I want to import a 1HD-FTE (I6 diesel) H151F (manual) J100 under the 25 year rule. Never done something like this before. How do I start? (1 Viewer)

[Obioban]

Requirements:
no rust (assuming this means some sort of desert country as the source)
LHD
1HD-FTE
H151F
no significant crash history

Desires:
no sunroof
lockers
model year 2000 (can only be 2000 or earlier to hit the 25 year rule)
not previously owned by a smoker

I don't really know how to start. Tips?

Also, the above is based on my research-- anything else I should be looking out for/looking for?

I should say, I want to import to the USA. Most of the forums I'm on are less international than this one

 

[Super77]

Have you tried getting in touch with this company? They specialize in JDM so that does not meet your LHD requirement, but they occasionally get oddball stock.

No affiliation, never used them. I recently read an article that featured them on The Autopian.

 

[Obioban]

Have you tried getting in touch with this company? They specialize in JDM so that does not meet your LHD requirement, but they occasionally get oddball stock.

No affiliation, never used them. I recently read an article that featured them on The Autopian.

I suspect specializing in JDM is a bad starting point for a LHD truck, all else equal.

 

[Obioban]

Gah, how his there no edit on this forum.

I'll give them a poke to verify.

 

[100 TD]

Desires:
no sunroof
lockers
model year 2000 (can only be 2000 or earlier to hit the 25 year rule)
not previously owned by a smoker!!!!!!!!!!

Rear OEM locker was a factory vehicle order option, no dealer fit option, but doable for a price, no front OEM locker option is available in IFS, and non smoking will probably cut your options back.
Electric or air locker options front and rear available to retrofit stateside.

 

[excessive]

Good luck, I know it will be a journey , but anything can be done with time, patience, and enough $$$$

 

[Live to Ski]

Lucky your not in CA

 

[Exiled]

WARNING: Gross generalizations below! :

LHD means Middle East, Europe or South/Central America and Southeast Asia. Within Europe, you're probably better off looking in Spain, France and Belgium, though the least amount of rust will probably be in Spain. There were decent amounts of diesel Land Cruisers delivered to Russia and other eastern European nations, but in that climate you have to contend with rust. There are a couple of reputable importers that bring in vehicles from the south of Spain and France (and the Canary Islands which are super dry/arid) that you might want to contact (not affiliated, but I follow www.canarianlandcruiserexperts.com and www.landcruisercanarias.com on IG). I have very little experience with Southeast Asia other than knowing which countries had higher densities of Land Cruisers (like Indonesia, which is RHD) and the Philippines (lots of NGO-originated Land Cruisers).

Some countries in Africa also get LHD but the odds of finding a well-maintained, lower mileage vehicle used under those conditions are lower and I've heard nightmare stories of going through importation procedures out of that region. Some countries in Africa also have restrictions to selling to foreign buyers so you may need more help there. I've only come across a dozen Land Cruisers of African provenance in my almost 40 years as a Cruiserhead, so I'm not of much help with that region.

Middle East didn't get a lot of diesel for obvious reasons. They can be found, but they're going to be rare and many stem from NGO origins, not sure you want to go down that road. On the flip side, Toyota has a massive dealer/support infrastructure in the region and the use of OEM parts and regular maintenance is more common in counties like Saudi and the UAE than in other areas. The risks on Land Cruisers coming out of the Middle East are the fine sand that gets into every mechanical and electrical component of the truck and can cause added wear or damage, plastic and rubber components degraded from heat and sun, shadetree repairs (especially electrical), and interior modifications. Land Cruisers from this area have become super popular import targets in the last 5 years and I've had a chance to see at least a couple of dozen. In general, my observations are that they tend to be mechanically unmodified, have revamped/upgraded interiors in some way, and almost all of the rubber is shrunk and dry-rotted. It's also common to see a lot of questionable electrical repairs. I've also seen some spectacular examples of un-modified, well-maintained and relatively low-mile vehicles come out of the Middle East, but none were diesel. Lots of 1FZ-FE powered 100s in that region now becoming legally available for importation, too.

South/Central American Land Cruisers are always a dice roll. 100 series weren't as commonly used as heavy work vehicles (as the 70 series would, for example) so it is possible to find examples in good condition that have lived city lives. Typical risks in the region are questionable mechanical repairs (lots of Chinese/bootleg parts and parts adapted to fit) and/or inconsistent maintenance and the liberal use of filler for body work. I've seen outstanding examples come out of places like Panama and Nicaragua, but I've also seen some train wrecks (including a few 80, 100 and at least one 200 recently). An interesting factoid is that both Panama and Nicaragua dealers have had "open catalog" deals with Toyota for decades, which allows them to stray from standard configurations and basically order "one offs" for their customers. This means there are a quite a few "unicorns" driving around those countries.

Of note: Land Cruisers in other countries aren't cheap vehicles. Beware of any smoking deals as they're likely sketchy. Factor transportation and custom fees into your budget and remember that for the 25 year and older importation rule, the month of manufacture is factored into the calculation. Meaning, a Land Cruiser with a 4/2000 manufacturing date is legal for importation today, but one with a 7/2000 date will need to wait a few months in storage before the process can be initiated.

One last thing. "Not owned by a smoker" is going to drastically reduce your pool of available vehicles as this is still much more common in the markets described as above as in the US. Buy an ozone generator for less than $100 on Amazon and be prepared to clean and scrub the interior, you can get over that one.
Good luck and keep us posted!!