Hello! Cross continental traveller, looking for first Land Cruiser purchase advice.

[dangor]

Heya all, I'm baby faced and brand new here, not only to the LandCruiser forums, but to the world of 4x4 so please treat me as layman ha!

I join the forums and write here to say hello and introduce myself, and importantly seek your advice. I have travelled extensively cross continent via land, what was meant to be a casual road trip to Saint Petersburg turned into a 2 year road trip across continental Europe, Former SFRY, into Central Asia, and across Siberia. ... and all of this was done in my stock 2001 1.2 Ford Fiesta. (For those intrigued I have attached pictures, I hope this is OK with Forum rules)

The beauty of travelling with such a car void of electrics is 2 fold, durability in extreme cold (more than -20) and ease of repair in the event of mechanical failure.

I am now looking to travel again this time likely south of the Caspian and south of the Himalayas and after consideration of all available, Defender, Jimney, Wrangler etc I have firmly decided to purchase a Land Cruiser as my vehicle of choice. But I am unsure where to start, I am looking for model advice, (any input from owners with similar experience in cold climate/remote travel welcomed) a model that can be repaired somewhat easily in second world countries with bias against heavy electrical work.

I welcome any advice and look forward to being a LandCruiser owner.

Thanks in advance

Dan

 

[Iwan]

Welcome man! Fair choice of motor to cover some ground with. If you want a non electronic or minimal electronic cruiser I'd look for a hzj75 troop carrier.

They are hard to find in this country but if you look at buying in Japan as from the interesting pics you've nearly been there... if you spend 6 months of ownership of the vehicle then on return to Britain to register you will not have to pay import duty.

 

[goodoldboy]

Hello Dan and welcome to the club , you're definitely in the right place .

and all of this was done in my stock 2001 1.2 Ford Fiesta.

You've already got an impressive overland C.V. as well as un par de cojones .I think you're on the right track and i agree with Iwan that a troopy would be a great choice but they aint cheap. what sort of budget do you have ?

 

[dangor]

I was looking somewhere in the ball park of 50,000 GBP. But tbh the Fiesta was £1200 haha so for me its about practicality over costs. Literally the Fiesta was fine in the arctic on rough tarmac at -25. Zero issues. I'm very nervous dropping so much money on a J2000 without researching heavily how they perform in cold climates. It's a certainty I'll be heading back into the Arctic Circle with the Cruiser.

I was really excited for the new Defender but mentally cant get over how much electronics reliant the new ones are. I fear the 2021 J2000 are in the same boat? The troopy is a good shout but I don't really have the need for the internal cargo space and would rather have a conventional 5 door front and back seat layout. Are modern J70s electronics heavy?

Im in no rush to go out and buy one tomorrow, with covid it seems logical to say hello here and hear your thoughts before heading to dealerships.

Thank you for the warm reception.

 

[Jacob100]

With that brief and budget I would go and have a look at this if it's still for sale. Great intro by the way.

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[Shayne]

For Sale | 1990 Land Cruiser HZJ77

1990 HZJ77 Toyota Land Cruiser 1HZ engine A440 automatic transmission ARB Old Man Emu medium duty 2.5” lift New 33x12.50x15 Falken ATW3 tires Pro Comp 15x8 wheels x5 ARB Bull Bar Camper modifications Campteq Poptop Full custom camper interior Solar panel with controller Master...

www.overlandkitted.com

 

[dangor]

@Shayne Is this just some random plug for a J77 sale? I'm unsure of the context, are you recommending a J77 could be something for me to research further? I was kind of hoping for more thoughtful input other than Cruiser for sale links if I'm honest ...

 

[dangor]

@Jacob100 Sadly link seems a broken link? Whats the make and model please? Like I say, I'm in no rush to purchase, I'm simply seeking advice from owners on what models may be desirable considering my itinerary. So members here need not post links to sale adds, but thanks for the thoughts...

 

[chapel gate]

ok, i sound like a broken record... 80 series. with your budget finding a decent one wont be a problem.

the HZ is a slug, the 70 series ride like a old defender.

there, ive said it. flame me..

 

[Shayne]

OK sorry for that , your very impressive introduction basically has me thinking a Cruiser - any Cruiser is definitely the vehicle for you . The best you can get for your budget depends largely on condition but with your budget you can afford the two most sought after components included which is the mighty Toyota diesel 4.2 and kitted out to live off grid .

Rightly or wrongly most of us believe the older Cruisers are stronger because they are less complicated (a shared aversion to electronics) . Whats available and ready to go is likely to limit your choice .
That said i'd set off in any Cruiser on the journey you have already taken and expect little trouble in making it home again .

 

[Shayne]

If you can find one like this for 50 grand don't even hesitate

 

[Jacob100]

@Jacob100 Sadly link seems a broken link? Whats the make and model please? Like I say, I'm in no rush to purchase, I'm simply seeking advice from owners on what models may be desirable considering my itinerary. So members here need not post links to sale adds, but thanks for the thoughts...

Oh dear. The vehicle in question was a 1992 HZJ77 that I am in no way affiliated with.

You mention going to dealerships above. Unless your plan is to hit Nene Overland with a blank cheque, trucks of this ilk are very few and far between in the UK which is why I thought it may interest you to see an example that's for sale at the moment.

 

[Shayne]

would rather have a conventional 5 door front and back seat layout

I just seen this so that alters things a lot

The 200 is undoubtedly a very capable vehicle, but we have all heard the mystical stories about a man who lives in a cave who can fashion injectors out of a beer can with an axe and weld up axles stronger than they were before using only a cigarette saving many a traveller who would otherwise be in utter despair . Show that same fella limp mode and dash lights he would likely chase you away with a big stick .

If you could buy one brand new there would be only one answer to your question . The 80 series is recognized the world over for being Toyota's Apex of engineering and that they are still much sought after , and available , vehicles 20 or 30 years on is unarguable provenance that it ended the competition rather than just win it .

There are laws against producing such a vehicle now , gotta save the planet by buying a new car every 3 years don't you know

 

[Scott]

Welcome Dan, sounds like a great trip in the fiesta.
The Adventure Overland Show is this weekend, it’ll most likely be the biggest gathering of all types of Land Cruisers in one place, in the UK. Book a ticket and come and chat Land Cruisers with the guys and girls on the stand, it’ll be the best introduction you can get.

 

[Firewout]

@Shayne Is this just some random plug for a J77 sale? I'm unsure of the context, are you recommending a J77 could be something for me to research further? I was kind of hoping for more thoughtful input other than Cruiser for sale links if I'm honest ...

Imho the hdj80 or the j76 or j77 is the ideal overland truck.
The hdj turbo engine of the 80 is the nice to drive variant of the legendary 1hz 4.2 diesel engine. And the 80 drives like a big car, whereas the 76 or 77 drives like a small truck.
So the summit for overlanding is the 80? Well, the youngest 80 left the factory about 23 years ago. So they are getting old and the good ones for sale are getting very rare.
Hzj76 is still in production. It's the slightly shorter version of the troopy with 2 extra doors. Very sluggish 1hz engine. I added a turbo to mine which greatly improved the driveability, especially in hilly terrain. But don't be surprised when you run into trouble after 100k kms because the engine is not designed for a turbo.
My ideal overlander would be a 76 with a popup roof and 1hd or hd-ft engine transplant.
Good luck with your quest...

 

[Iwan]

I wouldn't gun down a 70 series... they've been produced since 1984 and you can still buy a new one! They have carried light duty and heavy duty versions, swb, mwb, lwb, 2 door, 4 door, pickup, dual cab, chassis cab, ambulance versions used by the UN, new vax approved version..

I love 80's but an 80 is exactly that// an 80! But the 70 series is the longest running Toyota model.. There's a reason why they're still made.

80 is a has been but 70's are still current! If I could afford a new one then I would but the extensive electronics are a bit of a put off.

 

[GeekOKent]

105 anyone?

 

[Shayne]

I wondered about the 105 but is that not naturally aspirated take your time as well ?

 

[chapel gate]

I just seen this so that alters things a lot

The 200 is undoubtedly a very capable vehicle, but we have all heard the mystical stories about a man who lives in a cave who can fashion injectors out of a beer can with an axe and weld up axles stronger than they were before using only a cigarette saving many a traveller who would otherwise be in utter despair . Show that same fella limp mode and dash lights he would likely chase you away with a big stick .

If you could buy one brand new there would be only one answer to your question . The 80 series is recognized the world over for being Toyota's Apex of engineering and that they are still much sought after , and available , vehicles 20 or 30 years on is unarguable provenance that it ended the competition rather than just win it .

There are laws against producing such a vehicle now , gotta save the planet by buying a new car every 3 years don't you know

spot on.

the diesel V8 doesnt seem to be held in particularly high regard in oz.
the 1HDT and 1HDFT can literally be run on a tyre on the workshop floor.
they are very easy to work on, insanely reliable and parts availability is still good. you can get a mint one from japan easy enough.

the 200 series is also showing early signs of corrosion issues that have plagued the 100.

for me, there is nothing special about toyota after the 80 series era. merely living off there reputation of there previous legendary vehicles.

#grabs a fire extinguisher#

 

[GeekOKent]

I wondered about the 105 but is that not naturally aspirated take your time as well ?

Yeah, the diesel isn't quick ( 25 seconds to 60mph), but it's supposedly reliable