100 Series Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon 4.2TD
Discussion
Are these as good as they're cracked up to be? Are the high prices justified?
Potentially need to consolidate my every day cars from 2 to 1 and the TLCA circa 2003 vintage is a strong contender for a do everything except fun kind of car.
Even 200k+ cars in decent condition start at 8k, which is a lot for a 16 year old car that's been to the moon.
Any owners on here with opinions?
Potentially need to consolidate my every day cars from 2 to 1 and the TLCA circa 2003 vintage is a strong contender for a do everything except fun kind of car.
Even 200k+ cars in decent condition start at 8k, which is a lot for a 16 year old car that's been to the moon.
Any owners on here with opinions?
Never owned a 100 series but have owned an earlier 80 series for the last 14 years. It has an earlier version of the same 4.2 straight six turbo diesel and despite now getting on for 30 years old, has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned.
It continues to rumble along, doing 25 mpg regardless how it's driven or what it's towing and, normal servicing aside, has only needed a couple of wheel bearings in all that time.
The rear arches are getting a bit rusty now from the salt of 28 Aberdeenshire winters but the chassis is solid so I'm hopeful for a few more years. Can't recommend one enough.
It continues to rumble along, doing 25 mpg regardless how it's driven or what it's towing and, normal servicing aside, has only needed a couple of wheel bearings in all that time.
The rear arches are getting a bit rusty now from the salt of 28 Aberdeenshire winters but the chassis is solid so I'm hopeful for a few more years. Can't recommend one enough.
snowandrocks said:
Never owned a 100 series but have owned an earlier 80 series for the last 14 years. It has an earlier version of the same 4.2 straight six turbo diesel and despite now getting on for 30 years old, has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned.
It continues to rumble along, doing 25 mpg regardless how it's driven or what it's towing and, normal servicing aside, has only needed a couple of wheel bearings in all that time.
The rear arches are getting a bit rusty now from the salt of 28 Aberdeenshire winters but the chassis is solid so I'm hopeful for a few more years. Can't recommend one enough.
I've seen a few with rust. Arches and rear tailgate seem prone. Even those seem to attract good money. It continues to rumble along, doing 25 mpg regardless how it's driven or what it's towing and, normal servicing aside, has only needed a couple of wheel bearings in all that time.
The rear arches are getting a bit rusty now from the salt of 28 Aberdeenshire winters but the chassis is solid so I'm hopeful for a few more years. Can't recommend one enough.
Is yours Auto? The manuals seem a lot rarer but not sure if they're more desirable.
Rear tailgates on 100s can rust badly, mine was replaced before I bought it. Everything else is fine though (2004 auto 4.2TD).
Parts are expensive, but hopefully you won't need too many. I've had mine 3 years and I've done:
- A rear air con pipe (there is separately controlled AC in the third row - some people just shut it off, I had it fixed)
- Alternator
- Both batteries at the same time as the alternator
- Windscreen (a Defender on BFG ATs kicked out a "boulder" in front of me)
- Tyres
- Centre section of the exhaust had corroded and was replaced
- Pads and calipers all round
- Bonnet latch/cable assembly
- Lost the AC compressor - this is booked in so I'll let you know the (eye-watering) cost. I'm having that done at the same time as some corroded brake pipes that were an advisory on the last MoT.
There was a curtain airbag recall a couple of years ago, they could apparently go off on their own, I've had it done. There is a switch specifically to turn them off if you go proper off-roading.
I was doing 15k miles a year in it initially (now, more like 3k) and got about 22mpg average on the M25/A1/A414 rush hour commute. Easily £100 a week in diesel at those miles, I get max 400 miles a tank. If it gets low I now hit the £99 pump limit before it fills up. Around town, low teens. I've had it up to 35mpg, but you'll only see that if you fill up then get straight on a motorway and drive like Miss Daisy's chauffeur, cruise control helps a lot.
Mine has just flipped over 180k - the timing belt light comes on regardless every 90k miles - there's a tip for anyone in case it happens on a motorway run so you don't have a heart attack like I did. I bought it at 155k but it had had a new short engine replaced by Toyota 12,000 miles before I bought it. I'm not sure what they messed up (I imagine something oil related - no oil put in after a drain perhaps?), but they fitted and paid for that and a new turbo, I have the receipt, it was about £9,000.
I'm often out in the middle of nowhere for 12-14 hours at a time, I volunteer for my local RAYNET group. I essentially car-camp out the back of it when I'm on an event. No, I do not have any flashing lights on it, I don't even have an amateur radio in it
It doesn't drive well, it wallows unsurprisingly, it's a heavy car and it likes brake pads. Fantastic on a long run though. It does have suspension firmness settings, I leave them on "the one above comfort". The driving position is high with great visibility. Seats are good but are built for wrestling with a wheel when off road so no arm wrests but the centre console/armwrest is huge. Seats are heated in mine. It is enormous and I love that for the space inside, but parking can be a pain sometimes. It has centre and rear diff-locks, with suspension height settings if you get stuck (anything other than 'normal' height setting will go back to normal if you exceed 19mph, I believe it is), or need to lower it a bit to get the less able/shopping in and out.
The rear bumper is designed to be stood on to reach the roof. The tailgate is in two parts but once you've got the bottom part down (which you can use as a seat), reaching into the rear is harder of course, so get climbing.
Look out for the hydraulic suspension, that's the only thing that bothers me at the moment since it's only a matter of time before that goes. If it does in my ownership, Pedders will probably get a visit.
They are quite hard to find, took me months. I'd looked at a few that, while mechanically sound, the interiors were well abused. Even the main dealer commented on how few they get in. I had to go from Herts to Lincolnshire to get mine, when it was originally registered in Cardiff. The one I was interested in seeing before I got this one was in Inverness. Expect the travelling community to be overly interested and offer you "the right price". I've even had them knock on my front door when they see it on the drive, shouldn't have any trouble selling it though.
Overall, I love it. I went from a manual JDM Legacy GT-B to this tank so running costs are similar. It was a shock, but now I wouldn't be without it. The only thing I'd be interested in getting instead of this is a SWB, medium-roof Sprinter 4x4 to turn into a stealthy off-road camper - with another car to use for shopping or something.
Feel free to ask any questions.
Parts are expensive, but hopefully you won't need too many. I've had mine 3 years and I've done:
- A rear air con pipe (there is separately controlled AC in the third row - some people just shut it off, I had it fixed)
- Alternator
- Both batteries at the same time as the alternator
- Windscreen (a Defender on BFG ATs kicked out a "boulder" in front of me)
- Tyres
- Centre section of the exhaust had corroded and was replaced
- Pads and calipers all round
- Bonnet latch/cable assembly
- Lost the AC compressor - this is booked in so I'll let you know the (eye-watering) cost. I'm having that done at the same time as some corroded brake pipes that were an advisory on the last MoT.
There was a curtain airbag recall a couple of years ago, they could apparently go off on their own, I've had it done. There is a switch specifically to turn them off if you go proper off-roading.
I was doing 15k miles a year in it initially (now, more like 3k) and got about 22mpg average on the M25/A1/A414 rush hour commute. Easily £100 a week in diesel at those miles, I get max 400 miles a tank. If it gets low I now hit the £99 pump limit before it fills up. Around town, low teens. I've had it up to 35mpg, but you'll only see that if you fill up then get straight on a motorway and drive like Miss Daisy's chauffeur, cruise control helps a lot.
Mine has just flipped over 180k - the timing belt light comes on regardless every 90k miles - there's a tip for anyone in case it happens on a motorway run so you don't have a heart attack like I did. I bought it at 155k but it had had a new short engine replaced by Toyota 12,000 miles before I bought it. I'm not sure what they messed up (I imagine something oil related - no oil put in after a drain perhaps?), but they fitted and paid for that and a new turbo, I have the receipt, it was about £9,000.
I'm often out in the middle of nowhere for 12-14 hours at a time, I volunteer for my local RAYNET group. I essentially car-camp out the back of it when I'm on an event. No, I do not have any flashing lights on it, I don't even have an amateur radio in it
It doesn't drive well, it wallows unsurprisingly, it's a heavy car and it likes brake pads. Fantastic on a long run though. It does have suspension firmness settings, I leave them on "the one above comfort". The driving position is high with great visibility. Seats are good but are built for wrestling with a wheel when off road so no arm wrests but the centre console/armwrest is huge. Seats are heated in mine. It is enormous and I love that for the space inside, but parking can be a pain sometimes. It has centre and rear diff-locks, with suspension height settings if you get stuck (anything other than 'normal' height setting will go back to normal if you exceed 19mph, I believe it is), or need to lower it a bit to get the less able/shopping in and out.
The rear bumper is designed to be stood on to reach the roof. The tailgate is in two parts but once you've got the bottom part down (which you can use as a seat), reaching into the rear is harder of course, so get climbing.
Look out for the hydraulic suspension, that's the only thing that bothers me at the moment since it's only a matter of time before that goes. If it does in my ownership, Pedders will probably get a visit.
They are quite hard to find, took me months. I'd looked at a few that, while mechanically sound, the interiors were well abused. Even the main dealer commented on how few they get in. I had to go from Herts to Lincolnshire to get mine, when it was originally registered in Cardiff. The one I was interested in seeing before I got this one was in Inverness. Expect the travelling community to be overly interested and offer you "the right price". I've even had them knock on my front door when they see it on the drive, shouldn't have any trouble selling it though.
Overall, I love it. I went from a manual JDM Legacy GT-B to this tank so running costs are similar. It was a shock, but now I wouldn't be without it. The only thing I'd be interested in getting instead of this is a SWB, medium-roof Sprinter 4x4 to turn into a stealthy off-road camper - with another car to use for shopping or something.
Feel free to ask any questions.
ChocolateFrog said:
I think we have similar tastes. I also had a manual Legacy GTB, great car and I've got a van, although not 4x4.
Heh, while I was writing it I was thinking, if/when I replace it, I'm going in the opposite direction to which you are now ChocolateFrog said:
I can imagine the timing belt gave you heart attack.
Yep, just booked it in to my indy on the 17th to reset that light, give it a service and MoT.Gassing Station | Toyota | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff