1FZ-FE JDM Right Hand Drive 80 Series worth it to import to the USA ? (1 Viewer)

[Sharky1528]

I have seen over the past year or so there have been some 1FZ-FE Right Hand Drive 80 series turn up on auction sites and BaT and was wondering if it's really worth it or is it better to just find a clean USA spec 80 / LX450 ? Kind of a no brainier if its a Diesel RHD but the 1FZ-FE in my mind only brings engine parts availability here in the US and maybe less rust and lower miles being sourced out of Japan with 50 to 100K miles vs most US 80's 150K to 200 + thousands miles on the clock... and of course if you just want to drive on the wrong side of the car... lol

I guess one down side is specific RHD parts availability...

Your thoughts ...

 

[LINUS]

I swear I tried to read that paragraph- Since I live in WA state I see a good few new imported JDM 80’s on CL, etc regularly & even scouted 3 for E living mebbe-buyer.

I like diesel, don’t think I don’t. — BUT —

If it was me - and if you don’t need to pass visual inspection over tailpipe emissions or any of that, if you can swap a motor, I’d grab a rustless 80 & either do any gas LSx or go whatever diesel you like.

The RHD is a decent PITA (just decent, not major/deal-breaker level) - per the number of guys I know who got mainly Skylines (Nissan) or some 80’s, but they all said they paid more for the RHD glowplug 80’s than they ever got back if sold & did their own LS/gas or any diesel platform into a LHD here.

If you really have a boner for the Yota glowplug, try an import 1/2 cut.
They bring in plenty via the port in B.C. , I’ve bought 1 from BMW from EU & they do a ton of JDM 1/2 cuts.

HTH.

 

[1jzhilux]

Japan trucks can be RUSTY. Yes, JDM usually is synonymous with low miles, but they are by no means less rusty.

 

[overpakd]

I bought and imported a RHD diesel from Japan. I did filter out the gas engine in most of my searches, but I would say it's not common to find them with that low mileage. Lower averages than the US for sure, but under 100K pop up at auction infrequently and auction for top dollar (likely dealers importing and reselling). If you're willing to pay extra to get it, then it might be about the only way to get a low mileage 80 anymore. Mine was very reasonably priced with 140K miles (as an example).

Mileage and options aside, I think the JDM import route is definitely worth it. RHD is very easy to get used to - I was "comfortable" after my first drive back from the port and it was second nature in a week. RHD parts are a pain for sure, but if you get a clean one so you're not searching for a whole dash or something, you should be fine. Partsouq.com out of Dubai is a great source for diesel parts and I assume RHD parts as well. I've gotten a couple parts faster and cheaper from them than I can even from a Toyota dealer a few hours away... nuts.

Also worth noting you can import out of Spain and get LHD with some lower mileage as well. There are likely more diesels than gas there as well though.

Finally, I'm not a customer, but also check out both Duncan Imports and Japanese Classics in the US. They both have regular inventory of very clean, low mileage, RHD gas 80s (japanese classics also has plenty of diesels coming through). I was tempted, but I was specifically looking for a later 1HD-FT diesel and neither had one at the time.

 

[Douglas S]

Japan trucks can be RUSTY. Yes, JDM usually is synonymous with low miles, but they are by no means less rusty.

They can be but it's rare. They are generally in very good condition (depending on auction grade, etc.) though the ones available to those of you in the USA are a full decade older than the ones we have access to in Canada.

I personally wouldn't bother importing a gas powered 80. You get a generally great condition vehicle for the age and some cool options but the downside of RHD. With the factory diesel the tradeoff for RHD makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[sunrk]

I've *never* seen a LHD 4wd of any kind on the Australian roads I've been on and I've lived in a few different parts of the country over the years. The only LHD cars here are imported US gas guzzler ones from the 1960's and 70's that are considered 'retro classics'.

Being a LHD country, you would have a LOT of problems with RHD specific parts but Toyodiy and the parts suppliers like amayama, partsouq, megazip, etc. can be your friends.

Australia is a huge country with a very low population (1/10th of mainland usa in the same size landmass) so 4wd's and long distance travelling are big deals here so you can get rhd landcruiser parts pretty much everywhere.

What are the regulations on having an imported rhd 80 series in the USA (or even Canada)? Do they vary between states/provinces or are they harmonised?

 

[Douglas S]

What are the regulations on having an imported rhd 80 series in the USA (or even Canada)? Do they vary between states/provinces or are they harmonised?

It's the same across Canada with the only difference being insurance providers.

The parts thing I've found to be a non-issue over the past decade, my local dealer is next to useless and stocks nothing for LC's so even when parts are available in the system here I go to partsouq anyway - shows up at my door in a few days. Land Cruisers, whether left or right hand drive, are not all that common in Canada. Napa and other aftermarket part houses carry very few parts even for the models sold here. I am certain there are far more RHD 80's in Canada than there are LHD.

 

[Sharky1528]

I'm not big on a RHD but looking for a clean no rust 80 and the Diesel has always been a dream so maybe looking for info on an importer dealing with Spain or other LHD Cruisers in other european countries? I would love to find a 1996 or 1997.

 

[MonsterCruiser]

It's the same across Canada with the only difference being insurance providers.

The parts thing I've found to be a non-issue over the past decade, my local dealer is next to useless and stocks nothing for LC's so even when parts are available in the system here I go to partsouq anyway - shows up at my door in a few days. Land Cruisers, whether left or right hand drive, are not all that common in Canada. Napa and other aftermarket part houses carry very few parts even for the models sold here. I am certain there are far more RHD 80's in Canada than there are LHD.

It CAN vary between provinces, but generally doesn't. I think for Quebec RHD needs to be 25 years old. If it's LHD, Quebecer's can import at 15 years....I believe...

 

[FZJ80inWI]

I bought an imported JDM gasoline 1994, from Duncan Imports. Been very happy with it. ~82K miles, great shape, zero rust. The Japanese "Carfx" had it sitting in storage since 2019, total of 100 km since 2019. RHD driving is not that big of a deal. Easy to get use to and I actually like it. I went this route after losing multiple BaT auctions and walking away from e-bay rust buckets. Besides baselining it, had to put in a thermostat. Upgrade wheel and put 33" on it. As a daily driver, I love it.

 

[Sharky1528]

I bought an imported JDM gasoline 1994, from Duncan Imports. Been very happy with it. ~82K miles, great shape, zero rust. The Japanese "Carfx" had it sitting in storage since 2019, total of 100 km since 2019. RHD driving is not that big of a deal. Easy to get use to and I actually like it. I went this route after losing multiple BaT auctions and walking away from e-bay rust buckets. Besides baselining it, had to put in a thermostat. Upgrade wheel and put 33" on it. As a daily driver, I love it.

View attachment 3308348

Looks great … @overpakd mentioned Duncan and Japanese Classic and I have been checking out both sites !! How was Duncan to work with ? Do they wheel and deal a little or are they getting there listed price?

I have run into the same thing rusted up 80’s and high mile examples! I would like to get a real clean truck with lower miles that I can get another 15 to 20 years out of and have always loved the 80 Series BUT if not maybe its time to consider a 200 Series?

 

[FZJ80inWI]

Looks great … @overpakd mentioned Duncan and Japanese Classic and I have been checking out both sites !! How was Duncan to work with ? Do they wheel and deal a little or are they getting there listed price?

I have run into the same thing rusted up 80’s and high mile examples! I would like to get a real clean truck with lower miles that I can get another 15 to 20 years out of and have always loved the 80 Series BUT if not maybe its time to consider a 200 Series?

I paid list. Just south of $26K Tried but they said they didn't need to deal, there was an active market for them. Good guys, honest. They didn't hide anything. I'm in Wisconsin, they're in South Carolina. Put me in touch with a person to pick up the vehicle and give it an inspection. ($150) and got a decent report on it that match up. Title came from Tennessee, took about 2 months to get it which took another month for Wisconsin DMV to issue a title. All in All, I got what I expected.

 

[FMC80]

Japan is an island surround by salty water. Rust is prevalent in many regions of Japan. It is an extremely corrosive environment and the average vehicle owner in the places I’ve lived rarely garage their vehicles.

I lived in Okinawa and Misawa Japan for many years and saw some of the most rusted out POS’ I’ve ever seen. You have to be very careful buying from auctions and sites and work with trusted agents. This sounds obvious, but I saw people burn themselves by trusting advertisements instead of a personal visual inspection. The key is having boots on the ground (yours or a representatives) and eyes on the vehicle for you prior to bidding.

 

[Navyator]

Japan is an island surround by salty water. Rust is prevalent in many regions of Japan. It is an extremely corrosive environment and the average vehicle owner in the places I’ve lived rarely garage their vehicles.

I lived in Okinawa and Misawa Japan for many years and saw some of the most rusted out POS’ I’ve ever seen. You have to be very careful buying from auctions and sites and work with trusted agents. This sounds obvious, but I saw people burn themselves by trusting advertisements instead of a personal visual inspection. The key is having boots on the ground (yours or a representatives) and eyes on the vehicle for you prior to bidding.

As a minor retort to this, I'd say "it depends." Where the vehicle comes from makes a big difference.

Okinawa is very humid and sea-breeze definitely brings the salt in.
Misawa is far North and gets a decent amount of snow. They don't really salt the roads which is good, but you'll get a lot more stuck on moisture in the winter.

I was in Atsugi which is close to Yokohama/Tokyo/Yokosuka. Anything from mid Japan (Tokyo over to Kanagawa) is going to see less rust I'd say. Also, the miles driven are waaaaay lower in Japan, so they just see less abuse overall.

Just like in America, take it on a case-by-case basis. I got a <75k mile 3fe for 6,000 USD when I was there. You really just can't beat that. Obviously importers charge a large markup for their services, but I think with a little research you could do it pretty easily yourself for significantly less. (DO NOT EVEN TRY IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA!)

 

[beatle_bayly]

Or, you could simply move to Australia