I love to listen to people that loath RHD. Own an HJ61 and HJ75 and never been that big of a deal. Passing isn't that hard you just have to be a little more on the ball and patient. If I can pass in a troopy you can pass in an 80. Drive throughs have never been a big deal. Only place I have had issue is parking structures that require a badge or ID of some sort to open. But one thing I would consider is looking at the HDJ81 instead of the FZJ80.
FZJ80 shopping- am I crazy?
- Thread starter zimm17
- Start date
Florida Native
Active member
Ha! Buddy and I would do that for giggles in high school (go through drive thru in the correct direction, but in reverse gear).
-Mike
calicamper
Expedition Leader
I had a 4spd late 93 build basically a 94 custom order 80. I was second owner. First owner was a lady with a Landcruiser crush.
Bought it at 96,000 miles. The knuckle seals were junk, rebuilt those and the axle seals. Kept it stock suspension shocks replaced. Ran 285 KO 2’s on it.
Had it 8 years as a 3rd vehicle. Did two trips with it and never did a long trip again in it. Just lousy mileage and range made it the worst trip rig in my fleet.
A local dad wanted it for his Teen I said no poor teen vehicle. He bought another one had it 8 months and sold it and told me yeah horrible first driver car. His teen burned through two sets of brakes in 8 months at 11mpg?♂️. He put his teen in a 10yr old Honda Accord and they still have it yrs later ?.
Right hand Drive definitely no.
If you were in Left hand drive country I’d say definitely interesting idea but J80 still probably not the coolest and most affordable option.
Mine was perfect, was in way way better shape when I sold it than when I bought it. I didn’t miss it. Cool yeah, practical nope zero practicality especially with the mileage and maintenance they need. Not to mention it’s actually tricky to find parts for them now. I had ABS issues in 2009 and it took the local Dealership parts manger a bit of digging to get the part I needed. Today it’s probably a junk yard trip hoping something could be found.
Bought it at 96,000 miles. The knuckle seals were junk, rebuilt those and the axle seals. Kept it stock suspension shocks replaced. Ran 285 KO 2’s on it.
Had it 8 years as a 3rd vehicle. Did two trips with it and never did a long trip again in it. Just lousy mileage and range made it the worst trip rig in my fleet.
A local dad wanted it for his Teen I said no poor teen vehicle. He bought another one had it 8 months and sold it and told me yeah horrible first driver car. His teen burned through two sets of brakes in 8 months at 11mpg?♂️. He put his teen in a 10yr old Honda Accord and they still have it yrs later ?.
Right hand Drive definitely no.
If you were in Left hand drive country I’d say definitely interesting idea but J80 still probably not the coolest and most affordable option.
Mine was perfect, was in way way better shape when I sold it than when I bought it. I didn’t miss it. Cool yeah, practical nope zero practicality especially with the mileage and maintenance they need. Not to mention it’s actually tricky to find parts for them now. I had ABS issues in 2009 and it took the local Dealership parts manger a bit of digging to get the part I needed. Today it’s probably a junk yard trip hoping something could be found.
lumpskie
Independent Thinker
Definitely try for an HDJ81... you'll get almost 20mpg overall and can get good power out of them with minor mods. My 80 is still dead reliable and I decide to take it whenever I get remote over any of our new vehicles. (after almost a decade of ownership and almost 100,000 miles traveled, I have yet to experience the high cost of ownership that everyone talks about) Right hand drive and slower/heavy 4wd for a young person? I think it depends on your young person.
zimm17
Observer
The problem with an HDJ81 is I can't register it in my prefecture. Japan has been clamping down on older diesels and you cannot get tags or registration for them anymore. The only way they can be bought is to send them right to the boat for export.
I found a nice '91 with 55k miles on it, but it has the 3Fe engine (155hp) and I can imagine it'll be a dog on the highway. Plus the guy said it doesn't start when it's hot. Pass.
I'll chime in here with my .02 cents worth, maybe worth even less!
I see lots of folks touting the attributes of the venerable 1HD-T/1HD-FT engines, however, the torque is less than a 1FZ-FE while having the same HP (all be it, at different RPMS) . The folks that tout their 20+mpg diesel engine are averaging <=65 mph, which for some people is great but not for me. I'm not getting buzzed my semis for hours on end, too annoying. Yeah, spare me the "it's the journey, not the destination" speech. I tend to leave work, haul booty to the trailhead on fridays, then haul booty back home on sunday evenings. That's just the reality for most of us working stiffs.
Yeah sure, you can turn up the fuel and roll some coal but you ain't getting 20+ mpg doing 75-80 mph. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, particularly if you spend $$$$ on a "proper" turbo/intercooler/lift pump/etc upgrade. Everyone freaks about EGTs at the higher RPMs and rightfully so. The1FZ-FE gets horrible mileage and with a turbo, at least you're able to maintain USA hwy speeds while still getting crappy mileage! Actually, the mileage is a tad better with the turbo due to the transmission staying on 4th gear most of the time. It's rather amazing how sweet the A343F tranny is once you add 100hp to the engine.
If anything, I might consider going a H151 5 speed tranny in my turboe'd 80 just to eek out a little more fuel economy and become a more active driver.
Again, just my exteremely biased opinion here
I see lots of folks touting the attributes of the venerable 1HD-T/1HD-FT engines, however, the torque is less than a 1FZ-FE while having the same HP (all be it, at different RPMS) . The folks that tout their 20+mpg diesel engine are averaging <=65 mph, which for some people is great but not for me. I'm not getting buzzed my semis for hours on end, too annoying. Yeah, spare me the "it's the journey, not the destination" speech. I tend to leave work, haul booty to the trailhead on fridays, then haul booty back home on sunday evenings. That's just the reality for most of us working stiffs.
Yeah sure, you can turn up the fuel and roll some coal but you ain't getting 20+ mpg doing 75-80 mph. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, particularly if you spend $$$$ on a "proper" turbo/intercooler/lift pump/etc upgrade. Everyone freaks about EGTs at the higher RPMs and rightfully so. The1FZ-FE gets horrible mileage and with a turbo, at least you're able to maintain USA hwy speeds while still getting crappy mileage! Actually, the mileage is a tad better with the turbo due to the transmission staying on 4th gear most of the time. It's rather amazing how sweet the A343F tranny is once you add 100hp to the engine.
If anything, I might consider going a H151 5 speed tranny in my turboe'd 80 just to eek out a little more fuel economy and become a more active driver.
Again, just my exteremely biased opinion here
lumpskie
Independent Thinker
I'll chime in here with my .02 cents worth, maybe worth even less!
I see lots of folks touting the attributes of the venerable 1HD-T/1HD-FT engines, however, the torque is less than a 1FZ-FE while having the same HP (all be it, at different RPMS) . The folks that tout their 20+mpg diesel engine are averaging <=65 mph, which for some people is great but not for me. I'm not getting buzzed my semis for hours on end, too annoying. Yeah, spare me the "it's the journey, not the destination" speech. I tend to leave work, haul booty to the trailhead on fridays, then haul booty back home on sunday evenings. That's just the reality for most of us working stiffs.
Yeah sure, you can turn up the fuel and roll some coal but you ain't getting 20+ mpg doing 75-80 mph. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, particularly if you spend $$$$ on a "proper" turbo/intercooler/lift pump/etc upgrade. Everyone freaks about EGTs at the higher RPMs and rightfully so. The1FZ-FE gets horrible mileage and with a turbo, at least you're able to maintain USA hwy speeds while still getting crappy mileage! Actually, the mileage is a tad better with the turbo due to the transmission staying on 4th gear most of the time. It's rather amazing how sweet the A343F tranny is once you add 100hp to the engine.
If anything, I might consider going a H151 5 speed tranny in my turboe'd 80 just to eek out a little more fuel economy and become a more active driver.
Again, just my exteremely biased opinion here
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View attachment 760506
I get what you are saying but I still get 18+ mpg in my 80 (on 35s) going 75 mph. True, I have a PDI airbox and intercooler and I have a GTurbo GTX. But I can hold what ever speed I want on what ever hill is out there. (I get scared to take my 80 faster than 85 mph, I will admit) Now, I've ridden in a couple turbo 1FZ-FE rigs that were crazy fast. My rig isn't like that. But I can pull my 23 ft boat anywhere. The classic diesel versus gas conundrum I guess. As for the trans... I've got a Wholesale Automatics A442f. I wanted to do the 5 speed swap because I'm a manual trans guy. But, after 6 years of ownership (and almost 100,000 miles on that I've put on it) I have to say that trans is awesome.
alanymarce
Well-known member
Space! The 80 has a lot more.
Funny thing is that my 2003 4runner has more useable inside space than the 80. Of course, they're two different animals but I thought it was interesting to see the stark contrast. The 80 cargo area is huge compared to the 4runner as one might surmise.
You made excellent points - given enough money, lots of things can be made possible. Diesels are simply awesome at what they do, pull a house down the hwy, after yanking it off the foundation
.I too am having dirty thoughts about a H151 going into my turbo 80......
80's are awesome but awesome comes at a price. I love mine (need to update the post with photos).
I do drive it a lot. I drive it all around central CA with no issues. Sure it's slow, but I feel safe on the hwy. I comfortably cruise around 65-70 with no issues. I spent around 6 months searching for a pristine vehicle. That has still cost me a few thousand in preventative maintenance. I am constantly checking the truck and never-ending to-do list. I love it haha.
I think if you do want one go for it. Make sure you have some cash on hand and time to be w/o the vehicle.
I do drive it a lot. I drive it all around central CA with no issues. Sure it's slow, but I feel safe on the hwy. I comfortably cruise around 65-70 with no issues. I spent around 6 months searching for a pristine vehicle. That has still cost me a few thousand in preventative maintenance. I am constantly checking the truck and never-ending to-do list. I love it haha.
I think if you do want one go for it. Make sure you have some cash on hand and time to be w/o the vehicle.
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Having owned (3) 80s (one of which we raced in Baja) i'd say for what the market is asking for them now, its not even remotely worth it.
80s were amazing because they were bulletproof and cheap (relatively speaking) years ago.
Now, the premium added just doesnt make sense for what they are, and there are MUCH better options for the $.
I also had a 100 series with the factory elocker, which was better than the 80 in almost every way, without any of the new fangled electronics.
80s are fetching upwards of 20k now, and nice clean 100s with elockers can be found around 10-12k FWIW and YMMV
80s were amazing because they were bulletproof and cheap (relatively speaking) years ago.
Now, the premium added just doesnt make sense for what they are, and there are MUCH better options for the $.
I also had a 100 series with the factory elocker, which was better than the 80 in almost every way, without any of the new fangled electronics.
80s are fetching upwards of 20k now, and nice clean 100s with elockers can be found around 10-12k FWIW and YMMV
Fishenough
Creeper
Omg I believe an 80 series would be dream vehicle for the right new driver!
Been importing vehicles from Japan for over 30 years. Biggest downside I believe is young passengers exiting the vehicle street side and not expecting the same direction travel, had a few close calls with teens in the front seat. Rhd is easy once your accustomed, remember what ever elbow touches the drivers window works the turn signals. {recently sold a rhd bmw convertible that had turn signal on the right like a lhd vehicle, that messed me up}. Higher, yes slower vehicles completely over come the problem of visibility turning left or passing.
Couple of recommendations from years of bidding: get the most out of your auction house deposit, ask for pictures but also take it on faith that auction sheets are very honest in Japan. Many auction houses allow lot visit pre sale, done so on 2 trips to Japan. For a given vehicle there is always some arbitrary maximum mileage where the prices are lower. For example gas Hilus Surfs under 150,000 km's sell for upwards of 300K yen more. I've seen first hand what happens with a low mileage vehicle that has been sitting so long, I have endless situations where the crazy low mileage jdm vehicle needed more work that one with far more mileage. My most recent import with 140,000kms and current Shaken was impressive how many parts with high quality replacements, heck I believe all the wheel bearings and bushings had been replaced with very low mileage on them when it arrived. Ha I bought new bilsteins before it arrived and mint identical shocks were already on the front. Shaken is a game changer. Plus as you know well Landcrusiers are very desirable in Japan, and historically buyers around the world bid. It was a different experience buying my 40 series in 1991. My habit is to bid low often on a vehicle I am interested in, even models that are quite not what I am looking for. This way I see the honest actually selling price every time.
From my experience of owning many JDM diesels and 3 diesel cruisers, I would get a gas 80 for a long list of reasons. To keep an HD mint will cost more in maintenance than the slightly better economy of the D. Both engines are fantastic, but for remote travel, livability, and parts availablity ease; gas. Had a diesel 70 when I moved to Whitehorse, I would have been able to get common items off the shelf at several stores for a gas 80 but had long delivery times for the 70. Any big store across North America will have consumables for the gas Toyota engine.
Do it!
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Been importing vehicles from Japan for over 30 years. Biggest downside I believe is young passengers exiting the vehicle street side and not expecting the same direction travel, had a few close calls with teens in the front seat. Rhd is easy once your accustomed, remember what ever elbow touches the drivers window works the turn signals. {recently sold a rhd bmw convertible that had turn signal on the right like a lhd vehicle, that messed me up}. Higher, yes slower vehicles completely over come the problem of visibility turning left or passing.
Couple of recommendations from years of bidding: get the most out of your auction house deposit, ask for pictures but also take it on faith that auction sheets are very honest in Japan. Many auction houses allow lot visit pre sale, done so on 2 trips to Japan. For a given vehicle there is always some arbitrary maximum mileage where the prices are lower. For example gas Hilus Surfs under 150,000 km's sell for upwards of 300K yen more. I've seen first hand what happens with a low mileage vehicle that has been sitting so long, I have endless situations where the crazy low mileage jdm vehicle needed more work that one with far more mileage. My most recent import with 140,000kms and current Shaken was impressive how many parts with high quality replacements, heck I believe all the wheel bearings and bushings had been replaced with very low mileage on them when it arrived. Ha I bought new bilsteins before it arrived and mint identical shocks were already on the front. Shaken is a game changer. Plus as you know well Landcrusiers are very desirable in Japan, and historically buyers around the world bid. It was a different experience buying my 40 series in 1991. My habit is to bid low often on a vehicle I am interested in, even models that are quite not what I am looking for. This way I see the honest actually selling price every time.
From my experience of owning many JDM diesels and 3 diesel cruisers, I would get a gas 80 for a long list of reasons. To keep an HD mint will cost more in maintenance than the slightly better economy of the D. Both engines are fantastic, but for remote travel, livability, and parts availablity ease; gas. Had a diesel 70 when I moved to Whitehorse, I would have been able to get common items off the shelf at several stores for a gas 80 but had long delivery times for the 70. Any big store across North America will have consumables for the gas Toyota engine.
Do it!
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Arktikos
Explorer
Still in Whitehorse? Let's see the 70 or current Cruiser, please.