SOLD Phoenix: 1997 HDJ81 w/ 102K miles

Year

1997

Vehicle Model

1. 80 Series

Mileage

101800

Color

white

1997 HDJ81 with 1HD-FT turbodiesel engine with only 102K miles (164K km). This car has no rust and is in excellent condition - no known problems. I imported the car myself - purchased in May 2022 and received in Long Beach in August. The car is currently titled and registered in Arizona. It's in extremely clean condition and is equally suited as a turn key off-roader or a stable baseline to start adding your own stuff.

Features:

• 1HD-FT engine, 164K km (verified)
• ABS brakes
• Airbags
• AC
• Power windows and door locks (all working)
• Sunroof (fully functioning)
• Lift kit - done in Japan by prior owner... I'd estimate it's a 2" or 3" lift with 33" tires (not sure of the lift kit brand at the moment, but for those interested I'll climb underneath and figure it out)
• new tires - Toyo Open Country MT 285/75/16
• Alpine bluetooth stereo (US spec) and hands free calling
• timing belt sticker indicates timing belt has roughly 40K km remaining to next scheduled replacement
• Very few if any modifications to OEM condition other than the wheels and lift kit - no engine modifications

Work done after import:

• new fuel filter
• new air filter
• new oil filter and oil change (using synthetic diesel)
• removed all JDM spec stereo stuff and replaced with US spec Alpine head unit
• new belts - fan, ac, alternator (one was squealing, unknown age, so I had all three replaced as a precaution)
• General inspection by local mechanic with no findings

I import a couple JDM Land Cruisers per year and restore them while also using them as secondary transportation. To be honest, this one has been boring as it showed up in great condition and needed very little work other than removing all the Japan specific navigation / toll road wiring (most of these cars I can fill a 5-gal paint bucket with all the excess wiring removed from toll booth readers, GPS antennas, TV antennas, etc... it's insane). My wife is not happy with me I'm selling this one rather than keep it for my long term car as it has air bags and ABS brakes (not sure if that's because I don't have life insurance or she actually enjoys my company... actually I know, I just don't like admitting it).

I've been using it since August as occasional transportation. It's made a couple trips back and forth between Phoenix and Flagstaff, which is a very good test of any car. The drive is only about 150 miles, but it starts at around 1200 ft above sea level and ends at 7000 ft, and some of the biggest hills are 6+% grades for 10+ miles straight often at temperatures up to 110F. This car performed like a champ - the coolant gauge never moved from it's standard temperature, the AC kept pumping out cold air, and the engine pulled strong up the hills. The exhaust looks very clean under all conditions.

I'll include a few photos here but will figure out how or where to include more detailed photos and maybe a couple startup videos or walk-arounds to better highlight the car. Feel free to post questions you want everyone to know or PM me for information specific to you.

The car is located in Phoenix, AZ.

Asking price is $33,500.

 

[kgrove]

Sorry for the delayed responses. I’m traveling and have piss poor internet - back to dial up days on a good day. The car is still available. I will answer PMs and questions on this thread in a few days.

 

[kgrove]

I just dropped the price to $35,000. I'm back in town for awhile and can finally start paying attention to this. Tomorrow I'll take a couple videos - engine start up and more detailed walk-around of the car - and try to figure out how best to post them here.

 

[JettaGLi16v]

I have a US 80 but still don't understand which of the imported 80's is the Holy Grail? Not trying to hijack here, just trying to get a sense for what's , what? This one looks clean for sure but I don't want the RHD.
Thanks

Turbo Diesel.

I am brand new to Land Cruisers, but I've had numerous old (IDI) VW Diesels, and they are substantially identical in the engine / injection pump department.

When I decided I wanted a Land Cruiser (especially an 80), I couldn't imagine having a truck this big with a gas engine. IDI Diesel engines are
-Vastly more thermally efficient
-Much longer and simpler maintenance intervals
-Designed to produce more torque than HP
-Very easy to modify to significantly increase the power without spending a lot of money
-Much better at clocking very high miles without rebuilds

Diesel engines are made to do work. Also, they will run happily on used cooking or engine oil. They were designed for it. That's why you've never seen a gasoline powered semi truck.

Also, there's no computer. No sensors. Nothing like that. If it starts, it will 99% of the time get you where you're going. Make sure you change the T-belt, oil, and fuel filter at the interval, and otherwise there's nothing to do (for the engine). You'll never do a tune up, because it doesn't have spark plugs, a distributor, or anything like that.

Also, the RHD is a little funky at first, but you get used to it quickly.

That's why I bought an HDJ81.

Sorry to hijack the FS thread, but hopefully since OP's in a poor internet reception area, and these might be questions other people might have, I hope he thinks I'm adding a positive contribution to the conversation.

Bump for a very clean truck!! GLWS!

 

[kgrove]

bear with me... I have a couple videos to post - cold start, exterior walk around, etc - but I'm trying to find the best way to shrink the files and then post them here... site seams limited to photos.

 

[LC80PGX]

bear with me... I have a couple videos to post - cold start, exterior walk around, etc - but I'm trying to find the best way to shrink the files and then post them here... site seams limited to photos.

Youtube is probably your best bet.

 

[kgrove]

Here are a couple videos to give more detail on the car. Cut me some slack on the video quality... I already knew I was no Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Copola, but I'm discovering I'm also a really sh!tty narrator. Let me know if there are other areas of the car you'd like me to detail.

 

[kgrove]

 

[akgerman]

Love this truck. What's your interior like? I see a couple interior photos. Could you add some of the back seats? Maybe some of the door cards and finally some of the frame under and behind the aluminum steps? Thanks!

 

[kgrove]

Love this truck. What's your interior like? I see a couple interior photos. Could you add some of the back seats? Maybe some of the door cards and finally some of the frame under and behind the aluminum steps? Thanks!

I had already taken a couple videos of the power windows and door lock functioning that will show some of the interior and also one interior view that I think was mostly the front and dash area. I'll post those as soon as I can upload the videos and have YouTube do it's thing. For the back seats, I'll have to take a few photos and post those as my recollection is the videos are very front seat centric. I'll shoot a few photos of the frame in various places too.

Generally speaking, the interior is very clean - no cracks in dash, door cards in good condition, seats wrapped in black "leatherette" seat covers (I've actually never had them off but will peak underneath the drivers seat). The only interior defect I'm aware of is a crack in the plastic sort of behind the hand hold on the drivers door... I point it out on the video I'll post in a few hours.

 

[kgrove]

Door locks and windows...

 

[kgrove]

car interior...

 

[alia176]

dang those windows are stupid fast. Not fair

 

[kgrove]

Love this truck. What's your interior like? I see a couple interior photos. Could you add some of the back seats? Maybe some of the door cards and finally some of the frame under and behind the aluminum steps? Thanks!

Here are are few photos of the frame. I have more if needed, but they really look just like these. I included closeups of the area near the front of the rear wheel wells where the body pinches together near the side step as this seems to be an area prone to corrosion, at least on other cars.

 

[kgrove]

Love this truck. What's your interior like? I see a couple interior photos. Could you add some of the back seats? Maybe some of the door cards and finally some of the frame under and behind the aluminum steps? Thanks!

Here are some door card photos. There is one spot I just noticed on the right rear door about an inch long where the vinyl has lifted. It could probably be glued back down so it tucks under the window gasket again. I realized after I sat down to upload files I didn't take one of the left front door, so a shot looking that direction from the drivers door will have to suffice.

 

[kgrove]

Love this truck. What's your interior like? I see a couple interior photos. Could you add some of the back seats? Maybe some of the door cards and finally some of the frame under and behind the aluminum steps? Thanks!

And lastly interior and rear... I peeled back (for the first time) the seat covers to show the cloth seats underneath. I only did the drivers seat as it should be the worst.

 

[TheLCProject]

Good looking truck and plenty of videos and photos to assure a happy buyer.

 

[duece71]

This looks very nice and is only $5k more than another JDM diesel powered LC I am looking at right now.

 

[kgrove]

Somebody noticed this does not have a CDL lock button, so I made this video to demonstrate how the center diff locks without a center diff lock button.

Readers digest version: Without a CDL switch, the center diff locks when the transfer case is shifted into low gear. With a CDL switch, you can also lock the center diff in high gear. All 80 series have a locking center differential. Some years (and maybe it differed by sales region) had a CDL switch standard and some model years it was an option.

I've got the parts on order to add the CDL switch. You can read the installation instructions on Slee's site as they also sell the switch. Basically it's plug-and-play as there is a wire harness near the radio ready and waiting for a switch to be attached. I guess there is a modification available that if I understand it correctly removes the automatic center diff lock on entering low range and instead makes the CDL switch a true ON / OFF switch regardless of low or high range, but I don't plan on doing that mod and instead will keep this closer to stock.

Here's the video showing how the center diff locks without the CDL switch. I'll add the switch in the next couple days and may follow up showing the functionality with the switch (although I think everyone can probably imagine it pretty easily... could be the worlds most boring YouTube). If nothing else, this video documents that the CDL is functional on this car.

 

[kgrove]

Price dropped to $33,500

 

[Crush 4]

Man this thing is cool can’t believe it hasn’t sold!