Land Cruiser Prado 90 vs. Land Cruiser Series 80

omdavidk

New member
Hey all,

I'm looking to purchase a Series 80 4.2 turbo diesel in a factory LHD configuration. Unfortunately this is proving to be a bit of a chore as there don't seem to be many 95'-97' Cruisers with reasonably low mileage in good condition for a reasonable price. Thus I'm beginning to consider Series 90 LC Prado's.

Why LHD? I'm working in Angola and it's a gov't requirement to import only LHD vehicles, therefore the cheaper RHD vehicles are out of the picture, and LHD conversions are rubbish in my mind. Because of the tough terrain and lack of roads and bridges in southern Angola, Toyota's are the only vehicle I'll consider.

This is where the questions come in. Does anyone know about reliability on these Prado's? I'm looking at the 3.0 turbo diesel and have heard it's a reliable motor. What about the axles? The front is IFS and the rear is a solid axle. Anyone know if it's the same drivetrain setup as under the 90's Tacoma's? How about factory options, best years to look for, etc... Were factory lockers an option at all like in the Taco's and Series 80's Cruisers?

There appears to be some aftermarket accessories for Prado's from ARB, TJM and Old Man EMU, so I'm not concerned about that too much.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I'm looking to buy and ship to Africa soon.

David
 

4Rescue

Expedition Leader
The 90Series Prado if I'm not mistaken is more akin to our US 4Runner or the Lexus GX (we don't have the option of Diesels BOOOOOO) So the Prado will be rear coils instead of leafs like a Taco but the front end is the same (and the same as the 4Runners rather then the UZJ100 IFS front end)...

The 80 in a Diesel Variety would be my first choice, but I belive the 3.0 is the D4D motor and those are amazing little TD's so from a motor stand point it's a wash IMO.

Cheers

Dave
 

omdavidk

New member
Timmy,

I'd love to get a hold of a 105, but it's my impression that these are only available in Australia and maybe the middle east in RHD configuration. I've not seen any LHD 105's. Then there's also the price issue. I'm looking to stay under $12k as a factory vehicle or $15k with some aftermarket accessories. I just don't have the funds to drop $25k or more on a vehicle.

Dave,

I think you're right with the Lexus GX/Prado comparison for the 2000 and on model vehicles. If the front end of a Prado is the same as under the late 90's and early 2000 Taco's, then I would imagine that they'd hold up pretty good under the extra weight of overland travel gear. Other than the difference in suspension in the rear, the axle should be about the same as the Taco too, right? Do you know if there were any factory options for lockers or if there was one year that was better than another?

Cheers guys!

David
 

Klierslc

Explorer
I am not too familiar with the Prados, but there is a prado section over on Mud.....

Middle eastern 105s and 80s are LHD. It may be feasible to import from Kuwait....
 

cruiser guy

Explorer
I just returned from Sierra Leone last month. Lot's of LHD diesel 105's and a few '100's over there. I'll probably have a '105 myself when I return to Sierra Leone at the end of this year or so!

If it was between the Prado and an '80 series the '80 would get the nod every time.
 

omdavidk

New member
I've checked out those 105's from Gibralter. They certainly are nice, but I'm looking for something 2nd hand to keep the price down. I've heard that there are places in South America where Series 80 Cruisers can be had, and possibly even 105's. Anyone know of a source or specific country to look in?

Thanks for everything, I really appreciate your help!

David
 

Life_in_4Lo

Explorer
I think there are similarities between the 90 and 3rd gen 4Runner. Not all that familiar with it.

The 120 Prado is near mechanical twins to the GX/4th Gen 4Runner

If the terrain is really tough without roads, I would really try and hold out for a 80 series.
 

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