why not a USDM LC80 or LC100? Parts and service would not be an issue, especially since you will using them for a DD.
Or are you specifically looking for a RHD unit and/or something unique?
I think he wants something that’s a bit rare stateside and unique.
A doctor I know bought an old FJ. They’re cool, but they are what the are. He told me he wanted that as a daily……. I said keep it for you sundaes on sunday ride, and maybe let the kids drive it in the high school homecoming parade or something. What it came down to was he just wanted something he could flex with around his other buddies that own more patigonia than they should. He had a guy fix it all up. It was nice I’ll say that.
That whole situation lasted about a summer. They’re fun, no doubt, but a daily family car commuter? No. They’re rough, noisy, kinda slow, and don’t have power steering, at least his anyway.
Last I talked to him he quizzed me about the new bronco. He was thinking about selling the FJ and going with a bronco 4 door. I told him for what he’s after, that’s probably perfect really. His infatuation with kitchy cool didn’t last very long.
Dailying something that’s not necessarily easy to own is a real labor of love. It’s hard to buy parts for things that get sold here these days, I can’t even appreciate how difficult it would be to get something that was never really sold here with the current state of affairs.
You guys are right, the heart wants what the heart wants and you’ll have to scratch that itch eventually otherwise you’re going to sit someday in your rocking chair and have regrets.
I think where the doctor I am speaking of went wrong though is that he had a lot of great ideas, to him at least. He was a money guy that can’t hardly fill his own washer fluid, so it wasn’t about the tinkering. The wife didn’t care about it. She was too busy with her gig, and like many wives, well, just people anymore really, their free time is spent on social media staring at the rest of the world on the book face….. Top off is only fun on a nice day. On a cold day it’s miserable. He wasn’t into Off-roading or expedition. Literally took the FJ off the payment one time. I feel like he fell in love with the thought and the romance of the idea, but once the practicality and reality sets in, the romance of it went away for him.
I know my post does read a bit preachy. Identify what it is you’re really after. Is it flexing on your buddies? Strangers? Infatuation? Doe the obscureness of offshore Toyotas make you feel tingly inside? Does it make the wife feel tingly (that’s and entirely appropriate reason by itself right there!) Just the thought of what if? Is it going to be just jewelry for you?
I’m not nay saying, quite the opposite. I’m a who needs an excuse when you have a reason kinda of guy. All I’m saying is find what is really motivating you to want to go down this path. Once you really have identified that, then you can hopefully execute this properly to accomplish all of your goals. And not just be yet another individual thats had the obscure kitchy cool thing that lasted only so long once bored of it.
