Im finally an 80 owner - UK based.

[billysan]

Hi all.

I wanted to share some exciting news, I finally have an 80 I can finally call my own. Ive been on this forum for a few years, mainly because my father has 80s (currently a '94 UK spec HDJ80R VX with 1HD-T and 5 speed manual) and Ive taken point on maintaining it for him. (I would always rather I fix it and have him keep it than him sell it due to maintenance costs). This forum has been invaluable for info for the various things Ive taken on and fixed over the years, knuckle rebuilds etc. Ive also learnt a tremendous amount over the years, which I can put to good use now.

Anyway I recently had a few weeks in La Palma (Spanish Canary Islands), and I was like the proverbial kid in a sweet shop with the sheer number of immaculate Toyota trucks (Land Cruisers, Hiluxes. Dynas, 4Runners etc) on the comparatively tiny island. Every 5th car is a Toyota truck of some vintage, with every single model variant seemingly represented. Ive been casually looking for the right one for years, but since the holiday Ive been looking in earnest. I got lucky as I have just secured a '96 UK VX spec HDJ80R with the 1HD-FT, 5 speed manual and being a UK car, its triple locked. It is in the lovely Dark Emerald Pearl green and is in great condition for its age. There are obviously a few little blemishes here and there and the usual 80 niggles to contend with, but the base seems good.

No photos to share just yet, but I will soon. I'll probably start to be a little more active on the forum now that I have a properly vested interest. Plans are to keep it near stock and just enjoy it whilst preserving it the best I can. I would rather invest in getting it working optimally than overland adventure ready to be honest. Thankfully I have a tidy '09 Hiace van for day to day use so I shouldn't put too many miles on the 80.

Couple of pics now added. Thanks for reading!

 

[discoverydave]

Congrats on the 1HD-FT triple-locked — that's a fantastic combo. The FT vs your dad's naturally aspirated 1HD-T is a noticeable difference once it's properly set up. A few things worth checking early on since you're already familiar with the platform from wrenching on his:

The turbo boost hose that runs along the top of the engine is a common split point on the FT. Worth pulling it and inspecting both ends — they go brittle from heat cycling and you won't always see the split until it's venting under load. Intercooler couplings too.

The 5-speed (H151F presumably) — check the transfer case output seal, they weep on a lot of the UK spec cars. Easy fix but ignore it long enough and it makes a mess of everything underneath.

Also since you mentioned triple locking — if you haven't already exercised the rear locker recently, do it. The actuators on these sit unused for months, seize up, and then people find out the hard way that they've got a locker that won't engage when they actually need it. A few engagement cycles every few weeks keeps them honest.

Look forward to seeing the pics. La Palma is a great place to get Toyota envy — that island has kept more old Toyotas going than most workshops I've seen.

 

[Tim Herald]

Congrats ! Have to say I am jealous of having that engine. Nothing more fitting in the UK than that color. Can’t wait to see the pics !! Landy’s be envious of you !!!

 

[billysan]

Thanks guys, and thanks for the tips @discoverydave. I will certainly check all those points out.

 

[billysan]

Congrats ! Have to say I am jealous of having that engine. Nothing more fitting in the UK than that color. Can’t wait to see the pics !! Landy’s be envious of you !!!

Its funny you say that, Ive done about 200 miles since getting it home and Ive noticed that more than anyone else it is the Landy crowd that are giving it the most attention. There is a lot of them around my way too, but not many LCs.

 

[Tim Herald]

Its funny you say that, Ive done about 200 miles since getting it home and Ive noticed that more than anyone else it is the Landy crowd that are giving it the most attention. There is a lot of them around my way too, but not many LCs.

I knew they would be jealous !