50th anniversary Venezuelan edition

[MisterOtter]

Hello folks. I know this is a long shot, but I'm looking for all official documentation, pdf, brochure, anything at all really about the Venezuelan 50th Anniversary FZJ71.

There's lots of information here and there on the internet, but nothing official. I've already contacted toyota of venezuela, tried to get a good contact for toyota global but no luck so far.

Thanks!

 

[MisterOtter]

A newspaper or magazine article would also work. Any credible source that says that:
a. Toyota made this car
b. It's limited to 300 examples

So far all I have is an internet archive snapshot of it being mentioned on the toyota.com.ve site, which is something but doesn't confirm any details about it.

 

[Exiled]

Do you speak Spanish? I have a couple of contacts that may be able to help but they are Spanish speakers primarily. One of them has strong contacts within ToCars. From my own research, there's not likely to be a ton of official documentation but worth a try to see if anyone has printed material. You may want to check an IG account called "Motores Colonia Tovar", it's a car dealership in the outskirts of Caracas that has a nice Land Cruiser collection that includes at least two of the 300 special "50th Anniversary" FZJ71s from 2007. Maybe they have some material?

Cheers and buena suerte!

 

[MisterOtter]

Thank you Exiled. I do speak spanish, I've seen that account as they've had some extremely low mileage Land Cruisers on there.

I'll reach out to them as that's a good idea. Perhaps one of the dealerships that was around back then will have something.

 

[Exiled]

The other guy you might want to reach out to is Gustavo Guia, he's the owner/operator of Rustilift 4x4 and a well-known, respected member of the Cruiser world in Venezuela. He does some restoration work on Land Cruisers and is very knowledgeable when it comes to Land Cruiser history in Venezuela, he might also be able to point you in the right direction. His account on IG is @gustavoguia21, tell him Henry Cubillan sent you.

Another guy who might be able to connect you to the right sources is Luis Velosa, he operates one of the top restoration shops in Venezuela (No Land Cruisers, mostly high-end European stuff and American muscle cars) and is very well connected and extremely knowledgeable. IG account is @luisvelosa. I don't have a personal relationship with him but his shop is renowned and has been around for a long time.

Good luck and please share what you find, those 2007 FZJ71s are super cool, they did a great job spec'ing those out with all the goodies!

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

The 50th Anniversary FZJ71 had a factory 2-in. lift and differential lockers, among other things. It had alloy wheels, something uncommon at that time, because Venezuela spec 70 Series (both standard and LX) had steel wheels.

Most, if not all, South America spec trucks had steel wheels. Because of this, alloy wheels are referred to as "anniversary wheels" in South America, a nod to the 50th Anniversary FZJ71.

A plate on the glove box door had Land Cruiser embossed in the 1960s style and a number in the format nnn/300. I think 300 units were available.

I remember reading that, as of 2010, a couple were lost in rollovers. How many survived the troubles in their country is uncertain.

There was information in a page from Venezuela, long gone. Perhaps in the Internet Archive.





Juan

 

[MisterOtter]

Henry I know you! Well I dont' know you know you... but we were both on some Land Cruiser mailing lists in the late 90s. It's great to see your passion for LCs hasn't diminished in all these years.

Thank you JuanJ for your contributions, I've added them to my document.

In addition to source documentation I could also use any subject matter experts that could give an expert opinion. I'll PM you some details.

 

[MisterOtter]

Exiled PM me your inbox is full on here.

 

[LDRF]

Have you checked out this thread: Cruiser Cult: 70 series literature - https://forum.ih8mud.com/posts/15337597/

or reached out to @Cruiser Cult

 

[MisterOtter]

Thanks @LDRF that's a great idea, I'll reach out. I checked the website but didn't see anything relevant.

 

[MisterOtter]

So as some of you have guessed, I'm trying to get the NHTSA to allow the import of this vehicle for show or display purposes.

I've hired an investigator and was finally able to contact Toyota of Venezuela.

At this point I'm looking for a subject matter experts:
- Journalist at a well known car magazine
- Automotive expert/university professor/vehicle museum curator.
- etc.

That would be willing to sign a letter saying why they think this vehicle should qualify for show or display. For example:
- Best and final version of a car that was almost unchanged from 1983-2007 and was never imported to the USA (sure the suspension changed slightly and the engine went from carburated to injected to 'tribobina', but it's basically the same body and engine). I believe this is also the only special edition of this particular version (there's the 70 year anniversary one, but that's of the 2008+ model).
- Japanese built with factory features that are often aftermarket: lockers, bull bar, etc. almost all japanese cars are Left hand drive.
- Any other historical or technical reason.

I have one affidavit already, but since I only get one shot at this I would like a few more to make my case as strong as possible.

If you have a personal relationship with anyone that qualifies, or you're this person and are willing to help, please reach out. I've done some cold reaching out so far but no one has replied, so I'm hoping that the Land Cruiser community can come through.

As a bonus if I get this approved anyone would be able to import one, with the limitation of 2500 miles a year, and I'd be more than happy to help anyone locate and import one once this is all done.

 

[LDRF]

@cruiserdan knows LOTS about Land Cruisers. You could reach out to him.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Here's a paragraph from the NHTSA website. How do you intend to get around the engine requirement to meet EPA standards? Just curious.

The way I read the regs, if it doesn't meet EPA standards then you can't drive it on the road at all.

ON-ROAD USE

A vehicle eligible for Show or Display may receive NHTSA approval to be driven on the highway. The odometer must not register more than 2,500 miles in a 12-month period. NHTSA approval of limited on-road use is to allow the vehicle to be driven to and from nearby displays of similar automobiles. Another reason permission is granted is to maintain the vehicle’s engine, braking, lighting, and other dynamic systems in good working order. The vehicle is still required to meet EPA requirements. If the original engine in the vehicle will be replaced with a non-original engine to meet EPA requirements, it must be identified in your application since it may impact on the technological or historical significance of the vehicle.

HOW YOU MAY APPLY FOR PERMISSION TO IMPORT

Your signed application must include, at a minimum:
1. Your name, address, phone number, and FAX number.
2. Vehicle identification - make, model, model year, VIN or chassis number engine number, date of manufacture and mileage.
3. Location where you will store the vehicle in the United States.
4. Statement describing use on the public roads, if intended. If on-road use is requested, identify the Independent Commercial Importer (ICI) that will modify the vehicle to bring it into conformity with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

[MisterOtter]

I'm working with an ICI: G&K auto. They will modify the cats or whatever the car needs to meet requirements. It just needs to meet requirements for that year, so usually you can just get a CARB approved cat and replaced the built-in one (if necessary, sometimes the built-in one will test just fine). Anyway they will handle all the testing and modifications in order to meet requirements.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Maybe late to the game, but @cruiserdan with the Land Cruiser Museum in Salt Lake might have some
info? Just an idea

 

[MisterOtter]

I'll reach out to @cruiserdan as a few folks have suggested it. Thanks!

 

[JuanJ]

I'm working with an ICI: G&K auto. They will modify the cats or whatever the car needs to meet requirements. It just needs to meet requirements for that year, so usually you can just get a CARB approved cat and replaced the built-in one (if necessary, sometimes the built-in one will test just fine). Anyway they will handle all the testing and modifications in order to meet requirements.

Hello,

Late model South America spec 71 Series with a 1FZ engine have emissions control equipment, namely crankcase ventilation, fuel return lines, a catalytic converter and an oxygen sensor, from memory.

The fuel injection setup is intended to require little more than a throttle body cleanup every six months and injectors cleaning every 40000 kilometers or 25000 miles. Sparkplugs are intended to be replaced within the same interval.

Tampering with this setup can cause the ECU to fail.





Juan