Old Toyota Land Cruiser in parking lot

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Nov 16, 2002
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Saw this yesterday. Anyone know the year?

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Some of those vehicles were so dependable that automakers like Toyota adopted a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. That model/design could span 15 years, couldn't it ? Maybe there's something cosmetic that would give away it's model year.

The lack of a proper rear bumper would suggest it's an import but if I'm not mistaken, "trucks" weren't regulated on safety aspects like automobiles, hence Chevy used to sell pick-up trucks with NO rear bumper (especially S-10s).
 
The lack of a proper rear bumper would suggest it's an import but if I'm not mistaken, "trucks" weren't regulated on safety aspects like automobiles, hence Chevy used to sell pick-up trucks with NO rear bumper (especially S-10s).
Definitely a late '70s–early '80s US–spec model. Those were the normal rear bumpers in the US market because trucks, as you said, did not have to meet the car bumper standards. Not just Chevrolet, but almost every pickup manufacturer made available base-model pickups without rear bumpers at the time.

New Land Cruisers were scarce at dealers in the eastern US, and Toyota could have sold loads of them here. You seldom saw new ones on the road here. Lots of people wanted one in the '70s. The dealers here said those were mostly sold in the western US and claimed they couldn't even order one because Toyota restricted availability.

The standard engine was essentially an improved clone of the Chevrolet straight-six, and some parts famously would still interchange between the Chevrolet and Toyota versions. The word is that the US government had a lot of influence on the design, because it wanted allies to have a serviceable Jeep–style vehicle for military use if hostilities had kicked off with the USSR during the 1950s. Toyota had already copied the Chevrolet six on its few pre–WWII vehicles.
 
Straight six, drum brakes on all 4 corners. It’s like an on-road tractor, pleasant to 40 mph. Torque for daaaaays. The triangle panel forward of the door pops open for fresh air, which you want really bad and love that it’s there!
 
I’m kicking myself for not snapping a photo of a beautifully restored ’63 Impala at the donut shop this morning. It was absolutely flawless! 🥹
 
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