ready to hit the dirt. 🏁🌄
