I wouldn't own an 80 if I couldn't get a diesel. 
With the Price of US 80's Rising, At What Point Do HDJ80\1's Become a More Viable Choice? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TheDeliverator
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No doubt, they are all quite expensive.
I went through this exact struggle myself 5 months ago and decided to pick up a HDJ81 over a FJ or FZJ, for myself the fuel economy was the big selling point. Almost 20MPG in full-time 4WD on 37s is amazing in my opinion. everything cost money, ive just had to plan my maintenance a few weeks in advance.
I wouldn't own an 80 if I couldn't get a diesel.
I agree. I wouldn't pay 25k for a gasser. I bought my FZJ80 after selling my BJ60, knowing that the FZJ engine would be worn out within 50k (and expensive to rebuild), and planning to keep it a lot longer than that, so I knew I'd be putting a diesel in it. The swap cost is in a pretty similar range to the cost of rebuilding the gasser. I don't care if "the fuel economy savings won't pay for the swap" since both options cost about the same.
I looked at several diesels out of Canada and almost bought one but the seller got squirrely and upped the price literally 90 minutes before I was going to send the money so we backed out. I'm not opposed to an import, even if I have to deal with the hassle of importing it myself, which we had already figured out how to do.
I wouldn't own a US spec. gasser if I couldn't get a diesel into it for less that the cost of an imported diesel.
Since the the demand for these trucks doesn't seem to be tapering off, I expect the values to rise, import or not. I also still expect the diesels to maintain a higher value, whether it's a toyota diesel or not.
There will always be some exceptions - a poorly done non-toyota engine diesel swap will likely be worth less than a well done LS swap truck with all other maintenance history and condition being equal.
I'm personally not interested in RHD at all, so the only imports I'd be looking at are European, African, etc. Which are pretty rare and I gather more complicated to import. I also don't really care for diesel that much either. I'd like the increased mpg and the lower carbon output, but I'm not keen on the parts availability, searching effort, wait times, etc, associated with maintenance. I feel like I'd be more likely to go the 4bd1t route if I really wanted a diesel. I have first hand experience in how to make a USDM 80 make modern power, so I'll just stick with my USDM clunker. 
For me personally, I'd only think hard about importing a body style that is not available in the US. I'd love me some LWB 70-series troopy action.
For me personally, I'd only think hard about importing a body style that is not available in the US. I'd love me some LWB 70-series troopy action.
US market is moving away from Diesel powered platforms. I wouldn't be surprise in 20-30 years, they are completely removed from US market, meaning you wouldn't be able to purchase Diesel fuel legally??I'm personally not interested in RHD at all, so the only imports I'd be looking at are European, African, etc. Which are pretty rare and I gather more complicated to import. I also don't really care for diesel that much either. I'd like the increased mpg and the lower carbon output, but I'm not keen on the parts availability, searching effort, wait times, etc, associated with maintenance. I have first hand experience in how to make a USDM 80 make modern power, so I'll just stick with my USDM clunker.
For me personally, I'd only think hard about importing a body style that is not available in the US. I'd love me some LWB 70-series troopy action.
Just looking into the crystal ball here, but diesel is still very much vital to the trucking industry and will be for at least as long as gas is vital to passenger transportation. I feel like if fossil fuels are phased out of the market, diesel and gas will probably go simultaneously. I imagine both will still be available from specialty distributors for "collectors" or people who purchase vouchers or something.
Spent a lot of time in Toyota diesel the couple years and one owns a Toyota diesel because they want a Toyota diesel.
They get a little better fuel mileage
Parts are harder to get and more costly
They drive completely different than gas
One loves the smell of diesel in the morning
They get a little better fuel mileage
Parts are harder to get and more costly
They drive completely different than gas
One loves the smell of diesel in the morning
Spent a lot of time in Toyota diesel the couple years and one owns a Toyota diesel because they want a Toyota diesel.
They get a little better fuel mileage
Parts are harder to get and more costly
They drive completely different than gas
One loves the smell of diesel in the morning
Yes, and chicks dig the smell of diesel on your hands to.
Drives em wild
FJBen
SILVER Star
I think it's only viable if:
A: You WANT a Toyota Diesel
B: You do most of your own mechanic work
"A" being the main reason. I'm sure there are instances of MPG payoffs, but very few and far between in the US. They are both "specialty" vehicles at this point, the 1FZ slightly less so.
I just fully rebuilt the 13BT in my BJ74 and found "pretty much" all of the parts needed to rebuild it. That said there are still a chunk of parts that are NLA, and like Cruiser_dan said, the 1FZ is becoming the same. I was able to get the parts I needed within a week most times coming from all over the world.
I love driving my RHD, BJ74. It's a unique, turbo diesel 5 speed that somehow still elicits "Nice Jeep!" I'm averaging 20mpg and I daily drive it. There are a couple of big ticket items on the diesels IP, injectors, turbo that can quickly add up to a few thousand's over a US spec rig, but those are about it. Everything else is the same basically.
I've had 6 80 series, and 2 factory Toyota diesel cruisers. HJ45 and BJ74.
If I had a choice between an FZJ80 or an HDJ81 and the conditions/shape/price was the same or close, I can tell you which one I would buy.
A: You WANT a Toyota Diesel
B: You do most of your own mechanic work
"A" being the main reason. I'm sure there are instances of MPG payoffs, but very few and far between in the US. They are both "specialty" vehicles at this point, the 1FZ slightly less so.
I just fully rebuilt the 13BT in my BJ74 and found "pretty much" all of the parts needed to rebuild it. That said there are still a chunk of parts that are NLA, and like Cruiser_dan said, the 1FZ is becoming the same. I was able to get the parts I needed within a week most times coming from all over the world.
I love driving my RHD, BJ74. It's a unique, turbo diesel 5 speed that somehow still elicits "Nice Jeep!" I'm averaging 20mpg and I daily drive it. There are a couple of big ticket items on the diesels IP, injectors, turbo that can quickly add up to a few thousand's over a US spec rig, but those are about it. Everything else is the same basically.
I've had 6 80 series, and 2 factory Toyota diesel cruisers. HJ45 and BJ74.
If I had a choice between an FZJ80 or an HDJ81 and the conditions/shape/price was the same or close, I can tell you which one I would buy.
