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If you’ve ever wanted a classic Toyota Land Cruiser with an American grunt, this Bring a Trailer listing might just be for you.
The vehicle here is a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser. It’s an 80 Series model, the cushier counterpart to the 70 Series workhorse. In this case, the original Toyota inline-six has been cast off for something more modern. Instead, the engine bay hosts a Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8.
The engine was a 200,000-mile example sourced from a 2009 Chevrolet Express Cutaway Van, according to the previous owner. It was good for 250 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque from the factory. That’s a solid leap over the 212 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque of the original factory engine. The new engine sounds healthy and potent in a video shared on the listing.
A forum thread outlines the history of the build, which was put together earlier this year. The engine swap took place with roughly 320,000 miles on the chassis. The builder sold the truck to a dealer several months ago, and that dealer is selling the vehicle on Bring a Trailer.
The engine is paired with GM’s 4L85E transmission, according to the listing. This contradicts the forum post, which claims the transmission is a 4L80. However, given the Express Cutaway Van shipped with a 4L85E, that seems more likely. The transmission is hooked up to the Land Cruiser’s stock dual-range transfer case via a Marks 4WD adapter. The Land Cruiser also comes with differential locks front, center, and rear.
The Land Cruiser rides on a 2.5-inch Old Man Emu suspension lift, giving it a lofty ride height. It’s paired with a steering stabilizer and adjustable track bars. Wheels are 17-inch AGP rims finished in bronze, wrapped in BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires.
The exterior is finished in Dark Emerald Pearl, which is showing signs of age. According to the seller, the vehicle does have some scratches and dents. However, it has a CarFax record with no accidents or damage reported. There are also plenty of factory service records for the vehicle, including the original window sticker. Of course, the service records aren’t as relevant, given that the vehicle is modified and has an entirely different powertrain.
Inside, the interior is fairly standard Land Cruiser fare. With so many miles on the chassis, wear and tear are to be expected. Things look a little tired inside, and the driver’s seat is torn. In the dash, the gauge cluster has been swapped out for a Dakota Digital HDX-2018 dash, hooked up to the Duramax ECU. The swap was made as it was far simpler than running the stock Land Cruiser cluster from a completely different engine and ECU.
Equipped with three rows, the Land Cruiser will seat up to seven. It has the usual amenities of its era, including an aftermarket Pioneer stereo and functional air conditioning. There’s also a sunroof, which can be seen working in a video shot by the dealer.
Overall, if you want a classic Land Cruiser with a modern diesel V8, here’s one pre-packaged. Its modified status and condition mean that it should be cheaper than a cleaner stock example. Plus, the nicks and scratches mean that you don’t have to fret about dinging it up on the trail. Bidding sits at $17,000 at the time of writing, but expect that to lift further before it’s sold.
Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com
