Hey my name is Jordan and I'm just getting into overlanding. I'm looking to buy a vehicle in the next couple of months and had a couple of questions. After doing a lot of research I think I've narrowed it down to either an 80 or 100 series land cruiser but I can't decide. The rig will also be my daily driver and eventually I would like to do a diesel swap in whatever I get simply for the better torque and mileage. In your opinion would the 100 or the 80 fit my needs better. Thanks in advance for all the help.
Just getting into overlanding, looking for rig suggestions?
- Thread starter Jordancb0321
- Start date
Traveler II
Hi Jordan! Very few people have converted 80 series and even fewer have converted 100s. In my opinion the 100 is a much better daily driver (have owned both) but if you have your eyes set on a diesel conversion I think the 80 is a better candidate. 6cyl is a very heavy engine closer to 4bt weights where the v8 is much lighter and requires less clearance. I think due to the IFS and built for v8 your engine selections will be very narrow unless you have a LOT of money, in which case take your pick! ;-) IF you are waiting for the Cummins crate engine you might want to think about that once carefully too as the LCs are very heavy and you may not get the performance and mpg you expect.
Even with a diesel if gas milage is important to you look elsewhere, it would take decades of driving to pay for that diesel conversion.
Even with a diesel if gas milage is important to you look elsewhere, it would take decades of driving to pay for that diesel conversion.
I drive an fzj80 and love it. It's also my daily driver. If you plan to primarily do overlanding with limited rocks and medium trails, 100 is the way to go. V8 power is nice and the IFS is pretty good. Get one with the locking rear diffy and you'll have a pretty solid rig. Upgrade the front suspension a little and you'll have a very capable rig. I built mine to handle both. I can do Death Valley type runs, hit the Rubicon and everything in between. I wanted to get it right the first time and not have to rebuild it as I go. Thats why I kinda overbuilt it. Just think about what you really want to do with your rig. The 80's are great with bullet proof engines (almost 250K miles!), solid axles and optional f/r lockers. Just plan on not getting anywhere in a hurry. Also, they don't hills, like, at all. 100 will be smooth on the highway and get ya where you need to go with gusto. Solid platform to build on. Won't be doing any hard rock crawling with this one, though. IFS not quite up to the task. '98 and '99 came with the rear locker option. You can get 100 series cheaper than an 80 series now! Yea, go figure. Lexus version even cheaper than Toyota since people want the Land Cruiser name.
I'm with 1derer on the diesel option. Not really needed unless you plan to go on all kinds of international destinations with it. Good luck with the purchase/build.
I'm with 1derer on the diesel option. Not really needed unless you plan to go on all kinds of international destinations with it. Good luck with the purchase/build.
Yeah I'm not planning on doing any serious rock crawling type stuff. I'm really just wanting to build a good overland/expedition type vehicle, something that I can take off the beaten path and camp with the family. I do want it to be capable enough that if a fairly technical obstacle came up I would be able to make it. Also as far as the diesel goes it would be awesome but even I did swap it, that wouldn't happen for a good while so it's not really something that is necessarily weighing into the buying equation. Also if you guys know of any other good used vehicles that can be found for around 10,000 or less that would better suit my needs feel free to make other suggestions. Thanks again for the responses and help.
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Lexus and land cruiser 100 series trucks range from 6k-10K with a rear locker here in the Bay Area. They are gonna have some miles on them, but they will keep on a going! Expedition overland has pretty nice 100 series on YouTube. Should check em out and get some good ideas from them. Cheers!
If you want to make stuff, your options are unlimited. If you'd rather someone else do the engineering so all you have to do is bolt-ons, the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota Tacoma are the best-represented with aftermarket support. Going that route vs a Land Cruiser would also leave you plenty of money for the mods.
If you're truly interested in going diesel, check out https://cumminsengines.com/repower.aspx They're basically drop-in for a Jeep TJ, from what I understand, but it's been about a year since I looked at the kit. They were at Overland Expo East last year and it was great talking with them. You'll probably find them there again this year, if you're planning on attending. If you're just getting into overlanding, it's a great place to go have your eyes opened to the many different options and items available.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the 2018 Chevy Colorado will offer a factory 2.8L diesel option here in the US.
If you're truly interested in going diesel, check out https://cumminsengines.com/repower.aspx They're basically drop-in for a Jeep TJ, from what I understand, but it's been about a year since I looked at the kit. They were at Overland Expo East last year and it was great talking with them. You'll probably find them there again this year, if you're planning on attending. If you're just getting into overlanding, it's a great place to go have your eyes opened to the many different options and items available.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the 2018 Chevy Colorado will offer a factory 2.8L diesel option here in the US.
