1996 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80

The 80 series market is a weird one. Uneducated buyers and sellers, social media influencers have made it all very confusing.

Because I have an opinion on almost everything Land Cruiser, I will share it here when discussing this particular FZJ80

On top of everything else that’s common sense to consider when buying a used vehicle, wear and tear, interior and exterior conditions, mods, etc. here’s what’s important when looking for an 80 series Land Cruiser.

1st, you want one with a clean frame. 80 series used in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States often have a frame that has been compromised with rust. This rust affects the value significantly and in lots of cases results in the vehicle being worth nothing more than parts. And not many parts at that.

2nd, you probably want an FZJ80 (1993-1997), not an FJ80 (1991-1992) while the FJ80s are charming and I personally like them, the 3FE engine used in them is notoriously underpowered. On top of that they don’t have rear disc brakes or the full floating rear axle. Because of these things their value is significantly less than the FZJ80.

3rd, you want a low-Ish mile survivor if you can find one. FZJ80s are very reliable, but up around 250,000 to 300,000 miles, they start to show their age. It’s common for them to need engine replacements or other significant repairs around 300,000 miles.

4th, you might want the option of factory differential lockers. Social media influencer types call these “triple locked”. Toyota never called them that, and it makes me cringe when I hear it. Still, factory electric differential lockers make the vehicle much more capable off-road. Land Cruisers with this option demand a premium, usually adding 5-8k to the price. This is understandable. Adding differential offers to a vehicle is a $10,000 plus investment.

5th, you also might want a 95 through 97 FZJ80. These had some significant engine improvements including the addition of OBDII, which helps in diagnosing problems. Toyota added a passenger air bag in 95, and the addition of a Magnuson supercharger is only possible on these later variations.

Why do I mention all this? Well because it’s good information to have, and because this particular FZJ80 checks every single one of these boxes. Here are the specs