The 80-Series Land Cruiser is legendary and finds a sweet spot between mechanical simplicity and modern refinement. Interestingly, while you could option this vehicle with a plethora of modern comforts, you could also specify a Poverty Package, which, as the name suggests, stripped the Land Cruiser back to basics. Toyota recognized that they’d built a do-it-all vehicle that could be both a family hauler and daily driver but also assist frontline agencies in the harshest environments. Regardless of the spec, the 80 Series will always be underpinned by a pinnacle overland platform. It’s for these reasons and others that this model has been steadily appreciating in value as discussed by Matt Scott in Why The Land Cruiser 80 Series Is The Next Classic 4WD. In this article, he shares some Bring A Trailer analytics showing rising prices while deep-diving why this vehicle is so desirable. He states: “The Land Cruiser 80 was intentionally overbuilt, with thicker sheet metal than I’ve ever seen on another car, and a massively overbuilt near-commercial drivetrain. In an age where off-road vehicles commonly saw massive drivetrain failures when pushed to their limit, the 80 Series is still strong by today’s standards.” As a result, you can add bigger wheels and tires and an array of overlanding accessories, safe in the knowledge that the chassis, engine, and drivetrain will handle the additional weight comfortably. Everyone I’ve spoken to who is an authority on the Land Cruiser has commented that one of the primary reasons it’s so exceptional is because it’s built like a heavy-duty commercial vehicle and is more akin to a full-size truck than most SUVs. Today’s (234,000 miles) 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 showcases a wide array of premium parts and accessories and has been exceptionally well-maintained (reference the original listing for full details). If you’d like to learn more about this 4WD for travel, listen to Destined for Wild on Travelling the Pan-American Highway in an 80-Series Land Cruiser on the Overland Journal Podcast and check out feature vehicle pieces on Dirt Sunrise and Michael Clark.
From the Seller:
“This is my fifth 80-Series build—we picked it up as a one-owner (minus dealer) from Atlanta and it was obviously garage-kept. Even now the paint is almost perfect. It’s been built up to be a reliable light offroad daily, and that’s how we’ve used it. Duggy’s Garage here in Houston has done 95% of the work, including a full overhaul and head gasket at roughly 218,000 miles along with an OEM engine wiring harness, and almost all hoses, lines, and accessories were replaced with OEM or upgraded. The front xxles were fully redone at roughly 205,000 miles. It has a pair of new AGM batteries, new rotors/pads within the last three months, and a recent full fluid change. Front seats were addressed with Land Cruiser Heritage covers and new OME seat bottoms, rears, and third rows are original leather and in good shape (3rd row is out currently). The carpet was removed and professionally cleaned and Dynamat was installed in doors and floor etc. I have almost all records and invoices and am happy to talk about the work done. The hood scoop is a bit polarizing; I planned a supercharger with a custom top-mounted intercooler. My local body shop has quoted replacing with a stock hood should that be a choice.”
1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80
The Land Cruiser is fitted with a 4.5-liter engine that delivers 212 horsepower, 275 pound-feet of torque, and returns a combined 13 mpg. An exceptionally long-lived motor and drivetrain is matched with legendary capability thanks to a body-on-frame design, 4WD, high and low range, a Safari snorkel, skid plates, armor, and Land Cruiser Products’ front swaybar disconnects, front, center, and rear locking differentials, and more. These rugged credentials are balanced with driver comforts that include:
- Air-conditioning
- Cruise control
- Power steering, windows, locks, and mirrors
- Kenwood head unit with 5-channel amp, Infinity speakers, and JL subwoofer on Land Cruiser Products bracket
- Absolute Wits End Useless cubby hole mount and ashtray mount with S-Tech 6-light switch panel
- Land Cruiser Heritage front seat covers
- Craft Customs redone steering wheel, shifter knob, and center console lid
- LED dome lights
- Center console
- Sunroof
Distinguishing Features
- ARB front bumper with Smittybilt Gen 3 winch with synthetic line and 4×4 Labs rear bumper with ladder and swing-out with spare tire and Hi-Lift jack
- Old Man Emu shocks, medium front springs, heavy rear springs with 2.5-inch lift and 10-millimeter spacers, and steering stabilizer
- 4×4 Labs rear driver’s side basket, Rago Offroad window MOLLE panel, and Delta Vehicle Systems ceiling storage brackets
- SCS lightweight 5-spoke rims with Toyo RT tires
- ARB full aluminum roof rack
- Slee and Trailer Tailor skid plates and White Knuckle Offroad sliders with mild turn-up and filler plate
- EBC slotted/drilled rotors with Hawk pads and Slee stainless steel brake lines
- Professionally installed STI hood scoop and Range Rover side vents
- ARB awning
- Baja Designs and Rigid Industries lighting
- Adventure Ready tailgate cutting board
- Trax sand boards and flotation plate for Hi-Lift jack on roof
- Massive Metalworks hood brackets
- Inverter, 1,500 watts
- Delta Vehicle Systems rear panhard bracket
This 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 is listed for $38,000 and is currently located in Norfolk, Virginia. Check the full vehicle specifications via the original Expedition Portal forum post here.
Contact Information:
Email: evbschneider@gmail.com
