Canuck noob needs cruiser advice (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Threads
16
Messages
56
Location
FRASER VALLEY,BC
Hi guys, great site:hillbilly:

Im looking at buying my first vehicle and have decided to get the fine machine that is the Toyota Land Cruiser. I want to get a JDM turbo diesel, but have not been able to decide which one to get. I have narrowed it down to a Bj74, a Hdj81, or a Hj61, but Im not devoted to these choices. What is most important to me is the reliability of the truck, I do not want to be pouring all my money into the thing because its constantly needing to be fixed. I just graduated and have been roofing and saving up my money. My budget is aprox. 15k.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
PS I dont care what the thing looks like as long as its mechanically sound (ie doest have to be mint interior, etc, no rust though)
also factory lockers and winch really appeal to me.

Thanks alot
Benston :bounce:

PPS do the 80's fail more? are the 70's sounder machines?
Which ones have parts readily available in canada?
Could I get a non-turbo, and add the turbo in after?
 
Last edited:
Benston 69
I am going through an import company out of the Whitehorse NWT that brings them into Vancouver. Jesse is very knowledgable and can answer a ton of questions. There is parts to be had here in Canada or they can bring them in from Japan. I am getting a 93 HDJ81 TD RHD. They go over the vehicle completley and all you have to do is regular PM. There is a sticky thread under the 80 section on questions about purchasing a JDM that I find very useful. Here is the website of the company I am dealing with Outback Imports. We import the finest used 4x4 Toyota and Nissan Trucks to Canada.

Cheers
 
PPS do the 80's fail more? are the 70's sounder machines?
Which ones have parts readily available in canada?
Could I get a non-turbo, and add the turbo in after?

All the landcruisers ,big and small ,have the same build quality.
IMO you are better off with 4 dr with 6 cyl ,such as a 61 or an 80.
The 73/74 series are still excellant machines offroad but lack the comfort of the LWB models(although you can still sit behind the wheel all day).
I would take the factory turbo as a 1st choice and if it has no lockers ,TJM and ARB make good quality aftermarket lockers that could be fitted later.
 
i personnaly would love to get a locked Hdj81, more space then a 70 and coils all corner. i think the 70 only have coil in front. Hj61 are older truck and have leafs front and rear. With your budget, patience i think you could get a nice Hdj81 with lockers, but they are rare i've been told.

I'm sure some importer here will help you alot
 
Be very, very careful - 80 series landcruisers are complex vehicles that require maintenance which is not cheap. Turbo rebuilds, injector service, BEB replacement, DOT compliance, general service and all the other myriad operations these vehicles require, are NOT inexpensive. Even if you do it yourself. Not to mention suspension and drivetrain mods. Even the tires for these vehicles can run $300 each. I owned an HDJ81 for some time and a very good friend of mine still has his. We both bought good trucks but the costs tend to be much higher than you anticipate. I would have a close read of the FAQ which talks about the 80 (it's aimed at the gas vehicles but just as true for JDM's). Remember you can not just drive one of these to any corner mechanic and get things done. Much of the vehicle is specialty work. If a tranny blows on you, you are looking at MAJOR $ for repair. Not that it's common but it does happen. Remember you will be buying, at minimum, a 15 year old, complex vehicle, and honestly, I would not recommend one as a first vehicle on your budget.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with them, just that when you get an HDJ81, you get a niche market vehicle with all the attendant issues that go with it.

Think this decision through very, very carefully before you leap. Do not be sucked in by those who tell you these things "hardly need any service" and "run forever with almost no maintenance."

I hope that helps.

Martin
 
would it be feasable to get one over here through a local importer (fraser valley, BC) at my budget, and take it to them for maintenence and preventative stuff as I save more money?
 
would it be feasable to get one over here through a local importer (fraser valley, BC) at my budget, and take it to them for maintenence and preventative stuff as I save more money?

there are importers in the lower mainland and in alberta, maybe have a look through the advertising vendors section (link at top right of page) most often the difference between the more expensive and cheaper cruisers is what shape they are in and how much work the importer did to it before selling it. There are some common maintenace issues that are usually adressed with the hdj81's, you just have to understand that taking care of any possible issues when you get the vehicle is an investment into its reliabilty and longevity.

Some members will have a favourite importer to recomend, i reccomend having a talk with as many as possible, and asking as many questions about service etc. when you give em a call.

By the way i vote for HDJ80 or 81
 
When I bought my HJ61 5 years ago everyone was trying to talk me out of it too. It's been the best purchase I've ever made. The 61 shares many of the same parts as the HJ60 and FJ62, and is a pretty simple machine that's easy to work on. Don' know much about the diesel 80's but I don't think you'd find any parts for the motor through Toyota dealerships in North America. I'd think they'd need to be brought in on special order.

Be very, very careful - 80 series landcruisers are complex vehicles that require maintenance which is not cheap. Turbo rebuilds, injector service, BEB replacement, DOT compliance, general service and all the other myriad operations these vehicles require, are NOT inexpensive. Even if you do it yourself. Not to mention suspension and drivetrain mods. Even the tires for these vehicles can run $300 each. I owned an HDJ81 for some time and a very good friend of mine still has his. We both bought good trucks but the costs tend to be much higher than you anticipate. I would have a close read of the FAQ which talks about the 80 (it's aimed at the gas vehicles but just as true for JDM's). Remember you can not just drive one of these to any corner mechanic and get things done. Much of the vehicle is specialty work. If a tranny blows on you, you are looking at MAJOR $ for repair. Not that it's common but it does happen. Remember you will be buying, at minimum, a 15 year old, complex vehicle, and honestly, I would not recommend one as a first vehicle on your budget.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with them, just that when you get an HDJ81, you get a niche market vehicle with all the attendant issues that go with it.

Think this decision through very, very carefully before you leap. Do not be sucked in by those who tell you these things "hardly need any service" and "run forever with almost no maintenance."

I hope that helps.

Martin
 
LOL!
HJ61 is a dated truck, tough reliable but parts will be getting harder and harder to find
the BJ74 is the same.
the HDJ81 is a great truck but expensive to fix
the 7* series is tough as well but parts are a bit easier on the pocketbook

depends on the quality of vehicle you are looking for, if you want top notch trouble free then open up the wallet. no matter who you buy from ASK QUESTIONS...

if you can not afford top notch then bank on repairs...

HZJ73 $18-$24
HDJ81 $18-$36
HZJ77 $22-$30

if you can not afford these prices then you will be getting either a higher milage unit, a misrepresented unit or poor body/interior or both or all.

just a word of caution:
if it sounds too good to be true...it usually is
never invest money you can not afford to loose...

and that grasshopper is your lesson for tonight.

cheers and good luck in your search
 
some of the importers who bring in the 8o diesels do specialize in working on them, for instance i believe the bottom end bearings are usually replaced quite early as they tend to be prone to premature wear, as well the knuckles and seals sometimes get redone depending on mileage and importer. The 80 series do share suspension body and some driveline components with the fj80 or fzj80's here. However parts for the hdj or hz diesels could be a lot harded to come by. i guess it depends who you know. All good questions for importers. Also i dont think there are many parts for any of the diesels that are cheap. Fluids belts and glow plugs, thats about the most of it.
 
Benston, you may consider buying a JDM Cruiser which has been here a while. It will likely have higher milage but it will also likely have the bugs worked out of it. It won't have the 80,000 k on the clock. More likely, it will have 200,000 K or more. It will likely have bush pin striping and maybe even a small dent or two. If you are in the Vancouver area, I would recommend that you get the guys at Cruiserland to fully inspect it before laying out your cash. Also, if you need work done, I'd highly recommend them. The only down side is you may need to be patient to get something fixed. However, they will do it right and at fair price. If a seller will not agree to having an independent inspection done, then walk away.

Be very careful of the JDM importers and exporters. Outback use to be one of the better importers but I have heard rumors that things changed when the ownership changed. Luxury Imports is probably the best in terms of the Cruisers he sells and the after purchase support. Good quality andgood service cost money.

Most importer dealers will not provide service to the vehicles they sell. They may sell you parts, special order parts or recommend a shop but thats about it. As for exporters (meaning you do all the importing and registration work), I'd recommend Mark at Brave Auto Japan. Again, he will not be cheap but you can be sure that you are getting what you paid for. If you import yourself, then you should expect another $1,000-2000 in costs above the purchase price and shipping costs depending on the vehicle and what needs to be done to bring it into compliance. Importing yourself is always a bit of a gamble... more so if you have no contacts or knoweledge. I suggest you spend some time over at IVOAC.CA reading through the posts of others who have either purchased from a dealer/importer or who have purchased their vehicles in Japan.
 
would it be feasable to get one over here through a local importer (fraser valley, BC) at my budget, and take it to them for maintenence and preventative stuff as I save more money?

The preventative maintenance is not that hard to do yourself if you have a reasonable toolkit.
This site can give you acess to part numbers and online manuals
The engine bay is fairly expansive and there is room to get your hands into places.
Providing you choose a good unit to start with,the running costs can be kept to a minimum by understanding the vehicle.
By doing your own oil/filter changes and some of the adjustments that they need from time to time you can save a lot of money.
If you have to take it to a mechanic for everything ,it will bleed you to death.
Most landcruiser's need a thorough going over and some money spent when a change of ownership happens.

Landcruisers can still be reliable and only halfway through their normal life at 200000klms. It really depends on the previous owners attitude to driving and servicing.
Some of the engines like the 1HZ and 1HD T can achieve 700000 klms in a 23 seater bus(they share the same engines as landcruiser) because of good serviceing.
 
Last edited:
Go with a 6X series or 7X series, easy to work on and parts are easy to find. Avoid the 8X unless you have lots of money or really want a SUV clone. You've picked a good importer, lots of satisfied customers.
 
The problem with the 40 is that for most it makes a less than optimal daily driver. Most people would not put up with a 40 as a daily driver, and on long highway trips, you will probably wish you'd rented just about anything else. That is unless you are a very unusual person. 40's are great but as DD's, I know very few people that would argue a 40 makes any sense at all, particularly if you are going to cover any significant differences.

Just to clarify, many years ago a buddy of mine had a next to new 40 series (canadian diesel) we spent a lot of time in, and it had about 40,000 km at the time. He ended up buying a car as a DD rather than spend time in the 40. It was noisy, bouncy, and hard to steer. Off road, whole different ball game.
 
If you have 15 grand and dont have another 5grand loose for other s*** then buy domestic. Believe me this is the best advise you can get Sorry
 
Or a 3rd gen 4Runner - not as hard core as a cruiser but still quite capable. Remember that you also need to take careful note of where fuel prices are heading...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom