ok …..
This blog is about my Toyota Land Cruiser BJ41 (1980) with
the rare 2b engine. It’s a four cylinder 3.1 litre diesel with 4 speed
transmission. It was produced for the Japanese domestic market only, but
imported to Ireland by the previous owner. I had being looking for Land Cruiser
for a while and came across one for sale in Kildare. It had some body work done and had been
resprayed red. The original colour was white. I would have preferred if the
previous owner had kept the original colour, but then there aren’t exactly hundreds
of BJ’s to choose from here in Ireland.
In the excitement for seeing it in the flesh I broke all the
rules when inspecting a 30 year truck. The fact that I didn’t have huge
mechanical knowledge didn’t help.
Things I would look out for in future
The obvious rust on the underside, below doors sills,
underside rear bumper, play in steering, condition of suspension etc. .
My truck had all the problems noted above, but I was still undeterred
from buying it J
A few things to note before purchasing a Land Cruiser.
They are effectively a tractor and don’t think otherwise, noisy
and not very fast. Top speed around 100km/h (downhill). The lack of power
steering and the required wider and standard wheels makes for strong arms in
city driving. The BJ will run all day at 100km/p on motorways, but the noise
can make any journey over 2.5 hours seem very long indeed. I have found the BJ
most fun on secondary roads with lower speeds and better scenery.
The BJ is probably best known for its ‘work horse’ ability,
due largely to its pulling power and go anywhere reputation. This is all true,
however a note of caution to the unsuspecting would be Land Cruiser owner, as
noted before the BJ is a 30 year old machine built for purpose with none of the
comforts associated with modern off road vehicles. It will go anywhere and will
not give any problems but do not expect all this on a cushion of air. The ride
is frim and due to the short wheel base the BJ will hop and bounce if driven to
fast off road. The BJ is best driven at slow speed (real slow) and with the right
choice of gears.
The best piece of advise I can give is, know and accept the limitations
of a 30 year truck, then any journey can be an adventure with the fun and excitement
of doing it in an Icon that is the
LandCruiser.
Am I happy ….. yes …. without question !!!
The BJ with its original colour as imported from Japan
The BJ when resprayed by previous owner
The BJ with proper steel wheels !!!! :)
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