To compensate for the mess: Here is a very clean and (as per the description by the owner) original one, I saw on a vintage car show in May. My apologies to @Jens Erickson . This derailed a bit. 
Importing 20 year old 70 series Land Cruisers (1 Viewer)
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VDJ76’s didn’t start being sold in LHD until 2018-19. Even then, in the GCC (the only LHD official market) I’ve seen very, very few, usually in the hands of fanatics or overlanders. No commonplace gov’t use. So yes, you’d basically be better off buying a new one and storing it.
Re: other 76’s, they are also rare as hens teeth. I saw one other in my whole time in the ME.
By far the most common is the 79. In Saudi there’s 71’s as well, not common in UAE or Oman.
Troopy’s are fairly common in rural Oman, but most of these are still 75’s… I haven’t seen a single school bus wide-nosed 78.
Re: other 76’s, they are also rare as hens teeth. I saw one other in my whole time in the ME.
By far the most common is the 79. In Saudi there’s 71’s as well, not common in UAE or Oman.
Troopy’s are fairly common in rural Oman, but most of these are still 75’s… I haven’t seen a single school bus wide-nosed 78.
One thing that will also generally play in favor of some RHD specimens (and I am talking Japan to be specific) is they are usually very clean low mileage vehicles.
If we look at old Japanese 70/80s/100 they are on average much cleaner than the rest of the world.
That is not to say no low mileage and amazing LHD aren't to be found in the Middle East but on average the rigs here are much more abused and those low mileage specimens are demanding a high premium and the fact they are starting to get interest from the US is also driving that premium up.
Lots of 71s/79s to be imported soon from Saudi that will be excellent rigs (but mostly 1fz-fe) if we are looking when the time comes for MY2000+ (late 99 production onwards)
Diesel only started gaining popularity in Saudi after gas prices increased and diesel prices remained low so from around a a short few years ago only.
From the time of the 1vd introduction in LHD gcc MY2017. 1hz was never popular.
Best 79 I ever drove off road was a 2006 FZJ79. Love that inline 6.
Troopy is really rare here (most country that would have troopies in ME would be Oman as I have seen them used as school buses in mountainous regions) and as for 76 they are not that common and most who buy them mod the hell out of them so a clean specimen by the time those are aliegble for import is going to be really rare.
Also please keep in mind, GCC Middle East cars don't always mean 0 rust.
Alot of coastal area rigs can get very bad rust.
Cars from Central Saudi will have no rust but be exposed to high temperatures and dust. Cars from mountainous Saudi Areas where the temperature is much lower through our the year would be really clean (if said specimens hadn't lived a rough life)
If we look at old Japanese 70/80s/100 they are on average much cleaner than the rest of the world.
That is not to say no low mileage and amazing LHD aren't to be found in the Middle East but on average the rigs here are much more abused and those low mileage specimens are demanding a high premium and the fact they are starting to get interest from the US is also driving that premium up.
Lots of 71s/79s to be imported soon from Saudi that will be excellent rigs (but mostly 1fz-fe) if we are looking when the time comes for MY2000+ (late 99 production onwards)
Diesel only started gaining popularity in Saudi after gas prices increased and diesel prices remained low so from around a a short few years ago only.
From the time of the 1vd introduction in LHD gcc MY2017. 1hz was never popular.
Best 79 I ever drove off road was a 2006 FZJ79. Love that inline 6.
Troopy is really rare here (most country that would have troopies in ME would be Oman as I have seen them used as school buses in mountainous regions) and as for 76 they are not that common and most who buy them mod the hell out of them so a clean specimen by the time those are aliegble for import is going to be really rare.
Also please keep in mind, GCC Middle East cars don't always mean 0 rust.
Alot of coastal area rigs can get very bad rust.
Cars from Central Saudi will have no rust but be exposed to high temperatures and dust. Cars from mountainous Saudi Areas where the temperature is much lower through our the year would be really clean (if said specimens hadn't lived a rough life)
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I'm seeing a bunch of RHD Prados and other Cruisers sitting on Craigslist in the LA area. They don't seem to be moving at all.
Lots of Japanese cars are rusted to s*** as well. They aren’t always nice.
We’re definitely beating a dead horse here…
Basically it’s supply and demand.
RHD will always be broadly-speaking less desirable. LHD will, in the Land Cruiser world, be rarer and thus more expensive. There will always be some exceptions, due to rarity/quality/condition.
Prados, for better or worse, are generally not that desirable to begin with, with some exceptions of course. Estimates, armchair commentators, etc., are completely irrelevant. In the end, “show me the money”. Look no further than BaT and all the crazy prices - some ridiculously high, other unexpectedly low.
Basically it’s supply and demand.
RHD will always be broadly-speaking less desirable. LHD will, in the Land Cruiser world, be rarer and thus more expensive. There will always be some exceptions, due to rarity/quality/condition.
Prados, for better or worse, are generally not that desirable to begin with, with some exceptions of course. Estimates, armchair commentators, etc., are completely irrelevant. In the end, “show me the money”. Look no further than BaT and all the crazy prices - some ridiculously high, other unexpectedly low.
You forget to mention that many of these super clean low mileage JDM diesel cruisers go in self destruct mode after being a while in the US where they are driven on long stretches of highways at high speed and the sludge inside the engine that build up over 25 years is slowly letting go wreaking havoc . Most of these diesels are designed to be workhorses to excel in tough environments running hours on end , low mileage city driving operating mostly below ideal work temps and never get the soot out of it at long trips kills these ! I get requests for replacements engines almost weekly from people who had this misfortune happen to them so if you do buy one of these low mileage engines do your best to slowy break it in again with several oil changes trying to get the sludge build up out of it .
Oh wow.
Sorry I am not experienced with diesel so wouldn't know.
Never had this issue with petrol engines.
I prefer Petrol engines on land cruisers anyway.
Sorry not Sorry.
I have driven a few diesels briefly and while they are impressive, the petrol engine usually suits our middle Eastern off road driving style better and other than 1hz are probably even more reliable.
However, the best diesel land cruiser I have ever driven was by far the
FJA300. That new engine is beautiful.
Still prefer the VJA300 though.
You know something else I found very shocking/surprising.
If you now want a diesel land cruiser in the Middle East
You can't get a manual anymore
Australia will get the VDJ7x still and that is manual only but even in Australia the GDJ7x will be auto only.
No version of the GDJ7x will offer a manual.
I know the HZJ7x still exists for some markets that ofcourse is manual only.
As for the Petrol GRJ7x it will be available in both auto or manual.
I find it surprising because alot of people would prefer a manual GDJ7x in the Middle East but i guess this is the slow death of the manual.
Manual has been discontinued on the station wagon with the introduction of the 300 and on the light duty Prado it will end with 150 and not be available as an option on 250.
If you now want a diesel land cruiser in the Middle East
You can't get a manual anymore
Australia will get the VDJ7x still and that is manual only but even in Australia the GDJ7x will be auto only.
No version of the GDJ7x will offer a manual.
I know the HZJ7x still exists for some markets that ofcourse is manual only.
As for the Petrol GRJ7x it will be available in both auto or manual.
I find it surprising because alot of people would prefer a manual GDJ7x in the Middle East but i guess this is the slow death of the manual.
Manual has been discontinued on the station wagon with the introduction of the 300 and on the light duty Prado it will end with 150 and not be available as an option on 250.
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