Going from a 1991 fj80 to possibly a kzj78 (1 Viewer)

[Roastchestnuts]

After searching for another fj80 I have come to the conclusion that I might venture elsewhere in the land cruiser family. I had a bad car accident last month. my fiancé was driving and a car came up fast be hind us. it spooked her and some how we ended up loosing control of the vehicle. and rolled it many times going 70mph. we survived and we credit the survival to the robustness of the fj80. however having much discussion with my fiancé we both don't feel at this time we can sit behind the wheel of an fj80. We both feel somthing different might be needed for us to move past the accident. Honestly I still have some ptsd from the crash. I do want to stay in the land cruiser family and I am thinking about either holding out for a good fj60 or possible somthing JDM and I am leaning twards a kzj78 that is for sale near me. I am going to look at it Friday and will probably buy it if everything looks good to me. my questions are:

Any 80 owners out there ever drive or have experience with the 70 series land cruiser Prado? It has the 1kz te diesel engine and an automatic a343 trans (I wish it was a 5speed) has about 140,000 miles (about 224,000KM) Other than cracked heads and the electric locking hubs and rust, should I look for any other issues? additionally have any of you ever registered a jdm vehicle In North Carolina? The vehicle has a clean title in Virginia and I am unaware of any title transfer issues. any input would be greatly appreciated. below is a picture of the accident.

 

[kw90surf]

So sorry to hear about your 80, glad you and your fiance are okay. Another nod to the 80's crash-worthiness as well. As far as your question, I've briefly driven an LJ78 and owned a 2L-T powered Hilux Surf for 4 years or so as a DD. I would say that the light-duty 70 series is going to feel much smaller and lighter than your 80. The 78 I drove was smaller and narrower on the inside than the 80, not in a way that was uncomfortable however. It kinda felt like the width of a Surf/4Runner but with a more upright seating position. Pyro and temp gauges will be a must. Fuel economy will probably be 70% better. If I didn't feel I needed something the size of an 80 I'd consider one in a heartbeat.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

So sorry to hear about your 80, glad you and your fiance are okay. Another nod to the 80's crash-worthiness as well. As far as your question, I've briefly driven an LJ78 and owned a 2L-T powered Hilux Surf for 4 years or so as a DD. I would say that the light-duty 70 series is going to feel much smaller and lighter than your 80. The 78 I drove was smaller and narrower on the inside than the 80, not in a way that was uncomfortable however. It kinda felt like the width of a Surf/4Runner but with a more upright seating position. Pyro and temp gauges will be a must. Fuel economy will probably be 70% better. If I didn't feel I needed something the size of an 80 I'd consider one in a heartbeat.

Thanks for your input! the 80 series did feel like a big tank. nothing wrong with it. I drove a regular cab tacoma for a long time as a daily. I don't mind smaller haha.