YOUR story with LandCruiser!

[Aeroelastic]

Hi all, sharing time I guess.

Everyone started somewhere and ended up driving a LandCruiser if you are a member of this forum, and ended up bonded with them (a few normally) for probably a fair few decades of your live....

Feel free to drop your story/stories here.

I will start with mine, I am now 43 but my first time driving a Landcruiser was when I was 14, obviously in a farm like setting (not on the public road) back in the South East Asia (I now live in the UK).

It was a 60 series with the 4 cylinders (my dad's car). I learned to drive in it. This was the later 1988/89 model i believe, with 4 gears (manual). They are so easy to drive, and with good driving position. We have been a lot of places in this car as a family. Finally sold to one of his good friends to be used in a farm. Picture below is just an online one, not the real car we had, but it is this shape and model that we owned.

Previously, my dad owned a 6 cylinders turbo 60series, I believe it was the 12HT, I was too young to drive when he had that, when he sold it and replaced with the above, I then noticed how different the engines sounded. The 12HT was lovely when you press the pedal, with the Turbo whistle. It was sold I believe due to rust issue. It looks like the below:

The one that I have never driven! Above

At that time, 2 of my uncles, one owned an 80series, and one the light-duty 2.4litre 70 series (now the 76 wagon) - the first Prado. I drove both of them as well, I must say the 80 was a beast, and sounded great!

The 80 I enjoyed a lot, used to ferry my uncle to places as he was just lazy to drive. This was the 12v HDT.

The 70 series was light and easy, but didn't have the grunt? Cant really remember a lot about it.

Then,

Fast forward 25 years (never touched a cruiser in between as I have moved to the UK and never thought about buying one since owning cars from 2005. Until 2018, when I needed a 4WD or similar to get to a site for work, and required me to drive pass a hilly area that is a bit nasty in the winter, so I bought a manual 90series KZJ below, this was the actual car I owned.

Sold it when my site work finished, but regret a bit, so I bought a Prado below.

Still enjoying it, but, what's the plan forward?

Thanks for reading, Please share your stories.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

First Cruiser I bought in 1997 for the princely sum of £27,600. It was 2 years old.

Last Cruiser I bought in 2021 for the princely sum of £2500 it is 21 years old.
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[Higgy]

This was my first Land Cruiser in the early to late 90's..... Loved it, It had a stainless exhaust sounded like a big V8.... Biggest regret getting rid of it (Apart from returning from NZ, Back to the UK)...... Iv had a Colorado (brilliant underrated Truck) Numerous Hi lux's (Typical work horse) A 120 lc5 ( Saying 'Nowt') And two 80's... The 24v does everything ( work /play/ shopping/Holidays/Tip run)..... But the 60 series holds the best memories, And this Photo stays Stuck to the Fridge door, Where ever iv lived...

 

[Aeroelastic]

Cool 60 there.... I miss the 60series too, it is rugged. And it's what I grew up with. But it will be hard to find a decent one now...

And with the current climate of going ELECTRIC, I am not sure what is the timeline of these old diesel slowly phasing out. Or will it be? They might become Classic that only minority of people like us keep, and still living the memories. Will MOT rules change to almost forcing people to slowly giving them up? I have no idea.

 

[Aeroelastic]

First Cruiser I bought in 1997 for the princely sum of £27,600. It was 2 years old.


View attachment 177313


Last Cruiser I bought in 2021 for the princely sum of £2500 it is 21 years old.
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View attachment 177314

These are 2 very nice looking cruisers!!

 

[Higgy]

I personally think we'll be alright, 2030 they are banning all sales of new petrol and Diesel vehicles in the UK, No ones mentioned Banning ownership and driving Diesel or petrol Vehicles...... We'll be right .... Never be fooled by the hype, the UK is 50 yrs away from getting full uk ownership of EV vehicles... Thats if anyone wants one....

 

[Rob Cowell]

I think what we will see is tougher and tougher emission limited zones in cities. Be a long time before diesel 4x4s are gone in rural areas, although I think we're only a few years away from viable electric alternatives in the UK. They probably already exist in the US, but I wouldn't get an electric F-150 through my gateways!

 

[Aeroelastic]

Well said. Electric 4x4, emm…

Or move to the rural area and save some money to get an 80series!

 

[Towpack]

I currently have two Cruisers. This is the first one I bought in May 2005......

Still got it snd here it is today minus the cosmetic bullbar......

.....and here's the second one I bought.......

 

[Aeroelastic]

A mini me!

Nice looking cruiser, those aftermarket roof rails?

 

[Shayne]

Not really a Landcruiser story and more of a confession i suppose .

I was a bike man with little interest in cars . I think it was the summer before i started high school i was told to drive in the scrapyard i worked and i sort of worked it out by trial and error good enough to figure i didn't need driving lessons or a licence . When your often seen driving around in tractors , diggers , wagons , forklifts whatever it never actually occurs to anyone you might not actually have a driving licence

In 2001 at 27 i smashed myself up bad on a bike and what followed was 6 years in and out of hospital and adjusting to the fact that i can't be me any more , which as it turned out proved to be an impossible modification . 2010 they decided i'm not going to lose my leg any time soon and so they should operate on my ankle , 12 months later the chronic pain of 10 years was significantly reduced .

And so - confession time

What if i got myself a jacked up rough and ready Defender . I could paint it black and tinker giving me an excuse to build up a tool collection like the one i'd lost over the intervening years , an excuse to get outside , to get wet and dirty .

I was killing time searching ebay's classic car section when i laid eyes on the very first swb 90 i had ever seen in 2012 and said there and then "i'm having that"

The mrs threw a wobbler "you can't just go and buy a car and drive it home"

So I went to do a crash course in Blackpool where you drive all day with an instructor then take your driving test the following day .

9 years later i have a1kz swb90 , a d4d swb90 and a 24 valve 80 but my first car is still the best .

I will revive this thread Modified Landcruiser Before & After Pics . - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club] because i don't have a pic of the truck I bought but it evolved into this

And it sits in my back yard on stilts needing nothing but a little time devoted to putting it back together .

 

[Towpack]

A mini me!

Nice looking cruiser, those aftermarket roof rails?

They're the OEM rails fitted to the last 80 series, badged as Amazon. Weight limit is 75kgs and not that practical for serious load carrying but OK for some light ladders, maybe a surfboard, trips to the DIY store and mounting antennas.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Hope she will be back on the road in no time Shayne…

 

[Rob Cowell]

Started in 2000 with a 3 year old 90. Company car of a director where I worked. 70,000 miles and £12000. More than 7 times what I'd ever paid for a car, and 24 years newer. Pulled the front arch trim off the day I got it by driving into a post in Sainsbury's carpark that was lower than the bonnet. Compared to the Series 3 Land Rover I had it was like a Rolls Royce. Lasted unti late 2011 when it threw the front prop (think the transfer box seized, it had a big hole in it!) which wiped out the front brakes and power steering just as Mrs C was returning from the abbattoir with the car full of kids (fair swap). 195,000 miles.



Has to quickly find something else and got a 6 year old 120 with 70,000 miles on it for £13000. Still going strong with 210,000 miles on it. And much nicer than a 90, despite what Shayne says.

Hopefully an even newer one coming late next year if someone at a semi-conductor plant pulls their finger out.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Lucky that she allowed to get another cruiser Rob. And the kids still want to ride in one… smiley

 

[Bob]

My cruiser story is very simple. I wanted one since I was 4 years old and saw a neighbouring farm had a BJ40, Blue white a white top.. I watched landcruisers everywhere.. Dad drove corollas for years so I would go to the Toyota dealers with him and drool over the new 70's the odd 80 that landed on this island new, and then the 90 series came out as a teenager...

When I got a permanent work contract at 24 I said 'screw it, I'm buying one'. I found a 5 year old commercial body 95 with 70k miles that was immaculate, and got it for 17 grand.. and I still have it 14 years later, and 360,000 miles up on it now. Ask friends or family and the truck has legendary status around here for its foreign escapades, snow recovery heroics, endless towing ability, and totally unfaltering reliability.. I absolutely love this thing. It has driven me to weddings, funerals, holidays, and brought Mrs Bob to hospital on the birth of both of our children, the most recent of those being yesterday. A very lucky Bob indeed.

We don't have a dog, we have a landcruiser

Both images from 2018, but it looks the same now

 

[Higgy]

Impressive mileage Bob..... And congrat's for the arrival of your second Child...

 

[Aeroelastic]

Congrats Bob!

Hope the cruiser bond flows further down to Bob juniors. This is quite common with how people attached to Toyota, by learning and watching how our older generations used and relied on the vehicles for daily chores, then we will be thinking, emm, I want one of those when I grew up.

Anyway, hope the journey to the hospital was a smooth and calm one, not like the one in Bond!

 

[Ben Stratford]

My cruiser love started in the late 70’s when I first saw a 40 series which our neighbours owned. It was a pick up - something like an HJ47. We had been living in a town called Kitwe in Zambia at the time.
25+ years went by until I could afford to get my first landcruiser - A BJ40 which was imported from New Zealand. It was a 3L diesel with an aftermarket turbo fitted. What an awesome beast it was:

Sold this after 5 years when we decided to move to New Zealand for a while.
Bought the wife a fairly new 90 Colorado and started to look for my dream cruiser. Eventually I found it:

This was the VX spec HJ61. An auto with cable locking axles, aircon and PTO winch. Of course it had the mighty 12-HT.

Again reluctantly sold it to move back to UK. (IDIOT!)
Oh well so I needed another cruiser and couldnt find another HJ61 so decided on an 80. It had to be a green diesel and I fancied a manual:

Had it for several years and loved it nearly as much as the 61. It had just 100k on the clock and would have lasted a lifetime.
Went through a tough period in life including getting rid of the 80 for a car!! But it didnt last too long and I was back in the game with another 80. Exactly the same spec as the green one but white and had chrome roof bars:

this was a mint, one lady owner 80. Inside looked brand new with the cloth seats that I prefer. It was again awesome but there wasnt the spark of the 61 still. Again couldnt find one in the UK - or afford to import one from Japan at the time so sold the 80 and looked for a 60.
This is what I have now as it was when I bought it:

not a 61 but has got the charm and feels awesome to drive. But RUST!! After replacing the lower body and all chassis mounts - it would have been much cheaper to import one from Japan!
Its been a massive project which is still not finished. Still need a replacement drivers door and to refurb both the tailgate doors and interior. But its been fun and a keeper. (unless a 61 turns up!).
Having just retired - the plan is to remove the rear seats and convert it to a tourer with a few mod cons such as a shower, drawers, 12V system etc but want to finish off the bodywork first.
the final decision once all that is done will be whether to drop in a 1HD-FTE.

 

[Bob]

Congrats Bob!

Hope the cruiser bond flows further down to Bob juniors. This is quite common with how people attached to Toyota, by learning and watching how our older generations used and relied on the vehicles for daily chores, then we will be thinking, emm, I want one of those when I grew up.

Anyway, hope the journey to the hospital was a smooth and calm one, not like the one in Bond!

A lovely calm journey thankfully, how smooth a KD engine on a motorway at 2500rpm purrs along...

Our 20 month old can say landcruiser and walks around with the key in his hand a lot.. so there'll be no fear of him not loving the truck!