Should Toyota sell the 70 series in lieu of the 300?

[Devils Paw 80]

Cat wants the pickup version only, I gather, and they're a bit harder to come by. Otherwise it'd be easy enough to get an older 70 series SWB and fix it up, like many of the old time MUD guys seem to be doing these days. I had a BJ70 for a few years. It was a cool rig that I would have held on to, it if not for major frame rust.

 

[SharpeCat]

It is daily driven every day. Just pulled the top a few days ago.

That said, I don't think there is anyway they are bringing it here. I would love to see a new one, and that would actually make me consider buying a new truck, but there is too much red tape. I like the no frills, drive slow stuff but I don't really see it happening. The new Bronco looks sweet, but it's basically a video game. Push this combo to go down the hill. Too much tech.

The vague rumors of an "off-road oriented" 5 seat trimmed down Land Cruiser coming back to the US screams Prado to me.



I would love to be wrong. I would love to see a Wrangler/Bronco competition in the form of the 70 series.

Beautiful pic and 70! The SWB Boosted is the fun version, and also takes more skill to drive imo. Props for finding and maintaining such a good example.

Unfortunately I do not see it coming until the red tape is removed as well, not unless Toyota is willing to take a loss and for a limited quantity.

You hit the nail on the head, and that’s my whole point is that the biggest reason is not because of lack of interest, but because we live in a country where Corporations write the laws sometimes. When it’s the Big 3 writing the laws, then the 70s have virtually no chance at being both profitable for Toyota, while being affordable for those who are looking for value in a truck that will be dependable for decades to come.

Just getting rid of the 25% tax/import loophole alone would be most of the red tape gone, that and the ridiculous Emissions/Safety Requirements. When Toyota uses their own labor and factories in Japan they are taxed 25% to import here, but when Ford Chevy and Chrysler builds factories in Mexico, exploits Mexican labor while abandoning American workers, and imports it back, they are protected under NAFTA. It’s not just Mexico, since NAFTA opened the door for other free trade agreements as well. That’s why our customer service is based in India now, thanks to what I call big 3 politics; which benefits a few while hurting the masses.

This is what needs to change before we can have something even remotely close to a fair market, and in a fair market where it is sold at closer to the price Toyota intended, then it would absolutely sell over the made-in-China/maximizing profit options that greedy big 3 Leadership are trying to push on us.

There was a time when the biggest US companies were lead by people who actually cared about their employees and products, and the US made some of the best products in the world. Somewhere things took a turn for the worst, and now they’re willing to bail on their employees, replace metal with plastic, manipulate the laws for bailouts and to rig the system against competitors and etc.

I haven’t given up hope that one day we are going to kick the special interest out of positions intended to serve the greater interest, but I don’t want to get too much into that here. Talking politics usually leaves a salty taste in my mouth and I haven’t given up hope of having a nice day today lol.

 

[SharpeCat]

Cat wants the pickup version only, I gather, and they're a bit harder to come by. Otherwise it'd be easy enough to get an older 70 series SWB and fix it up, like many of the old time MUD guys seem to be doing these days. I had a BJ70 for a few years. It was a cool rig that I would have held on to, it if not for major frame rust.

I want long wheel base, pickup or troop carrier. I did explore that option and it’s just so much work to get a decent one, even then it will have some rust and in the end a 25+ year old example will cost you almost as much as a new one. Easy is relative here; i looked long enough to know AUStoUSA is a scam XD, and long enough to make some australian friends on facebook and talked about importing an old one. Most of the good ones will sell locally long before the rest of us even get a look.

I absolutely love the examples we have here in the 70 series section, and a new version would be the dream. To be able to have peace of mind for decades to come, knowing your vehicle will get you there! A new one and I’d be set for the rest of my life, assuming I don’t leave it rusting somewhere.

 

[OSS]

I think if the 70 series was rebadged to RAV4 instead of Landcruiser and all else was the same, worldwide sales would drop by more than half.

 

[SharpeCat]

I think if the 70 series was rebadged to RAV4 instead of Landcruiser and all else was the same, worldwide sales would drop by more than half.

I think it would drop by exactly the amount of people who buy it just for the name, but finding enough of those people to account for half is not something i would suggest you waste your time doing.

Also, it is misleading because that would be like tricking people into thinking it is a 4 cylinder vehicle that isn't nearly as well built, through implications in the name. Would it be called a RAV4 priced like a land cruiser with no extra information when marketed, or would it be marketed as a Land Cruiser with a RAV4 badge and priced like a RAV4? If it's the latter then RAV4 sales would then be counted as Land Cruiser sales, and it would go way up as word spreads of the BEST DEAL EVER on the new hella capable RAV4 that Toyota accidentally put an LC in.

If it's the former then sales would obviously go way down, because no one would pay LC prices for a RAV4 unless you told them it was actually an LC inside. But then how do you miss something like the fact that the RAV4 is actually an 8 cylinder and priced like a 70? And how do you tell them it's an LC inside while also telling them its a RAV4? Regardless of how you spin it, i just don't see you ever being able to substantiate that statement.

Again, i don't disagree that there are folks like that out there who glamorize the name (you can find some examples on youtube), but the fact of the matter the LC name succeeds its reputation and not the other way around; as in it became popular for being a dependable truck and it didn't become a dependable truck because it became popular.

 

[FJBen]

Beautiful pic and 70! The SWB Boosted is the fun version, and also takes more skill to drive imo. Props for finding and maintaining such a good example.

Unfortunately I do not see it coming until the red tape is removed as well, not unless Toyota is willing to take a loss and for a limited quantity.

You hit the nail on the head, and that’s my whole point is that the biggest reason is not because of lack of interest, but because we live in a country where Corporations write the laws sometimes. When it’s the Big 3 writing the laws, then the 70s have virtually no chance at being both profitable for Toyota, while being affordable for those who are looking for value in a truck that will be dependable for decades to come.

Just getting rid of the 25% tax/import loophole alone would be most of the red tape gone, that and the ridiculous Emissions/Safety Requirements. When Toyota uses their own labor and factories in Japan they are taxed 25% to import here, but when Ford Chevy and Chrysler builds factories in Mexico, exploits Mexican labor while abandoning American workers, and imports it back, they are protected under NAFTA. It’s not just Mexico, since NAFTA opened the door for other free trade agreements as well. That’s why our customer service is based in India now, thanks to what I call big 3 politics; which benefits a few while hurting the masses.

This is what needs to change before we can have something even remotely close to a fair market, and in a fair market where it is sold at closer to the price Toyota intended, then it would absolutely sell over the made-in-China/maximizing profit options that greedy big 3 Leadership are trying to push on us.

There was a time when the biggest US companies were lead by people who actually cared about their employees and products, and the US made some of the best products in the world. Somewhere things took a turn for the worst, and now they’re willing to bail on their employees, replace plastic with metal, manipulate the laws for bailouts and to rig the system against competitors and etc.

I haven’t given up hope that one day we are going to kick the special interest out of positions intended to serve the greater interest, but I don’t want to get too much into that here. Talking politics usually leaves a salty taste in my mouth and I haven’t given up hope of having a nice day today lol.

MWB 74 And thanks !

That 25% chicken tax is ridiculous. Robbed us of lots of cool vehicles.

someday...