G vs GX vs GXL (1 Viewer)

[niffa]

Wasn't the G pack the one with the barn/ambulance doors

Nope. I had a round headlight 60 before my current 61, twas a G with normal lift up tailgate.. heres the thing it had from factory an electric aerial. Button was below right of the inclinometer next to demister if I remember. My 61 GXL does not..go figure

 

[HoJo 61]

The rear heater is in every 60/61 in here, regardless its a G or a GX. Never seen a GXL here though...

G has round front lights, GX has rectangle ones.

 

[niffa]

Bloody Toyota

 

[HoJo 61]

Bloody Toyota

Haha right!

 

[Crick60]

HoJo you're in Finland right?

 

[HoJo 61]

HoJo you're in Finland right?

Yes i`m.

 

[Crick60]

Mate I'm surprised there's not a heater in every corner of every car over there then.

I reckon the Finland market must have demanded the under seat heater, I do miss it though for the cold winter morning having my own redneck bum heater.

 

[niffa]

I do miss it though for the cold winter morning having my own redneck bum heater.

Hahahaha

 

[HoJo 61]

Mate I'm surprised there's not a heater in every corner of every car over there then.

I reckon the Finland market must have demanded the under seat heater, I do miss it though for the cold winter morning having my own redneck bum heater.

Hah that was a good one!
Yea, it may be, since the heater is in every 60/61 as far as i know, just like the PTO.

 

[Spudman]

Mine is a GX and it didn't come with electric windows, albeit I have them now, but not OEM specific to my vehicle, so what model has the barn doors then, I though they only came in the base model

 

[HoJo 61]

Electric windows may be an option then? Are the sliding rear windows an option also?

 

[Red Rattler]

Na the sliders are standard

 

[Spudman]

Here's a bit of a review

These days, 60 Series are bargains waiting to be had!
Many would argue that the Toyota LandCruiser 60 Series was the start of the more civilised and comfortable breed of 4WDs, especially in the large vehicle market. The old 60 hit our showroom floors in 1980 with its big, square, no-nonsense look about it.

Although it was still in the era of leaf-sprung 4WDs, it came with car-like features such as standard power steering. Coupled with its roomy and sophisticated interior, the 60 Series began to attract the attention of many.

As the series progressed over the years, the move towards luxury options started appearing. Items like an automatic gearbox (available from ’85) were unheard of in the previously agricultural 4WD segment, along with a fancy rear window washer.

The progression eventuated with the top-of-the-line, twin-headlight Sahara models that even found leather interiors as an option.

Rumour has it that Toyota initially had plans to release the 60 Series with independent rear suspension, but instead scrapped the idea to keep the attraction for genuine off-road enthusiasts like us. Leaf springs hold the big roomy body to the front and rear beam axles, and there are live axles front and rear with an increased wheel track over the ageing 55 Series.

The 60 came with the option of two petrol or diesel engines, and the factory turbo-diesel option is rare as hen’s teeth these days. When maintained, the engines will go until the end of time.

In researching this story, we came across a WA couple working as a pilot/escort for heavy machinery around Australia who regularly clocked up 1000km a day when working. Within 10 years of buying their 60 Series with 75,000km on the clock, they had taken the big bus to 1,000,000km, including two trips around Australia towing a caravan.

The diesel engine apparently needed new rings at 860,000km and a new front diff soon after, but otherwise, it retained many items like the original gearbox and running gear. Talk about Toyota tough!
Behind the Wheel
It’s hard to give grace to a big leaf-sprung vehicle now that we’re mostly used to modern, precision-engineered suspensions on new vehicles. However, taking into consideration the age-induced shortcomings, the 60 Series drives like a dream.

It is big and roomy with seating for up to eight occupants, and the square lines mean a windscreen with little rake and plenty of visibility out over the nose. They are unusually spouse-friendly too thanks to the factory power steering, disc brakes up front and predictable, if not a little rough, handling.
All the engines available aim for reliability over performance, and each engine model carried a separate series name for the 60 Series. The FJ60 has the initial big-six petrol engine – a 4.2L straight-six petrol guzzler that is surprisingly torquey to drive. Although with an asthmatic 93 ‘killer wasps’ of power, there’s little to get excited about.

Down the track, Toyota released the FJ62 with a more powerful – yet smaller capacity – petrol six in the form of the 4L 3F engine. With 111kW on tap, the engine needed to work harder to use the torque available, which further ups the thirsty rev range.

The super slow and reliable diesel engine shared an equally simple engine code – the 2H. Pulling the HJ60 model, the 4L naturally aspirated oiler was a slug, but a reliable one at that. Compared to today’s engines, the power per litre efficiency is fairly average. It only has 76kW flat-out downhill.
If you can find one, the HJ61 is the pick of the 60 Series range with its turbocharged 12HDT engine – the first turbo-diesel 4WD wagon in Australia. The whistling six made a respectable 100kW@3600rpm and a tractor-like 380Nm coming on from just 1800rpm.

Initially available with a four-speed manual cog swapper, the 60 scored a super-strong five-speed box in 1982. The luxury of power-sapping automatic gear selection became an option from 1985 through to the end of the range when the 80 Series set new standards upon release.
Off-road
The 60 was made to go off-road, and it’s as simple as that. From over-engineered gearboxes that love V8 conversions to diff centres big enough to take a holiday in, the 60 Series is all business. The big engines will happily plug along just off idle, which makes for slow, controllable progression in low-range.

The stiff leaf-sprung springs come alive with a bit of tweaking to soften them up, and adding longer shocks is an instant recipe for easy articulation. Add some chunky rubber and a diff lock or two and you have an off-road weapon ready to go at it again and again.

There is a swag of aftermarket goods still available, so you can have just about anything you could want to add to a vehicle. With the age and nature of the beasts, smart shopping should see you pick one up already decked out with bar work and other off-road goodies, which would save a bundle in the process.
Buying Tips
With the age of the 60 Series models, there’s a good chance the one you find is as long in the tooth as the next. The biggest issue is rust – it’s not uncommon for a 60 to have more bog than metal panels these days, especially if it has lived its life near the coast.

A particularly common area for car cancer is the roof gutters, and these should be your first thing you check out. After that, check everywhere else like under the carpet (if possible), around the window frames and door bottoms.

Don’t be too harsh – a little rust can be fixed. However, a new body isn’t an ideal upgrade on something you just bought.

Unless you want to upgrade anyway, have a look at the condition of the suspension and how well it’s holding the vehicle up. Leaf springs aren’t cheap to replace by any means, so a sagged 60 will mean more wallet-opening time.

The engines will usually be the first thing to go (eventually) in the drivetrain, so make sure it starts and runs well without blowing undue smoke. Check all the fluids and make sure they still resemble the original, if the engine oil smells or looks funny then consider the consequences.

Look for a rusty worn radiator waiting to kill the engine from heat. Finally, make sure the transfer case slips nicely in and out of low range. If you’re buying a 60 Series, it’s probably to go off-road.

The felt seals in the swivel hubs have a tendency to wear thin and leak oil, so get down and check for a build-up of grease and gunk around the ends of the axles. It’s not a huge job to put a kit through the swivel hubs, but for the uninitiated, it will take anything up to four hours per side to rebuild.

The other seal that perishes is the one separating the gearbox and transfer case oils. What happens is all the oil runs out of the gearbox into the transfer, which results in a dry gearbox.

There are two ways to fix the problem – one is to pull the transfer case, replace the seal, put it back together and curse when it leaks again in three weeks time. The other is the fix Roothy did on Milo going back a couple of years – a length of rubber hose run from the filler plug of the gearbox to the filler plug on the transfer.

The other thing to watch is whether the vehicle gets hot when pushed hard. The 60 Series cooling system was average at best when new – 25 years of service will really work a number on it. Work the price of a new water pump, thermostat, radiator and coolant flush into what the owner is asking.


Specifications

ENGINES
Petrol
2F – 4.2L OHV straight six, 93kW@3600rpm
3F – 4L OHV straight six, 111kW@4200rpm
Diesel
2H – 4L OHV straight six, 76kW@3800rpm
12HDT – 4L OHV straight six, turbocharged, 100kW@3600rpm
GEARBOXES
Manual – Four Speed Until May 1982, Five Speed May Onwards
Automatic – Four-Speed Automatic From 1985
DIMENSIONS
Length – 4750mm
Width – 1800mm
Height – 1950mm
Ground Clearance – 225mm
Kerb Weight – 2290kg
GVM – 2960kg
Towing Braked – 2500kg
Turning Circle – 14m
Steering – Power Assisted
SUSPENSION
Front – Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs, Hydraulic Dampers And Anti-Roll Bar
Rear – Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs, Hydraulic Dampers
FUEL CAPACITY: 90L
Prices
1981 DELUXE (4X4) 4D WAGON INLINE SIX 4230cc CARBY FOUR-SPEED MANUAL 4X4
RRP: $14,368
Below Average: $4800
Average: $5600
Above Average: $7900

1987 SAHARA (4X4) HJ61RG 4D WAGON DIESEL TURBO SIX 3980cc DT FOUR-SPEED AUTOMATIC
RRP: $58,800
Below Average: $10,100
Average: $11,500
Above Average: $15,300

1989 GXL (4X4) HJ60RG 4D WAGON DIESEL SIX 3980cc DIESEL FIVE-SPEED MANUAL
RRP: $39,972
Below Average: $6500
Average: $7300
Above Average: $10,400
Insurance
Considering the 60 still fetches a decent amount of coin, the insurance quote I got from NRMA wasn’t unreasonable. Full comprehensive for a 28-year-old male with maximum NCB came in at $764 for the 1987 Sahara turbo diesel insured for $11,500.
Final Thoughts
For those of us who don’t have big budgets, the 60 Series LandCruiser is a good bet. Easily made into an ultra-tough hardcore weapon, and just as easily tweaked into a true long-range tourer, the 60 is the perfect basis for anyone’s interpretation of the ultimate 4WD.
Spend the time looking at every example you can, pick yourself up a good one and you will have a vehicle that will last for years to come.

 

[HoJo 61]

Na the sliders are standard

In Australia??

 

[MicahMan]

I have an 89 JDM hj61 VX model. NO sliding rear windows. PTO winch no cable lockers. Rear heater in console. High Roof, 24v sunroof, power everything including power lumbar and side bolter adjustment. Seats sit slightly higher in the cab than my FJ62 did. Chrome everywhere.

This couldn't have been efficient giving so many different options!

 

[Red Rattler]

Yes in Australia

 

[CHRISALL3N]

This is the only photo of a white lightning I can find, the owner is a member on here white lightning 1990 but he's only ever put one post up here last year.

That one would be mine, I forgot the details for the account though

 

[Crick60]

Good wrap up from 4wd monthly spud but still leaves us in the dark a bit from GX to GXL differences.

 

[Spudman]

That one would be mine, I forgot the details for the account though

Hey mate, thanks for that, that closes a mystery, can you please put up some interior photos.

 

[maat]

there was a white lightning for sale on gumtree a few months back.. I dont see the big deal, I think it was a marketing ploy be toyota in australia and theyre no different to most other 60s besides the stupid name and colour coding