Why do YOU have a 100 series?

[Jram100]

I’ve owned my 100 for about a year and a half now, and I’m to the point where its time to decide if I want to continue pouring cash into upgrades for offroad/overland use.

So far, I’ve accomplished the basics: the vehicle is baselined, lifted, and tires and wheels are sorted. Now mods get more spendy.

While the 100 serves all of my needs and more in civilization, I sometimes wonder if its the best platform for the kind of terrain I want to tackle.

The 80 series has really been capturing my imagination more recently, and Ideally I could own both.

I guess I’m reaching out to other 100 owners so I can try to be reminded of what makes it one of the best vehicles available.

 

[ramangain]

I wasn't going to put a dog in my M5. I also wanted something more reliable than my M5. I was in Denver at the time and the LX made sense to me, and the right one for me was available.

 

[Shortpencils]

I'm not man enough for an 80.

 

[Alibaster]

I have four kids I need to transport into the mountains when in six years being self sufficient and hard working is outlawed along with guns, “hate speech”, and sugar.

 

[hickuptruck]

What do you want to tackle with it? Uses?

Yeah, I thought my budget was going to be able to support it to have all the full mods. But after baselining and OEM parts prices of getting it up to mechanically spec, and just the continual baseline and repairs that pop up, it ate up my mod budget.

 

[Jram100]

What do you want to tackle with it? Uses?

Yeah, I thought my budget was going to be able to support it to have all the full mods. But after baselining and OEM parts prices of getting it up to mechanically spec, and just the continual baseline and repairs that pop up, it ate up my mod budget.

It would be nice to have something with more articulation w bigger tires, you know 80 series stuff. I dont feel my 100 has much ground clearance even after the lift and 33’s.
I dont think I like the 35” tire route w the 100.

 

[medtro]

Insurance company didn't pay me enough to buy another 80.

 

[JACA]

I had two 80s - loved them. Then came along kids, dogs, camping, Scouts, home projects, so I needed a bigger, more spacious truck - so I compromised with the 100. May go back to an 80 once all the excess baggage is out of my life.

 

[FxFormat]

I'm Asian, we're bad drivers, when we run into things, the 100 will keep us safe.

 

[hickuptruck]

Why do I have a 100?

Financial situation in my life changed to where I can't afford a 200, and I was at the point where I could barely afford it day 1.

But I loved Cruisers enough where I need to have at least one in my hands at any point of my life. I can't live a single day where I'm Cruiser-less. 80s are seriously sweet but long-haul driving, the hundo beats it.

I was cross-shopping 80 and 100. Came down to the 100 is more daily-able and a tad bit easier to track down to buy. Really no interests in another other 4x4s.

I'm going to get back into a 200, and also a 80 in the next 5-6 years but with the baseline and repair and parts I've put into the 100, I'm not giving it up and driving/maintaining it til it doesn't make sense anymore. Never going to be selling the 100 unless it gets totaled or stolen.

The 80 was produced at the peak of Toyota, while the 100 was designed/engineered in the same era, so they're pretty sweet. It's got something the 200 doesn't, although the 200 beats it on paper in every way.

 

[BullElk]

Can't afford anything else.... especially not made in Japan.

 

[95Fantasma80]

Easy, it's one of the most capable, reliable trucks you can get for under 15K. Excellent to go into middle of nowhere in safety, luxury, and just has a special feeling when driving. Love the storage space, 3rd row for the kids to have room, and that I was able to fit 33" All terrains with 0 mods.

I wasn't looking for LX and fell in love with the luxury bits such as AHC (2 inch lift at push of a button is awesome and all I need), real wood interior, sound deadening, Mark Levinson Audio, rear AC for kiddos, projector headlamps, two tone in grey is beautiful coupled with the Vapor Blue Metallic color.

We got many more trips to take her to with the family to make memories:

View media item 86267
View media item 86792

 

[maxamillion2345]

I own both. I had two 80s (92/97), a 99 100, a 97 runner for a while until I sold the 97 80 and a 2nd gen Tacoma before any of the others.

I dailyd the runner for a long time but the 100 makes a much more comfortable/modern/powerful daily thats still great for camping/cruising/light trail duty. The 80 is not a good daily for a lot of reasons, especially if you throw a lift and bigger tires and crap on it.

80 is more capable off road for sure. But not a good daily and the 100 is significantly better for any kind of trips. And I know Ill get hate but Id say 100 is more reliable, Id feel more comforta

Yes get both

 

[changingground]

After owning a long line of Toyota trucks of various descriptions, along with some American motor company pieces of crap, I decided that, for once in my life, I was going to buy something that I wanted, and then commit to making it mine.

 

[hickuptruck]

Also I fully come to terms that a 100 has it's limits. And those limits top out at 2.5 inches of lift and 34s before drivability starts to get taken away. Sure I want more, but it's not worth it to me to exceed them.

 

[bobcatag2006]

I wanted a 4x4 daily that I loved looking at when I’m walking up to it.

The family fits great with all of our luggage and my wife loves it. I don’t have a ton of mods so my money will be in keeping it running as my DD. And without a ton of mods I can still take it anywhere I want, camping with the family, skiing in the winter and on and on.

 

[Kabanstva]

Does Toyota still produce important drivetrain and suspension parts for 80s? I’ve always like them and might get one at some point but I question choosing that as a “hardcore” 4X4 platform. I feel like they’re so old now with lots of stuff worn out beyond repair, drive like something from the dinosaur era, and knowing Toyota, a lot of parts are either overpriced or long discontinued. My main concern would be parts availability with 80s. At least most old American trucks have a huge aftermarket support. Don’t see a whole lot of that with these Land Cruisers here. The 100 series is 22+ years old and nobody even offers a built front diff yet.

 

[jkeating]

I loved my 93’ 80 LC. And no doubt Is was a good off-roader, and in my opinion the best looking LC ever made. But, my 2003 100 LC is far superior for almost every thing I use it for. Far more power, quieter, better braking, better handling, more safety features,... Don’t be fooled by the HP comparison between the FZJ 80 and the 100. The 100 makes power far more quickly and smoothly. For me, the 100 is the better LC. Having said all this, if you want a more capable off-roader, the 80 seems like a better platform to modify. You said in your post that you could have both. Sounds like a great idea to me.

 

[GTV]

One car to do it all, virtually forever.

Also a much better long distance road tripper than an 80.

 

[cruiserdan]

One car to do it all, virtually forever.

Also a much better long distance road tripper than an 80.

I wonder if that's why you can't find an 80 out there with less than a quarter million miles on it? I guess they are not pleasant to drive long distances.