| Toyota Landcruiser |
The Search for my 2nd FZJ80: After selling my '93 Landcruiser in the spring of 2001, Anil was kind enough to let me use his old car to get around until I graduated in the spring of 2002. Expecting it to take a while, I began the search for my next Landcruiser in early spring, 2002. Finding a decent used vehicle is hard enough, much less one imported in limited numbers like the Landcruiser. Moreover, I was looking for something very specific: - 1997 Toyota Landcruiser - 40th Anniversary Edition - Low miles (less than 50k mi.) - Certified Used Vehicle with Warranty - Green or Black in color - All Options Criteria as specific as this necessitated a nationwide search. I began by searching used car websites like autotrader.com, cars.com, and others. I then contacted Toyota dealers across the nation (I contacted dealers in 48 states!) and asked them to keep an eye out for a Landcruiser that fit my specs at dealer auctions. I was told there was little hope of finding something so specific. A few months passed with disappointing results- the vehicles I came across had very high miles (80k+) and most didn't come with warranties and didn't have the option packages I wanted. Then I remembered that in 1996-97, Toyota dressed up the Landcruiser with more luxurious appointments and rebadged it as the "Lexus LX450" to compete in the burgeoning luxury-SUV segment. The Lexus LX450 is IDENTICAL to the Landcruiser in EVERY respect (from the body to the mechanicals) with only these minor differences to make it more upscale: - Plastic cladding on the sides and rear of the truck - Better stereo system with 6 disc CD changer and subwoofer - Fancier rims - Added sound insulation (making it a much quieter vehicle inside) - 20% softer suspension - Higher quality leather interior - Automatic climate control (this is also available in the Landcruiser 40th Ann. Ed) Although I was wary of the snob-factor associated with owning a Lexus and I really wanted the Landcruiser name, I decided to include the LX450 in my search because I realized the Lexus was identical to the Landcruiser and actually had some advantages: - Slightly nicer vehicle (see differences above) - Lexus name means less chance of vehicle having been abused offroad by previous owner - Complete service history available through Lexus dealer - Longer certified used vehicle warranty (3 years / 100k miles) |
- ARB Winch Bullbar- Australian replacement front bumper which improves approach angle, can hold a winch, and provides excellent crash protection Some pics of the truck as of 12/2007 and with 101k. miles on it: |
Background: When it comes to automobiles, the Alaskan mindset of owning a vehicle you can depend on in extreme conditions still influences my taste, and I also have an interest in offroad driving. The Toyota Landcruiser certainly fits the bill, having proven itself from the Arctic Circle to the Australian Outback for over 50 years. In my opinion, the FZJ80 model Landcruiser (produced from 1993-97) is the best combination of off-road prowess, reliability, and luxury available in an SUV. Designed and engineered by Toyota and Araco with an expected lifetime of at least 25 years in harsh, offroad conditions, and with an engine not due for its first rebuild (of a possible 3) until well over 300,000 miles, the Landcruiser defines reliability. The FZJ80 has a 212hp, inline-6 engine (a time-tested design that was in constant refinement from the early '80s until '97), a heavy-duty auto tranny, indestructible chassis and suspension components, and a reputation for reliability in the most extreme conditions. In its time, it was the only production vehicle available with front, center, and rear differential locks, which provide superior traction offroad. In 1996, a pair of FZJ80 Landcruisers took 1st and 2nd place in the grueling Granada-to-Dakar Rally in the unmodified production class. The FZJ80 remains the only vehicle to have crossed the merciless terrain of Antarctica. 1997 marked the final year of the FZJ80 model (and the 40th Anniversary of the Landcruiser in the USA). Unfortunately, Toyota tamed the truck's muscular curves and replaced the FZJ80's tough solid front axle setup with an independent front suspension in the newer models (the 100 series, produced from 1998 to 2007, and the 200 series, produced from 2008-present) to cater to yuppies and mall-cruising soccer-moms. On the most recent models, Toyota has done away with differential locks completely, cost-cutting is the order of the day, and assembly has moved from the famed Araco plant, leading to inferior fit and finish vs. the older models. My 1st FZJ80 ('93 Landcruiser) (owned from Spring 2000 - Spring 2001): |
| My 2nd FZJ80 ('97 LX450) (owned from Spring 2002 - till death do us part!) |
Future: Beater: This is my recently purchased beater/commuter car: a 1983 Mercedes Benz 240D (diesel) with 165k mi. on it when I bought it (July, 2007). This car is known throughout Europe as a taxi-cab, and its simple, safe, durable, and economical qualities make it a good choice for a beater. It gets 23/27MPG, and it's scheduled to pay for itself in gas savings by mid-2008!
Someday:
2008 Dodge Challenger |
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I purchased my first Landcruiser as a graduate student at the U of I in the Spring of 2000. It was a 1993 model, hunter-green Cruiser and it came with all the options including 4 wheel ABS and front, center, and rear differential locks, making it the ultimate offroad beast. CLICK HERE to see pics of my first Landcruiser. As graduation neared, I began to rethink owning a vehicle without airbags (which were added in the '95+ models), so I sold ithis Cruiser in the summer of 2001 with plans to get a 1997 40th Anniversary model when I joined the workforce. |
I decided to expand my search and, after a few more months had passed, I came across a vehicle on autotrader.com that met my specs. It was at the "Roswell Lexus" dealership in Roswell, GA and it met almost all my requirements: - 1997 Lexus LX450 - Lexus Certified Used Vehicle with 3 year / 100k mi. bumper-to-bumper factory warranty - Only 35k miles (WOW!) - Options: 6 disc CD changer, rear spoiler, moonroof, towing package with tranny cooler (it had all available options except F/R diff. locks, but these can be added later!) - Black in color - Lease vehicle; all scheduled maintanence performed at dealer with full service records I purchased the vehicle just in time to begin work in LA and had it shipped directly from GA to CA by my employer in June of 2002. |
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Modifications: .- In-dash GPS Navigation + Infotainment System (version 2: December, 2007)- The Alpine 852A GPS system worked flawlessly for the 5 years I owned it, but after finding a great deal on some used/new equipment in late 2007 and selling my old equipment on Ebay, I decided to upgrade to the Alpine NVE-872A GPS, Alpine VehicleHub Pro, and Alpine TME-870BT Monitor in order to bring the system up to date with the latest technology available as of 2007, adding the following features: - Updated Alpine NVE-872A GPS system with voice-activation, Zagat Guide, and text-to-speech for reading street names - 7" touchscreen LCD display - Full-speed iPod integration with complete access to iPod audio and video, and a built-in AM/FM tuner so I could remove my old stock Lexus stereo completely -Bluetooth handsfree phone integration - Backup camera
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| Before Alpine NVE-852A Installation |
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| After Alpine NVE-852A Installation |