Help deciding between Land Cruiser or '14 Taco for dd + family adventures

Nice 70 series! Man I love cruisers, love to get a 79 series one day.

My 80 is a total stocker, but triple locked

DSCN0661 by Zane, on Flickr

The taco gets the wheeling carnage...
0525181802_HDR by Zane, on Flickr

 

The NV looks so cool set up like that! If it didn't cost as much as all of my vehicles (including the future Taco or Cruiser) combined...

 

Every time I see your "family" on here or UTOR, it makes me smile!

 

I would realistically double the $400/yr maintenance cost on the Cruiser. Not bagging on them by any means, but with 4 kids, I doubt you have a ton of free time to turn wrenches, and a 15+ yr old LC is definitely going to need pretty consistent work and upkeep (any vehicle of that age will). So count on some higher maintenance costs...if I’m wrong, you have a few extra bills in your pocket!

 

I'm budgeting $1200/yr on parts and mods in addition to usual maintenance like tires/oil/etc. The $400 is just how much more I'd plan on spending on the cruiser (figuring $800/yr for the Taco), but that's just a wild guess, could be double that. I like to make budgets and then blow past them!

 

I'd say you're about right honestly, my 25 year old cruiser demands more work than my 23 year old Taco. Just this past year on the cruiser I did, front and rear brakes, four oil changes, fuel filter, spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor, new stereo (old one was toast), new position switches for the 4WD system, all new exhaust (old one fell off), oh and front brake lines.

The Taco got an oil change or two and a whole bunch of mods, and a transfer case seal, it hardly ever needs anything.

 

I have both of the vehicles you’re looking at. They are comparable off road. Both have rear lockers. Well, at least my 99 LC does. The LC is a far superior ride. It’s a lot more comfortable and gas mileage is almost the same. If you have any questions; fire away.

 

My LandCruiser is for sale to fund a different car project.

Dude, I seriously am grinding my teeth every time I look at the calendar while being stuck here in Illinois. There are some cool people but the place physically sucks. Two governors in a row in federal prison for shenanigans, no state budget for I don't know how many years now and taxes on property owners going up fast. I'm talking to the Misso and we want to spend some time around Cedar City to see what the vibe is like before we we start searching in earnest.

 

I think I'd prefer an ATRAC Cruiser and likely 03+ for the 5-spd transmission, but that's good to know. Going by crowdsourced data on Fuelly.com, looks like the Cruiser will average around 13mpg and the Taco about 17, though most on fuelly probably don't have an additional 2" lift so it might only be 16.

How's your '99 Cruiser on maintenance? I'll try to find one with all of the basics done (starter contacts, timing belt, heater tees, etc.).

 

These especially, annoying work to say the least

 

Yeah... I used to do all of my own work. Now I'm established in my career so with a bit more room in the budget and 4 little ones running around, you can imagine how that goes!

 

I didn't hear that. Nope, nuh huh

I get all that. I'd rather live in Utah than Illinois though. Used to live near Scott AFB, didn't enjoy it that much. Granted that was a long while ago. As far as I know, Utah passed a budget for 2018, but I haven't followed that much at all. Cedar City is a sweet area as well. Seems a lot more mellow than than the SLC area. Let me know if you come this way, I'd be glad to talk trucks and explore that area with you if you'd like.

RE: taxes, I guess it helps when your'e a single guy that lives in an apartment.

 

I can’t say enough good things about that Landcruiser. Tell me you’ve already been asking questions on iH8mud.com. At 358k the only thing I’ve had to do maintenance-wise is:

Timing belt every 100k $900
Steering rack w/ install @ 350k $775

I have also done the following:
OME 3” lift, SPC uppers with Slee diff drop $4k installed.
ARB Bumper will run you $1000
Gamiviti 3/4 flat rack $800
Snorkel $100 plus parts DIY
ARB Diff and Trans breather extension


Runs like a champ. I just don’t have issues with my LC.

The TX Baja:
ARB front bumper Deluxe bull bar
Prinsu Cabrac
ATC Camper shell
Ragu Bed Side stiffners
Soon:
3” Dobinsons lift (sitting in garage)
SPC Uppers
265s will be 285s KO2s

I love both of them and switch out which one I drive all the time. You can’t go wrong and both are bulletproof for the most part. Just keep up with them like you would any other vehicle. You’ll find that if you do, they’ll last a lot longer than any other vehicle on the road. Let us know what you go with.

 

Yep, I've been doing lots of reading on MUD. For the curious, I've posted this same poll and questions there and the responses are actually pretty similar, with a bit more preference for the Cruiser there (as expected);

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/he...-or-14-taco-for-dd-family-adventures.1070396/

 

We are literally eight miles south of Scott AFB near the "Freedom Farm" American Legion Hall. Its rural and every town is ten-is minutes away. Plus I have 12 acres to bow hunt on all to myself.

I want to pull the trigger on a 40 series ute out of either Australia or South Africa but I'm out of shop space here - already selling a different toy for that reason - and selling the 77 would allow me to buy the ute and then start talking to a guy in California that does work on old 356's. I can deliver it to Utah if you like. ;-)

 

Camping in remote places would be ideal to have to trucks with that many people, its alot easier to hold all the gear and people comfortably ive done many times when camping with 6 or seven people at a time and plus get a little wheeling action in there as well. And land cruisers are expensive and complicated machines then take it wheeling and brake something now you have a big heavy machine that cant move. Plus modding tacomas is all the rage nowadays

 

12 acres of bow territory is hard to pass up.

Honestly, if I wasn't trying to save for a house, I'd consider your LC pretty seriously.

 

I'll put brand new tires on it.. Plus the VA can loan you loot for the house later.

 

You have to go with the land cruiser, seriously. They are practically bullet proof.

 

Not eligible. I worked for DoD for a while, but non-uniformed.