Buying a Landcruiser 80 or 100 series

Roger

I have never owned ever of these vehicles but have driven them a work vehicles, if it was me I would go for a 2003 Toyota Landcruiser Standard HZJ105R or there about.

it has the same ruining gear as my Troopy (sort of) and will go any where.

Rebook

Regards

Richard

Roger,

As said for your price range. Bit sluggish but will do the job.
The IFS Turbo Diesels haven't got the same articulation in the front but are a more comfortable to drive and will still go most places but are a bit scarce and more expensive.

Roger,

The HZJ105 series landcruisers are a great vehicle but once loaded up and especialy if towing are rather gutless, nether the less the 1HZ's if properly maintained are an excellent engine.
2003 saw some slight upgrades in the 100 series, this included the installation of an EGR (Exhaust Gas recirculation) system to the 1HZ's in order to meet emission's requirments, though some owners have been known to block this (This is Illegal).
To improve power output of the 1HZ they can be turbo'd however it is important that the boost is not set to high as this will dramatically reduce the life of the engine, though boost can be increased with the addition of an intercooler. Would not recommend buying a turbo'd 105 series unless you know the owner and know exactly what the vehicle has done and how it has been set up.
Other then that the 100's are a great vehicle with no other major problems, For the price you are looking to spend you would pick your self an excellent factory turbo 80 series with the multi valve 1HD-FT engine, these are a great engine and you will find that some are transplanting these into 100 series to replace the 1HZ's.

Which ever vehicle you go for make sure you do not rush into purchasing one, ensure it has a full service history with oil and filter changes every 5,000Km, have a trusted mechanic go right over the vehicle to check for any potential problems.

A good web site for you to pick up more info is the LCOOL site, register on there and ask the questions and you will find out all the info and advice you are after.

www.lcool.org

Good luck and happy exploring

Jolly

Look for a turbo diesel 95-97 in an 80 series, it wont feel a van on the back, it still has a live front end and will go up any track within reason. They are very economical, returning comparable figures to the std diesels, This motor then became the electronic diesel of the 100, which had IFS suspension. They have been up until now very hard to find but they are becoming more readily available. The thing the hdj80 has over the hzj105 is strength, both in the front diff and the gearbox. The hdj100 has big problems with its front diff and suspension arms if you use it in the bush.(not to mention the thousands it costs to modify them and lift them. If you type in toyota turbo in ebay, you will find one for 16k that looks the goods.
Andrew

I appreciate the helpful advice. I will have a look through the LCOOL website as suggested. I will also have a look at ebay.
When I am looking at vehicles, can you give me an idea of the mileage that is reasonable? At what mileage would an average motor need to be reconditioned? Is the motor the only major component that needs reconditioning?