DIRTHAMMER SAYS

Kingsport, TN

Ask anybody off the street to name an off-road vehicle, and the chances are they'll blurt out Land Cruiser without a thought. Doesn't matter whether they're a car person or not. The Toyota Land Cruiser has so defined off-roading that its name is to four-wheel drives as Kleenex is to tissues. This 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser VX Limited is the quintessential 'Cruiser.

First of all, it's the rugged FZJ80 chassis. That means it came after the somewhat more fragile looking FJ60 of the 1980s, and before the mall-assaulting luxury of the 100 Series of the late '90s and early aughts. The 80 strikes a nice balance of stout reliability and rough-and-tumble ruggedness. Cloth seats, cheap carpets, truckish interiors give the interior a business-first vibe, and stick axles, locking diffs, and a turbodiesel six-cylinder are proof positive that the chassis is designed for going anywhere you point it.

This 80 Series was originally built for the Japanese market. The VX trim was never offered in the U.S., and the legendary 1-HDT diesel was only an option in other markets. They're known for bulletproof reliability, tunability, and monstrous torque. Combine that with aftermarket ARB air lockers front and rear, and you have a truck that is very, very hard to stop.

The seller built this machine to be his forever rig, and spared no expense. The full build list is below, but includes: ARB air lockers with 4.88 gears front and rear, two ARB air compressors, a GTurbo on 18 PSI with a PDR topmount intercooler, new big end bearings, two-inch Dobinson lift, and five new 35-inch Maxxis MT tires on Tundra steel wheels.

You will not find a cooler, more iconic overlanding and trail rig. If you need to see a built 80 Series in action, check out 4WD 24/7 on YouTube. Their main trail rig is very similar '80 named Sooty, and it will do things that would embarrass side-by-sides. Oe of you needs this thing in their garage.