Need help with a cruiser

[tonnydoodles]

I'm a long time lurker on the land cruiser section, always liked the looks of them, I own an 98 Toyota bandeirantes in Brazil that barely gets driven, I manage an picknpull in Myrtle beach SC, and yesterday an 93 land cruiser came in, I couldn't let it get picked and then crushed, so I took it home and now have a project in my hands, it runs and drives, exterior is in good shape except to a few dings, interior is trashed, they ripped the radio and speakers thus breaking the whole dash, but my main question is what engine do I have on this cruiser? I'm getting mixed information, the battery sits on the left, there's an plastic tube that looks like an air intake but not connected to anything, I'll post pics as soon as I have a chance, can anyone give an educated guess, to wich engine i have, so I can buy the right belts for the truck? 2 out of the 3 belts are gone, thanks in advance.

 

[1911]

It should have the 1FZ-FE, or would have had stock anyway. No way of saying for sure without photos.

 

[tonnydoodles]

So it turns out I have a 92 not an 93, the motor is an 3-fe, can you guys school me on this? Is it a good motor? Known problems? Availability of parts like dash board, interior trim pieces, the dash is completely torn up, any input is welcomed

 

[REDrum]

I'm not a big fan of 91/92 LC80s slower than whale pooh and not as robust a driveline as >93. Personally, I would not invest in it for anything more than plowing.

 

[tonnydoodles]

It rarely snows in south Carolina, I guess I'll restore it.

 

[REDrum]

I guess I'll restore it.

You'll regret that....

 

[roscoFJ73]

It rarely snows in south Carolina, I guess I'll restore it.

Before you get started,tally up what you want to spend against what would it cost to buy an up and running example in the classifieds. The engines are reliable in good condition,not built for high rpms. I had a 3F(NON USA model with no fuel injection) and it was reliable and fast enough in a 73 series landcruiser which is a few hundred kgs lighter than an 80 series. Fuel consumption was still terrible.

 

[1911]

So it turns out I have a 92 not an 93, the motor is an 3-fe, can you guys school me on this? Is it a good motor? Known problems?

I owned a '91 with the 3FE for many years; it was a great truck and super-reliable, but the 3FE is under-powered for the highway. It's a de-stroked 2F with fuel injection. It will pull the FJ80 at 70+ mph but not uphill. It's simple (flat tappets, pushrods, timing gears), easy to work on, most parts readily available, and will run nearly forever with regular maintenance. About the only common problem is an oil gallery plug in the head that is pressed in and can sometimes work itself out, leading to a complete loss of oil pressure. The fix is relatively simple and can be done as a preventative measure with the head still on.

But if you're going to be hauling a family, heavy gear, or a trailer on the highway much then you'd be better served by a later 80 with the 1FZ-FE.

A restoration would be a labor of love; there's no particular collector value to an FJ80 yet.

 

[tonnydoodles]

The cruiser cost me zero, absolutely nothing, drives good, body is in good shape, I might keep and when the right diesel drivetrain comes to my picknpull,i'll do a swap, like I said I can't let it get crushed.

 

[4Rescue]

The cruiser cost me zero, absolutely nothing, drives good, body is in good shape, I might keep and when the right diesel drivetrain comes to my picknpull,i'll do a swap, like I said I can't let it get crushed.

That...

You have an 80-series Chassis frame and axles etc. which are NOT worthless if you can and like to build things. Drop a 12HT or something in it or build an HDJ80 out of it, who knows, but I wouldn't chuck it in the bin. Re-build the interior dash and run it as a trail rig or a DD grocery getter (free Toyota 80-series??? Am I missing something here other then it's not a 1FZ powered truck???) for the time being or whatever then do a diesel swap. If you've got the space to store it and that's not an issue I fail to see how this is a bad plan... other then the headache of some diesel swap, but that's a problem for future you. Don't let that cloud your judgement now. FREE 80 SERIES :wings: !!!!

Cheers

Dave

 

[Mrknowitall]

You could definitely keep an eye out for a Canadian HDJ that has terminal cancer- or an SBC swap.