MY FEEDLY: Original Survivor: A Toyota Land Cruiser LJ73 LX Turbodiesel 5-Speed

This is an original 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser LJ73 LX, it’s fitted with the bulletproof 2.4 liter turbodiesel inline-four cylinder engine which sends power back through a 5-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case.

As far as indestructible vehicles go, this LJ73 sits high up on the list. It’s a member of the 70 series Land Cruiser family that has been in continuous production since 1984, making up the backbone of the agricultural, industrial, and military 4×4 fleets in nations around the world.

Fast Facts – The Toyota Land Cruiser LJ73 LX

The Land Cruiser LJ73 is a member of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series platform that has been in production for 38 years and counting, with the first examples rolling off the production line back in ’84.
The 70 series was developed as a replacement for the wildly popular 40 series Land Cruisers, a model range that included the venerable FJ40.
70 series Land Cruisers were more of a design evolution rather than a blank slate reengineering of the 40 series, they both have steel ladder frame chassis, leaf springs front and back as well as live axles, and a simple steel body designed for toughness. Later examples of the 70 series would receive front coil springs.
The Land Cruiser LJ73 LX you see here is a 2.4 liter inline-four cylinder turbocharged model, it has a 5-speed manual transmission and a two-speed transfer case. This vehicle was delivered new to France and has since been imported into the USA. It’s now being offered for sale out of Triumph, Idaho.

The 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

When it was released in 1984 the 70 series Land Cruiser had gigantic shoes to fill. It was tasked with replacing the 40 series Land Cruisers that had been almost singlehandedly responsible for establishing the rock solid reputation the model family had acquired.

This LJ73 is fitted with chromed steel wheels and 32 × 11.50″ Maxxis Bighorn 764 M/T white-letter tires.

Rather than starting from scratch on the new design, Toyota instead took all the elements of the 40 series that had made it popular and rolled them into the new 70 series model family.

Both the 40 and 70 series would be fitted with a strong ladder frame chassis, leaf springs front and back, lives axles at both ends, with simple steel bodies and a range of indestructible engines and transmissions.

This isn’t to say that no improvements were made of course, the 40 series was 24 years old by 1984 after all and it was showing its age both inside and out.

The 70 series Land Cruiser body was far more modern and angular, it also offered more room for occupants, more comfortable interiors and much improved NVH, or noise, vibration, and harshness.

Though it wasn’t known at the time of the new model’s release, it would prove to be such a successful successor to the 40 series that it would remain in production for 38 years as of 2022, with no end in sight.

This is the 2.4 liter inline-four turbocharged cylinder engine, it has a reputation for incredible reliability.

One reason the 70 series isn’t particularly well known in the United States is that Toyota never officially imported it into the country, or into countries like India, Mexico, Brazil, and Korea.

This has left unofficial grey market imports very popular, as they offer Americans a chance to own what is a rare and highly desirable four-wheel drive in the United States.

The Land Cruiser LJ73 LX Turbodiesel Shown Here

The vehicle you see here is an original 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser LJ73 LX that was delivered new to France.

As mentioned in the introduction its powered by the bulletproof 2.4 liter turbodiesel inline-four cylinder engine, which sends power back through a 5-speed transmission and a two-speed (high/low) transfer case to either the rear axle only or both the front and rear axle.

The L73 is one of the medium-length wheelbase versions of the 70 series, offering the convenience of a little more cargo room without losing the benefits of a shorter wheelbase.

The spec sheet on this LJ73 isn’t half bad, with four wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, electric windows, a CD stereo system, power steering, 32″ tires on chrome steel wheels, an internal roll cage, and a tow hitch in the rear. It’s finished in red with a classic white roof, and tricolor stripes down each side.

This Land Cruiser is a survivor not a restored trailer queen, so it does show signs of age and use, however true fans of the model wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you’d like to read more about this LJ73 or place a bid you can visit the listing here. It’s being offered for sale out of Triumph, Idaho and not comes with importation paperwork, French-language service records, and a clean Idaho title in the owner’s name.