It’s been a while since TTAC crackled and buzzed with the latest Toyota news all the time — but this morning, we’re changing that!
Toyota is producing the 1990s-era Series 70 Land Cruiser in two body styles as a year-long, Japanese-market love letter to its most ardent fans. The pricing is bargain basement — about thirty-four grand for either style — and the drivetrain pairs a 228-horse four-liter V6 with a five-speed manual transmission and part-time 4WD. Locking diffs are optional, as is a winch.
What a lovely, desirable, heirloom-quality vehicle. Can’t get it here, though — “here” being “anywhere but Japan”, to misquote Mona Simpson. And the original Series 70 Cruisers can still be found in the United States, although condition may vary (you can buy them as commercial vehicles in Australia as well). This rebuilding thing is brilliant, though. Now if only they’d do the final Cressida, the first LS400, the ’94 Supra Twin Turbo, the 2000GT…
Adequate greenhouse: check. Nice thin pillars: check. No way it would pass modern rollover NTSB regulations: check. Sigh.
This!
It just kills me to see that beautiful yellow “van” and know we’ll never get it.
This is the first time a TTAC article has made me cry, not having access to that awesome blue truck is soul crushing, all price comparisons to full size trucks be damned! :(
I have driven the cab chassis with a toyota branded internal roll bar behind the seats. I’m pretty sure it was ex mine so I assume the bar was dealer installed. I didn’t see how it was bolted on but it was wrapped in the same canvas as the seats and looked pretty professional.
I had a mate who rolled his cruiser without a roll bar. The cab did crush a bit but there is so much space to start with he wasn’t hurt.
It may not have to, depending on how it’s sold.
You’re correct, which is why the many organizations that use these things order them with roll bars or have them installed. It’s especially important to install them on the pickups while it’s not as critical on the troopie body as the wagon body. I’ve had several in my fleet (one without a bar or cage) that rolled everyone walked away.
At least the pillars aren’t as weak as the Defender series. Those, you may as well be talking about pillars made from aluminium foil.
Is that the same four-liter V6 that’s in the FJ Cruiser? I wonder why they aren’t using the FJ’s 6 speed manual.
Logistics. Standardization of fleet operations between, across and throughout the many organizations that have standardized on the 70 series the world over for the past several decades. When the ICRC team operating in my area in remote areas of the Congolese jungle burns out their clutch plates, I can send a motorcycle team out there with a couple spare plates from my vehicle base without thinking too hard about it.
Makes sense, thanks.
I would like to add the first-gen (69-72) Corona Mark II 2dr Hardtop to the re-pop wish list….sigh. But as far as the LC goes, I would gladly take the pick-up version, even in wrong hand drive.
It’s fun to dream about what other models could be re-popped and sold as new if it weren’t for regulation strangulation. We know Nissan was looking at reusing the design of the old Hardbody for a lost cost truck which would satisfy our militant small truck lovers, but what else could we ask for? Perhaps a brand new Fox Body Mustang LX 5.0 with a factory Coyote motor? Yes, please. And for those who really want to go fast, Ford and GM could even collaborate to offer a factory version with an LS engine already installed.
ZOMG I think I just soiled myself thinking about a factory fresh LSX-Fox.
Fun game. Would take two Fiats, a Tipo and a Coupe. No need to change a thing.
And for a real throwback, would love a Ford Escort from the late 80s, early 90s (Euro-South American version).
Make mine a first-gen Honda CRX or EJ-era Civic Si with a factory K23A1 (out of the Acura RDX.
Doesn’t Mercedes offer a factory-refurb program for classic cars? I’m not sure if it’s an option in North America, but I believe they do.
I think someone out these also does full-wiring-harness replacements for older Jags, since you can’t get Lucas-brand wiring harness smoke anymore.
There’s tons of great options out there for new old cars now. You can build a brand new 1965 Mustang, 1969 Camaro, 1932 Ford etc. from the ground up out of a catalog. The difference of course being that they didn’t roll down an OEM assembly line. What a great time to be an enthusiast.
…and there are companies who recondition Land Cruisers, one who advertised during Pebble Beach week, and another from about eight years ago in Van Nuys,CA who specialized in restoring 1960’s-early 1970’s LC’s(http://tlc4x4.com/company.htm).
And, a company called British Wiring(in a Chicago suburb last time I checked) makes really fine complete harnesses for British cars(based on the former company AutoSpark in the UK).
It’s not true that you can’t still get a brand new 70 series LandCruiser except in Japan or Australia.
Toyota still makes LHD and RHD versions of 78 and 79 model Land Cruisers for direct sales to NGO and intergovernmental organizations. Generally speaking, most large fleet operators have them shipped to their regional logistics bases for final outfitting before they’re shipped out to their eventual destinations, but in emergencies, Toyota will assist in airlifting vehicles directly from the factory out to your destination country.
That explains why the re-pop is even possible, then; to some degree they never stopped making them.
Yep. I don’t know what volume they were doing but there are still a lot of brand new 70 series running around Africa and Toyota of Kenya will sell you a 70 series right off the show room floor as a personally owned vehicle.
It’s been a few years since I moved into academia, but as late as the Haiti earthquake, the most recent volumes of the MSF Logistique supply catalog had an item number and handy little worksheet in the back to work out how much it’d cost to have Toyota drop ship you a 78 or 79. Never did it myself but IIRC, it generally worked out to about the high 30s.
below link’s photo is what Toyota claims as average monthly production of 70 series. astonishing growth year by year.
http://car.watch.impress.co.jp/img/car/docs/663/600/html/009.jpg.html
Toyota Gibraltar’s website is one interesting place to kill time on net surfing.
Good call!
Apparently you can get a bare bones, 5-Speed manual/4.4L V8 Land Cruiser in Gibraltar…(commence drooling)
http://toyota-gib.com/English/VariantDetails.aspx?ID=2008445&NTD=40
Toyota should fill these with bricks, import them as commercial trucks, and leave it to the owners’ discretion what to do with the bricks.
Brilliant! Thank you for making my day.
Perhaps this is the next stage of luxury car marketing: take a heritage product whose R & D was amortized decades ago, do some basic safety upgrades to bring it up to code, and sell the car riding the coat tails of it’s reputation. If the Gelandewagen can do it, why not the Land Cruiser?
It’s not like other luxury good makers don’t do the same thing. In fact, I’d argue there are industries out there (mechanical watches, leather goods, oilskin coats, dress shoes, etc.) that sell goods that are about the same as they were 50 years ago.
Alas, I can’t see the trend working outside the image-is-everything SUV/pickup truck/muscle car markets. Sometimes you really want innovation and substance.
I’ve observed several Land Rover Defenders running around my US city. Mostly RHD, but looking brand new and on US plates. Confused, I finally asked a guy getting out of one in a parking lot what the deal was. He explained that his was an ’85 chassis, legally imported and then restored/upgraded in the US, sparring no expense.
All that trouble because short-sided health and safety nannying and ludicrous 25-year import bans.
You could probably do something similar with this-you just have to import a 25 year old Land Cruiser 70 series and then proceed to repair it piece by piece with parts off one of these rerelease vehicles until it’s more new than old. I’m sure there would be legitimate reasons to replace a lot of the components so you could get an almost new 70 series after you’re all done.
“This rebuilding thing is brilliant”
Genius. Several of us of suggested this for several OEMs and I salute the folks of Toyota for making it happen.
“Now if only they’d do the final Cressida, the first LS400, the ’94 Supra Twin Turbo, the 2000GT…”
Toyota would win the internet AND the interwebz.
And they could create “new” brands for these re-do cars.
Toyota Classic and Lexus Heritage (optional: Collection)
With the secondary words in script to the lower-right side of the logos, or with the model badging, so you know what you’re seeing.
So much want. I hop on Toyota’s South Africa site every so often and look at the forbidden fruit 70 series they have been continuously making for that market.
In the Outback where I live these would be one of the most popular vehicles around.
I do like these 70 odd series Landcrusiers, even though I’m not really a Toyota fan. For off road toughness these are ever reliable and strong. One of the toughest 4x4s on the planet.
We don’t get the gas V6, we only have a diesel V8.
They do cost some money, but they are so common.
http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70-series/specifications/cab-chassis-workmate
Just like Pearl Harbor, Japan has awoken a sleeping giant in the United States. I call upon Chrysler to bring back the Grand Wagoneer with a 5.7L Hemi.
http://www.grandwagoneer.com/
pretty sure I saw this a while ago here on TTAC. Immaculate restorations of Grand Wagoneers to better than new condition.
If we could get these in Canada, even if Toyota had to inflate the price a little, I’d be on the phone with the dealer right now to order one. Words can’t express how badly I want one of those.
My (Canadian) brother-in-law told me that there is a mechanism in place that allows you to import cars into Canada, even if they are not normally sold there.
Over the years he has been married to my sister, he has imported a variety of cars from the Kent-Desmoines (Seattle) area to Vancouver, BC, without any problems, for his side of the family.
Biggest reason, cars cost a lot less in the US than they do in Canada. Caveat here is that none of the cars he imported was brand new, but usually 1-3 years old, with Washington State tags on them.
@highdesertcat,
Similar to what you can do in Australia with US Pickups. You can import brand new Pickups, but something that is a year older is a lot cheaper.They are not actually sold here, but limited (diesel) versions can be imported
Just in time for the war with ISIS. Replace that new age video soundtrack with some Arabic pop music or death metal, and you’re good to go.
I’ve been noticing in various pictures online that the ISIS guys were driving Toyotas, but the Kurds were driving Nissans. This doesn’t bode well for our side, now does it?
No the Nissan Patrols are very good Off Road. L70 with 4.5 Diesel very extremely good
@Pch101
They could be using US pickups……….but who will import them???
The chicken tax strikes again! Hard to export a product so protected. Hey, but fair is fair according to you.
The 70 Series Land Cruiser has never seized production, in colombia has been sold since 1984, today still offered as a short wheel base 2 door, long wheel base 4 door wagon, long wheel base 2 door trooper carrier, and a 2 door cab and chassis.
http://ww0.autoamerica.com.co/toyota/land-cruiser/galeria/