Does daily-ing a 70 Series make you a better driver? (1 Viewer)

[JDM Journeys]

Better is relative, but my biased opinion is "Yes it does."

Everyone else is practically asleep on the morning commute, but not you. Nope. You're watching for the apex, looking ahead to plan your braking, carrying speed through corners and down hills, timing traffic lights, coordinating yields, all while shifting a bus transmission, rev matching and synchro-meshing, knowing that if you muck it up there are no airbags, ABS or traction control to bail you out. Somewhere in there you're also monitoring water temp, EGT, and oil pressure as you carefully modulate your throttle position and sneak a peek in your mirror for tell-tale black smoke because you squeezed a little too hard, trying to "accelerate".

If you can manage all that, AND have your morning coffee while making your way to work, then I think you are a cut above the unwashed masses, and exist in the rarified air of the 70 Series driver.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

You forgot “is that a new vibration” and “I’ve not smelled that before”.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I'm dailying my troopy about half the time now - still haven't put my FJ Cruiser up for sale officially, the other half of the time I drive it. For one thing, the 70 is WAY more comfortable to drive. Steering, braking, everything is much more geared and paced to me as a human. I get in the FJ and I feel like I'm in some twitchy, irritable fighter plane - you barely touch the brakes and you screech to a halt. Barely move the wheel and you swerve into the other lane. It's literally exhausting. The only downside to the 70 is the noise. Soundproofing is the next big thing.

 

[FJ73Texas]

You forget all of the unwanted attention and questions in parking lots that can come with daily driving one of these 70 series. Maybe some people like it but it does get old after awhile for me. I need to keep FAQ printouts in my cruiser.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Seriously old. When I come out of a store and there are people standing around my truck I physically wince, preparing for the onslaught.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I'm dailying my troopy about half the time now - still haven't put my FJ Cruiser up for sale officially, the other half of the time I drive it. For one thing, the 70 is WAY more comfortable to drive. Steering, braking, everything is much more geared and paced to me as a human. I get in the FJ and I feel like I'm in some twitchy, irritable fighter plane - you barely touch the brakes and you screech to a halt. Barely move the wheel and you swerve into the other lane. It's literally exhausting. The only downside to the 70 is the noise. Soundproofing is the next big thing.

One of the few advantages to my advancing age and subsequent hearing loss is the fact that the Land Cruiser gets more quiet with each passing year.

 

[FJ73Texas]

I physically wince, preparing for the onslaught.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

One of the few advantages to my advancing age and subsequent hearing loss is the fact that the Land Cruiser gets more quiet with each passing year.

Yeah, the radio is so loud now I think other cars can hear it as well as I can.

 

[FJBen]

It’s weird, a lot of time I don’t get people staring at mine when in a parking lot. I honestly think people assume it’s a Jeep and there is literally like every other vehicle a tacoma, 4Runner or Jeep modified in some way.

I get more people trying to talk at stoplights being RHD. It’s like open talk season since they are right there. I’m like do you know how much I have to concentrate to drive here?



I agree I’m much more focused driving the Bj74 than any of my other cars.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I just hold up my hand and tell everyone that it’s a “special ops” vehicle and I can’t discuss either the vehicle or the mission.

 

[bj70bc]

Better is relative, but my biased opinion is "Yes it does."

Everyone else is practically asleep on the morning commute, but not you. Nope. You're watching for the apex, looking ahead to plan your braking, carrying speed through corners and down hills, timing traffic lights, coordinating yields, all while shifting a bus transmission, rev matching and synchro-meshing, knowing that if you muck it up there are no airbags, ABS or traction control to bail you out. Somewhere in there you're also monitoring water temp, EGT, and oil pressure as you carefully modulate your throttle position and sneak a peek in your mirror for tell-tale black smoke because you squeezed a little too hard, trying to "accelerate".

If you can manage all that, AND have your morning coffee while making your way to work, then I think you are a cut above the unwashed masses, and exist in the rarified air of the 70 Series driver.

View attachment 3448525

so true, so true
but once you get in the rhythm you become a 1980's driving MACHINE

 

[Tigris]

Dailying a 70 will make you a better man, dad, and even better lover

Since I only work when I'm overseas, I got tired of paying for expensive vehicles taking up valuable space at home when I'm gone. So I got ride of all the vehicles except for the KZJ78 and the wife's vehicle. That means even when I don't have a commute here in the States, I do have one vehicle to drive on my errands and kids dropoffs and pickups.

My kids, (and their friends) would literally go out of their way to ride with me to school. They love being dropped off the driver's seat in the car lane at school

I also daily 70 series Land Cruisers when I'm at work, and I prefer them to the 200 and the 300 ones in the stable.

Cheers!

 

[janyyc]

You forget all of the unwanted attention and questions in parking lots that can come with daily driving one of these 70 series. Maybe some people like it but it does get old after awhile for me. I need to keep FAQ printouts in my cruiser.

Seriously old. When I come out of a store and there are people standing around my truck I physically wince, preparing for the onslaught.

Interesting, in Canada it's quite rare people comment. I guess a different type of "car culture".

 

[Rigster]

Well I have never gotten a speeding ticket in any of my land cruisers, so I definitely drive SLOWER. So I suppose that would technically make me a safer, if not a better driver.

I agree with all your points above Phil, and I think the sheer old school similarities of driving semi's is what I love about driving my 70.

Driving my 70 always brings a smile to my face, and most of the time I find working on it and maintaining it therapeutic.

I also agree it gets a little old when people are wanting to talk about it, especially if I am in a hurry, but most of the time people just wave, give a thumbs up, or if they actually know what they are looking at they say "nice land cruiser"

I have said this before, but it is probably prudent again in this thread and that is you either love driving a land cruiser or you can't stand them.

I love mine...

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I don't find my '94 FZJ75 particularly challenging to drive. Yes more so than my Lincoln Navigator but not excessively so. Not that I want to drive the 75 a few hundred miles but that's more a comfort issue than a safety problem.

Now if you really want to become a more focused driver, take my '83 FJ45 Troopy with drum brakes all around out for a spin. That experience will wake you up in the morning.

 

[cruiserpilot]

To OP, the answer is no. But if you do all this with a coffee cup that doesn’t have a lid
then you might be as good as some others.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

My RHD story…….
There is a 4 way stop just south of my house in a rural part of the county that is a favorite for law enforcement to do license and insurance checks (aka sobriety checks). This particular intersection is very popular on the weekends. I came through there one night while I still owned my RHD 77 Series and was about number 4 in the lineup. I could see a local deputy working his way towards me and when he got to me he shined his flashlight into the seat which was of course empty. I then saw him shining his flashlight into the surrounding woods while talking on his radio. Within seconds, 2 more deputies showed up and were also shining their lights into the surrounding woods. I then tapped the horn and all 3 bent down to see me quietly sitting there. The first deputy uttered some type cuss word and told me to go. None of them ever checked my drivers license.

 

[FJBen]

Some days I don’t want to chat but drive the cruiser, it usually works out ok, but it always brings out the “strare-ers” they stand in front and just look confused, not enough to ask a question or I don’t know move out of the way…

When I’m really feeling chatty I take the wolfhound, then drive the cruiser through a drive-thru for food or to Home Depot/Lowe’s.
Guaranteed to keep me away from all
Those pesky honey-dos at home.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

"How old is that thing?"
"1995."
"No...it's older than that."
"OK."

 

[bj70bc]

i get, "Cool truck , i used to own a 40" ALOT, usually driving a boring family-moblie
or "wow, is that a diesel" usually from f350 drivers
or "can you repeat that" at the drivethru