As I continue down the rabbit hole of Japanese 4×4 ownership, I can honestly say I’m happy to be here. The trouble with Japanese cars is very few of them have anything resembling soul. It seems 4x4s is where the Japanese make get their kicks in, as the Isuzu Trooper that just landed in my driveway as a parts rig for my forthcoming project has a personality all of its own. This JDM-market 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser here on eBay follows the same formula and is listed for $16,900.
The seller legally imported this vehicle himself and is selling because he found a nicer one. It must be practically spotless, as this example is quite nice on its own. The Toyota features what some fanatics may consider a “legendary” 3B 3.4 liter diesel motor and H55 5-speed transmission. The seller emphasizes that these vehicles are quite slow, much like my 1980 Toyota HiAce diesel, which maxes out at about 65 m.p.h. Good for in-town driving; not so great on the highway.
The interior looks quite good, with clean cloth covering the bucket seats. However, the front seats are not original, if that sort of thing matters to you. The Land Cruiser also has no rear seats, and the seller contends this is a good thing, as it’s ready for an expedition build. This is an ongoing fascination of mine at the moment, and I spend way too much time on Google Images searching out how to convert my HiAce into a camper and a Trooper into an overland vehicle with off-road fog lamps, skid plates, big tires, and a mild lift.
This particular Land Cruiser is set up to be a troop carrier, given all the space in the rear. If this vehicle were loaded down with soldiers and gear, I can’t imagine how much slower it would go. Factor in the big tires with their intriguing “split rim” design and you have a Land Cruiser that is far more unique than any FJ40 running around, and with room for more of your friends and their gear. The cherry on top is that the seller has completed all necessary EPA and DOT paperwork for a (hopefully smooth) transition.
Nice write-up, Jeff. The only appeal this would have to me is if I were still a soldier and had the option of riding in the back or marching. Whenever I hear someone say they are selling a vehicle because they found a nicer one, a little voice inside my heads says “Just keep looking and you’ll find a nicer one too”.
My brother had one of these in the Philippines, the problem with it was that the turbo was out/not working. We had a tough/slow time getting up hills and the thing could not make a sharp left turn if its life depended on it, but it always got us to where we were going. We were not in a hurry anyways. His had belonged to a police chief and had the siren, police radio and emergency lights still on it when he bought it. Unfortunately, some of the locals decided to modify the vehicle when my brother left for the states for a while. In other words, the parts they figured he did not need were hocked, so they figured they were doing him a favor. My brother was able to get thru heavy traffic tho before this happened by running the siren. He once got waved over by a cop over there who was standing on the street, but my brother saw that he had no radio and just kept going!
I like it! However I have no idea what the prices are going for on these! I would have no problem going slow, I go slow with everything I do nowadays! When you age enough you find out that you want to slow down and enjoy the rest of your life! :-)
I like this vehicle it’s got good history with it’s vehicles that preceded it! I also have to say thanks for the laugh I have never heard of a split rim wheel referred to as intriguing? Really, do these type rims increase the resale value?
wish there wuz a pic of that s.wagon rear 2 gauge its volume.
Change wheel/tire (go 33 inch) after doing a spring over swap? Never liked
this design on a 4WD, turbo, may B frnt disc if not there now. Use as designed
(ie swap off rd to 75%, on rd to 25%).
If it’s a Japanese import, why is it LHD ? I assume it has been converted in the US. Loads of these in Australia, all RHD obviously.
These were sold worldwide so you can find them LHD, if I´m correct Toyota still made them for Africa; the ride is rough, they are depedable and tough as nails.
Jeff incorrectly says the car is JDM–it’s not–it was sold new in Europe, hence the LHD. This one runs and drives well. If the voice in your head says “wait for a nicer one”, you’re likely to be waiting for a long time. Not many out there that are legal to import to the US with LHD. The seller got lucky with his other one. Oh, and BTW, it has disc brakes up front, drums in the rear. No turbo, but easy to add one.