What Land Cruiser Would You Take?

[DrivingMissRosey]

If you intend to take your expedition vehicle back into the US after the trip, I would shy away from the Hilux. I work in Belize from time to time and see quite a few of them down there. Great motors and mechanicals, but the bodies are absolute junk. They rust out in about 10-15 years and that's even away from the coast and its salt air. The newest version might be better in terms of corrosion resistance and if I'm not mistaken they have a turbo diesel, though I'm not sure which specifically. Good luck on the quest!

 

[ForealBoreal]

This is easy. There are a few vehicles that would be money to own.
Essentially I am a 70 series fan and any of them would really do but the winner of them all for me is an HZJ77

1) 5 speed, factory Locked
2) Warn 24V Winch
3) Snorkle and Pre-cleaner
4) Roof Rack
5) Armored Right up (bumpers, skid plate, sliders)
6) Manual Hub Conversion
7) Denco Turbo Kit
8) Drawers
9) Fog Lights
10) Fridge

Yeah basically my dream truck....
Troopys, Middies, Shorties and Utes are all sweet. I love them all but the 4 door is the truck for me.
HDJ81s are nice but too fancy in the electrical and gizmo department. Locked and Winched of course. Coil suspension is nice.
HJ61s with Cable lockers and a winch are pretty hard to beat. There industrial and tough

 

[prado t]

Yes the HJ 61 , 12H-T , H55F and of course cable lockers. I put the old BJ 74 5 spokes with the 285, 75 R16 Yoko MT pluses

 

[Combat Chuck]

Nice rig Prado!
HJ61, I thought those things only existed in fables.

 

[ForealBoreal]

Yes the HJ 61 , 12H-T , H55F and of course cable lockers. I put the old BJ 74 5 spokes with the 285, 75 R16 Yoko MT pluses

Yup my favorite color scheme by far. When I first got into cruisers I figured it was the truck for me. Still dig them though.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

I'm biased towards the 80 (obviously) but wouldn't dream of it without diesel. As far as buying the vehicle goes (you may have mentioned it), are you planning on sourcing this in the US? The only obstacle I see there is limiting options (kiss diesel goodbye), and if you buy it in another country, then there's the problem of getting it legal in the US.
80 is a pinnacle of the front solid axle before they went soft (sorry 100 owners) with a good compromise between room and size of the vehicle overall.

 

[TexasJack]

I'd echo Blue Phoenix's opinion above but then I also own an 80 series. The 80 is simply the best combination of durability and comfort available on the market. It is also easy to work on mechanically and very easy to turn into a true expedition vehicle due to the size of the vehicle.

 

[Roryfj4062]

i'd also go with an hj61, but i'm a little biased

 

[Bluetribal]

I saw this nice set-up in Baja owned by a German couple.

And there Swiss friends had a killer Nissan Patrol

 

[HWY22]

I can't make up my mind! So I have to find out for myself:

Doing a Simul build of the following:
2000 UZJ100
1987 FJ60
1972 FJ55 (2F, 4Spd)

ARB Fronts, OME 2.5 Lift, BumpIt Sliders, BumpIt Rears with dual swingouts, Snorkle/Diff Breathers, NL Dual Batt using Sears 31Ms, ARB Refs, Autohome RRT's, OnBoard Hot Water, Lights, Solar

Looking for a clean 96/97 UZJ80 to join the stable...

 

[Combat Chuck]

Limited to USDM options (as many of us are) I think that the 60-series are probably better suited for expeditions.

Unrealistically, I'd sell my closest friends into slavery for a VDJ79, but in practical terms, there are more parts in NA for 2 and 3F's, H41/H42/H55's than the super-obscure Toyota diesels, which limits them out.

I admire the 80-series driveline, but I feel they're just too heavy, and further weight of camping gear will only intensify this. I also worry on ease of maintenance with more modern motors - I'm comfortable cralwing around under my older trucks with a soldering iron and an ice-pick light for field repairs, but when I start chasing ECU and transmission solenoid issues - I get a little queasy.

My basic rule of thumb - If it takes more than 10 screws to get the dash apart to work on it, I don't want it.

All that said, I'd still think the 40 has to be the best Cruiser for rugged expeditions - they're simple, short, field-maintainable, and they look like they belong outside, in the bush.

 

[jmjnewbold]

Good luck with coming to a conclusion. After reading all the posts I would have a hard time choosing one myself. I think the best thing to do to help narrow your choices would be to consider where you are going to start your travels, and pick a vehicle that is sold there. Good luck either way!

P.S. If you plan on coming up here to alaska, do so around july or august. The fishing is awesome, weather is good, and it doesn't get dark until well after 10pm.