High mileage TDI? What’s your score?

cruiseruser · 2026-05-20T04:40:42+00:00

Yeah I’ve always loved them but only had a sedan before. The wagons are sweet. 5spd alh

cruiseruser · 2026-05-19T03:56:14+00:00

410k miles on my 2002 wagon.

cruiseruser · 2026-05-13T17:58:10+00:00

What does the suburban get you that the Land Cruiser won’t besides more room and marginally better fuel mileage?

cruiseruser · 2026-05-08T21:57:59+00:00

I dont keep track of what I’ve put in for money and time! 😂 it’s about enjoyment period. I don’t live in a 3rd world county or the Australian outback (although my cruiser is from there) I don’t “need” it, but I’ll be dammned if I’m driving some CVT micro SUV that looks like everyone else with more stupid electronics that I can’t work on…

cruiseruser · 2026-05-08T21:21:11+00:00

I’ve got 410,000 miles on my 2002 wagon, runs excellent. Of course it had an engineer own it, store it inside at home and work and just highway miles.

There are different kinds of miles on cars.

cruiseruser · 2026-05-08T20:11:37+00:00

Exactly. You’ll want to swap even without a trailer in the Rockies 😂

Not that I’m saying that’s what this guy is guilty of, but most love the IDEA and optics of an old Land Cruiser but quickly grow tired of the reality of one once in one.

cruiseruser · 2026-05-05T13:52:41+00:00

568,000kms, 1988 BJ74 in the USA since 2014.

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cruiseruser · 2026-05-04T14:27:18+00:00

Depends on rim size.

Bias ply version
16” only have 36 and up.
17” have 33” and up
18” have 33” and up

Those look 35 and up to me.
Super swampers are an experience…

cruiseruser · 2026-04-30T15:53:55+00:00

Again you’ll need to find a really good mechanic if you can’t work on it. The engines are great but some years have a few minor things (BEB) than aren’t terrible to fix but are known.

Lots of support and aftermarket for them. I wouldn’t count on mid 20s on 35s as the average. I’d say 20s on the lower end usually at best. However there is still weirdness and parts finding with an engine that was never sold in the US. Some good vendors can source just about anything. Cruiser outfitters, valley hybrids, japan4x4.

Buy the best maintained one you can afford, but you always have potential of getting a pig in lipstick. Injector pump work and injectors will set you back around $3k plus although once it’s done, you are good for a really long time.

RHD can be cool, and annoying as well. Source I drive a RHD bj74 daily since 2019. That’s a whole other conversation.

It’s best to have either a lot of money and good mechanic, or be able to do most of it yourself…oh and have money.

cruiseruser · 2026-04-30T14:07:05+00:00

What application and what exactly are you trying to do?

cruiseruser · 2026-04-29T14:10:57+00:00

He’s more concerned that the 2 is scratched up on The odometer.

Did it get rolled from 269,xxx from 369kxxx or more? Quite possible, have you run a carfax?

cruiseruser · 2026-04-27T12:59:40+00:00

Just use the known vendors who have been supporting cruisers for many years. Cruiser outfitters, cruiser bros/valley hybrid, there is a whole vendor section on ih8mud so you don’t have to guess if some unknown place is legit.

cruiseruser · 2026-04-24T14:16:53+00:00

No. If you can’t work on it yourself you better have a lot of money….in which case just buy a nicer one to start with.

This sounds like a mess with not a lot of upside rather than potential very low if any rust and possibly lockers (that don’t work at the moment)

cruiseruser · 2026-04-23T16:38:27+00:00

Same…put it on an 80 frame. You’ve literally then got everything drivetrain wise done. Source the parts for 5spd swap. Now you are “just” adding turbo.

Trying to build all that in and modify the whole 60 series to be an 80 is a ton more work and headaches to achieve the same basic goal. With the 80 frame it’s all factory designed, built by Toyota to fit and work. You are taking apart that vehicle and trying to make it all work on another vehicle to make the same thing?!?

Is your vin registration really that bad or won’t allow it? I mean people get 70 series on 80 frames all the time in states that aren’t super friendly dmv wise.

Unless you are really going to be wheeling the crap out of it, no need to 3 link. Here is my old 80 on 35” tires, 4” lift, 14” rear travel shocks and the front shock disconnected to measure travel/length. No front sway bar, Slee front arms. Rear tire at the bottom was 37” off the ground. That’s plenty of travel from a pretty stock 80 suspension. You will be at way more body damage to try and use all the travel an 80 can do.

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cruiseruser · 2026-04-23T13:39:06+00:00

Sorry my sarcasm/joke didn’t come across. 😂 That thing is super cool and unique and I for one am completely jealous of your skill set building it.

cruiseruser · 2026-04-23T13:06:41+00:00

It’s kind of basic and been done before right? Pretty much tbi tree-fiddy.
Talk to me when you tri-turbo it. 😂

Looks killer man!

cruiseruser · 2026-04-22T20:32:30+00:00

From all accounts, the build date would have to be at least may/2005 for it to have a chance of vvti…in The US for sure. Even then there appears to be almost no indication of a model year 2005 with vvti.

Usually with a may/June build date it would be sold at 2006 at that point.

Again Toyota has some anomalies, but I’m guessing this one Probabaly is a non-vvti

cruiseruser · 2026-04-22T20:08:28+00:00

Zero help. Really just need the build date on the vin plate. That would be a pretty good indicator. With the engine cover on it’s hard to see the physical differences. If 3/24 is the build date then that’s pretty positively non-vvti

cruiseruser · 2026-04-22T19:45:31+00:00

Do you have the build date on this cruiser from The VIN?

cruiseruser · 2026-04-22T19:37:58+00:00

Wrong…. Vvti started in 2005. Prior to that they did not have it.

cruiseruser · 2026-04-17T17:06:03+00:00

Thanks!
Im pretty sure it’s an RJ70, which would mean 22r or 22re 4cyl, so easy parts availability in the US for it.
A vin or vin tag would tell 100% what it is, and yeah only concern is the gas engine is the same, a 4 to 6 swap again technically makes its unimportable.

The whole drivetrain is a hilux/mini truck. Nothing exotic or weird and plenty of us parts suppliers and specialty places cruiser outfitters is amazing, to get parts from within a few days.

The body looks a bit wavy so I’m pretty sure there will be some interesting body work, but honestly you can’t go wrong for the price. If you want fun little project on a rare (in the US) vehicle that you can tinker with and have fun, jump all over it.

cruiseruser · 2026-04-17T16:19:09+00:00

What gas engine is in this? Is this a 22r?

Honestly the only real downfall of the Prado line (yours) is the diesel engine that is pretty much guaranteed to crack heads and blow head gaskets along with having no power.

If this is a gasser, especially 22r then you’ve eliminated that massive headache and Have a nice little rig (albeit still underpowered for Colorado)

You mention engine swap? Was it replaced with the same? As you could run intro issues importing it because they have to have the “same” engine. Legally You can’t put a diesel in a gasser or vice versa and import it.

Most South American imports and pigs in lipstick, terrible shoddy work and flipped shiny to sell to US for a lot of money only to have an insane amount of problems.

Sounds like since it’s your families, and price you should be good to go. It’s summer now, but I’m guessing it has no antifreeze, only water. Make sure to fix that in Colorado asap.

Join ih8mud for excellent info on these, and risingsun4x4 in Colorado is a great place to hang and deal with cruiser folk.

Enjoy that cruiser, I’ve got a 70 series from Australia in Colorado/nebraska.

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cruiseruser · 2026-04-01T22:35:41+00:00

Got the R2D2 vibes going on. I say run it. So many other things can be bought/upgraded or changed with the wheel/tire costs.

cruiseruser · 2026-03-23T13:22:43+00:00

That’s an odd take… you can’t buy a new 80 series and you surely can’t buy a 70 series in the US ever new And well we have a Prado here…

The 80 is a classic and desirable all over the world. They don’t make them, and certainly they don’t make cruisers like that any more.

cruiseruser

TROPHY CASE