For Sale 1990 HZJ80 GX (Base) 1HZ Diesel: Left-Hand-Drive

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Location
United States
SOLD

This was just on ebay. I had a ton of interest, but no real action at the end. Here's what I've got:

I purchased this 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser GX (HZJ80) with 318,000 KMs in August 2016 in Nicaragua, Central America. As I do with all of my imports, I drive, test and inspect all components and replace what is needed to make it safe for U.S. roads. This particular example was driven to 321,291 KMs and now I am pretty happy with its performance. The kilometers will go up slightly as I to tend to favor this import due to its comfort and on-road drive-ability.

This Toyota Land Cruiser marks the first model year of the 80 Series. This is a base model, which means it came with the most basic creature comforts including, manual windows, manual locks, cloth/vinyl upholstery, however, a tastefully installed, double-din, touchscreen head-unit replaces the stock AM/FM cassette deck typical of this vintage Land Cruiser. It also has heat & A/C.

This HZJ80 has the non-turbo, 1HZ 12 valve, single overhead cam, inline 6 cylinder diesel engine (4164cc) with just about 130hp. Behind the engine sits the H150F 5 speed manual transmission driving power to the solid front and rear axles. For suspension, this HZJ80 has rigid coil suspension, which overall, is comfortable compared to it’s predecessor, the 60/62 Series that had leaf-springs in the front and rear.

In terms of recent work this 80 Series has new tie-rod ends (front and rear), new front rotors, repacked wheel bearings, new brake pads and new 265 70R 16” 10 ply “load range E” Mud Terrain tires on new 16x8” stock Toyota steel wheels. These tires have an estimated 2,000 miles on them from new. The tires/wheels have been balanced and the front end completely aligned after tie-rod installation. This Land Cruiser tracks straight and brakes very well with no steering wobble what-so-ever.

Recent maintenance includes air-filter inspection/oil check, full oil change using Shell Rotella 15W40 heavy duty conventional motor oil with Toyota oil filter and coolant test/refresh. The differential, transmission/transfer case oil was also sampled and appeared to have been replaced not long ago. The timing belt needs to be replaced at 380,000 KMs, so there’s about 39,000 KMs left before that needs to be done. The current timing belt was inspected and has the correct tension and no oil residue around the cam. Last on the to-do list is a chassis lube and final inspection after driving it 3,000 + KMs.

This HZJ80 fires right up, even on colder days. It did need a double glow cycle on a 29 degree morning - this could also be due to an older battery. Shifting is easy and comfortable and all gears engage smoothly. The manual 4WD engages smoothly in both 4H (Push button on dash) and 4L (Floor Shift). The 4WD light does not come on. I replaced the bulb and tested continuity and it all checked out. To test the 4WD I jacked it up on four stands and shifted from hi to low and also locked and unlocked the hubs. My second test was actually getting the rear tires buried in some mud and then engaging the push button high: it worked flawlessly. So, I am still trying to figure out the light, but it works.

The interior is clean for its age, but does show some signs of wear on the seats and door panels. There are no rips or cracks in the dash and the carpets are free from stains. The rear cargo area has a custom vinyl insert that protects the nearly flawless carpeting underneath. The seats move forward, back and recline as they should and the headliner is clean and tight as well. All windows roll up and down without hesitation and are free from cracks.

The exterior has seen a respray and I do not believe this particular model was originally two-tone, although, two-tone was offered. The paint is of a good quality with very little fading, but there are some rock-chips and light scratches. There are no signs of body work and not a speck of rust to be found. Also fitted are the original mud flaps, running boards and chrome roof-rack. The body is very clean overall and shows very well considering its age.

The chassis is just as clean as the body with little sign of oxidation. The original black paint covers nearly every square inch of the frame to the axles. This 80 Series shows no signs of off-road use as all skid plates are still intact, clean and dent-free.

This 1990 HZJ80 Toyota Land Cruiser GX comes with a clean, transferrable, State of Maine Title and all related documentation making registration easy in any state (exceptions may apply to California residents).

Updated info in addition to the above:

- Thermostat Housing Appears to have a small, hairline crack. I Ordered new housing, thermostat and gasket, which I'll install later this week. No signs of coolant loss, but I can't ignore it.
- New Fuel Filter, gasket and o-ring

I will order/pay for a local, certified Toyota Master Mechanic to sign off on this upon a deposit. This is something I have done with previous sales. I am in no way a Master Mechanic and I do not want to mislead anyone in any way with my analysis of this HZJ80.

Located in Maine. Please contact me for more information.

Asking $19,500.00

SOLD


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What sort of diesel mechanics can service this? I've called a couple diesel shops in my area and haven't found anyone that is comfortable working on it beyond just basic engine work
 
What sort of diesel mechanics can service this? I've called a couple diesel shops in my area and haven't found anyone that is comfortable working on it beyond just basic engine work

If you're going to own one of these, it's definitely beneficial to understand common problems diesels (in general) can have and how to diagnose those issues. I feel like a person investing in a diesel, Especially an imported version, should take the time to understand basic diesel concepts. The same goes for gasoline versions or any vehicle such as this.

Obviously, it's always good to have someone you can turn to for advice and service. I've had no issues here, in Maine, finding two very competent individuals who can help me with diagnosing issues and also performing a full rebuild if needed. There are quite a few vendors that supply parts for these diesels and from my experience, with the two mechanics I use, any knowledgeable diesel mechanic should be able to figure these engines out. Plus, with the exorbitant amount of information available online, you can easily source a manual for almost all the imported Toyota diesels currently offered in the US.

Where are you located?
 
This is a great Cruiser!!! I would jump at it if it were Maroon color. Glad to see we will be getting LHD diesel 80's from Central America as I am not interested in those RHD Cruisers coming from Japan.
 
Update:

New thermostat housing (water inlet), bolts, rubber seal and new thermostat installed and tested earlier this week. Driven approximately 130 miles since installing. I also put on a new radiator cap. I have a few new ones sitting around for some reason.

That's all for now.
 
This is a great Cruiser!!! I would jump at it if it were Maroon color. Glad to see we will be getting LHD diesel 80's from Central America as I am not interested in those RHD Cruisers coming from Japan.

Now that's a challenge! Find an importable 80 series in a specific color, haha. I'm up for it, but it may take some time. :)
 
Just installed new u-joints (front and rear shafts). Probably could have gotten away with cleaning the old ones up, but had it apart and stock was available.
 
This always happens when I'm low on $, lol. Great looking truck and glws. If I had the cash right now, it would be coming to GA.

Haha...

My HJ75 Pickup is waiting for a couple items, so this thing kind of stands in the way, currently. Pretty decent price for a LHD 80 Series ;)
 
Free bump just because I like the truck. Good luck with the sale, but I secretly hope you keep it a few months until I have some cash, lol. Merry Christmas to all!
 
What's the status of this? How hard to add a 3rd row with seat belts to one of these?
 

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