OK gotcha...
Fair enough comment but you've got to put a bit of perspective on it.
Firstly I have, on the basis of advice recieved on the forum (gratefully recieved I might add), had the ECU checked and fixed and hopefully that's problem solved.
Secondly I've also had conflicting advice from a number of qualified and experienced people with good established reputations in the automotive industry and I've had to consider what they've had to say with at least as much weight as the advice I've recieved on the forum.
Thirdly taking the vehicle to an acknowledged specialist in the field to spend a couple of hours checking it over at a relatively low cost to eliminate a few other potential problems before going to the expense of having the ECU overhauled is prudent in anyone's terms.
Please remember that I had to make a decision in a short space of time (too short to have the ECU serviced before my right of return expired) as to wether to return this vehicle to the seller for a full refund or wear this problem (that might have turned out to be a major if I was unlucky) at my own expense. I'd go so far as to say anyone in my position would have been a damn fool not to have a professional check it over before committing to keeping the vehicle and possibly being out of pocket several thousands of dollars.
In the long run the advice that I've recieved on the forum has been hugely helpful and has possibly saved me hundreds of dollars in mechanics bills. I say again I'm very grateful to everyone who's taken the time to reply to my post and share their experience.
****** THANK YOU ALL ******
And just for the record I'm not a muppet with vehicles - I've been pulling apart car and bike engines for almost 30 years, I've managed workshops before and I can usually diagnose most faults myself but I know enough to know I don't know it all and when it's a good idea to ask around to find out thing such as "KZJ's are famous for blowing the caps in the ECU and producing hard to diagnose intermittant running and stalling faults" which as it turns out when you ask the right people is common knowledge. It just so happens that I have bugger all knowledge about modern light diesel engines all the one's I've ever had to work on where old school monsters with pistons like trashcans and nary a microprocessor in sight. Please also remember I have no idea about the experience of anyone posting - for all I know they may be a fifty year old mechanic who's pulled apart more 1KZs than I've had hot dinners or they may just as well be a seventeen year old who's learned everything they know from magazines so if I've made anyone feel that their advice is not appreciated I apologise as it most certainly is appreciated.
Hopefully now my wee KZJ will be all good and finally after owning it for nearly a month I'll be able to put it's muddy feet on and get "out there doing it".
I look foward to meeting up with some of you Wellington guys at a CCVC meet - at which I'll probably embarass myself getting stuck in a puddle the size of a dinner plate

...
Thanks again guys
Gyxx