New to This - Need a Thought on a Possible Buy

[cucrew96]

So, I'm new to the whole Land Cruiser gig. I have always admired Land Cruisers when I've seen them, both old and new. That said, old ones have always been a "check that out" item for both my wife and I. We are a family (2 young kids) that loves the outdoors, getting to the mountains, not letting weather stop us, etc. The cool thing is, my wife would say pull the trigger and buy one if I found the right machine.

I have two kids, and would love to be able to use an older Land Cruiser to drive them and my wife around. Probably mostly back roads, going camping and hiking and biking in North GA, etc. Bzut I live in Atlanta, so there would be some heavy traffic moments that I would have to deal with in it as well (ever been on I-75/85 during rush hour....scary) . . I need to think of safety for the little ones.

I saw this listing today in Marietta, GA, and was curious what you all would think of it.
1972 Land Cruiser

Any general thoughts on what I should be looking for, and family friendliness, would be appreciated. I do have a very trustworthy Toyota mechanic (I drive a 2010 Tundra) that I could have any possible purchases checked out at before I finalize.

Thank you all very much. This is my first post. Hopefully, not my last!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Start here.

*** Purchasing an FJ-40 / FJ-40 B U Y E R S G U I D E *** (f A Q )

Read this https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/132481-buying-land-cruiser.html Then go below. What others have found and questions they have asked. Or if your really smart just type "buy" or "buying" in the seach field and actually do the search yourself...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[cucrew96]

Start here.

*** Purchasing an FJ-40 / FJ-40 B U Y E R S G U I D E *** (f A Q )

Read this https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/132481-buying-land-cruiser.html Then go below. What others have found and questions they have asked. Or if your really smart just type "buy" or "buying" in the seach field and actually do the search yourself...

forum.ih8mud.com

I will absolutely read. Thank you.

 

[45Kevin]

Sounds like a 60 series might be more suitable for your family.

 

[DSRTRDR]

I own a '72 40 series - it is not family friendly, and even with a boatload of work, will never become more family friendly, sorry

I agree with Kevin that a more advanced model would suit your purpose better - (as you can see from my signature, I also own 80 series and 120 series trucks)

for your purposes, the 80 series or the 100 series sound ideal: good legroom in at least two rows, reasonable (in the 80) to good (in the 100) engine power - the 80 has better wheeling capabilities than a 100, but the comfort and overall roominess of a 100 is hard to beat (the 120 series has great legroom in the second row, too, but the cargo room is definitely less than in a 100)

just to come back to the original question: the 40 has neither comfort, nor power, let alone cargo space - wheeling capabilities entirely depend on how you build the truck - I understand the nostalgia for a 40, but a family truck it is definitely not

 

[WarDamnEagle]

96 or 97 80 series. If you are dead set on something more vintage then buy a 60 or a 55.