Buying a HZJ78R (troopie) - advice needed

[CHAS404]

Hi all,

The missus and I are buying our first 4WD (which we're planning to kit out and do a trip around South America and America). The mighty troopie looks like our perfect car, as it's big enough in the back to allow us to sleep inside comfortably year-round.

A few questions we'd love some expert advice on (with a budget of $25-35K AUD):

1) How many KM's is too many? If we go for a higher-km 2nd-hand (i.e. 200,000km on the clock), are we likely to run into a lot of issues on the road? We know they go forever, but how much of a difference in maintenance would there be between a 200,000km troopie and a 50,000km troopie?

2) Is it worth stretching for the V8 turbo, or is the V6 enough for it to crawl around with (not massively concerned with speed, etc).

3) Are the newer models (2010+) worth stretching for? Or are they similar enough to the older models that it doesn't matter too much?

4) Is it worth stretching the budget to go to our 'high end' of $35k? Or could we get a decent, reliable troopie for our mid-low range (25-30k)?

Thanks heaps all, any insight you have into the above would be awesomely helpful in helping us make up our minds! Been obsessively checking around, and it's finally time to start pulling the trigger.

Thanks,
Scott and Jess

I heard Bolivia no RHD. I am restoring and exporting classic FJs out of Medellin, Colombia. You will spend a fortune shipping the truck into South America and then back out. As an alternative fly to Medellin I will sell you an older Land Cruiser 70 series drive it around and I will buy it back. Only issue I see is getting it from Chile back to Colombia! I have driven Ecuador, some Colombia and bunch of Chile. I really love Colombia and Chile (wine country). Truck would be tagged Colombian tags in your name which may (or may not) be a benefit.
Honestly that is what i would do. I would buy an older one that is a 3F or a 4.5 liter with a 5 speed. You don't need that much power as the roads are mostly lousy (chile has incredible high speed toll roads). All the parts are available. A newer truck would attract more attention and just get banged up etc IMHO.

 

[CHAS404]

FYI Colombia has mostly gasoline Land Cruisers in the early models up to 1990s. Later they have diesels. There are probably more Toyota Land Cruiser parts in Colombia than most countries on the order of Australia and Japan. I drove the pacific coast in Ecuador in a rented V6 Nissan Pathfinder a long time ago. What a beautiful area. Sounds like fun. I really need to do a trip like this myself again!

 

[CHAS404]

Colombia has the modern Land Cruisers but with tax they are $100,000. assuming you can get parts no issues but i would rather have a 4.5 liter gas. every local mechanic will have these parts in Colombia.

 

[Diesel Cruiserman]

If you have the budget , a 1HD T engine from an 80 series is an ideal engine swap for the 75 series.
Not sure about a 78 series as the 78 is newer than the 1HD T engine which is a no no in some countries.
The 1HD T is a turbo-ed version of the 1HZ and does have parts availability in countries like Panama (I think) and it also shares quite a few major/minor parts with the 1HZ
This engine is probably the best combination of simplicity,power and parts availability for the continent you are visiting(or anywhere).
Canadians have a budding industry repairing and supplying parts for them which gets better all the time.They get theirs from Japanese imports.

The downside is they are getting hard to get although some aussie companies will build you one from a 1HZ with all new parts for about $10K AUD[/QUOTE]

I endorse this statement...

The 1hd-t,ft or 1hz are all very nice engines...

I was speaking with John at Radd Cruisers, long before I sold the company there was a particular 60 series that got a 1hd-t with slightly upgraded turbo, lightly damp roads and this thing would spin the tires in three gears..more than sufficient power..

Later I did a 1hz with turbo upgrade and water to air intercooler in a hzj73, that truck also put a smile on my face..

Most of all they are a dream to work on, inlines are so easy to access with little wiring and plumbing...

I have seen pictures of the v8 toyota diesel, it makes me cringe.. I often frequent a local diesel shop that a young man who worjed for me is now the head red seal mechanic in a very thriving busy shop. Watching him tackle the fords and cheddys, bodys off the frames, miles of wiring and complexity makes me very uncomfortable

Many moons ago at Pismo, when I first met with Wayne in his 1hz pickup, there was a guy at the meet with a troopie and transplanted a 1hd-t into his left hand HZJ78, my jaw hit the sand.......long time since Beanz has been on mud..very nice truck tho.


Rob

 

[Aboldi]

I am currently in Ecuador in my V8 Troopie, have traveled from Alaska. The answer is to get the best vehicle you can afford. Check out my blog about my car and my trip at can't enter address so just Google Giles Cooper Alaska and you will find it. Its called imgoingonanadventur
And the spare parts discussion above is wrong - I got a water pump in Panama last week off the shelf at the local toyota dealer.
Email me thru my blog if you want more info
Giles

Giles, I actually found your blog a long time ago (I think through Drive the Americas) and particularly read your trip prep pages. I've been checking in occasionally, especially looking out for whether RHD is a problem anywhere. Sounds like you are having a great time in the Galapagos - would you believe I just scanned though your most recent posts before coming to ih8mud?!

We ended up getting a great deal on a 2003 Troopie which had done only 36K km. We spent the last few months kitting her out and she's just about ready to go.

Out of interest, who did you arrange shipping with, and would you recommend them? I saw you shipped into Seattle, any particular reason?

We are looking at shipping into Vancouver, as we will likely spend some time working there before starting the trip. After Christmas will be when we start organising shipping and visas!!

Thanks,
Jess

 

[Aboldi]

I heard Bolivia no RHD. I am restoring and exporting classic FJs out of Medellin, Colombia. You will spend a fortune shipping the truck into South America and then back out. As an alternative fly to Medellin I will sell you an older Land Cruiser 70 series drive it around and I will buy it back. Only issue I see is getting it from Chile back to Colombia! I have driven Ecuador, some Colombia and bunch of Chile. I really love Colombia and Chile (wine country). Truck would be tagged Colombian tags in your name which may (or may not) be a benefit.
Honestly that is what i would do. I would buy an older one that is a 3F or a 4.5 liter with a 5 speed. You don't need that much power as the roads are mostly lousy (chile has incredible high speed toll roads). All the parts are available. A newer truck would attract more attention and just get banged up etc IMHO.

Thanks for the offer, but we have now bought a 2003 HZJ78R. We will be doing the trip over ~3 or so years, so the shipping costs are pretty well absorbed - and theres a good chance we will want to keep going on another continent!

 

[Aboldi]

If you have the budget , a 1HD T engine from an 80 series is an ideal engine swap for the 75 series.
Not sure about a 78 series as the 78 is newer than the 1HD T engine which is a no no in some countries.
The 1HD T is a turbo-ed version of the 1HZ and does have parts availability in countries like Panama (I think) and it also shares quite a few major/minor parts with the 1HZ
This engine is probably the best combination of simplicity,power and parts availability for the continent you are visiting(or anywhere).
Canadians have a budding industry repairing and supplying parts for them which gets better all the time.They get theirs from Japanese imports.

The downside is they are getting hard to get although some aussie companies will build you one from a 1HZ with all new parts for about $10K AUD

I endorse this statement...

The 1hd-t,ft or 1hz are all very nice engines...

I was speaking with John at Radd Cruisers, long before I sold the company there was a particular 60 series that got a 1hd-t with slightly upgraded turbo, lightly damp roads and this thing would spin the tires in three gears..more than sufficient power..

Later I did a 1hz with turbo upgrade and water to air intercooler in a hzj73, that truck also put a smile on my face..

Most of all they are a dream to work on, inlines are so easy to access with little wiring and plumbing...

I have seen pictures of the v8 toyota diesel, it makes me cringe.. I often frequent a local diesel shop that a young man who worjed for me is now the head red seal mechanic in a very thriving busy shop. Watching him tackle the fords and cheddys, bodys off the frames, miles of wiring and complexity makes me very uncomfortable

Many moons ago at Pismo, when I first met with Wayne in his 1hz pickup, there was a guy at the meet with a troopie and transplanted a 1hd-t into his left hand HZJ78, my jaw hit the sand.......long time since Beanz has been on mud..very nice truck tho.


Rob[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the advice Rob. We ended up going the 1HZ, figure we are going to be taking our time so we don't need any extra power.

 

[fjcalifornia]

move to costa rica and get a brand new 70 -series troopie diesel...I ride in em all the time

 

[roscoFJ73]

Thanks for the advice Rob. We ended up going the 1HZ, figure we are going to be taking our time so we don't need any extra power.

You will have long and happy association with this engine, good luck.

 

[dadinabarrel]

Buy one, you won't be sorry