FZJ78? where did they sell these? (1 Viewer)

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Parker, CO
So I was musing about what cruiser I want after my HDJ81 is "finished" whether I roll it or it blows up or god forbid I sell it.

Having done the diesel thing I am leaning in the direction of a LS swapped...something next time around. I think that either a 105 or a troopy would be on the top of my list, and if I want to LS swap it I can save some money upfront by getting a petrol rig as a starting point.

In the world of troopies, I would prefer a 2000+ for the coil springs and all the other upgrades, and it seems that the FZJ78 is a variant that exists, I just can't figure out where they were sold new. I would be importing to the States, so even on a 2000 model year I will have to wait till 2025, so I have some time to plan.

Does anyone know where I could find a FZJ78 and what I would expect to pay for one?
 
Hello,

South America, Middle East, Australia.

Australian FZJ78s are rare but they do show up, every once in a while, in auctions.

Middle East and South American FZJ78s live hard lives and are likely to be beat up. Expect rust, a lot of bondo and shoddy repair jobs, as labor is cheaper than parts in those parts of the world.

Regarding price, I would say around US$ 15 - 20k for an example in average condition. Be prepared to pay more than this for a truck in good shape.

I would take the chance to make a trip to the Middle East to look for a 78 Series in person.






Juan
 
In Australia FJ7* and FJZ7* usually died early from neglect as the fuel bill sucked up the maintenance money. They changed hands often and usually looked fairly tired compared to diesel models. You usually find them on farms where they stayed, unlicensed and unloved .
 
In Australia FJ7* and FJZ7* usually died early from neglect as the fuel bill sucked up the maintenance money. They changed hands often and usually looked fairly tired compared to diesel models. You usually find them on farms where they stayed, unlicensed and unloved .
More proof that in a ideal world where toyota sells gas and diesel versions of the cruisers the gassers turn out less then desirable !
 
More proof that in a ideal world where toyota sells gas and diesel versions of the cruisers the gassers turn out less then desirable !
I hear you but I see maybe 1 in 100 70 series in KSA that are diesel. It's very easy to tell as they are the only ones with snorkels. Now given I have no idea how long they have had the V8 diesel available here so that's obviously a consideration.

Edit: Maybe in a world where Toyota sells both and gasoline is expensive the gassers turn out less than desirable?
 
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I hear you but I see maybe 1 in 100 70 series in KSA that are diesel. It's very easy to tell as they are the only ones with snorkels. Now given I have no idea how long they have had the V8 diesel available here so that's obviously a consideration.

Edit: Maybe in a world where Toyota sells both and gasoline is expensive the gassers turn out less than desirable?
I have owned 40's , 60's , 80's and 100's in both diesel and gas version and would prefer the better diesel version in any of them meaning the 3B in the 40 , 12HT in the 61 , 1HDT or FT in the 80 and 1HDTFTE in the 100 over any of the gas models and this is my experience in driving them for the past 25 years
 
I have owned 40's , 60's , 80's and 100's in both diesel and gas version and would prefer the better diesel version in any of them meaning the 3B in the 40 , 12HT in the 61 , 1HDT or FT in the 80 and 1HDTFTE in the 100 over any of the gas models and this is my experience in driving them for the past 25 years
Cool. I prefer acceleration. Look I'm not knocking diesels. I grew up on a farm; had plenty of tractors to play with. I'm just saying it might not be a universal truth that they are preferred to petrol engines everywhere.

Edit: And I lived in Europe twice for 10 years total and had several diesels that I happily drove.
 
Cool. I prefer acceleration. Look I'm not knocking diesels. I grew up on a farm; had plenty of tractors to play with. I'm just saying it might not be a universal truth that they are preferred to petrol engines everywhere.

Edit: And I lived in Europe twice for 10 years total and had several diesels that I happily drove.
Pretty sure the HJ61 with 12HT H55 beats any other 60 in accelerating and same goes for a hdj80 with 1HDFT/H151 vs any other 80 😉
 
Pretty sure the HJ61 with 12HT H55 beats any other 60 in accelerating and same goes for a hdj80 with 1HDFT/H151 vs any other 80 😉
I think you are missing my point which might be pointless anyway. You made a fairly absolute statement and I was just questioning the absoluteness of said statement. I had a nice diesel 100 series in the UK and it was very good. I would say the acceleration was on par with the two 200 series company cars that I have here. Of course compared to say my Navigator they are all turds. The thing I liked most about my diesel 100 series is that I never had to touch it. Clearly they are good engines until someone starts monkeying with them.
 
More proof that in a ideal world where toyota sells gas and diesel versions of the cruisers the gassers turn out less then desirable !
As new vehicles used by rational individual or business that care about spending the less possible to get the job done, yes for sure and it's why in any country in the world where gas is not almost free most Cruisers are Diesels.
On the long run and the collectible path the most important becomes fun and enjoyment, and petrol Cruisers are generally more funny to drive than diesel. There is no economic rational in maintaining old trucks.


Yes there are exception and 1HDT was an excellent engine for its time compared to petrol options, but that's not true in most generations. A 3B is an anchor with unpleasant tractor noise, a 2F is a powerful (for the time), fun and nicely sounding straight-6 engine.
Actually even 1HDT vs 1FZ I chose the 1FZ for fun, whatever the numbers. But yes if I had to use the truck for a real purpose economically bound a 1HDT makes more sense in usage/fuel consumption.
 
As new vehicles used by rational individual or business that care about spending the less possible to get the job done, yes for sure and it's why in any country in the world where gas is not almost free most Cruisers are Diesels.
On the long run and the collectible path the most important becomes fun and enjoyment, and petrol Cruisers are generally more funny to drive than diesel. There is no economic rational in maintaining old trucks.


Yes there are exception and 1HDT was an excellent engine for its time compared to petrol options, but that's not true in most generations. A 3B is an anchor with unpleasant tractor noise, a 2F is a powerful (for the time), fun and nicely sounding straight-6 engine.
Actually even 1HDT vs 1FZ I chose the 1FZ for fun, whatever the numbers. But yes if I had to use the truck for a real purpose economically bound a 1HDT makes more sense in usage/fuel consumption.
So do you have a 1FZ powered 80 you drive on a regular base ? I know in Europe there are a few people treating the gassers as the ones to have simply because they are rare. Most owners either hardly put any miles on them or quickly convert them to lpg , I guess we all want what we can’t have in the end.
 
I think the fastest landcruiser, pre V8 models, would be a FZJ70 with fuel injection. I had my old FJ73 nudging 100 mph on the flat after a mild downhill run. The 3F never recovered from that and hence , the 1HZ swap.
 
I'm just saying it might not be a universal truth that they are preferred to petrol engines everywhere.

The petrols are the preferred model when petrol is cheap, like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait where they were paying 4-5 cents a litre a few years back.
And for sand driving the petrol is always better because it can rev higher and climb dunes.
A petrol landcruiser is usually cheaper if they have the same spec level.
 
More proof that in a ideal world where toyota sells gas and diesel versions of the cruisers the gassers turn out less then desirable !
I sold the bed and shelving out of my HZJ75 to a FZJ78 owner. He had a red troopy, but the red had faded and nearly everything was scratched or ripped. He had bought it for about $6000AUD and said the low price compared to a diesel troopy would pay for the fuel on his planned 8000klm trip.

The best thing I liked about my 1HZ conversion into the FJ73 was I now got 600klms to a tank, whereas the tired 3F was only getting 350klms if I was lucky
 
Hello,

South America, Middle East, Australia.

Australian FZJ78s are rare but they do show up, every once in a while, in auctions.

Middle East and South American FZJ78s live hard lives and are likely to be beat up. Expect rust, a lot of bondo and shoddy repair jobs, as labor is cheaper than parts in those parts of the world.

Regarding price, I would say around US$ 15 - 20k for an example in average condition. Be prepared to pay more than this for a truck in good shape.

I would take the chance to make a trip to the Middle East to look for a 78 Series in person.






Juan
Thanks for the info. The middle east is probably the best bet
As new vehicles used by rational individual or business that care about spending the less possible to get the job done, yes for sure and it's why in any country in the world where gas is not almost free most Cruisers are Diesels.
On the long run and the collectible path the most important becomes fun and enjoyment, and petrol Cruisers are generally more funny to drive than diesel. There is no economic rational in maintaining old trucks.


Yes there are exception and 1HDT was an excellent engine for its time compared to petrol options, but that's not true in most generations. A 3B is an anchor with unpleasant tractor noise, a 2F is a powerful (for the time), fun and nicely sounding straight-6 engine.
Actually even 1HDT vs 1FZ I chose the 1FZ for fun, whatever the numbers. But yes if I had to use the truck for a real purpose economically bound a 1HDT makes more sense in usage/fuel consumption.

I had a a FZJ now I have a built HDJ81 and man is it a whole different animal. I live in Colorado so BIG mountain passes are a regular thing, and being able to chug along at 75 in 4th gear (auto) while my buddy in his FZJ is stuck at the redline in 2nd in the slow lane going 55 is priceless. I actually love to pass modern 4x4's on the passes, lifted jeeps and 4runners just can't even come close to keeping up when the air gets thin. It's still nothing to brag about if I am racing someone stop light to stop light, but on a long 7% climb it just keeps pulling and it doesn't even feel like it's working hard. Plus, when we pull into a gas station, my buddy was getting 12mpg while I got 19-21.

What really attracted me to the diesel was that I could actually modify it to have more power without giving up reliability or fuel efficiency.
 
1FZ in my Troopy.....smoothest running motor I have I think.....DOES not like to miss gas stations. Keeps up with traffic no problem and will effortlessly do 80. If it didn't run so good, it would get a diesel.

Supercharged 1FZ-FE that was in my camper 79.....loved gas stations, zero fun to drive.

1HDT that got swapped into the camper truck for the 1FZFE.....picked up 8mpg over the 1FZFE and is an absolute joy to drive. Feels about the same to me as that 1FZ FE with the supercharger but so much more fun to drive.

No more gassers for me. Diesel convert. Wish it would have happened earlier.
 
well in venezuela you can find a fzj78 2007 in good shape for 16k , in mid condition fzj78 for around 10k
 

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