Decision Time ⏳

[Sabilco13]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out for some advice on a situation I'm currently navigating.

My work has offered me an incredible opportunity to be based in Asia for five years, with the option to extend. This is something I’ve always wanted, so I’ll definitely be taking it. However, I don’t have family here, and I’ll be moving with all my belongings. My dilemma—and the reason for this post—is deciding what to do with my cherished Land Cruiser (LC).

Leaving it parked and SORN for such a long time doesn’t seem ideal, so my two main options are to take it with me or sell it. Transporting it would involve significant costs and logistics, and I’d be driving on the opposite side of the road in the new country, which adds complications. On the other hand, parting with it would be difficult.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, or advice, especially on the potential sale value if I do decide to sell.

Here are the details: it’s a 2002 Land Cruiser LX HZJ71, imported from Japan in October 2021 with a complete maintenance history from Japan and since it’s been in the UK. It arrived with 12,948 original miles (tracked on the Japanese Registration Certificate), and I’ve driven it an additional 2,715 miles for a total of 15,663 miles over three years. It’s been well taken care of, parked under cover, serviced annually, and has professional Dinitrol rust protection underneath. I’ve also upgraded the tires, alloys, insulate floor & side panels, and installed a roof tent.

I’ve attached some photos showing its condition, both before and after upgrades. I would sincerely appreciate any advice, including thoughts on a fair value if I were to sell it—no need to worry about offending me with any suggestions.

I should also mention it has the original Toyota turbo and has passed four MOTs with no advisories.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and for any feedback you can share!

 

[Gav missin]

Drop it off. I'll take care and give her regular runs out. Pick it up on your way home in 5 years time.......

 

[Ben Stratford]

Sell it to me

 

[karl2000]

Ship it, youll never find another one like that

 

[nick_the_fish]

WOW, what a vehicle. Beautiful done.

If you have somewhere you can keep it indoors then put a trickle charger on it, and get someone to give it a run every once in a while and she'll start first time when you get back. Seems a shame to lose her.

That said, can you spare some time to drive it over to Asia - be a fun way to get over there.

 

[Towpack]

Flippin eck! I can see why you're reluctant to part with it! Long term storage isn't necessarily detrimental, if it's done correctly. With dry indoor storage, engine prepped and up on jacks, 5 years would be no problem but those sort of facilities aren't cheap unless you know someone, plus if you do "extend" your stay or even settle out there then you'd probably have to either ship or sell it at a later date.
One things for sure, if you do decide to sell it should fetch top money if you're prepared to wait for the right buyer.

 

[MGC]

That looks incredible. If you will come back then I would keep it. Find a garage to rent ~£100/month so £6k in total. Proper car storage will be 50%+ more so probably not worth it. I wouldn’t take to Asia as there are loads of these around (not sure where you are going?) which whilst they won’t be in this condition, they don’t suffer from rust and hence you’ll find some excellent examples with a healthy budget.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Keep her. Its a rare beast. Will it be a straight 5 year out there or you might be back in between? I am from Malaysia originally and you can find all sorts of 70s there: cared for, thrashed, off readers, modded, neglected, passed down etc. But surely won't be as nice as yours

 

[Sabilco13]

Thank you so much for all your comments and suggestions—I truly appreciate them. I’d love to keep it forever, but with the uncertainty ahead, it’s hard to know what the best move is. The idea of renting a place and preparing it for a long wait is definitely tempting. My only concern is how government policies regarding these types of vehicles might change in 7 to 10 years. I might not even be able to drive it then, so it might be better for someone else to enjoy it while they can. As Towback suggested, I might need to start advertising it now to find the right buyer.

By the way, I’m heading to Vietnam.

Gav, thank you so much for your selfless and incredibly kind gesture, but I’d feel awful imposing that on you.

I’d appreciate it if you could let me know what you think it’s worth in its current condition.

 

[MGC]

I don’t know much about these but going by what’s on autotrader, which seem to have been on there a while, I would say advertise for £27-30k but a more realistic sale price may be around £25k. It will need someone who really wants one for this money. The answer might lie in what you paid, including all costs, to import it in 2021?

 

[Sabilco13]

Thank you so much for your input MGC. You're absolutely right—the final price will ultimately depend on what I paid for it. However, the purpose of this exercise was to gauge how much people who appreciate LC believe this specimen is worth. This will help me determine if I need to prepare for the possibility of selling it at a loss, or if there’s a chance I could recover what I paid for it. Thanks again!

 

[GeekOKent]

Looking at the pictures on my phone, trying to work out what an original Toyota turbo was for the 1hz . What is it?

OTOH, 24v can't be a 1hz no?

 

[Towpack]

Thats definitely a 1HD-FT without all the UK spec EGR crap. AFAIK the 1HZ engine never came with OEM turbos.

 

[nick_the_fish]

Yeah I'm pretty sure Toyota never put turbos on the 1HZ. Its an aftermarket thing.

good luck with the sale, although I still think you should drive it over to Vietnam.......

 

[Junaid cruiser man]

very rare truck indeed !

 

[Firewout]

Definitely a keeper. You will never ever find one like this again.
Buy a garage, store it and when you come back, you put a new battery in it and drive away. Sell or rent out the garage afterwards.

 

[Sabilco13]

Thank you all so much for your comments. Spot on, GeekOKent, and I appreciate the clarification, Towpack!

 

[Shayne]

There is a vid on the forum somewhere of a lady car collector who says her 60 series cruiser is her favourite despite having some real gem sports cars .

She is in the UK and I'd be tempted to contact her see if you can leave it in her care because it seems very probable there is heating and a dehumidifier in her garage .

https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/great-looking-60.160944/#post-1599394

 

[Sabilco13]

Hi Shayne,
Thanks so much for the link—what an incredible garage with an amazing selection of cars!
This could definitely be the answer to my prayers.
Many thanks!
On the topic of potential prices, here’s a link I’d like to share.
https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1992-toyota-land-cruiser-rec14096-3-nec-1124

 

[MGC]

Wow. I was surprised how much that went for. I guess it’s been restored to a very high standard. Not sure if the £21.3k includes and the 6%+VAT buyers premium? Yours has to be worth significantly more than this to the right buyer