(Opinion) Buying a HDJ8X or not...

[LandCruiserPhil]

Out of curiosity - what is your rationale on why it was tough on IFS? Seems like sand and dunes would be the perfect application for IFS unless (over) loaded...

Zero hate on IFS the 200 series killed on the dunes by far but the IFS on a 200 series is much more robust with much better travel than the 100 series.

I own a LX470 and love it for my needs

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

You’ll note he didn’t mention how the 200 did either. LCPhil is a lover of the 80 series and makes known to all.


I love 80s as well, and frankly all “real” Land Cruisers (40, 55, 60, 80, 100 & 200). I <like> the Prado. The 100 is my favorite overall, and in this circumstance, I feel it is also the best fit for the OP.

The 200 is light years ahead of the 100 I watch and was in a 200 Maltec in the Sahara dunes 5' off the ground on several occasion with zero effect. Truly amazing!

A 100 series would die out here

 

[nickw]

Zero hate on IFS the 200 series killed on the dunes by far but the IFS on a 200 series is much more robust with much better travel than the 100 series.

I own a LX470 and love it for my needs


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When the Tacomas came out everybody thought the older Mini-truck torsion design was better and more robust....why wouldn't the same hold true for the LC100 vs LC200? The old Mini-truck / Hilux design has a lot of fans....maybe not as flexy or capable, but robust. I understand the LC200 has a 220mm front diff and the LC100 has a 200mm front diff, but that doesn't seem to pose issues for most folks.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

When the Tacomas came out everybody thought the older Mini-truck torsion design was better and more robust....why wouldn't the same hold true for the LC100 vs LC200? The old Mini-truck / Hilux design has a lot of fans....maybe not as flexy or capable, but robust. I understand the LC200 has a 220mm front diff and the LC100 has a 200mm front diff, but that doesn't seem to pose issues for most folks.

Find a broken 200 diff as there are piles of junk 100 front diff. Again no hate on the 100/LX just my opinion on its limits.

 

[nickw]

Find a broken 200 diff as there are piles of junk 100 front diff. Again no hate on the 100/LX just my opinion on its limits.

So it's a diff issue or suspension issue? Not trying to be difficult - just trying to understand where you are coming from. Running dunes like that seems like it would stress suspension more than a front differential. The 80 series uses a similar 200mm diff, while I understand it's a SFA and would probably work better for rock crawling...in a higher speed environment, I've always found IFS to be a better choice.

 

[alia176]

@Chris1900

Just my .02 cents worth, take it for what it's worth. First and foremost, I can't stand RHD rigs. I regularly have co-pilots to share long distant driving with and there's no way I'd be able to catch a wink if I handed the reigns over to a "non RHD operator". I also have different co-drivers so a RHD wouldn't work for me. Drive throughs and ATM machines would be hell I'd imagine.

As far as the diesel vs gas debate, meh. A baby DuraMax in my 80 with a 6l80E tranny would be nice but a tired old 1HD-T, not so much. Besides bringing an old Toyota diesel engine up to spec and all the associated $$$ that goes along with it, the additional cost at the fuel pump wouldn't add up for me. But, I know few folks who "loves the smell of burning oil" in the morning!

I don't drive 65mpg and enjoy the scenery on the right hand lane like lots of folks do. Yeah, I know, I know. It's the "journey", not the "destination" <roll eyes>. Maybe when I'm retired, I can take my slow ass time getting around to places. But for now, I like to haul ass to the trailhead after work on Friday, then haul ass home on Sunday. My middle school age daughter practically leaps through the window like the Duke boys while I roll through the school parking lot as we head out of Dodge.

You'd be hard pressed to get 20 mpg on a 1HD-T engine at 80 mph and god forbid your elevation is changing drastically. As far as I know, the 1HZ and 1HD series rigs don't compensate for the barometric pressures but I'm not certain. While 4-wheeling all day in 4low, oh yeah, the diesel wins hands down. They just sip diesel while the petrol still guzzles.

Bottom line is if you have an itch, go ahead and scratch it. It doesn't need to be justified.

ps my co-worker bought a Colorado with the baby Dmax. Now, if chevy would be so kind as to produce a six banger TDi........

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

So it's a diff issue or suspension issue? Not trying to be difficult - just trying to understand where you are coming from. Running dunes like that seems like it would stress suspension more than a front differential. The 80 series uses a similar 200mm diff, while I understand it's a SFA and would probably work better for rock crawling...in a higher speed environment, I've always found IFS to be a better choice.

No worries, again its not issue its limits.

 

[1HaytchZed]

I think instead of calculating $/mile, $/week or $/tank you save, the most important for you to calculate should be smiles/$ and the only way to calculate that is if you test drive all of these Land Cruiser variants and spend some time with them if you can. I have/had all... 40, 45, 45lv, 60, 62, 70, 75, 80, 81, 100, 200... and the qty of smiles/$ doesn't change between them, its the quality of the smiles/$...

When I'm in my 200 with my family, smiles/$ are much different than when I'm in my 62 or 81 doing a solo fly fishing trip... I've done long trips in all of them, the most recent (within ~1 year) were cross country trips in a 75 and a 81.. and I'd do it again in a heartbeat...

Our opinions don't and shouldn't mean jack to you, go touch one...

 

[Christian P.]

Can I change my vote?



I said 100 before now I am thinking 200, as I just checked on AutoTrader and they are nearing $30k now...I still remember when they came out for sale at $80k...depreciation is a great thing.

 

[Westy]

So to keep this as short as possible, I've been stalker you guys and soaking up the knowledge for a while now. Never needed to post/comment because most things have been discussed before. Currently I'm in the market for a reliable overlander and the LC is clearly a different beast over the competition so I'm pretty set on an LC. Currently I own an S2000 and a Discovery 2 and want to sell both for a solid LC that I can DD. This will be my only vehicle and I want this one to be an investment that i'm going to keep for a while (10+ years). I want your guys opinions on what I should do. I know ultimately is my choice but hearing different views is the best way to make a sound decision.

I want to import a 1990-1994 HDJ80 from Japan. The fact that I want a diesel might be swaying my decision but I want a diesel mainly because the MPG difference. The reliability and other aspects are amazing too but I 100% realize that the FZJ80 engine is an engineering marvel. If I'm going to be DDing this vehicle and going on long camping trips occasionally throughout the year, fuel economy has to play a major factor. I've read "the difference is like 12mpg in the FZJ vs 18mpg in the HDJ, who caresssss" on the threads before but calculate the difference in cost a year, the HDJ would save you roughly $1,000 in fuel. I know importing the car from Japan is going to cost more on top of the base vehicle price but I already mentioned that I was this for the foreseeable future so in 2-3 years I would be already saving even more money. I know diesel maintenance is more expensive and so are parts but if something is actually breaks on the FZJ or the HDJ, its going to cost you no matter what. My uncle also has a mechanic shop that I can use over weekends. I want to her your guys opinions. Also before anyone asks, I already spoke with Geico and told them everything, just to see if it was possible. After a decent wait I got confirmation that I could get a value based policy and once legally import would be treated as any normal car.

I think you should consider what your needs are vs wants and find an appropriate and logical path to determine which vehicle would suit your needs best. Do not buy a Land Cruiser based on MPG difference or investment. The cost of diesel fuel, maintenance on diesel engine, parts costs and availability along with of course the buy in for the vehicle is far greater than a US FZJ80 will cost you long term. There is nothing wrong with the 1FZ-FE, its a very good engine for the 80 and nice examples are still readily available.

I'd recommend finding used vehicles that meet your criteria and budget and looking at them, driving them. Maybe look up a local Land Cruiser club if you are serious about purchasing one and look into seeing them and looking over in person and possibly even driving different models.

The great thing about Land Cruisers is each series has its own unique characteristics, pro's con's etc and certainly you will find a model that suits what you need with some research and patience. Obviously the newer models are far more refined, $$$, comfortable and better road manners but they lack off road ability in many ways due to other factors such as size and so forth of the older models. Its a trade off always and now days the 100 series are quite affordable and common on the used market. They are a great all around vehicle and if you are going to DD the vehicle, I would veer towards a 100 series for sure over an 80.

 

[alia176]

I think you should consider what your needs are vs wants and find an appropriate and logical path to determine which vehicle would suit your needs best. Do not buy a Land Cruiser based on MPG difference or investment. The cost of diesel fuel, maintenance on diesel engine, parts costs and availability along with of course the buy in for the vehicle is far greater than a US FZJ80 will cost you long term. There is nothing wrong with the 1FZ-FE, its a very good engine for the 80 and nice examples are still readily available.

I'd recommend finding used vehicles that meet your criteria and budget and looking at them, driving them. Maybe look up a local Land Cruiser club if you are serious about purchasing one and look into seeing them and looking over in person and possibly even driving different models.

The great thing about Land Cruisers is each series has its own unique characteristics, pro's con's etc and certainly you will find a model that suits what you need with some research and patience. Obviously the newer models are far more refined, $$$, comfortable and better road manners but they lack off road ability in many ways due to other factors such as size and so forth of the older models. Its a trade off always and now days the 100 series are quite affordable and common on the used market. They are a great all around vehicle and if you are going to DD the vehicle, I would veer towards a 100 series for sure over an 80.

I agree with Westy, go to your local resource. Often times I invite prospective LC buyers to come to our monthly breakfast meetings so that they can check out LCs, 4runners, FJCs, Tacos, etc. We're more than willing to take the newbies for a ride. I also *highly* suggest that they bring their significant others so that they can experience the same things from a different point of view. Often times I discourage folks from buying an 80 if I get the sense that they aren't the mechanic type.

 

[MattScott]

I love my HDJ81.

That being said, if you're on a budget, I would not recommend one. They are very expensive to maintain.

 

[nickw]

I love my HDJ81.

That being said, if you're on a budget, I would not recommend one. They are very expensive to maintain "properly".

Fixed that for you I think that is the blessing and the curse that LC's, in general, bring. They hold up to abuse and deferred maintenance well, people that don't know better just drive them to the point where they need $5k+ of maintenance on a $10k rig just to baseline them, like many of the 80 series do that were owned by non-cruiserheads.

While they may be "cheap" from a "It is still running and functioning" perspective, to your point, maintaining them PROPERLY is not for the faint of heart.

 

[MattScott]

Fixed that for you I think that is the blessing and the curse that LC's, in general, bring. They hold up to abuse and deferred maintenance well, people that don't know better just drive them to the point where they need $5k+ of maintenance on a $10k rig just to baseline them, like many of the 80 series do that were owned by non-cruiserheads.

While they may be "cheap" from a "It is still running and functioning" perspective, to your point, maintaining them PROPERLY is not for the faint of heart.

I am at least 10K into my 80 for just maintenance items, and it was NOT neglected. It's insane! The injector and injector pump rebuild was nearly 4K alone and it will need to be done on vehicles of that age.

 

[nickw]

I am at least 10K into my 80 for just maintenance items, and it was NOT neglected. It's insane! The injector and injector pump rebuild was nearly 4K alone and it will need to be done on vehicles of that age.

Well you are doing it right then. I was speaking about US 80's with the gas/petrol, but those diesels can get out of hand quick. Even my old FJ40, buying all OEM (as much as I could) was not cheap, at all, particularly so when I had to have a 'cruiser' shop do work on it, ouch. Unless you a great mech, there is a lot more on a diesel engine you can't do than a gas for most folks....