FJs 91/92 vs FZJ: not ready? (1 Viewer)

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e9999

Gotta get outta here...
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[this may have been discussed before, but I'm too tired to look so there...!]


What's with the 91/92s? Same engine as the previous generation, drum brakes, SF etc.
Sure seems like they weren't ready for a new Cruiser and made do there for a coupla years. What's with that? Seems more evolutionary than a new generation of vehicles. Weren't they ready with the engine or was that super conservative thinking?

So, in retrospect, do you think they made a mistake to put out the 91 and 92s as they did? Despite the undestandable possessive feeling of our early model brethren (all fine folks), I'd much prefer a later 80 model. Another reminder not to buy the first year of a new model?

hmmm...
 
I read somewhere that this was indeed the case. That the powertrain was not quite ready when the new model was released.

Don't recall where I came across the info or if it's valid...

I bet either CDan or IdahoDoug could provide some good background info based on their current/previous jobs.
 
It is kind of a red-headed stepson. I, for one, am considering buying one. My plan is an H41 and orion. We'll see how the 60 project goes (and $)
 
I have a 91 and as everyone knows...the vehicle definatly needed a more powerful engine. The car is severly underpowered.

With that being said, isnt the 3FE engine proved to be very much bulletproof?
 
At the time Toyota was years behind Land Rover in the AWD catagory while vastly under powered as well. Going from part time to full time is basically a t-case, a 24v overhead engine is another story all together. They were a stop gap measure at best and I do remember something about an engine delay to work out a few kinks.
 
From what I can recall from old posts on the 80s list, Toyota had intended to put the 1FZ-FE into the 80 but it was holding up the release so they kept the halfbreed 3fe in until the 1FZ-FE was deemed ready.

I'm sure Cdan, Pimp or someone else can elaborate or call BS.
 
I would believe that the FJ80 came about in order to compete with other manufacturers... and I would have to say that they were successful. I mean look around.. there are a sh_t ton of 91-92s out there.. They must have sold quite a few of them. Toyota being a company that prides themselves on a reliable quality product were not ready yet with the new engine so they basically just sold the new body with the old engine till the new one was complete through tests.. I think they made a good choice going with the 60% solution instead of making the world wait for another 2 years or so...
 
elum said:
I mean look around.. there are a sh_t ton of 91-92s out there.. They must have sold quite a few of them.

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people on this list than me, but there were only 11,000 sold in 1991 (my year). That is by no means a sh_t ton. In fact the number has risen each year from that year.
In comparison to that many, a single large volume f*rd dealer will sell that many F-150's units and Mustangs units in a single year.
 
The mighty 3FE! I love this engine and could not fathom not having it. In fact If I ever do get a FZJ, I will keep my 3FE'd FJ as a wheelin' only rig.
Plus, the two-toned brown did not come in the FZJ...
 
Don't forget that other markets had a wider selection on engines and trannies. I'm not sure about the 91-92 model year but this is a fact in other years.

-B-
 
Honestly there is probably some truth to it.
I love my half assed 3FE.
plain and simple, arguably from a maintenance issue to horsepower ratio the best engien toyota ever built. (think head gaskets, PHH, before you flame me) is it a bit under poowered for a 5600 pound rig?? sure it is.
The important thing here is how many 91-92 land rovers are still on the road.......
Dave
 
I imagine Toyota came up with the new (80) body style, focus grouped it and realized they had a major winner, and got it out there as soon as possible even if a new engine wasn't ready.
 
Land Speeder said:
I over-shot my previous qoute of 11K in 1991, it was actually 8500...

http://store.yahoo.com/coolfj40/howmanlancru.html

Good link! My friend you have to take things in context... If they sold 8,446 units for the debut of the FJ-80... and the previous year sold 6,128 of the FJ-62... that is and increase of OVER 37% SALES... that in my mind and any business person's mind (albeit I am not a business person) is a shi_t ton...

They sold over 4 TIMES the amount of FJ-60's sold during their debut...
 
The landscape was different back then. The 80 series was meant to bring the cruiser into the high-end to compete with the range rover in multiple markets. It was replacing the 60/62, a 7 year old design, which is pretty old by Toyota standards. The rover was using the old slug 4.0 v8, that I think would reasonably compare with the 3f.
When this truck was being designed, no one knew that most SUVs were going to end up as mall cruisers (we're still in the days of the S-blazer and bronco ii in the US market) so the emphasis was more on reliability and comfort than engine performance.
I read about the fj80 in one of the car mags in 1990, the new design caused quite a stir at the auto shows that year.
The cruiser has never been a high-volume vehicle in the US. Most "normal" people here want 4runners and highlanders. And in '91, you almost could have bought 2 4runners for the price of 1 cruiser.
The 4Runner will "only" last 15 years :-D
 
elum said:
Good link! My friend you have to take things in context... If they sold 8,446 units for the debut of the FJ-80... and the previous year sold 6,128 of the FJ-62... that is and increase of OVER 37% SALES... that in my mind and any business person's mind (albeit I am not a business person) is a shi_t ton...

They sold over 4 TIMES the amount of FJ-60's sold during their debut...

I'm not straying from context, the context is 80's, and the two years mentioned in this thread are the two least producing years of the 80's. If we bring into account other US models like you did, the numbers of the 100 series continues to rise.
I'm a proud owner of a small group of 3FE'd US spec'd 80 series owners. Combining the 2 years were only 16,311 sold, that's not alot regardless of context.
 
16,311 are not a lot... as a frequent browser of the auto classifieds it seems like there are a lot more.. maybe I should have said there are a lot of them out there for sale rather than there are a lot of them period. that is surprising with the high demand for land cruisers.. but maybe that can be attributed to the rising cost of gas..
 
soooo, getting back to the point :) , was it a good idea you think, in retropect, for Toy to come out with the 80 as they did?
 
e9999 said:
was it a good idea you think, in retropect, for Toy to come out with the 80 as they did?

"Nothing is right or wrong, but thinking makes it so" -unknown

I don't know any 91-92 owners who do not like their engine or drive train. The only factory issue I've really had with my year was the EFI relay problem, but that was easily fixed. Aside from that, Toyota got it right.
The 3FE cult following is awesome to me and we're like the "black sheep" of the cruiser community. We span two cruiser models, so we are the same but different. So if you love the 3FE'd 80, Toyota got it right, but you don't, Toyota got it wrong.
 

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