Why buy a land cruiser?

[toylandcruiser]

That's what they are, they are "1 Ton" pickups.

They are the size (or smaller) than a Tacoma (single cab one) with the payload capacity of highly optioned (low payload) 3/4 T diesel truck and much less towing at a price point in-line with 3/4 - 1 T trucks. So looking at it from that perspective and using your comment of wanting more room....that makes it either a really good unique vehicle (small truck with great payload and a powerful engine)....or a really poor one (no room with bad payload/towing and low power), depending on what you are comparing with.

Superduty's don't ride great but they also have 2x the payload and 3x the towing - so you are getting a much more capable vehicle with significantly more room.

They'd sell some based on investment / resale opportunities and emotional attachment....not practical use case unless they could sell them for less than $40k, which I find impossible since they are roughly $50k (Aus -> USD), don't include some of our Tariffs and you gotta believe there are going to be MASSIVE ADM's added.....

I just wish the Gov would make them easy to import, it would be a fun second vehicle, I'd want a 5-sp with 4.5 gas engine.

As long as it’s 25 years or older you can import

 

[nickw]

As long as it’s 25 years or older you can import

Trouble is finding a good, clean 25 yo commercial rig that hasn't been beat.....while not spending $25k for it. Brand new Cruisers are ~$50-60k USD based on current values in Aus and exchange rate, if we could buy for that, then pay the $5k for shipping....we'd see how many guys would put their money where their mouths are when then can pay same price (or less) for new F250 Tremor

 

[toylandcruiser]

Trouble is finding a good, clean 25 yo commercial rig that hasn't been beat.....while not spending $25k for it. Brand new Cruisers are ~$50-60k USD based on current values in Aus and exchange rate, if we could buy for that, then pay the $5k for shipping....we'd see how many guys would put their money where their mouths are when then can pay same price (or less) for new F250 Tremor

Personally I would never purchase a domestic truck. You can look in Spain and Italy and find half way decent trucks

 

[nickw]

Personally I would never purchase a domestic truck. You can look in Spain and Italy and find half way decent trucks

How much would you be into one with say 150k once you pay for the rig, shipping, an importer and to get it baselined back to good working order?

 

[toylandcruiser]

How much would you be into one with say 150k once you pay for the rig, shipping, an importer and to get it baselined back to good working order?

You have to research it. There was a site that imported them from Australia and a half way decent one was 12-15 grand then shipping was couple thousand

You can use this site

Used Toyota Land Cruiser cars Italy

96 used Toyota Land Cruiser cars for sale from Italy. Best prices and best deals for Toyota Land Cruiser cars in Italy. Toyota Land Cruiser Ads from car dealers and private sellers. Review and Buy used Toyota cars online at OOYYO.

www.ooyyo.com

 

[nickw]

You have to research it. There was a site that imported them from Australia and a half way decent one was 12-15 grand then shipping was couple thousand

You can use this site

Used Toyota Land Cruiser cars Italy

96 used Toyota Land Cruiser cars for sale from Italy. Best prices and best deals for Toyota Land Cruiser cars in Italy. Toyota Land Cruiser Ads from car dealers and private sellers. Review and Buy used Toyota cars online at OOYYO.

www.ooyyo.com

I'm not up to date on this, but the way it used to work was you had to hire an importer and many of the rigs in good shape with low miles were $20k-30k. Add in any baselining, you are into ~$25k+ easy. Up to you if it's worth that price for a 25 year old rig vs a domestic one.

Just to re-iterate, I 100% think base model 70's are simple, reliable, robust and would be cool.....emphasis on *COOL*, model year to model year I am confident a LC is more reliable than a comparable domestic....but comparing a 25 yo LC to a 5 yo HD domestic truck (sim costs), I don't see the practicality of that. Looking at it another way, I don't see the benefit of spending $60k on a new LC (if available), when I can get a domestic rig for the same or cheaper that is safer and has much better capacity.

It's an economic discussion unfortunately....

 

[toylandcruiser]

I'm not up to date on this, but the way it used to work was you had to hire an importer and many of the rigs in good shape with low miles were $20k-30k. Add in any baselining, you are into ~$25k+ easy. Up to you if it's worth that price for a 25 year old rig vs a domestic one.

Just to re-iterate, I 100% think base model 70's are simple, reliable, robust and would be cool.....emphasis on *COOL*, model year to model year I am confident a LC is more reliable than a comparable domestic....but comparing a 25 yo LC to a 5 yo HD domestic truck (sim costs), I don't see the practicality of that. Looking at it another way, I don't see the benefit of spending $60k on a new LC (if available), when I can get a domestic rig for the same or cheaper that is safer and has much better capacity.

It's an economic discussion unfortunately....

To each there own? People spend 70 grand on a wrangler.

 

[nickw]

To each there own? People spend 70 grand on a wrangler.

Depends on your goals....if you need payload capability and 3rd world reparability a Wrangler isn't the right choice....if you wanna be comfortable and have a highly offroad capable rig it could be.

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

To each there own? People spend 70 grand on a wrangler.

Yeah but Toyota positions the 4runner as the Jeep's competition. Nowadays you can spend almost as much on a new TRD Pro as you would on a Land Cruiser.

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

This is pretty good. I know the typical trolls will chime in. They’ll just be ignored

I wonder why he never mentions the 80 series in the video. There's still plenty of them on the market, so it seems like it'd be worth sharing some thoughts on the earlier models, especially since the J80 is often though of as the last "true" Land Cruiser.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Personally I would never purchase a domestic truck. You can look in Spain and Italy and find half way decent trucks

Do you know a good source? I am considering something like this if I can be all in for a 20k max

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

Do you know a good source? I am considering something like this if I can be all in for a 20k max

Try Land Cruisers Direct.

Spain seems like a good source for a LHD diesel LC. Generally not as sketchily maintained as the South American trucks, and not as much rust as further north.

 

[Tex68w]

I think you'll be hard pressed to get one worth a crap here for under $20K, but color me impressed if you do.

 

[Arktikos]

..I had a really nice 1978 super clean tip-top 40 series (which to your point, is not that far off a 60 or 70)....it has more power than a diesel 70, it was fun to drive, but not something I could live with on a regular basis based on handling, power, noise, etc....

I found my 40 to be far more noisy and crude than my fj62 and BJ70. Also, the tiny gas tank was quite limiting. Don't like carburetors either.
62 on up I could live with OK.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I think you'll be hard pressed to get one worth a crap here for under $20K, but color me impressed if you do.

Did some more looking and you are correct, much better off throwing that 20k at a higher mileage tundra imo.