Hi folks,
Sometime within the next 5 years or so, I'm looking to buy (import) an LC70. I've drunk the Land Cruiser koolaid and I've been lurking various forums for ~6 months, but I still feel like I don't know much about the specific vehicles I'm most interested in, so I figured I'd make a thread and hopefully get some advice from LC veterans. Quick info - I'm in my early 20s, live in the US (East Coast), no rush or need for a vehicle for the next ~2 years at least.
Why I want an LC 70:
So, given these wants, I feel like the best model is the 76. The 73/75 seem viable as well, but then again, I'm looking at the 70 series to help me do anything for half a lifetime, so if I go for the 73 and suddenly can't carry bulkier loads, I'm worried that I'll feel some remorse. I really like the look of the 77/78, but my brief search seems to only yield RHD models, unfortunately.
Main questions:
Sometime within the next 5 years or so, I'm looking to buy (import) an LC70. I've drunk the Land Cruiser koolaid and I've been lurking various forums for ~6 months, but I still feel like I don't know much about the specific vehicles I'm most interested in, so I figured I'd make a thread and hopefully get some advice from LC veterans. Quick info - I'm in my early 20s, live in the US (East Coast), no rush or need for a vehicle for the next ~2 years at least.
Why I want an LC 70:
- Reliability - I'm not a 100% buy-it-for-life person, but I want a straightforward vehicle that will last a very long time
- History - LCs do almost anything, and I'll shamelessly admit that I'm very interested in the story behind the products I buy
- "Forbidden Fruit" - Kinda in line with the history point, it's a lot more interesting (to me) to import a vehicle that's somewhat uncommon; also, I spent most of my life outside the US, sometimes in countries where LCs are a big deal (although I didn't know it at the time)
- Styling - I like straight lines on cars and most of the other LCs have too many curves, regardless the 70 series is the coolest looking LC to me by far
- Left hand drive - This is the #1 most important feature for me, I know there are plenty of JDM/Aus LC 70s in the US, but since LHD models are available, I'm not interested in RHD
- Some safety features - I don't want to feel like I'm in a death trap (I guess I'm saying here that I'd prefer newer model years? safer is better)
- AC/Heating - Self explanatory
- Offroading features - I can't see myself doing lots of offroading in the future, I'm mainly interested in LCs for their reliability but their capabilities are a huge plus
- Ute/Troopy configuration - I won't need to haul stuff in a flatbed regularly, and I don't think I'll be overlanding; avoiding the poultry tax if possible would be nice
- A top-tier engine- Might be a controversial opinion, but one of my two realistic dream vehicles is an electric motor and battery-swapped LC 70
- Yes, I know that EV retrofits aren't viable now, but I'm a firm believer that they will be in 10-15 years with some money/time/effort
- Mainly, I'm mentioning this because I don't think I'll need a turbo/diesel (if I want to remove them in the future anyway, why pay extra now?)
So, given these wants, I feel like the best model is the 76. The 73/75 seem viable as well, but then again, I'm looking at the 70 series to help me do anything for half a lifetime, so if I go for the 73 and suddenly can't carry bulkier loads, I'm worried that I'll feel some remorse. I really like the look of the 77/78, but my brief search seems to only yield RHD models, unfortunately.
Main questions:
- Are there any (major) considerations I'm missing?
- Is there a recommended resource/database for model year differences and options for LC 70s? Since I'm in the US, the 25 year rule will apply, so specifically I'm looking for 1991-2001 info