While old cars, actual barn finds in particular, are our stock-in-trade, the automotive universe is a whole lot larger and much more diverse than that narrow field. For that reason, we wander a bit and consider, from time to time, non-typical vehicles such as this 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser. This SUV is a donation to “Just Donated Inc.” whose mission is, “20+ years converting donated vehicles into funds for 501(c)(3) non-profits“. Located in Orange, California, this 30-year-old Toyota will be auctioned here on eBay where the current no-reserve bid is $4,650.

Thirty years ago, Toyota’s Land Cruiser was a sort of big-man-on-campus SUV – they were well equipped and constructed and not inexpensive. The Land Cruiser moniker has been around since 1951, so while not outstripping long-timers like Chevrolet’s Suburban, they’ve been around much longer than I realized. Our subject is built on what’s known as the “J80” platform and is one of almost 11K produced in ’94. As of today, Toyota has produced over 10 M Land Cruisers with sales occurring in 170 countries – the Middle East being the most popular market.

Let’s open with the seller’s disclaimer, “All vehicles have NOT been formally inspected and buyers/bidders should understand that our opinions provided are purely observational and are not a guarantee of condition. If we have had the opportunity to road test the vehicle, please understand that it has been done so, in a limited capacity and NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.” So this one’s a “what you see is what you get” kind of vehicle. The exterior presents well enough though the seller mentions finish fade and the passenger-side front fender flair is cracked. It seems to be a twenty-footer as you’d probably need to see the exterior up close and personal to make a thorough condition judgment.

The mileage is listed as 159K miles, which at first blush isn’t a big deal for a 212 HP, Toyota 4.5 liter in-line, six-cylinder engine. In this case, however, we’re told the head gasket is blown (the engine starts but then stalls out) so that’s problematic. The drivetrain is a full-time 4X4 setup utilizing a four-speed automatic gearbox though the “check transmission” light is illuminated so we’re told that it will need to be serviced.

Inside we find a gray leather upholstery environment that still shows well though the listing mentions that there is visible wear. While it’s not obvious, I imagine the wear is mostly contained to the seat’s backrest bolster, the result of 30 years of ingress and egress. I’ve only had one example of experience with Toyota leather upholstery and that was in a 1990 Supra – it did not hold up well though I cast no aspersions upon this car’s innards. Good to know is that the A/C is claimed to still be cold – another hot spot that I had with that blasted Supra.

I imagine that this Land Cruiser was a much-loved family hauler for many years. It may be down (with that head gasket issue) but not necessarily out. Twenty bidders have submitted 52 bids so someone sees a future for this big SUV, right?