Importing from the Canary's (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
22
Location
corvallis, or
I just picked up my 61 at the port today and saw it for the first time. The transaction and shipping happened just as Anthony from Canarian Landcruiser Exports said it would. He seems very knowledgeable about all of the logistics, and really came through quickly to troubleshoot a few things. A couple things that I wish were different...I wish I were copied on all the emails with the shipper, rather than getting a few screenshots here and there. Also, now that I see my 61, I see Anthony’s role differently than before. For me he was simply a broker...connecting a buyer and seller. I thought he was vouching for the condition of the vehicle, but I now realize that wasn’t true for my case. I wish I would’ve had more inspections done to assess the condition of the vehicle. It’s not as good as I had hoped. To be fair, I could’ve asked for more. I think I misunderstood his role. I was so excited about getting the 61, I don’t think I really did my due diligence and ended up making an emotional decision. There’s always another car, but at the time I really wanted this one!! And I’m honestly a little disappointed with it’s condition.

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I like it. What was the unexpected?

So far...
-headliner different color than rest of interior
-Tachometer doesn’t work
-4wd slow (minutes) to disengage
-Fuel gauge doesn’t work
-No rear seat belts
-Leaky rear diff
-Leaky front seal around pulleys
-Leaky transfer case
-Rust colored antifreeze
-Fuel tank vent issue (crazy slow to fill)
-Front left suspension clunks over by bumps (haven’t sorted through what this really is yet)
Power locks don’t work
-driver side mirror falls off
-a/c doesn’t work
-missing rear washer spray nozzle
-rear lift gate hydraulic inoperable
-who knows what else

I’m sure a lot of these won’t be difficult to sort through. And it’s more than 30 years old. I’m thrilled to have an hj61 with a 12h-t!

my point is more that, I didn’t really do a good job assessing the condition in advance. I relied on Shane for that, not recognizing that he was brokering only. My rookie mistake, and I’m owning up to it. He was awesome at logistics.
 
So far...
-headliner different color than rest of interior
-Tachometer doesn’t work
-4wd slow (minutes) to disengage
-Fuel gauge doesn’t work
-No rear seat belts
-Leaky rear diff
-Leaky front seal around pulleys
-Leaky transfer case
-Rust colored antifreeze
-Fuel tank vent issue (crazy slow to fill)
-Front left suspension clunks over by bumps (haven’t sorted through what this really is yet)
Power locks don’t work
-driver side mirror falls off
-a/c doesn’t work
-missing rear washer spray nozzle
-rear lift gate hydraulic inoperable
-who knows what else

I’m sure a lot of these won’t be difficult to sort through. And it’s more than 30 years old. I’m thrilled to have an hj61 with a 12h-t!

my point is more that, I didn’t really do a good job assessing the condition in advance. I relied on Shane for that, not recognizing that he was brokering only. My rookie mistake, and I’m owning up to it. He was awesome at logistics.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. It’s a damn fine looking truck.
 
Looking on the bright side, the body looks straight and I'd imagine it's not rusted out underneath. That's two huge pluses. The rest can be sorted out.

Congrats on a fine looking Cruiser! :cool:
 
getting it there as promised is a big deal already. That's good. I read many horror stories.

don't know what discussions you had, obviously. Water under the bridge, but I'd add that whether buyer or seller or broker, personally I'd try to make sure there is really no miscommunication, and try to anticipate possible misunderstandings from all parties. If I were a business, I'd be especially careful about having clear disclaimers about what I do and don't do, so there is no possible confusion, for instance. But maybe they were there, of course. And caveat emptor, naturally.

Don't let relatively minor issues ruin the moment for you. Think positively. In a year, you won't remember those bits but will still have a grin everytime you step in the truck.
 
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Come on man, it's not going to be a garage queen. Rear belts are not mandatory in some parts of the world. My 80 from the Canaries is far from perfect, and I'm still sorting. Yet, I do like it.
 
Mate if it makes you feel any better that colour with those pinstripes/decals is probably the coolest combination in Landcruiser history and it has a 12ht.
All that stuff that's wrong is fixable, and nearly all of it you can do yourself. There is an unlimited amount of knowledge on this forum with people who are willing to help.

I know its not a drive off the trailer weapon but once you have fixed all that stuff up your going to appreciate it a million times more.

Awesome 61! I'd have paid good money for that even in that condition.
 
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I’m actually just being the process with Anthony. Really excited, but nervous at the same time. Thanks for your info and sharing your story. Did you have any of the Toyota inspections or services done prior to purchase and shipping. Or just wish you would’ve had more inspections done?
it off really tough, I mean who would even think to ask “does the headliner match?”
all in all I’d say your rig looks pretty sweet. I mean we all know that there is gonna be a certain level of work going into a 25+ yo cruiser. But like you, I hope I all the right questions to determine just how much work I’ll be putting in.
 
I’m actually just being the process with Anthony. Really excited, but nervous at the same time. Thanks for your info and sharing your story. Did you have any of the Toyota inspections or services done prior to purchase and shipping. Or just wish you would’ve had more inspections done?
it off really tough, I mean who would even think to ask “does the headliner match?”
all in all I’d say your rig looks pretty sweet. I mean we all know that there is gonna be a certain level of work going into a 25+ yo cruiser. But like you, I hope I all the right questions to determine just how much work I’ll be putting in.

Anthony did everything he said he would do. And everything turned out the way he said it would. I wish I would’ve been copied on more emails. Now a few months later, I’d totally do it all over again. I’m a novice and didn’t know what questions to ask. I say go for it!!

I asked for an inspection with a compression test. Ended up getting only a compression test, and I didn’t think to ask for more. I was already sold, and just needed the justification to keep moving forward. It all checked out.

what are you buying?
 
Anthony did everything he said he would do. And everything turned out the way he said it would. I wish I would’ve been copied on more emails. Now a few months later, I’d totally do it all over again. I’m a novice and didn’t know what questions to ask. I say go for it!!

I asked for an inspection with a compression test. Ended up getting only a compression test, and I didn’t think to ask for more. I was already sold, and just needed the justification to keep moving forward. It all checked out.

what are you buying?
I’m just looking to get back into an 80, nothing too crazy or specific. So it should be a pretty easy deal. Seems like there’s plenty to choose from over in that neck of the woods.
 
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Adding rear seat belts from a US-spec FJ62 is pretty straightforward, I had to do this on my Venezuela-spec FJ62 back in the mid-90s when I first imported it. No Venezuelan 60 came with rear seatbelts from the factory, but the dimples for the bolts were stamped into the body so it was easy to locate them. In the grand scheme of things (i.e. 30+ year old vehicle from a completely different market), that one is a minor thing. The gas shocks for the rear hatch are also super easy, you can get them on Amazon. The door locks are most likely the switch unit on the driver's door, that also a fairly common fail over the years but it could also be the actual solenoids. Not a difficult fix. Finding those Euro-spec mirrors might prove to be tougher, though.
 

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