25 long years. Hopefully there are a few of these that are not totally destroyed that a guy could own here in the U.S. Your truck is in my dreams at night!!
Builds 2010 76 series wagon: The story so far
- Thread starter boozewz
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boozewz
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Back on the updates..
The OEM rear bumper on the 70 series pickups are softer than a pillow. Standing on it alone is enough to cause to bend. Aside from the softness, you could also not use a Hi-Lift jack due to the cylindrical shape of the bumper, with no secure mounting points.
So out came the bumper.
It looks a lot cleaner like this, but again no Hi-Lift mounting points, and obviously very exposed in case of getting rear ended, or climbing up a steep incline.
I had a Front Runner rear bumper shipped in from Dubai. It sits a bit lower than I had hoped for, but its sturdy as hell. Its not a proper towing system, yet is rated for up 2000kg towing.
Then we set out a couple of weeks ago on a trip that was long overdue. This is Tito's nicely equipped GRJ76
@safir joined us with his son in their 2006 FZJ74, running a 2" OME with 285/75/16 BFG and a rear ARB locker.
The OEM rear bumper on the 70 series pickups are softer than a pillow. Standing on it alone is enough to cause to bend. Aside from the softness, you could also not use a Hi-Lift jack due to the cylindrical shape of the bumper, with no secure mounting points.
So out came the bumper.
It looks a lot cleaner like this, but again no Hi-Lift mounting points, and obviously very exposed in case of getting rear ended, or climbing up a steep incline.
I had a Front Runner rear bumper shipped in from Dubai. It sits a bit lower than I had hoped for, but its sturdy as hell. Its not a proper towing system, yet is rated for up 2000kg towing.
Then we set out a couple of weeks ago on a trip that was long overdue. This is Tito's nicely equipped GRJ76
@safir joined us with his son in their 2006 FZJ74, running a 2" OME with 285/75/16 BFG and a rear ARB locker.
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boozewz
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We went up a mountain pass around the back of Makkah, which is still being paved, so technically still not an open road.
It was devoid of any vehicles, was pitch black, and had no guard rails. We climbed from sea level to about 7500ft in 26kms. Once at the top, we veered off a side road to get to the trail head. We're really in the boondocks, and you feel it late at night in the quiet twisty mountain roads.
At the start of the trail.
Nothing beats wheeling at night. You know no one else is on the trail. The air is crisp. The stars are out. There are no sounds but the clatter of the diesel motor. This is what we dream of when you have a moment to yourself.
Could not get many pictures of the trail up to the camp site, as I was navigating, we were late, and I was nervous the other two would not make it as the trail was steep, and off camber in several places. With the kid in Safir's 74, at certain times I thought he'd tell me he's turning back as its too hairy. Luckily he didn't and we made it to the top.
Saf working the kitchen
While the rest of us try to stay warm as the temps plummeted to 3c.
Cant make the effort to come all the way up here and not cook a storming meal. Saf surprises us with his culinary ability and whips up some chicken curry.
The cold is now in the bones, so Tito thinks the tents won't be warm enough and tries to improvise by throwing the air mattress into his 76. Its a tight fit, and later he abandons the idea
The view for the night. Tito can be seen lobbing a firewood in my direction. He missed.
It was devoid of any vehicles, was pitch black, and had no guard rails. We climbed from sea level to about 7500ft in 26kms. Once at the top, we veered off a side road to get to the trail head. We're really in the boondocks, and you feel it late at night in the quiet twisty mountain roads.
At the start of the trail.
Nothing beats wheeling at night. You know no one else is on the trail. The air is crisp. The stars are out. There are no sounds but the clatter of the diesel motor. This is what we dream of when you have a moment to yourself.
Could not get many pictures of the trail up to the camp site, as I was navigating, we were late, and I was nervous the other two would not make it as the trail was steep, and off camber in several places. With the kid in Safir's 74, at certain times I thought he'd tell me he's turning back as its too hairy. Luckily he didn't and we made it to the top.
Saf working the kitchen
While the rest of us try to stay warm as the temps plummeted to 3c.
Cant make the effort to come all the way up here and not cook a storming meal. Saf surprises us with his culinary ability and whips up some chicken curry.
The cold is now in the bones, so Tito thinks the tents won't be warm enough and tries to improvise by throwing the air mattress into his 76. Its a tight fit, and later he abandons the idea
The view for the night. Tito can be seen lobbing a firewood in my direction. He missed.
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NM Frontier
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Awesome as always!
boozewz
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After a cold nights sleep at 8100ft, we are greeted with a clear sky, and magnificent sunrise
The view from my tent.
The penthouse
Breakfast prep with a view
Saf back where he belongs, in the kitchen
The most important meal of the day
The valley down below, looking out west
The view from my tent.
The penthouse
Breakfast prep with a view
Saf back where he belongs, in the kitchen
The most important meal of the day
The valley down below, looking out west
boozewz
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The area surrounding the campsite
After breaking camp, we start to make our way down as the fog rolls in
We had numerous trails mapped out, and after bumping into a local who lived there, who told us the section we're on is impassable, with nothing but time, we decided to ignore him and try to see for ourselves.
Some sections had fallen boulders, loose rock, and deep rutted tracks. We made it through, but not without a few sweaty palms
The view as we approached Taif
After breaking camp, we start to make our way down as the fog rolls in
We had numerous trails mapped out, and after bumping into a local who lived there, who told us the section we're on is impassable, with nothing but time, we decided to ignore him and try to see for ourselves.
Some sections had fallen boulders, loose rock, and deep rutted tracks. We made it through, but not without a few sweaty palms
The view as we approached Taif
Beautiful photos ..... Thanks for sharing.
GTSSportCoupe
2LTE abuser
Great pictures and trip; thanks for sharing! Always a treat to see updates in your thread.
Nice scenery!
MashaAllah, love the rig and trail pics.. True, the weather is getting cooler now in east as well, so time to hit some sand 
When are you crossing RAK with your rig?
When are you crossing RAK with your rig?
Stunning vistas. Thanks for posting. This is what owning a Land Cruiser should be all about. Hopefully Toyota will realize this soon. Keep them coming.
boozewz
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Thanks for the kind words fellas..
@maujkar as for crossing the Empty Quarter, it won't be for a while. Would love to do it with the fam, and considering the amount of permission needed from the border security, it would probably be something I'd only do once.
On this last trip up the mountain pass, I was getting excessive black smoke under acceleration. While the temp gauge never moved an inch, it did have me worried. I will be looking to install a pyrometer soon to keep EGT's in check. I've been around the junkyards lately looking for disc brakes and PS for my Troopy, and on several occasions I've peaked under the hood a few diesel 80's and 105's, and almost all of them had cracked exhaust manifolds. This is a cheap mod, that can easily save you from spending big monies doing an after failure repair!
@maujkar as for crossing the Empty Quarter, it won't be for a while. Would love to do it with the fam, and considering the amount of permission needed from the border security, it would probably be something I'd only do once.
On this last trip up the mountain pass, I was getting excessive black smoke under acceleration. While the temp gauge never moved an inch, it did have me worried. I will be looking to install a pyrometer soon to keep EGT's in check. I've been around the junkyards lately looking for disc brakes and PS for my Troopy, and on several occasions I've peaked under the hood a few diesel 80's and 105's, and almost all of them had cracked exhaust manifolds. This is a cheap mod, that can easily save you from spending big monies doing an after failure repair!
Awesome Awesome Awesome pics and outtings mashalla... I have never been to Saudi but now you're really starting to get me thinking.. I need to bring the 80 down there an tag along with you guys on those trips.
I'm really surprized you traded the 76.. Had i known you were interested in selling i wouldve definately considered picking the truck up.. yours was certainly one of a kind and the LWB models are quite hard to find as ive observed. Out of curiousity, any specific reason you did the trade?
I'm really surprized you traded the 76.. Had i known you were interested in selling i wouldve definately considered picking the truck up.. yours was certainly one of a kind and the LWB models are quite hard to find as ive observed. Out of curiousity, any specific reason you did the trade?
boozewz
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Thank you sir for your kind words @Blown3UR
There are several reasons I decided to sell the 76 for the 79 DC.
- I have a couple of bikes (YZF450 and KTM690 Enduro) so needed the flexibility of the rear tub. I remove 6 bolts and out comes the rack with the tent on it.
- I wanted a diesel (I could have also gotten a 76 diesel, so see answers below.)
- The mileage was terrible on the 76 at 10-13mpg on 35" tires, compared to 19-21mpg on 36.5" skinnies with the DC.
- I wanted to run a roof top tent without putting it high on the roof. The tent can be run above the bed of the DC while still being within the same height as the cab, thus keeping center of gravity lower.
- The 76 rides very stiff. Much more so than the DC. In fact when the DC is empty without any load and without the rear rack/tent combo, it still rides better than a loaded 76.
- Articulation on the 76 is rather poor, with very little up or down travel, which makes it feel a lot more stable on steep technical trails we frequent these days. The 76 feels tippy and somewhat top heavy due to its shorter wheel base. Check out the below pic of the DC pretty good articulation.
Don't get me wrong. I loved the 76. But for what I needed and was looking for, the DC fit me better. Its the best of both worlds, with space for the family, enough cargo room, including the versatility of having a tub, lower center of gravity with the RTT, and better ride quality.
There are several reasons I decided to sell the 76 for the 79 DC.
- I have a couple of bikes (YZF450 and KTM690 Enduro) so needed the flexibility of the rear tub. I remove 6 bolts and out comes the rack with the tent on it.
- I wanted a diesel (I could have also gotten a 76 diesel, so see answers below.)
- The mileage was terrible on the 76 at 10-13mpg on 35" tires, compared to 19-21mpg on 36.5" skinnies with the DC.
- I wanted to run a roof top tent without putting it high on the roof. The tent can be run above the bed of the DC while still being within the same height as the cab, thus keeping center of gravity lower.
- The 76 rides very stiff. Much more so than the DC. In fact when the DC is empty without any load and without the rear rack/tent combo, it still rides better than a loaded 76.
- Articulation on the 76 is rather poor, with very little up or down travel, which makes it feel a lot more stable on steep technical trails we frequent these days. The 76 feels tippy and somewhat top heavy due to its shorter wheel base. Check out the below pic of the DC pretty good articulation.
Don't get me wrong. I loved the 76. But for what I needed and was looking for, the DC fit me better. Its the best of both worlds, with space for the family, enough cargo room, including the versatility of having a tub, lower center of gravity with the RTT, and better ride quality.
Walla @boozewz i dont now buddy but you seriously mess with my head haha.. When you first got your 76 i had been eye balling them for quite some time but i never got around picking one up because they were so difficult to source here. I calmed down for a while and just settled for the 80 and the 200, then i meet this guy here in Qatar who just got a 2015 LC71 (short body) from Oman, it was a loaded 30th anniversary edition.. I loved it; especially that this is the last year these trucks are getting produced apparently. I took the contact details of the dealer he purchased it from in Muscat. I was just speaking to him earlier and he's about to quote me on a 30th anniversary 76 loaded with fender flares, alloys, navi, winch, and diff-lock.. He can have it delivered in 3 months if i put a 20% DP down so i was just waiting on his final price to pull the trigger and boom you come along with this info haha.. The main reason i chose the 76 over the 71 is because i was worried the short wheelbase, tall ride height, and narrow body would be a recipe for disaster on the dunes.
Regarding the ride and articulation, i am very surprized since i thought they had identical suspension. However, Lovell's sell a Long Travel Kit for the 79 and boy is it a transformation.. I have a shop here in Qatar called the Off-road Store and installed one on a customer's truck... It rides really well, i would dare say even better than my Tundra on ICONs. I think the suspension/articulation/ride issue is easily rectifiable.
Now regarding utility, you are right in everything you said and your truck is perfectly utilized BUT... IMO, the 76 should do everything you've done to the DC (albeit the ATVS) with no issues. You certainly make sence about the CG being lower due to the lower tent/lack of a roof rack however lets be honest... All 70 series derivatives have stability issues, if there is a difference it should be quite minimal.
I dont know if im trying to convince you or convince myself haha.. Its just that for some reason the 70 'tubs' never did it for me although i liked the DC when it came out but i got over it.. The 76 looks so much better and is arguably better suited to my needs in terms of utility.
boozewz
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Shiklak daayi3
I'd stay away from the 71 shorties! Those are flying rockets being lightweights with the V6 motor! Great for getting up on two wheels en route to flipping over!
As for the 76, I love the way it looks. Reminds me of the 60 series which I have great admiration for. Its great for what you intend to use it for. For me, the DC is what I wanted and fit the needs I had in mind.
But if you were to tell me to chose between a 76 or an 80, having owned both (the 80 is my DD), I'd choose the 80 in less than a second. It rides much better with its 4 coils, has excellent articulation, its wider stance gives more confidence and stability on the highway, and best of all with its 1HZ + H150F + split case still has the super reliability of the legendary 70 series. I think its the guys who can't get them in NA that lust over them, but they're not missing much since the 80's are available over there (albeit only in petrol+auto+full time 4wd).
How about that for throwing a spanner in the works!
I'd stay away from the 71 shorties! Those are flying rockets being lightweights with the V6 motor! Great for getting up on two wheels en route to flipping over!
As for the 76, I love the way it looks. Reminds me of the 60 series which I have great admiration for. Its great for what you intend to use it for. For me, the DC is what I wanted and fit the needs I had in mind.
But if you were to tell me to chose between a 76 or an 80, having owned both (the 80 is my DD), I'd choose the 80 in less than a second. It rides much better with its 4 coils, has excellent articulation, its wider stance gives more confidence and stability on the highway, and best of all with its 1HZ + H150F + split case still has the super reliability of the legendary 70 series. I think its the guys who can't get them in NA that lust over them, but they're not missing much since the 80's are available over there (albeit only in petrol+auto+full time 4wd).
How about that for throwing a spanner in the works!
He said "spanner"......
Hahaha.. You are a terrible terrible man!!
What totally destroyed it in your last post is that i was actually thinking of selling my 80 for the 76... Mine is a 1FZ powered 96 w/200k kms and factory everything, even paint.. I have an introductory thread on here, nothing to write home about though like yours haha.
All i've done to the 80 is an ARB suspension, Warn on Board Compressor, and a factory PTO winch retrofit.. I was a little busy lately and therefore neglegted it but i have a master plan of upping the ante in the coming few weeks.
My issue is the the NA HZ is its drastically underpowered.. I'm sure the torque is nice but it would definately benefit from a turbocharger... A year or so ago i was invited to a freinds place for dinner.. this guy was from the Toyota Dealer's family here in Qatar. I spotted a few land cruiser sitting in their garage so i went to checked them out and guess what... They were ALL diesels, a 60-series, a facelifted 62, two 40s and a 94 80.. The 80 was a Turbo Diesel, it had every option on the list, PTO gear, Diff-Locks, Moonroof, Leather Seats and factory paint. I bent over backwards trying to buy that truck from them but the guy literally told me that his uncle (who owned all these trucks) would give any of the others away rather than selling that specific 80.. It had like 88k kms on the clock and was truly pristine.
Anyhow back to topic.. Thanks you, i'm begining to back off the idea of picking up the new 76.. I thought i'll just hold off till i find something used for a decent price.. I feel that if i go that route i'll eventually end up with a 71. I saw a 2009 for sale with the 1FZ! Only issue is the truck has been repainted completely which scares me a little especially with how prone they are to rolling.
What totally destroyed it in your last post is that i was actually thinking of selling my 80 for the 76... Mine is a 1FZ powered 96 w/200k kms and factory everything, even paint
.. I have an introductory thread on here, nothing to write home about though like yours haha.All i've done to the 80 is an ARB suspension, Warn on Board Compressor, and a factory PTO winch retrofit.. I was a little busy lately and therefore neglegted it but i have a master plan of upping the ante in the coming few weeks.
My issue is the the NA HZ is its drastically underpowered.. I'm sure the torque is nice but it would definately benefit from a turbocharger... A year or so ago i was invited to a freinds place for dinner.. this guy was from the Toyota Dealer's family here in Qatar. I spotted a few land cruiser sitting in their garage so i went to checked them out and guess what... They were ALL diesels, a 60-series, a facelifted 62, two 40s and a 94 80.. The 80 was a Turbo Diesel, it had every option on the list, PTO gear, Diff-Locks, Moonroof, Leather Seats and factory paint
. I bent over backwards trying to buy that truck from them but the guy literally told me that his uncle (who owned all these trucks) would give any of the others away rather than selling that specific 80.. It had like 88k kms on the clock and was truly pristine.Anyhow back to topic.. Thanks you, i'm begining to back off the idea of picking up the new 76.. I thought i'll just hold off till i find something used for a decent price.. I feel that if i go that route i'll eventually end up with a 71. I saw a 2009 for sale with the 1FZ! Only issue is the truck has been repainted completely which scares me a little especially with how prone they are to rolling.
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This thread is really interesting as I have an order in for a 2015 76 Wagon. But I too have a KTM 690 Enduro bike and now am thinking that the 79 Double Cab would be a better option. I wonder if it is possible to change my order...
Your experience with owning both 76 and 79 is really invaluable. I would never have guessed that the 76 rode stiffer than the 79.
Here in Tokyo, they've made it basically impossible to register a diesel vehicle, except for the very newest clean diesels. One can own a diesel vehicle if you're not in a major metro area however. That's why Toyota couldn't sell the 1HZ with the 30th Anniversary 70 Series in Japan. I would have been fine with an older 70 Series but they're all diesel. Low mileage 80 Series hold their value (and are hard to find) and for Japan, I prefer the thinner 70 Series.
So, I am still on the fence wrt 76 vs 79 although I have a white 76 on order...
