Wher did your love for LC's come from ?

[BIG clean GREEN]

Did your parents own one, marry into one ??? Or what ?

Previous to owning mine I had a Mitsubish Pajero, I really liked the ride and the height Etc, I took it laning a few times and it stood up well against some of the green ovals that I went with, after 3 years of owning I decided to chop it for a newer one, so off I tottled to Bullivants in Derby, and when the sales rep went off to see what he could source me from Japan, I noticed Big cleen Green, I took it for a spin and immediately fell in love with it, it felt so different to drive from the Pajero, handled more like a car than the 4x4 feeling of the Paj, I didn't know anything really about the varying models of spec Etc, so I took a punt and bought it, and never looked back, I do admire the 80s and recently thought about trading in, however for what I use it for, it serves me very well

So what's your story morning glory ?

 

[BIG clean GREEN]

Did you say something Chris

Good old edit button eh

 

[Chas]

Who deleted Chris's post, has Simon crept in unnoticed
.
Oh and yes, my love of Cruisers came from progressing from an Austin Champ I owned many years ago and much later going off-roading with a friend in a Defender and thinking I must get something better than this so bought my first 80 series Cruiser which actually never went off-road, then my second Cruiser which did, (a lot) (you could only prise the keys for it from my cold dead hands) and I've never looked back

 

[Chris]

Sorry - did I miss something? What?

Post gone missing? Really?

What did it say?


Chris

 

[Paul]

Not a Land Rover, and thats from bitter experience.

 

[Chas]

Sorry - did I miss something? What?Post gone missing? Really?What did it say?Chris

It said said something about you drooling over a picture of a Cruiser with a naked blonde on the bonnet, and you saying "I must get one of those"

 

[BIG clean GREEN]

No Chas you're wrong it was definitely a red head or maybe it was

 

[Paul]

Does this thread have the record for the fastest one to go OT

 

[Chris]

Well if it is, it's certainly nothing to do with me!

Chris

 

[Chas]

Well if it is, it's certainly nothing to do with me! Chris

Well you and your disappearing post started it, and yes, I do remember now it was a redhead, but where did she disappear to

 

[BIG clean GREEN]

You're quite right Paul, come on guys !

 

[Crispin]

Always enjoyed 4x4s though never owned one. I then bought a 1.8 freelander oops: ) on a whim as I thought "real" 4x4s would be too expensive for me. After owning that for less than a year I took a 120 auto for a drive and loved it. It was big (compensation you see) and looked good. I already knew the Land Cruiser's reputation.

One of the saddest things that I remember about the first test drives is the centre armrest / storage; I've had cars with smaller boots than that!

The more I play with it, the more it amazes me. The LC is also brilliant.

Can't see myself getting another brand...

 

[Dave Docwra]

The quality of the way the 80 is engineered done it for me

 

[Navraj Singh]

21st bday n I was getting a car, with the budget I had I was gona buy an old LR110 and make it up.......or so I though

It was at a friends garage and we were working on it but never actually got anywhere with it.......as you would expect

Plus I was paying him for the job....so anyway I just scrapped the project and I then decide to buy a new 110, the one with the hump in the bonnet.....for some reason I like it

So I had the deal done and was about to sign on the dotted line when an italian friend of the family walked into the office and when he saw what I was about to do he took the pen.....the sales mans face was priceless .....and I was saved from a grave mistake

He's the one who convinced me to try the cruisers and if i dont like them I can go for the defender. So a day later my first 100 came to the office.....took about 5 mins and the contract was signed.

Currently on my second 100, had to sell the previous one so that I could buy another 1 in the UK while I study here

Doubt I will ever drive anything else

 

[Jimbo4x4]

Good thread

I knew the reputation of the LC's from when I used to offroad Suzukis, but always thought I'd be too scared of damaging it if I got one... then an LJ78 appeared at the local 4x4 garage (Hooton 4x4 - don't ever go there). My motor at the time was a 1991 VW Caddy pickup with more than its fair share of dents and with the 70 series having similar retro lines I figured a few extra curves would only add character just as they had with my VW. I convinced myself that I needed a '78 in my life.

The dealer in Hooton turned out to be a right twonk so I did some more research and found out that these things were available with a 3.0TD engine, manual box and difflocks, but after searching for three months and seeing only 2.4 autos and one way overpriced 3.0 auto I decided on a compromise and went for the first tidy truck with a rear difflock - this one and despite the obvious shortcomings of having a lowly 2.4 auto I find it immensely capable. I've had it 2 years now (the longest I've owned one car without laying it up for long periods) and, short of a financial meltdown, I can't see me parting with it anytime soon..

Jim.

p.s. that first '78 I looked at is still on the forecourt in Hooton, now priced at £1000 more than the original deal I made. AFAIK it hasn't been touched in more than 18months

 

[uHu]

... when an italian friend of the family walked into the office and when he saw what I was about to do he took the pen.....the sales mans face was priceless .....and I was saved from a grave mistake ....

That story is also priceless. Great. Didn't know such friends existed.

My story:
After owning three t0yotas, I sold the last one (a Tercel 4wd) and joined the UN Field Service in the ME. There, in addition to a heep of old cherokees, were a few LC80s, both petrol and diesel.
During my first months I also participated in receiving half a boatload straight from TMC; LCs, Coronas, Coasters and HiAces.
So, over the years, I got plenty of miles in LCs, whether to go to the beach, around the Sinai, to Beirut or Damascus. I also had a fast Corolla as a private car; but when I started growing a family, it became a bit small. So swambo says: Those LCs are nice, why don't we get one. So I got an order form from TMC, with a couple of pages full of tick-boxes for which options we would like. The 80 was then produced according to specs and shipped roro. Very nice indeed.
The UN switched to smaller vehicles, and I would sometimes have only a 4-runner for work during my last years down there. (There were a few protest, so I think they are now back on LCs).
A year before I quit and went back to Europe, I got a 100, and after some time sold the 80 (big mistake). Now on the second 100, and still happy, although that 80 had more soul.

 

[Lars Bo Kjeldstrom]

Nice stories...

My passion for Land Cruisers began in 92' when I was 2 months in Costa Rica. The LC 80 was rather new and what a beauty. When I got back to Denmark I realized that the price tag was way out of my league, so reading, glancing and collecting brochures was more or less the closest I got to these magnificent vehicles.

In 96' I bought a Hilux Xtracab 2,4D, the closest I could get to LC 80 (and it was Dark red Metallic like many of the LC's ). % years later I had my back against the wall and was facing a big loss from a foreign client who wanted to cancel a contract. I promised myself that if I could turn the situation around -I would treat myself a Land Cruiser!!!...By some sort of unexplainable miracle it turned out well -and I bought my first LC without any economical concerns. It was a big step from the Hilux, especially since it was a full equipped model from Germany.

After 4 months though I got a bit tired of all the unexpected problems deriving from the lack of maintenance by the previous owner. My Hilux was still in mint condition after 5 years and 125.000 KM, so I went to the local Toyota dealer and convinced him to take my two "old" Toyota's and the scariest check I ever issued -and instead give me "The Grey Eminence" that was resting in the warm, clean exhibit area just waiting to be released to its new kingdom...as ruler of the roads and paths of Northern Denmark. A complete thrill that takes weeks to sink in...finally my dream was coming true after 9 years....a brand new LC 100 LE 4,2TDI fully equipped. Now after 10 years (the 19th of April 2011) -and 317.000 KM this car is still my dream car

Since I have a soft spot for the LC 80 I bought another 93' in 2006, but lots of work to be done as well due to lack of maintenance earlier!

Greetings to you all out there...

LB

 

[Chas]

Who deleted Chris's post, has Simon crept in unnoticed
.
Oh and yes, my love of Cruisers came from progressing from an Austin Champ I owned many years ago and much later going off-roading with a friend in a Defender and thinking I must get something better than this so bought my first 80 series Cruiser which actually never went off-road, then my second Cruiser which did, (a lot) (you could only prise the keys for it from my cold dead hands) and I've never looked back

Just to add, from a comment made by uHu, I realise why I love my 80 so much . . . . . "It's got soul"

 

[Andy Harvey]

My love for Land Cruisers started in about 1980 when I was working in a garage and we had an FJ55 come in for a service - LHD, khaki green and come from somewhere in Europe. I took it out for a test drive (I had only recently passed my test) and fell in love with the amzing feeling of it just being unbreakable. I also loved the quirky looks.

Move on 22 years and I got a Hilux Surf and again loved the fact that while it was really comfortable, it also felt like it was carved out of granite. Even at that time I really wanted an 80 series (I remember reading about them when they were first launched back in 89) but at the time couldn't afford one. After destroying 3 cylinder heads on my 2.4 surf I took voluntary redundancy from my job (I had another job to go to anyway) so had the funds to buy my first 80 series. I kept that for around 5 years and then a 100 series that I had originally found for a friend came up for sale again as he wanted something newer he could put on his company books. I bought that and while I still love the 80 (and would have another one if I could afford to have both) I love the 100 even more and it suits me better - I don't need the real hard core capability of the 80 and anyway the 100 would go most places the 80 would go.

My ideal garage would have a BJ40, an FJ55 (or a BJ55 although I think these are rare as hens teeth), a HJ60, a 70 series troopy, a HDJ80 (later model with the 24V engine) and my 100 (plus maybe a 200 just for posing in). I just think that Toyota really got it right with the Land Cruiser, it does everything it should, does it for ever and also gives a reasonable (or amazing in the case of the 100 and 200) level of comfort while doing it. I've always been amazed that Toyota have managed to keep raw ability while not compromising on build quality, comfort and class. I guess the only thing they have ever got wrong is the price but then you don't get something worthwhile for nothing.

 

[Mal Eade]

Hi All

I was told "If want to go into the desert take a Land Rover BUT If you want to come back take a Land cruiser''

Said it all for me.

I also had a friend who was serving with the UN. The Land Cruiser he was a passenger in ran over a APM and blew off the back wheel, They still drove it back to the UN compound.
I will look for the pix he took and post them up.

Mal