Any advice for a young man?? (2 Viewers)

[SundanceKid]

Hi all, i’m new here and am looking to get my first LC. Have always loved 4x4 offroad vehicles especially the classic Land Cruisers and Land Rover Defenders. I am currently in need of a new daily driver (no rush) and have stumbled upon a couple of land cruisers in my price range a 85 bj70 and a 95 Prado. Do these cars make good daily drivers? Obviously i know they are not “meant” to be on the road all the time, my only concerns are parts for these imported vehicles and if there are good mechanics in my area that aren’t going to cost me a arm and a leg? Should i keep waiting till i can have my LC as a 2nd vehicle? Thoughts and advice is welcome and appreciated.

 

[FJ73Texas]

I don’t know of any good mechanics in Dallas but if you must get an imported land cruiser, it should never be your only daily driver.

 

[coldtaco]

I daily'd a BJ70 and a 75 pickup. I comfortably cruised around at 65-70. I know there are plenty of people in Texas driving 70's but don't know how many daily and drive on Texas hwy's daily driving. The Prado would probably be more comfortable as a daily vs the 70(short wheel base and leaf springs all around). But, what shape is the engine in on either?

 

[Rigster]

You can certainly daily a LC. Depends what you love to drive. I would recommend trying out as many variants as you can to decide which one calls out to your soul.

Then get a little beater you can drive when you need to order parts from overseas so you are not stranded.

 

[bj70bc]

go for the prado, simply for the less years it has on all the parts, you'll spend more on an entry level bj70 baselining it, being a young guy on a budget/ daily type truck you'll be farther ahead

 

[bj70bc]

bj70 if you're offroading it as a second vehicle type chew truck

 

[RHINO]

Thoughts and advice is welcome and appreciated.

invest in your retirement



oh wait, cruiser thoughts and advice. i dunno you, are you mechanical? an older rig is going to require more mechanical attention of all types, if your ok with that get what moves you, the smiles are well worth the hassles. maybe ask @theglobb, he's a young guy and figuring it out great!!

 

[bj70bc]

advice for a young man......

"All boobs are real...It's the smile thats fake"

 

[AirheadNut]

I would recommend getting the Prado. Being a 1995 it will have the 1KZ-TE, which while not as robust (in theory) as a 3B is far better than the previous Prado engine, the 2L-TE. They are also geared higher than other 70-series, meaning that they cruise at highway speeds more comfortably than most. I have daily driven my engine-swapped LJ78 for the better part of 3 years now, and it works great. For the last year it has been my only (roadworthy) car. My advice: budget for a decent kit of mechanics tools and plan to learn to work on it yourself. Find some cruiser folks in your area and make friends; have them teach you the ins and outs of Land Cruiser maintenance.

Pay close attention to any odd noises or vibrations it makes, learn to listen to what the vehicle is telling you and diagnose problems early. In my experience Land Cruisers almost always give fair warning of failing parts or impending maintenance projects. Parts usually have to be ordered online, either from one of the vendors here in the US or from overseas, so most maintenance has to be planned in advance.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

If you are not mechanical and write checks without flinching to a decent mechanic go for it. If you are just getting your first few paychecks I would hold off. Buy a Prius. They make great parts haulers until you can afford a second car and saves you $ while you wait. Get your hands dirty, make mistakes, still cheaper than paying a mechanic.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I don’t know of any good mechanics in Dallas but if you must get an imported land cruiser, it should never be your only daily driver.

I agree!!
Considering the fact that essential parts may be coming from sources that are thousands of miles away (and days in transit) and worse yet, said parts may not even be available, I would at a minimum have Uber on speed dial if I go the vintage Land Cruiser route.
** In the interest of full disclosure, in my nearly 15 years of driving Land Cruisers, I have had only 1 leave me on the side of the road and it was kind enough to do so within walking distance of my house.

 

[FJBen]

Buy a dirt cheap commuter camry/Avalon/Corolla etc and a cruiser.

The 70 series presents a bigger issue with parts availability than your standard 25 year old cruiser.

I’ve daily driven my BJ74 for 4 years now no issues at all. I do have extra vehicles, and my 98 jetta TDI is the one that gets used for quick parts runs, miserable weather(hail) or issues that cause other idiot drivers to up their stupidity level (ice/snow)

by far I enjoy driving my cruiser more than any other vehicle I own. I also do all the work on my vehicles which makes it easier to deal with.

 

[Behemoth60]

30 year old Land Cruisers *can* be daily driven, yes. I have a '88 BJ74 that is my 'daily' during the summer.
- It' won't be 'reliable'.
- It won't be economical.
-when something breaks on it, it could take a few weeks to source parts for it.

So, It's really up to you. If your job or income depends on reliable wheels, then probably 'No' as your sole mode of transportation.

Driving a vintage and rare vehicle is lots of fun, and why we all do it. But, I reckon these should be 'second' vehicles for anyone that truly needs reliable transport.

Be ready for long periods of down time. Accessing consumables is not too hard, but If you break the fuel return line on your 13BT engine while replacing injectors one day because you mis-read the torque specs and order of install in the FSM.... you are basically f*&Ced. That part (along with so many other 'hard parts') has been out of production for a very long time, and there ain't none in the local junkyard. Or break off the thermstat housing when trying to break the seal when changing a head gasket. Or finding a new alternator drive pulley cause you dropped the alternator on the concrete floor. All are real things from my personal experiences; all parts that cannot be bought.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

. Do these cars make good daily drivers?

Possibly OK in a small town where you don't need to go far or fast. In Dallas? I don't think so. My BJ70 was super slow. You'll be run off the road!

... if there are good mechanics in my area that aren’t going to cost me a arm and a leg?

Highly unlikely. Yes, wait until an LC can be your second rig.

 

[SundanceKid]

Thanks to all who have commented! The advice was much needed!! I have put lots of time, research, and thought into this decision and am coming to the conclusion that maybe it’s best to wait a few more years until i can have my LC as a secondary vehicle, i love them to death but i am not mechanically inclined, i would love to learn! I just don’t have people in my life who are mechanical at all . Money wise i am extremely blessed and do not have to worry at all, but still feel i might need some more time before i am ready for a LC and what i want to do with it! Thank you all again for taking your time to help out a newbie! For now i think i’m going to look into maybe a taco or a little ranger as my daily!!

 

[Rigster]

Thanks to all who have commented! The advice was much needed!! I have put lots of time, research, and thought into this decision and am coming to the conclusion that maybe it’s best to wait a few more years until i can have my LC as a secondary vehicle, i love them to death but i am not mechanically inclined, i would love to learn! I just don’t have people in my life who are mechanical at all . Money wise i am extremely blessed and do not have to worry at all, but still feel i might need some more time before i am ready for a LC and what i want to do with it! Thank you all again for taking your time to help out a newbie! For now i think i’m going to look into maybe a taco or a little ranger as my daily!!

"Patience" is not one of the primary attributes for the current young generation I see very often, so kudo's to you on having the temerity to think this way.

But, also do not let your dream die, but when you are able, do not let fear and common sense stop you from doing what the rest of us have done... lol.

 

[Felde]

I own a 1985 BJ73.
The LJ is certainly more comfy as it has coils, but a vehicle that age is always good for suprises. Being able to wrench yourself and being able to have the rig sit for a while to make a plan or wait for parts, is imho a must.
So, the advice to have a cheap second car, is a good one.
Has @theglobb commented here already? He is probably one of the youngest guys here in the forum who drove a 70 as his daily.
First hand impressions from him.
I'm pretty sure he'd second this

But, also do not let your dream die, but when you are able, do not let fear and common sense stop you from doing what the rest of us have done... lol.

And so do I
Good Luck Ralf

 

[joekatana]

Thanks to all who have commented! The advice was much needed!! I have put lots of time, research, and thought into this decision and am coming to the conclusion that maybe it’s best to wait a few more years until i can have my LC as a secondary vehicle, i love them to death but i am not mechanically inclined, i would love to learn! I just don’t have people in my life who are mechanical at all . Money wise i am extremely blessed and do not have to worry at all, but still feel i might need some more time before i am ready for a LC and what i want to do with it! Thank you all again for taking your time to help out a newbie! For now i think i’m going to look into maybe a taco or a little ranger as my daily!!

If you have the budget for it then forget about the Prado and the old Bj70 and buy yourself a nice HZJ7x , I never daily my HZJ73 in DFW but do drive them all over TX and other parts of the US without issues .

 

[LDowney]

Hi all, i’m new here and am looking to get my first LC. Have always loved 4x4 offroad vehicles especially the classic Land Cruisers and Land Rover Defenders. I am currently in need of a new daily driver (no rush) and have stumbled upon a couple of land cruisers in my price range a 85 bj70 and a 95 Prado. Do these cars make good daily drivers? Obviously i know they are not “meant” to be on the road all the time, my only concerns are parts for these imported vehicles and if there are good mechanics in my area that aren’t going to cost me a arm and a leg? Should i keep waiting till i can have my LC as a 2nd vehicle? Thoughts and advice is welcome and appreciated.

FYI My 1986 BJ70 is my daily driver. I drive ~9 miles each way and the max speed limit that I encounter is 45mph.

A key question that has not been asked yet; What is your daily commute like? Distance / Speed / Required Acceleration / ... What are your requirements and what is important to you?

If I had a longer commute in higher speed traffic with high frequency of crazy drivers, I would not use my BJ70. It is not well suited for that kind of environment.

Good luck in finding a good fit for your needs.

 

[African]

Your talking an older truck, They have seen some years…
If you / we could buy a Landcruiser / Prado new or new ish reliability as a daily can’t be beat. Look after it or abuse it and feed it a steady supply of liquid dinosaur and they will run…. For decades on most places on earth

The thing is your getting a 20 to 30+ plus year old vehicle that is intended to be used hard and even in good shape, like any other vehicle of that age it will require upkeep to be reliable. ( read…… time and money!)

Your ability and the support to work on and fix it yourself will be important!
Take a look at some of the treads on here and there are some really talented and industrious people that have kept or have resurrected all sorts of Landcruiser’s as daily’s.
If you believe that “if there’s a will, there’s a way”then a LC is for you

2 cents

I’d get a small and reliable daily that’s cheap to run and fix and simple to learn on, then get the LC
Or If budget allows get a HZJ7x

some JDM imports not just Toyos can have low miles and can have much less wear then the South American, African, Middle East and Australian imported flavors