This 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser is an original paint example that features a 4BT Cummins turbo diesel conversion paired to a NV4500 5 speed manual gearbox. The seller notes the Land Cruiser has been an Alabama truck since new, and that the body is nearly rust-free save for the tailgate. Overall, this is pretty ideal blend between a nicely preserved example and a modified trail rig, as the suspension has also been upgraded. The Land Cruiser is from a desirable generation of Toyota’s classic full-size 4×4 platform, and in this case, the non-matching engine is actually a bit of an upgrade. Find the swapped Land Cruiser here on eBay with bids to $10K and the reserve unmet.

The FJ62-series Land Cruiser has been appreciating for a while now, with clean examples commanding very respectable dollars. The market for clean, survivor-grade vintage Japanese SUVs has been white-hot for a while now, and a big motivating factor behind why I’ve pursued rust-free Isuzu Troopers as my latest obsession. Back to the Land Cruiser, the seller does disclose the rust on the tailgate which you can just barely see here, but much more clearly in the listing from the driver’s side. The seller also notes that the Land Cruiser retains all of its original chrome trim, and factory glass. The rear bumper is aftermarket and accented by a swing-out spare tire carrier.

The Land Cruiser has been mildly overhauled for off-road use, including an Old Man Emu suspension kit with greasable anti-inversion shackles, along with new BF Goodrich tires. The interior is clean for the age, with untorn cloth bucket seats and factory carpeting in good shape, likely just needing a cleaning. There are no cracks in the dashboard, and the seller notes that all factory gauges and the A/C compressor work, but he stops short of saying there’s cold air blowing through the cabin. The beauty of these trucks, however, is that you can just sling your arm over the door with the window down, and nobody is going to wonder if your A/C doesn’t work. All they know is it looks awesome to drive.

And this Land Cruiser has a special surprise under the hood that undoubtedly fixes one of the few complaints anyone could have had about the original configuration. It’s not that the gasoline engine was bad, but more that a squarebody SUV with a diesel is the ultimate ticket, both for reliability and for holding its value. I know in the Isuzu community, the diesel-engined Troopers fly off of craigslist and other classifieds while the gas models take a bit longer to sell. The seller notes the 4BT conversion was done by the previous owner and done well, with all factory gauges still functional and the transmission shifting like butter. A very cool truck that will holds its value while holding its own no matter where you take it.