1989 Toyota LandCruiser HJ61 VX 5spd Manual Right Hand Drive Cut & Turn SOA 24v
1989 Toyota Land Cruiser VX Description
Lots of pictures here
This HJ61 LandCruiser came from the factory with a Toyota 12HT 6-cylinder turbo diesel, a 5spd manual transmission, factory cable lockers and full float rear axle. It has a sunroof (that has been shimmed shut and siliconed on top since before I purchased it), split rear seats that fold forward. It has 410,xxx Kilometers on the dial, which translates to about 255,000 miles. Still young as far as LandCruisers go. It's a 24v vehicle with two batteries and I've installed a 24v to 12v converter to run accessories such as the stereo. Currently it sits on 35" BFG A/T KO2's.
I bought this truck in September 2017 and imported it from Vancouver, B.C. I have all relevant importation paperwork and it's legally registered in Oregon and titled as a diesel. I've enjoyed the hell out of it since then, but unfortunately it's time for us to part. I did a lot of camping in remote areas with this truck, but not a lot of time spent on "rock climbing". I'm more interested in going to difficult-to-get-to places than pushing the truck to it's limits. That being said, the spring over axle work was clearly done by someone who knew what they were doing. Nearly all of the suspension was upgraded with heavy duty parts to withstand significant abuse and while still behaving well on the highway.
A friend custom-welded new plumbing for a front mount intercooler, as well as fit a new High Flow Stage 1 Turbo from MMP Turbos in Australia. This has resulted in better fuel economy, more torque and lower overall operating temperatures. I'd recommend adjusting the wastegate to limit boost to ~20psi, I've been extremely mindful of my right foot.
The truck has been incredibly reliable and has taken me to some far away, beautiful places, but a few issues have come up during the time that I owned it:
- The radiator developed a leak AND the water pump failed so I replaced much of the cooling system, as detailed below.
- The starter failed at one point and I took it to a local rebuilder who did an excellent job and I haven't had any issues since.
- I clipped a tree with the fender flare and it broke. Fiberglass repair shops should be able to fix this, or you can source a new aftermarket flare. I just left it.
Also there are a few things that are less than perfect that are worth mentioning:
- When the fuel tank is full, the gauge shows 3/4 full. I have parts that I think should fix this (listed below)
- Some scratches on the roof
- The previously mentioned sunroof. The sunroof motor appears to work, but I've never investigated to see if the sunroof could be fixed. It probably needs the silicone redone soon though.
- The driver's door was replaced sometime prior to my ownership. It was rattle-can'd the factory color, but whoever did it didn't do a wonderful job. Looks great from 10', less great as you get closer.
- Rust. The body and frame are in great condition with only minor rust areas, but the doors all have some rust and repair or replacement will eventually be required.
- The vinyl at the top of all of the door cards is not ingreat condition. This is repairable at an upholstery shop.
- The power cables on the winch need to be replaced.- The front passenger window can't be rolled down by the passenger, cleaning the contacts on the switch will fix this problem- The exhaust will need replacing eventually, it's getting rusty.
I built a sleeping platform in the back, which worked great for a couple summers but eventually failed. You could repair it pretty easily or I can rip it out and toss it. Up to you.
The original carpet is old and full of stains. I recently purchased a full replacement kit, opting for black vinyl instead of grey carpet. Vinyl is a lot more practical than carpet, but perhaps a bit less luxurious. It hasn't been installed but will make a fun weekend project.
Upgrades prior to my ownership:
- Spring Over Axle
- Cut & Turned Axles for correct SOA geometry
- Gusseted Knuckles
- Reinforced HD mounting for suspension- High steer kit- HD Pitman arm
- HD Tie Rods
- HD Axles
- HD custom-built rear driveline
- Iron Man Lift Kit
- ARB Safari Snorkel
- ARB "Commercial" Bullbar
- Kodiak 24v Winch
- 4.88 gears
- Turbo-back 3" Exhaust
- Boost Gauge
- Mad Man Engine Monitoring System (EMS-1) with sensors for Coolant Temp, Oil Pressure, EGT, Voltage and more.
Upgrades under my ownership:
- High Flow Stage 1 Turbo by MMP Turbos in Australia (https://mmpturbos.com/products/mmp-ct26-high-flow?variant=29806513356845)
- Front Mount Intercooler
- Turbo Oil Feed & Return Line
- HD McNamara Drive Gear (http://www.mcnamaradiffs.com.au/driveshaft1.html)
- 24v to 12v convertor discreetly installed in rear and wired to a Blue Sea Fuse Box in the engine bay.
- Bluetooth enabled stereo
- 4x Hi/Lo LED Headlights
- Added OEM running boards
- Added OEM Mudflaps
- Added under-dash device charging hub
- Added 4x Yakima Roof Bars (350lb capacity)
Parts replaced under my ownership:
- OEM Turbo Air Intake Hose
- OEM Radiator
- OEM Water Pump
- OEM Thermostat
- OEM Power Antenna Mast
- Cooling Hoses
- All belts
- Starter (rebuilt)
- Pilot Bearing
- Clutch slave cylinder
- Rebuilt Transfercase (by Josh at Willamette Blvd Service Center)
- Brand new weather stripping on all 4 doors
- 4x BFG A/T KO2 35x12.50r15
Parts that come with the truck:
- Toyota SST Compression Tester for 12HT (extremely rare and NLA from Toyota)
- Brand new black vinyl floor to replace the old stained carpet (https://www.all-car-carpets.com.au/)
- Sound deadening material to place under the new floor to help keep it quiet
- ARB Recovery Strap
- Smittybilt snatch block
- Tire repair kit
- Full Set tire deflators
- Pair of small yellow Fog Lights
- All OEM parts that were removed when the intercooler was installed
- OEM Fuel pickup filter
- OEM In-tank fuel gauge
- 1x OEM air filter
- 5x OEM oil filter
- box of OEM odds n' ends (brackets, heater vents, nuts, bolts, clips, etcetera)
- 12HT Engine Manual (reprint)
- OEM Chassis Manual
- 2x OEM Toyota key blanks
- 2x replica TURBO Decal Stickers
- 6x NOS OEM Injector nozzles
- New Brake shoes for rear drums
- Coolant heater (Handy for winter starts in places much colder than Portland)
- Coolant-level sensor
- Trail Tailor B-pillars (https://www.trail-tailor.com/store/p7/B-Pillar_Reproduction_Panels.html)
- 300 Watt Power Inverter
More Toyota classic cars for sale