1989 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ71

Description

This is a rare opportunity to own a cool off-roader that never was sold in the USA. This 1989 two-door BJ71 Toyota Land Cruiser was never sold at your local dealer, but imports from South America and Japan (which is where this one is from) are finally starting to find their way Stateside. This beautifully restored/upgraded, unique 4x4 turbo-diesel offers a unique blend of modern upgrades to the original tough attitude that's the bedrock of the Land Cruisers iconic image. Welcome to America!

Let's start with the design: The two-door carries all the distinctive appearance of the four-door modern-classic Land Cruisers that we received in the USA (such as the FJ60s and FJ80s), but this one has amped up the machismo inside a compact form that simply worked better in densely populated countries like Japan. The restorers kicked the look up even further with the addition of heavy-duty ARB bumpers fore and aft, a menacing round-bar brush guard with integrated IPF fog lights, and there's even a Warn Xeon 10 winch if you ever get stuck in the deep bush. The wide front fenders and full set of fender flares are painted the same Dark Gray Metallic as the body, which looks much better than Jeep's of the same era, with little to no imperfections to speak of on the entire body. From the looks of it, this BJ hasn't seen anything more rugged than a garage in a long time, and it can be shown-off with pride knowing that the finish is so dialed-in. The bright chrome grille and the minimal amount of brightwork that is on the truck looks great, and there's even a safari snorkel on the side that looks incredibly cool and is ready to help you cross a river. Many of these upgrades are in fact dealer and in some cases even factory options in Japan and South America, so that means a full parts network is available to you online, but since so few of these were ever personally imported, you will always be unique wherever you go.

There's a lot more "Off-Road Chic" happening on the inside, too. First of all, this is right-hand drive vehicle that was built for the Japanese market and then legally imported across the pond. So, in true Japanese fashion this upper market BJ model has plenty of clean, efficient designs and bulletproof controls inside. The front bucket seats and rear bench are wrapped in fresh, comfortable leather upholstery, the carpets are plush and show almost no wear, and the minimalist dash is free of any cracks or blemishes as well. Ahead of the familiar Land Cruiser steering wheel you get the standard speedo and turbo-tach in the full gauge setup, and it's a short reach to the 4x4 lever and floor shifter that manages the 5-speed manual below. Tunes are upgraded through a modern AM/FM/AUX/SAT/BT/USB head unit with a modern screen, but it fits neatly into the dash like it was always meant to be. There's even an air conditioning unit to keep you comfortable in the great outdoors. Of course, all you really have to do to be impressive is show up at any car show or trail meetup and show off all the original Japanese instructions on the (left) passenger side of the dash. Out back, the barn doors swing away and there's ample room in the cargo area for all your gear.

As cool as this 4x4 looks, don't forget that it has to live up to the go-anywhere Land Cruiser name. The capability starts in the engine bay where the 3.4-liter I4 turbo-diesel motor is the perfect mix of all-out ruggedness and stump-pulling torque. This 13B-T under the hood is believed to be the Toyota's original motor, as is the 5-speed manual transmission that it's mated to, and it fires with ease and runs superbly. The J70-series took the lessons learned from its famous predecessors to make these virtually indestructible. So that means the suspension has been augmented with an Old Man Emu lift, and those bright yellow shocks are joined by newer polyurethane front sway-bar bushings that ensure a great ride quality both on the road and off. And for those who just want the most unique SUV in the neighborhood, this one feels great on the road with power steering, the easy-shifting 5-speed manual transmission, and power front disc brakes. Plus, the rugged 285/75/16 BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A tires are wrapped around black Level 8 wheels and more than live up to their name by working nicely on or off the pavement.

You can tell all those FJ Cruiser guys to eat their hearts out. This is the 4x4 secret that Toyota Japan tried to keep for themselves, but a very select few trickled into the U.S., so it will be tough for you to find another one of these, especially this nice. Call today!!!