thinking about buying a FJ80 Land Cruiser.

[TTX1]

Yeah, but what do we know, us effete Northeasterners with our A-wagons?

I ride past Copley Motorcars occasionally, en route to gentleman farm country aka good roads for cycling.

I suppose you might consider their clientele effete, as they only have two TLCs vs. 10+ Defenders - and that's just in the front yard.

In fact, I rode past the yard this morning and stopped to take a few pics, you know, to help keep this process moving...

Old and older...


Front row, there were another 4 in back of these, and another two on the side...


By far the most fetching vehicle on the lot (including the Aston in the background) - a vintage german wagon:



I was reminded of the LR at the farm at the bottom of the hill where we stayed in VT last week... stopped to grab a pic there too.

[joosttx]

This is basically what I want.

[Lionel]

You did not get it yet ? I 've had time to order two bikes already.

[Saab2000]

I sort of like the current generation but I wish it could be gotten without third row seats, which I would never use. Or I wish they could be factory-approved removable item. Removal of that third row is kind of a hack job. The Lexus version of this truck is available without those seats, but the Toyota interests me more.

[Lionel]

I had a Lexus LX470. It was awesome.

[Jason Musgrave]

This is basically what I want.

Do it!

[rwsaunders]

I had an A6 Avant for the past 18 years and by attrition, I inherited an Odyssey with 120K on the odometer, while my wife got the new vehicle...CRV. I do miss my wagon for daily driving and running around town, but I have never had a vehicle as versatile as a van...kids, bikes, moving, hauling, RocketBox on the roof...and 17-18 mpg city and 27-28 mpg on the road. When the van buys the farm, I will most likely go back to a wagon. Until then, I'm rockin' the van.

[davids]

I ride past Copley Motorcars occasionally, en route to gentleman farm country aka good roads for cycling.

In fact, I rode past the yard this morning and stopped to take a few pics, you know, to help keep this process moving...

By far the most fetching vehicle on the lot (including the Aston in the background) - a vintage german wagon:

Yum. Good thing I stay out of Needham Ctr on my rides. I approach those roads from the Brookline/Newton direction. Y'know, where the poor folk live.

[AngryScientist]

one thing is for sure, if you're driving the car daily in the American West, you want very well sorted suspension, good brakes, and decent torque.

nothing is more of a drag than driving on a windy mountain road and having to go way too slow downhill because the suspension is bobbing all over the place and way to slow uphill because the engine cant get out of it's own way.

losing sight of the fact that most very off-road capable rigs must spend 90+ percent of the time on actual roads and highways to get to the off-road bits is a big mistake.

i'm all for the LC, and would love to get one myself, but to make it a decent candidate for a tolerable DD, the suspension, brakes and engine/trans need to be gone through and sorted properly.

[Lionel]

I remember the trips to Tahoe in the LX470, that thing had so much torque hills were a formality. As long as you put a gallon of gas every 10 miles you are good.

[rwsaunders]

This is basically what I want.

PS...looks like basically no complaints from the people that own them, although I do like the fellow that commented that he spent a fortune on aftermarket accessories...because there were too many available. One serious question..."how do you get a 23 year old vehicle to not have the interior smell like it's 23 years old?"

Used 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser Base Consumer Reviews - 15 Car Reviews | Edmunds

[nahtnoj]

I have a 99 100 series. LX470. Sweet truck, had it almost 5 years to the day.

I've driven a few 80 series. The feel pretty historic by comparison. Never driven one with an LS though.

I don't plan on ever selling the 100, but could definitely see adding a 75 series Troop Carrier for camping/biking duties.

I support buying any LC of course, but I'd go newer for usability (100 series) or older/imported for cool (60/62/70/75).

[nahtnoj]

That is super clean. They can get tacky, but this truck is stealthy AF...

[Britishbane]

I had an A6 Avant for the past 18 years and by attrition, I inherited an Odyssey with 120K on the odometer, while my wife got the new vehicle...CRV. I do miss my wagon for daily driving and running around town, but I have never had a vehicle as versatile as a van...kids, bikes, moving, hauling, RocketBox on the roof...and 17-18 mpg city and 27-28 mpg on the road. When the van buys the farm, I will most likely go back to a wagon. Until then, I'm rockin' the van.

I campaigned hard for a second van with a third child on the way. They are so great. She couldn't get pat the idea of being a two van family...so I bought a gigantic truck. It's great, in a different way.

[rwsaunders]

I campaigned hard for a second van with a third child on the way. They are so great. She couldn't get pat the idea of being a two van family...so I bought a gigantic truck. It's great, in a different way.

.

The third kid pushed us from wagon-world to van-land 18 years ago and after driving two Oddy’s over that period, my wife passed the baton to me. No worries as it has 120k of patina, a bike rack hitch, roof rails and the rear window sports stickers from all of the colleges that have emptied my bank account over the years.

[Britishbane]

.

The third kid pushed us from wagon-world to van-land 18 years ago and after driving two Oddy’s over that period, my wife passed the baton to me. No worries as it has 120k of patina, a bike rack hitch, roof rails and the rear window sports stickers from all of the colleges that have emptied my bank account over the years.

Priorities and a life well lived by my reckoning

[joosttx]

.

The third kid pushed us from wagon-world to van-land 18 years ago and after driving two Oddy’s over that period, my wife passed the baton to me. No worries as it has 120k of patina, a bike rack hitch, roof rails and the rear window sports stickers from all of the colleges that have emptied my bank account over the years.

Thats a got to be the raddest van ever. We have a Prius and a Toyota Highlander. I drive the Highlander and it fits 5 kids and two adults plus some luggage space. And is an excellent car. I chose it over a 4-runner simply because it was cheaper, better equipped and better suited for my needs. However, my wife and I want to get out into see the country a bit with the kids. What I want to do is buy a FZJ80 and have it restored like new with a new engine, etc, etc. The issue is it the purposed plan is slightly out of my desired price range. And I am not sure I want to spend to extra dough and want about a 1.5+ years for the restoration to be completed.

[rwsaunders]

Thats a got to be the raddest van ever. We have a Prius and a Toyota Highlander. I drive the Highlander and it fits 5 kids and two adults plus some luggage space. And is an excellent car. I chose it over a 4-runner simply because it was cheaper, better equipped and better suited for my needs. However, my wife and I want to get out into see the country a bit with the kids. What I want to do is buy a FZJ80 and have it restored like new with a new engine, etc, etc. The issue is it the purposed plan is slightly out of my desired price range. And I am not sure I want to spend to extra dough and want about a 1.5+ years for the restoration to be completed.

Traveling with our kids over the years helped to form a lot of great memories and they still talk about trips to places like Yosemite, the Everglades and Mesa Verde. You folks with the young kids have the right idea...get your kids out to see the country and the world and they will learn to appreciate other people and the raw beauty of the land.

[joosttx]

Traveling with our kids over the years helped to form a lot of great memories and they still talk about trips to places like Yosemite, the Everglades and Mesa Verde. You folks with the young kids have the right idea...get your kids out to see the country and the world and they will learn to appreciate other people and the raw beauty of the land.

That is exactly our thinking. Glad to know want are on the right path.

[nahtnoj]

Order the Stage 2 truck from TLC 4x4, and buy a lightly modded 100 series to drive while you wait?

I wouldn't want to deprive my children of 1.5 years worth of outdoor adventure!