Happens waayy too much!!! It’s NOT a f’n Jeep!There is another factor that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread thus far. When driving a 70 you’ll hear “cool Jeep or Isuzu” on a fairly regular basis (which is priceless). You’ll never hear that in an 80 Series.
Honest question about LJ/KZJ 70 (Prado) vs. HZJ 70 ("HeavyDuty 70") vs. HDJ 80-series - what market segment does a Prado fill?
- Thread starter tonydyvr
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A few points off the top of my head...
Never driven a petrol 80, but the turbo diesels, although only a little better on paper, certainly feel much torquier & more powerful to drive than a 1KZ
The 80 series is ~180mm wider than most 70 series & correspondingly more stable. Easier to dent up offroad too!
The 80 has 5 link rear suspension vs the 3 link of the KZJ. This articulates better & it's movement is more controlled giving better traction in many situations.
Cheers
Clint
Thanks for all the answers!
One more question came to my mind after reading what you wrote about the 80 series. Compared to light duty J7 does the additional weight of heavy duty J7 series make it more stable on road or just more sluggish and less comfortable (taking into account leaf springs suspension)?
One more question came to my mind after reading what you wrote about the 80 series. Compared to light duty J7 does the additional weight of heavy duty J7 series make it more stable on road or just more sluggish and less comfortable (taking into account leaf springs suspension)?
Growing up in Europe surrounded by all sorts of diesel cruisers I can tell you that the biggest difference between choosing a LJ (Prado) or a HZJ7x was mostly price and intended use . People buying a LJ usually had a smaller trailer, they wanted to pull like a single horse trailer or any other utility/camping variant . People buying HZJ7x and 80 series usually owned there own business and choose the more expensive option in order to be allowed to pull 3500 kg instead of the 2000 kg limit on the light duty models.
I owned at least one of each different model of any diesel cruiser offered in Europe in those days and started out with buying a used LJ73 simply because that was the only model I could afford back then . The lhd LJ/Prado models have far less issues then the JDM models and are a blast for daily driving or weekend warrior duties and in my opinion these are best suited for what most people in the US want to do with them . The KZJ73 would be even better but these have gone up in value a lot in Europe because they finally realize that this is the platform that makes the most sense. The HZJ73 then is the one that offers best off all worlds except for the leaf springs but the 1HZ/H55 in a mid wheelbase removable top is to me the best replacement for the legendary 40 series.
Something that a lot of people don't want to talk about is the rhd in a lhd world and what will happen when the novelty wears off and prices will crash on these , for about every lhd cruiser imported there are 10 rhd's , at least that is what I notice every time I am at the port picking them up . It has happened in Canada a few years ago and about 10 years ago everybody in Europe started buying rhd Defenders in the UK because they where slightly cheaper and now they can hardly give those rhd versions away while lhd models seem to be made from solid gold.
Some models will always be desirable and hold there value , you just need to buy the right model .
Just my 2 cents
I owned at least one of each different model of any diesel cruiser offered in Europe in those days and started out with buying a used LJ73 simply because that was the only model I could afford back then . The lhd LJ/Prado models have far less issues then the JDM models and are a blast for daily driving or weekend warrior duties and in my opinion these are best suited for what most people in the US want to do with them . The KZJ73 would be even better but these have gone up in value a lot in Europe because they finally realize that this is the platform that makes the most sense. The HZJ73 then is the one that offers best off all worlds except for the leaf springs but the 1HZ/H55 in a mid wheelbase removable top is to me the best replacement for the legendary 40 series.
Something that a lot of people don't want to talk about is the rhd in a lhd world and what will happen when the novelty wears off and prices will crash on these , for about every lhd cruiser imported there are 10 rhd's , at least that is what I notice every time I am at the port picking them up . It has happened in Canada a few years ago and about 10 years ago everybody in Europe started buying rhd Defenders in the UK because they where slightly cheaper and now they can hardly give those rhd versions away while lhd models seem to be made from solid gold.
Some models will always be desirable and hold there value , you just need to buy the right model .
Just my 2 cents
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The KZJ 70 has a lot better road manners then a BJ70 or HZJ70 , especially in a short wheelbase the coil springs have a much more comfortable ride
Based on the direction the world is heading in regards to emissions laws, especially the US, I wouldn't be surprised if they tighten the regulations even more for importing grey market vehicles. We've seen it already with CA, its virtually impossible to register one here, wouldn't be surprised if more states follow suit. So I don't think we will ever see a decline in value of any model, the more rare ones will just fetch even more of a premium. The RHDs and light duty models will become more popular because they are more "affordable" now and will continue to rise in value also. Which is why I don't plan to get rid of mine or buy another one.
FJ40 that green thing
1996 KZJ78 Prado
It does have a lot of similarity to the late 80's Isuzu Troopers actually.There is another factor that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread thus far. When driving a 70 you’ll hear “cool Jeep or Isuzu” on a fairly regular basis (which is priceless). You’ll never hear that in an 80 Series.
The back doors are reversed between the Trooper and 78/77/76.
Wow I totally missed this thread I can’t believe it.
Inherently, I don’t think an HD 70 from the same period should be worth any more or less than a KZJ7x, depending of course on condition.
I own a KZJ71 and I’ve driven an HZJ78 in Uganda. I definitely appreciated the robustness of the 1HZ out in the bush, but once on a highway trying to maintain speed up a hill, I instantly thought of my 1KZ back home. It accelerates better and is just more fun to drive than the heavy HZ car in my opinion.
My KZJ71 is so good at everything I need it for. Long road trips, parking in the city where I live, and it’s seriously wonderful off-road, especially with front and rear lockers. I’m not going to carry a huge payload in it, and that’s fine, it’s not what I need it for. The 1KZ is an awesome engine. I’ve seen many with 400,000 kms still going strong. The body panels are the same as an HD 70 and so is the frame.
I won’t even address the HDJ81, they just aren’t as cool as 70s. Only joking of course.
Inherently, I don’t think an HD 70 from the same period should be worth any more or less than a KZJ7x, depending of course on condition.
I own a KZJ71 and I’ve driven an HZJ78 in Uganda. I definitely appreciated the robustness of the 1HZ out in the bush, but once on a highway trying to maintain speed up a hill, I instantly thought of my 1KZ back home. It accelerates better and is just more fun to drive than the heavy HZ car in my opinion.
My KZJ71 is so good at everything I need it for. Long road trips, parking in the city where I live, and it’s seriously wonderful off-road, especially with front and rear lockers. I’m not going to carry a huge payload in it, and that’s fine, it’s not what I need it for. The 1KZ is an awesome engine. I’ve seen many with 400,000 kms still going strong. The body panels are the same as an HD 70 and so is the frame.
I won’t even address the HDJ81, they just aren’t as cool as 70s. Only joking of course.
Not all the body panels are the same, especially in the front. Also the frame is different between LD and HD 70 series (of course comparing e.g. SWB to SWB).
Obviously the front body panels are different but from the windscreen back they are identical. Also, the frame on the HD 70 is longer, they have different suspension link, but structurally they are identical.
