Help me make a terrible decision!

Enable me, you degenerates!

  • Shorty taco

    Votes: 7 20.6%

  • HJ61

    Votes: 6 17.6%

  • FZJ80/LX450

    Votes: 7 20.6%

  • 4th Gen T4R

    Votes: 11 32.4%

  • Other... but WHY?

    Votes: 3 8.8%
  • Total voters
    34
LandCruiser

LandCruiser

New member
Need a second vehicle. I have been mulling around what to get.

Here are my choices and justifications...

Gently used Taco 4x4 short cab 4cyl. Low miles, easily and cheaply lifted, put on a higher than cab topper and you have an overland SUV thing. Downside is that it's a two passenger vehicle and 4 cylinders are wheezy at altitude.

HJ61 (totally legal 1980s import). Diesel high roof 4x4 5 speed. About the same as the Taco. Proper SUV. Diesel. Mountain goat off road. Downside is some parts availability, not everyone can work on them--but in CO that's not a huge issue, right hand drive.

80 series. Still have one that doesn't work. Have all the trail armor, and lift that can be a direct transplant. Downside is that these are hard to find pristine, are gas hogs, and once they break they're stupid expensive. Much cheaper than option 1 and 2.

4th Gen T4R 4x4. Cheap. Readily available. Parts overlap with 5th gen. Can even get a V8, if I want. Downside is that they can be in terrible shape.

Other. I dunno maybe a Suzuki off road car:/
 
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You already have a 4runner, thus the overland UTE / people hauler is covered. That truck bed can be handy - hauling stuff you don't want to gunk up the inside of your 4Runner with (or is just too big to fit in 4Runner). That's why I voted for the Taco. That, and I just think lifted Reg Cab Tacos look really cool.
 
Voted for HJ61 because they are just about the best looking Toyota every made (in my mind) and the fact that it is a diesel makes it even cooler. RHD might be a bit annoying. I guess my second choice would be a built 4th gen. I own an 03 4runner V8 4x4 and its a great vehicle and lots of power, gas mileage isnt too bad either. Good luck!
 
LandCruiser said:
Need a second vehicle. I have been mulling around what to get.

Here are my choices and justifications...

Gently used Taco 4x4 short cab 4cyl. Low miles, easily and cheaply lifted, put on a higher than cab topper and you have an overland SUV thing. Downside is that it's a two passenger vehicle and 4 cylinders are wheezy at altitude.

HJ61 (totally legal 1980s import). Diesel high roof 4x4 5 speed. About the same as the Taco. Proper SUV. Diesel. Mountain goat off road. Downside is some parts availability, not everyone can work on them--but in CO that's not a huge issue, right hand drive.

80 series. Still have one that doesn't work. Have all the trail armor, and lift that can be a direct transplant. Downside is that these are hard to find pristine, are gas hogs, and once they break they're stupid expensive. Much cheaper than option 1 and 2.

4th Gen T4R 4x4. Cheap. Readily available. Parts overlap with 5th gen. Can even get a V8, if I want. Downside is that they can be in terrible shape.

Other. I dunno maybe a Suzuki off road car:/
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will it be a toy, off roader, explorer, spare rig?
you were pretty specific on the taco, but I think a 4door would be a nice option. you still have the bed, but much more interior room.

that or the 4th gen. however, I haven't seen ANY in terrible shape. in fact most are way nicer than what I would consider using for a toy...
 
nevada said:
will it be a toy, off roader, explorer, spare rig?
you were pretty specific on the taco, but I think a 4door would be a nice option. you still have the bed, but much more interior room.

that or the 4th gen. however, I haven't seen ANY in terrible shape. in fact most are way nicer than what I would consider using for a toy...
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Trail rig and daily driver.
 
What are you thinking, Have you not considered a mini-van? way better gas miles, super comfy, lots of room, blah - blah - blah. :lmao: :thumb:
 
i voted for the HJ, but if its going to be a trail rig and dd...why not get something cool. something different.

if price isnt an option...

the HJ and 80 series seem to be just that. yeah, the 4th gen will work just fine, but they are everywhere. and the shorty taco can be a great beater, but really...

how many HJ61s are out there..especially right hand drivers...it will surely do the job, and it will surely be one of the kooler rigs you or anyone else will see over its lifetime. Similarly, the 80 series will be as well. and with them being trail rigs, you will surely want that added space for seating or keeping your gear dry, something the taco cannot do.

my 5 cents is in...hoping for change if there is any...

good luck on the choosing...
 
I voted for the Tacoma. Everyman needs a pickup. Besides don't u already own an SUV? It's been gently used. A bit 'wheezy' at altitude? There's no altitude in Floribama(?).
 
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LandCruiser said:
Trail rig and daily driver.
Click to expand...

I don't like this combo. Lots of compromises, both ways. What do you have now, a 5th gen right? And a built-but-busted 80? What's going on that you need another rig to do something either of the rigs you have now could do?

From your list, if I had to have a combo DD/wheeler, I'd rock the single cab Taco in a heartbeat if I didn't have family. 80s aren't cheap to fix, as you noted. The foreign-spec 60 would be worse. And for all of their great drivetrain, I don't think I could love a 4th gen, but I do have family to haul around so a 4th gen or a later 80 would be my choice. If I had to stick to your silly list, anyway. ;)
 
KidVermicious said:
I don't like this combo. Lots of compromises, both ways. What do you have now, a 5th gen right? And a built-but-busted 80? What's going on that you need another rig to do something either of the rigs you have now could do?

From your list, if I had to have a combo DD/wheeler, I'd rock the single cab Taco in a heartbeat if I didn't have family. 80s aren't cheap to fix, as you noted. The foreign-spec 60 would be worse. And for all of their great drivetrain, I don't think I could love a 4th gen, but I do have family to haul around so a 4th gen or a later 80 would be my choice. If I had to stick to your silly list, anyway. ;)
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I'm splitting time between two states and essentially need another truck since I'll be driving between CO and AL, with the potential to leave one in one state if necessary. I go into the mountains enough that I want both vehicles to be capable on and off road, and in the snow and ice.

The 5th gen is "good enough" off road and I just need something to approximate that. I'd live a trail monster, but the 80 series has taught me that a vehicle that is used to bash on the weekends may not be driveable on Monday:roadkill:

The HJ made the list because I've always had a soft spot for foreign Land Cruisers, having owned one back when I lived in Australia.
 
These get my votes for terrible but kind of cool decisions
 

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MN4runnerman said:
Ehh way too ugly of a vehicle. I've been looking for a POS Mazda MPV for awhile to make a mobile ice fishing house out of. We'll see how that works out
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If you drill out the floorboards to fish directly out of the vehicle, please post photos. Cuz that'd be badass.
 
They're beautiful for sure. One of my dream trucks is a 60 body on an 80 frame and suspension with a 2uz under the hood. Best of all three worlds IMO.
 
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