whats your opinion on the old toyotas

[Landy Smurf]

hey, a guy down the road owns a few old cruiser utes and i have been tempted to buy one before i was just wondering what you guys think of them
me, i love them

[Blknight.aus]

they rust real good.

and for some reason they have about 6 inches of chassis protruding past the front to spoil your approach angle.

[V8Ian]

As Dave said, rust:( I saw a mid 70s shovel-nose Corona at Yamanto today, very tidy unrestored condition, still with original rego plates.

[d@rk51d3]

Quite like the old 45 series myself. Rust is the big killer, although you can get complete fibreglass cab replacements now.

[JDNSW]

My experience with them dates to the mid sixties. Plenty of power, only three gears, bodywork tends to fall to bits, seat frames break under the weight of typical Australians, steering is very badly designed and downright dangerous. Fuel tank inside the body is a fire hazard. Electrics only slightly better than Lucas. Blinkers and even headlights very vulnerable to overhanging branches. Carburetter is very poor, resulting commonly in very heavy fuel consumption.

And as Dave says - they rust well, so very few around from this period.

A lot of the major problems were fixed by the seventies (one of the reasons they displaced Landrovers - they fixed problems!) but not the rust problem.

John

[Landy Smurf]

a guy just bought a 79 45series ute and it had no rust anywhere and all trim was in good nick rego till next feb for $2500 awesome buy only downside was it had a petrol motor that had a miss

[Slunnie]

I tend to think that they are not a lot different to the series landys and a lot of parts are designed very very similarly.

Me, I don't think a lot about them, but I do like them.

The trick to getting them with little rust is probably the same as trying to get a series landy with little rust... buy one from inland and make the journey. I've just bought not long ago a late IIa and from between Scone and Tamworth and the thing has pretty much no rust.

[paulthepilot_5]

The old 45 series are not too bad, I would have bought one if I didn't get a landy. As everyone has said, they rust to buggery and they weigh heaps too. The ride on the short wheel base one is truly shocking. Parts are no problem to get if you break them. If you got a good deal on one in good nick it would be worth getting.

Paul

[d@rk51d3]

They make really really good sardine cans :D:D

As opposed to being made out of SPAM cans?

[Chucaro]

I bought in 1980 a 1978 FJ40 ex Government of NSW with 30000 km in very good nick
Used it for 2 years trouble free and not rust. They are very bad on the hwy because the SWB and used a lot of fuel.
The seats were terrible so I fitted 2 Volvo seats and was much better after that.
After the Toyota I bought a Land Rover 1978 (same year as the Toyo)V8 Stage 1 and was heaps better that the FJ40 in economy, comfort, payload and hanling

[Rangier Rover]

The 47 series were the pick of them 1980 to 84, Otherwise the later 45 series 78 to 79.

No problem with approach angle compared to a landy. Ramp over and departure angle can bring them undone at times though. The body sits further back so some think they have a longer front :confused: Not so I can assure you.:D As I have Landys and Toyotas here;) I find the rovers have a better weight distribution when off road but the Toyota copes with big weight and major abuse quite well.
The 45 and 47 were a bloody good truck (and still are) in there days,
I have just finished a 2H engine and HJ 60 power steering conversion to a good 79 model 45. So far very happy with it. Drives very well and has very tough running gear.

Oh by the way... They have a great heater and don't leak when it rains. The windows and doors still work trouble free after many years of abuse.

As much as I like my Rovers they do fall over in this part.

[Disco_owner]

The 47 series were the pick of them 1980 to 84, Otherwise the later 45 series 78 to 79.

No problem with approach angle compared to a landy. Ramp over and departure angle can bring them undone at times though. The body sits further back so some think they have a longer front :confused: Not so I can assure you.:D As I have Landys and Toyotas here;) I find the rovers have a better weight distribution when off road but the Toyota copes with big weight and major abuse quite well.
The 45 and 47 were a bloody good truck (and still are) in there days,
I have just finished a 2H engine and HJ 60 power steering conversion to a good 79 model 45. So far very happy with it. Drives very well and has very tough running gear.


I thought you might stick your head in here and write up something about Toyotas:D The Toyo you had in the shed hardly has any rust .and 2H motor with a Turbo and Intercooler kit would give the 4BD1T a run for it's Money. :wasntme:

[Rangier Rover]

I thought you might stick your head in here and write up somthing about Toyotas:D The Toyo you had in the shed hardly has any rust .and 2H motor with a Turbo and Intercooler kit would give the 4BD1T a run for it's Money. :wasntme:


You saw it as it was:D Should see it now:twisted: I goes very, very well. Smokes the MRFs well in second gear:angel:

The 4BD1 T still has the Edge on hills. On a standing start the 2H has a wider torque curve.

[jonesy61]

I spent four years in seismic crews living in 45 and 47series 1 tonners and hated every minute of the most uncomfortable truck you could ever put on the road. Chassis was too thin, if you are looking at one check the round tube just behind the cab to ensure it isn't cracked or re-welded, nasty habit there as well as above the rear diff. These things were terrible in the bush lift a wheel or pickup a diagonal and your stopped, stearing components in front of front diff so extra care needed not to turn it pidgeon toed. 2H was very gutless on the road but was excellent in slow going, actualy drove one around the Chevoit ranges without brakes after the master cylinder developed a problem induced by dumb surveyors (us) We spent a week without brakes and managed to survive so good marks for allowing dumb drivers to do silly things without killing themselves.

Useless in the desert, landies killed em in the Simpson...more driver ability tho. After a solid month and the knack of the right tyre pressures we were driving around in2wd more often on tracks that were really cut up from solid use, read dry and loose.

Ergonomicly speaking, Too narrow, too short, couldn't sleep in it, handled terribly, two cuts of the wheel to avoid wandering stock and you are on your roof. We had a crew who rolled a cruiser every month for a year. (Instant dismissal until a party manager did it.) After driving 70s and 80series wagons they didn't get better until they got a coil rear end....bloody trucks. Compared to my Disco, they do not hold a candle to a landie. Juggies managed to turn brand new cruisers into junk in less than three years. Driver abuse, smashed trannie cases was the weakest link in the driveline yet I never had one leave me in the lurch.

If you see a 45/47 series just walk away if you discover it ever worked for a seismic crew:D

I vowed I would NEVER own a Landcruiser as a drive car. It actually turned me off 4WDs for years after that job.

[Sleepy]

I have a soft spot for them as I grew up in the back seat of a FJ40, The 45's had the 6 diesel which was a tough old motor. Simple, no nonsense vehicle.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/08/399.jpg

They were great in the 70's. As mentioned, Not sure you'd find many that aren't rusted out or painted purple with fibreglass panels and a 350Chev.

I think the pick of the early cruisers was the BJ42LX. SWB, Disc front end, 3.5 4 cyl diesel, (Not sure if they had PWR steeing) - they even had a dash board :lol2:

[Rangier Rover]

I spent four years in seismic crews living in 45 and 47series 1 tonners and hated every minute of the most uncomfortable truck you could ever put on the road. Chassis was too thin, if you are looking at one check the round tube just behind the cab to ensure it isn't cracked or re-welded, nasty habit there as well as above the rear diff. These things were terrible in the bush lift a wheel or pickup a diagonal and your stopped, stearing components in front of front diff so extra care needed not to turn it pidgeon toed. 2H was very gutless on the road but was excellent in slow going, actualy drove one around the Chevoit ranges without brakes after the master cylinder developed a problem induced by dumb surveyors (us) We spent a week without brakes and managed to survive so good marks for allowing dumb drivers to do silly things without killing themselves.

Useless in the desert, landies killed em in the Simpson...more driver ability tho. After a solid month and the knack of the right tyre pressures we were driving around in2wd more often on tracks that were really cut up from solid use, read dry and loose.

Ergonomicly speaking, Too narrow, too short, couldn't sleep in it, handled terribly, two cuts of the wheel to avoid wandering stock and you are on your roof. We had a crew who rolled a cruiser every month for a year. (Instant dismissal until a party manager did it.) After driving 70s and 80series wagons they didn't get better until they got a coil rear end....bloody trucks. Compared to my Disco, they do not hold a candle to a landie. Juggies managed to turn brand new cruisers into junk in less than three years. Driver abuse, smashed trannie cases was the weakest link in the driveline yet I never had one leave me in the lurch.

If you see a 45/47 series just walk away if you discover it ever worked for a seismic crew:D

I vowed I would NEVER own a Landcruiser as a drive car. It actually turned me off 4WDs for years after that job.


Sounds like the cruiser broke the driver in this case:lol2::lol2::lol2:

[Landy Smurf]

ilove the little swb not a fan of the lwb hate 55series but if anyone has seen roothys red cruiser ute its awesome

[BigJon]

A mate of mine has a HJ47 ute. 2H diesel. Uses about the same anount of fuel as my Rangie! Rough riding, cramped interior, slow, not very good offroad (no suspension flex). And he paid about $9000 for it!

For that money I would buy a Rangie Classic and turn it into a ute.

[Rangier Rover]

A mate of mine has a HJ47 ute. 2H diesel. Uses about the same anount of fuel as my Rangie! Rough riding, cramped interior, slow, not very good offroad (no suspension flex). And he paid about $9000 for it!

For that money I would buy a Rangie Classic and turn it into a ute.

9K sounds a bit rich...Although good 47s are getting very hard to find.
I want one to put 80 series coil front in.:twisted: Does he want to sell it?

I find the 40series no more cramped than the fenders in some ways. The 40 is easier to get in and out of and you can drive it with the window up.
The Bus steering wheel takes up a lot of room though.

The Rangie ute concept.... I've always wanted build one up on a 130" chassis

[PAT303]

The reason so many old blokes have back and kidney troubles is from SWB cruisers,I spent time in them when I was younger and thats why I have LR's,the reversed front springs that push the wheels harder into potholes is the dumbest idea ever invented. Pat

[blitz]

If your going to get one make sure it is the disc brake front end - by the time the got the brakes right the rest was pretty good as well (for a toyota that is )

I did hundreds of thousands of K's in them in the 80's doing bush work all over the territory, standard they are a bit ordinary but like landrovers there is a huge amount of after market parts to make the suspension better etc.

Blythe

[jonesy61]

Tojo was made to work, nothing more...why you want to buy one for recreational use??? My pet hate was the way that window winder would stick right into the soft part behind your kneecap. You couldn't stretch out in it. We managed to make the seats more comfortable by welding about 40mm of strap into the front seat frame, it tilted the seat just enough to support the bottom of your thighs. Another thing to look out for was the oil spinner in the 47...sounded like a turbo winding up but if you didn't clean it every oil change it would plug up.......arrrrrggghhhh, its all coming back like a bad dream......
Good things like the amount of places you could open up a stubby before the advent of twist-tops(bet the dentists of Australia lamented that invention) That TJM bullbar was good for pushing a train with two or three of us roaring up the road in the bulldust getting pushed by the last cruiser...how we didn't kill our selves.....dirt sking with just a rope and your boots on a freshly graded track....lifting the dozer driver clean off the bonnet at about 30kmh...hit him between the legs with the windscreen washer....he thought a snake had got him on the balls......terrrrribbble things.....never own a tojo.....terrible:twisted:

[Sleepy]

My pet hate was the way that window winder would stick right into the soft part behind your kneecap.

Unlike a Defender, which just bashes right into your kneecap!:ohyes: :lol2:

[ramblingboy42]

the first one I drove I rolled(ex snowy mtns swb hardtop)doing what I naturally did in a landrover, it pinned my armunder the door for an hour or so b4 the cocky relised I was missing. at first I loved the power then began to hate it because it got you into more trouble than the low powered landies. I didnt go near one till mid70's when I was working in NT as remote areas deisel fitter (and I mean remote)then the hate affair began again.overpowered, extremely thirsty and uncomfortable and I had to spend some time in them. I enjoyed a few years in the australian army driving rovers again and bugger me if they didnt buy a dog of a thing....a lwb canvas top troopy....as an interim vehicle as they phased out and tested the series111 replacemants. it was a pig....when you put a section of soldiers in it (as it was meant to carry) the back went down, the steering went light and it would wander all over the road. the s111 landy did that with confidence and towing a trailer usually loaded to the hilt. thats just my experience with "tojos".....if you want a vehicle of that vintage go the landy.

[BigJon]

Another thing to look out for was the oil spinner in the 47...sounded like a turbo winding up but if you didn't clean it every oil change it would plug up.......

What oil spinner is that? What engine was it fitted to?

[Rangier Rover]

Interesting this. We have had land rovers here since 1949 and Toyatas since 1966. For some reason the Toyota's have been more durable than the series landy here:( They are bloody tough. They just seem to bend and twist with abuse. I guess the Landy is so well made there is no room for this so they break;)
Have had no dramas at all with the 2H engine and have had it since new.

I still like my Rovers but couldn't have them here in this fleet with out the Land Cruisers as they take the abuse better.

The Land Rover is way better off road but the Toyota is much stronger in many ways.

Hence I have both here;)

[jonesy61]

Spinner was on the first of the HJ47 2H motors they were removed sometime in the eighties when the new look cruiser come out. It sat above the oil filter assy. Looked like an old cartridge filter with a clip on band. If the 2H you have has got it you cannot mistake the noise.

[Wello]

I got a BJ73 84 SWB 2.4 ULP Bundera at the moment. The places this thing has gotten me has to be seen to be understood. Been through hell and back more times than I can recall, but didnt quite make it through unscathed!

Moving into a 97' TDi Disco manual anyday now (well once Ray from Romsey LR has finished with it).

I wont hear a bad thing about this truck, been reliable as hell, I had the G'box re raced last year, and its finally given up the ghost in the form of a leak exhaust valve (after 400,000 klms). Sadly, I need a truck with more room for my son now so its off to a new home for my mud pig. Besides I gettin older and softer and need a bit more comfort!

So if anyone is after a Bundera with every single panel scratched by blackberries, a 2 inch lift and worn muddies with a motor that needs replacing, and more umm "character" than a pitbull at the end of his fighting career, it'll be going to ebay as a "comp truck" base build in the next week or so!

[Leo]

They were very reliable albeit uncomfortable. An old farmer here has one that he claims has never broken down (estimated 600000km) - been up and down Africa, to Asia, Europe etc.

[MacMan]

Comes with free rust I should mention...

:twisted:

[djam1]

Used them for years in the 80s they were a good truck really quite tough but not up to Toyota advertising standards.
The 40 Series had a good body that didnt crack up too badly just deteriorated over a couple of hundred thousand Ks of rough stuff.
The suspension was lousy the transfer cases cracked the chassis would break after a while. The 2H cracked heads and unless you got a good one they were quite gutless. The front Diff housings would also bend quite easily.
But they were reliable I remember using Stage 1 V8s in the same era and they were as good but not quite as economical, although they were better performers off road.
I remember getting a HJ45 troopy bogged in quicksand with American tourists in the back the chassis twisted so badly that no one could get out causing much stress for the yanks lol

[PAT303]

Interesting this. We have had land rovers here since 1949 and Toyatas since 1966. For some reason the Toyota's have been more durable than the series landy here:( They are bloody tough. They just seem to bend and twist with abuse. I guess the Landy is so well made there is no room for this so they break;)
Have had no dramas at all with the 2H engine and have had it since new.

I still like my Rovers but couldn't have them here in this fleet with out the Land Cruisers as they take the abuse better.

The Land Rover is way better off road but the Toyota is much stronger in many ways.

Hence I have both here;)
When was the last time you saw a 60's or 70's vintage cruiser driving around?,2's,2a's and 3's are everywere.Having serviced-repaired both makes they both have there strenghs and weak points.The reason that tojo's took over is because of the bigger engine and higher road speed,nothing else.My defender has been the better vehicle by far compared to similar aged and abused tojo's that I have been around,none of my mates troopy's can touch it and neither can either of my last two work ones.When it comes to strengh the only part on a troopy that is stronger is the pinion in the diff's,the crown wheels are no better than LR's and the gearbox's are a complete POS, the 1HZ's have overheating trouble from new,LR's take years of non service before it happens to them. Pat

[Rangier Rover]

When was the last time you saw a 60's or 70's vintage cruiser driving around?,2's,2a's and 3's are everywere.Having serviced-repaired both makes they both have there strenghs and weak points.The reason that tojo's took over is because of the bigger engine and higher road speed,nothing else.My defender has been the better vehicle by far compared to similar aged and abused tojo's that I have been around,none of my mates troopy's can touch it and neither can either of my last two work ones.When it comes to strengh the only part on a troopy that is stronger is the pinion in the diff's,the crown wheels are no better than LR's and the gearbox's are a complete POS, the 1HZ's have overheating trouble from new,LR's take years of non service before it happens to them. Pat

I can't argue with any of the above on latter cruisers. The early five speed was a disaster.
We were talking about the earlier right, as in 40 series. I wouldn't **** on the later ones if they caught on fire although I have a 75 series with the 1HZ that's going fine so far.

The way I see it on most farms around here the old 40's are still being worked senseless wile the older landys are sitting in a shed or under a tree with something busted or missing. This includes some of mine. Through shear determination I have kept two of the series working here and recently acquired the 4BD1 120". It goes around the cruisers in many ways but still not in strength compared to a 40.
I'm not sure about a late Defender yet, although a 130" would be good here.


Anyway..... My fault here.... We should not be comparing the two rivals as are very different creatures.

My opinion is.... The later 40 was a good old truck in its day. Was basic, strong and very reliable. It was never anything more than a rough work horse as they were designed to be. I feel very fortunate to have a straight and Rust free 45 here as there is not many left with original body and paint.
Can't say the same for the 47 though:(

[JDNSW]

The 2a was 1961-71; I see some of these still in use round here, but I do not see any Landcruisers of similar age - you do see a few from the late 1970s, by which time Toyota had fixed a lot of the faults.

But it is worth noting that in the sixties, Landrovers probably sold a lot more than Toyota did - the real takeover of the market was not until seventies, so there may simply have been more Landrovers to start with in the sixties and more Landcruisers in the seventies.

As far as my memory goes the reasons for the takeover of the market by Toyota (and to a lesser extent Nissan) were (no particular order):-

1.More power giving a higher speed on the road. This appealed to individual buyers, but not fleet owners.

2. As Leyland's mass market products failed, so did their dealer network and distribution system.

3. Toyota responded more rapidly to owner experience - Rover was good at this in the fifties, but Leyland was quite unresponsive.

4. From 1948 to the early seventies, Rover was unable to meet demand for Landrovers. This meant that Landrover quantities were rationed to countries such as Australia, leading to long delivery times particularly when large batches were sold, for example to the army. This is how Thiess first got into importing Landcruisers - he could not buy Landrovers at the time.

5. As the "standard" four wheel drive changed in the late sixties from something similar to the original Jeep (e.g. FJ40, LR 88) to a trayback ute, the FJ45 with a 121" wheelbase had a big advantage over the Landrover's 109" wheelbase.

John

[rick130]

The reason so many old blokes have back and kidney troubles is from SWB cruisers,I spent time in them when I was younger and thats why I have LR's,the reversed front springs that push the wheels harder into potholes is the dumbest idea ever invented. Pat

Actually works better rock crawling than the hanger at the back as it increases traction.
Jeep used the same setup on almost all models and leaf sprung Wagoneers and Cherokees rode as well as Rangies.
I was going to do a hanger reverse on my old CJ, my very first car until I studied it further.

[rick130]

<snip>

The way I see it on most farms around here the old 40's are still being worked senseless wile the older landys are sitting in a shed or under a tree with something busted or missing. This includes some of mine. Through shear determination I have kept two of the series working here and recently acquired the 4BD1 120". It goes around the cruisers in many ways but still not in strength compared to a 40.
<snip>
Can't say the same for the 47 though:(

Same here, there's still a stack of 47's running around in the hills here, only a few IIa's and III's left.

When I turn up in the Defender some of the old cockies get really nostalgic and tell me all about their old IIa or III they bought new.

When I did my clutch a few years back, I was running around in a friends 47 Troopy for a few weeks and had a ball, but geez it sucked the fuel, I'd forgotten how bad they were. :eek:
It's only life is to tow a horse float occasionally. They wanted to install a 5 speed for fuel economy, I keep suggesting a Holley or Weber and a set of extractors and a 2.5" exhaust would help it a lot, :twisted: but they aren't interested :(

It really took me back to years gone by,and the thing is totally rust free (ex Bushfire Brigade, re-painted thank God :D )

[ozzirt]

Mechanically, Ya just can't bust 'em, and even if you could, they can be fixed by the village blacksmith or a cocky with a pair of fencing pliers and a length of 8G. wire.:)

Akawa made bodies were rubbish.

[MacMan]

I learned to drive in a SWB FJ45. That thing with L plates and a bullbar certainly made people look out.

Great fun truck.

:)