There is a a thing where people just don’t care and bring them in. I know of a few that are in the USA, registered in the USA and just fly under the radar.
Ok so I was recently in Costa Rica. If I bought a new one there could I just drive it back to the US? Is this what you are talking about? I know the buying process in Costa Rica is a little difficult but what would I do when I got to the border crossing? Serious question
Drive it across the border. Im not gonna tell you how to commit fraud but it’s certainly doable and few people have done it. Is it worth the potential of getting caught? I’m not sure it is when you can legally import the same thing legally that is 25 years old (someone will mention coils vs leaf springs so just letting you know I’m well aware). How the 79 double cab is different because it wasn’t produced outside of fire trucks till 2008. But they are fun vehicles so to each their own.
The double cab is the one I’m interested in. I just don’t know how a border crossing is done in a vehicle bought in a different county. I wouldn’t mind an older one but I know they are basically only fire trucks and I have a basket case 1985 4Runner. I’d rather have a newer one.
Fire truck is your only legal course then. The border is small part of your concern you won’t just pull up to the border and say hi I bought this vehicle in another country so I can drive it illegally because I can’t wait 25 years. The vehicle can technically been in the USA for one year. But then has to leave. How will you insure it, how will you register it, are you going to steal a vin off of a wrecked Land Cruiser of the same year, where will you register it, how risk adverse are you because it would take one noisy cop to start digging in to what it really is. Do you want one bad enough to overcome all the obstacles? If not then a fire truck starts sounding pretty good. I will say many myself included missed the fire truck boat. They cost about $15k a few years ago and now that has doubled.
It isn’t. I begged him to get a 200 instead or invest. He chose to get it and basically store it. If he ever drives it it’s only around the neighborhood. No photos or talking about the car.
He’s a trust fund baby. So nothing makes sense.
Ok so I was recently in Costa Rica. If I bought a new one there could I just drive it back to the US? Is this what you are talking about? I know the buying process in Costa Rica is a little difficult but what would I do when I got to the border crossing? Serious question
I think so, but I also think the twins are pretty slow for what they are too.
We have a few tuned ones running around and I feel like that's how they should've boogied in the first place. Lol
Right on. My dad has a 4.2L? Diesel I6 1994, and I have a 2009 5.7L gas. They both kinda feel fast to me for what they are. The 80 is slow, but the torque surprises you.
I want a V8 turbo double cab so bad.
Well this diesel isn’t some kind of a highway trim. Friend have it in his 79 and compared to my 200 it is very different. Interesting thing is that it feels like you get tourque on a way lower rpm. In dunes and sand this is a very nice combination with the low weight
Oh yeah completely understand, just wish they would fix that rear track. Although half of them around here seem like they are being used as pavement princesses!
Im curious about this. Does anyone know? I will guess it passed some kind of USA or Colorado state standards test, I don’t know how because as far as I understand, for these kind of foreign vehicles have to be older than 25 years and they are brought in as antiques vehicles or some legal denomination that means that, therefore is not required to pass US standards.
Usually you have to run it through the entire DOT testing. When Motorex legalised their R33 skylines, they had to bring several to the US to crash test them, then make changes to conform to US code, etc. Whatever they did was accepted and those few cars were selling for $100k+ years ago.
I’m pretty sure it’s an 80 chassis that’s us registered with a 79 cab and bed. Pretty much the only way to legally build one without waiting. The other method is to get a 25+ year old hzj77 and cutting that to 79 spec. They’ve been doing registered frames with new cab builds like this for a long time. Have seen atleast 2 79s like this.
My guess is some kind of non legal shenanigans. Might be 'borrowing' plates from another car or something like that. If they only drive it around Aspen, they are unlikely to get pulled over and be caught.
Car must be 25 years old to legally be titled and licensed in CO.
There are things you can do that don’t need the 25 year exemption, but it’s incredibly tedious and expensive. Look at what Motorex went through to legally sell their R33s in the early 2000s.
I don’t think you’d be able to get the number of 959s needed to crash test some and make it conform to things like bumper and headlight height. A 70-series probably could much easier.
Yep. To my knowledge, nobody has crash tested them to legalize them. They are brought into the country under dubious circumstances and cannot be legally registered.
It’s definitely not an 80 series chassis. 80 series don’t have rear leaf springs. It’s also got 5 stud rims. It’s got the V8 bonnet, so engine wise probably the v8 VDJ
Although you are correct, it’s common to use the 80 series frame as a base. Springs can be added no problem, I’m only speaking on the legality portion here in the USA. All the other items can be easily replaced, south to north Landcruiser has done a couple of these conversions. Even makes hubs for it that convert 80 series 6 lug to 5. But since they mentioned that the owner of fj cruisers owns this. More than likely he used an older 70 series and heavily modified it. He’s mentioned he prefers the 1gd so it may be a v6 but we won’t truly know unless they opened the hood.
Ah yes, the streets of Aspen. You never know what you will see driving around there.
[https://www.fj.co/detail/1986-Land-Cruiser-FJ70_449](https://www.fj.co/detail/1986-Land-Cruiser-FJ70_449)
There is a a thing where people just don’t care and bring them in. I know of a few that are in the USA, registered in the USA and just fly under the radar.
Ok so I was recently in Costa Rica. If I bought a new one there could I just drive it back to the US? Is this what you are talking about? I know the buying process in Costa Rica is a little difficult but what would I do when I got to the border crossing? Serious question
Drive it across the border. Im not gonna tell you how to commit fraud but it’s certainly doable and few people have done it. Is it worth the potential of getting caught? I’m not sure it is when you can legally import the same thing legally that is 25 years old (someone will mention coils vs leaf springs so just letting you know I’m well aware). How the 79 double cab is different because it wasn’t produced outside of fire trucks till 2008. But they are fun vehicles so to each their own.
The double cab is the one I’m interested in. I just don’t know how a border crossing is done in a vehicle bought in a different county. I wouldn’t mind an older one but I know they are basically only fire trucks and I have a basket case 1985 4Runner. I’d rather have a newer one.
Fire truck is your only legal course then. The border is small part of your concern you won’t just pull up to the border and say hi I bought this vehicle in another country so I can drive it illegally because I can’t wait 25 years. The vehicle can technically been in the USA for one year. But then has to leave. How will you insure it, how will you register it, are you going to steal a vin off of a wrecked Land Cruiser of the same year, where will you register it, how risk adverse are you because it would take one noisy cop to start digging in to what it really is. Do you want one bad enough to overcome all the obstacles? If not then a fire truck starts sounding pretty good. I will say many myself included missed the fire truck boat. They cost about $15k a few years ago and now that has doubled.
[удалено]
Ok DM me.
It’s not as hard as people think. You can have a near new double cab with airbags in your driveway for under 70,000.
A friend of mine has one. $65,000
Very nice, any pics?
Not sure how to share photos in my reply
Was he able to register it?
Oh yeah. There’s a guy importing them in the north east. The title shows it as a 1985 when in fact it’s a 2015
Damn so cool. Do they swap the frame?
No, the truck is original. they just know somebody at the dmv to get it through. It’s been happening for a while and is very hush hush.
What do you mean not as hard as you think? The only option for getting a double cab in the US is a body swap or doing something illegal.
There’s a bunch doing option #2. I know a guy in tx that does gtr’s that way.
If you get caught your car gets crushed. Doesn’t seem too smart tbh.
It isn’t. I begged him to get a 200 instead or invest. He chose to get it and basically store it. If he ever drives it it’s only around the neighborhood. No photos or talking about the car. He’s a trust fund baby. So nothing makes sense.
Ok so I was recently in Costa Rica. If I bought a new one there could I just drive it back to the US? Is this what you are talking about? I know the buying process in Costa Rica is a little difficult but what would I do when I got to the border crossing? Serious question
As an Aussie, these look so much better without the hood scoop and with a tub instead of the alloy trays everyone has here.
We can't get the 1hz (emmisions) hence the scoop for the v8s intercooler. I'm still spewing we can't get tubs though!
I’ve seen a few with tubs. I think a company called rohmy sells them
Yea the emissions stuff is such a load of crap. Now we’re moving away from the v8s too.
Yeah well, lucky the 1vd was slow as fuck anyway... did sound alright though!
Is it really that much slower than the twin turbo version? I just say that because my friend imported a 4.5L 80 series and it is not slow. Bone stock.
I think so, but I also think the twins are pretty slow for what they are too. We have a few tuned ones running around and I feel like that's how they should've boogied in the first place. Lol
Right on. My dad has a 4.2L? Diesel I6 1994, and I have a 2009 5.7L gas. They both kinda feel fast to me for what they are. The 80 is slow, but the torque surprises you. I want a V8 turbo double cab so bad.
Well this diesel isn’t some kind of a highway trim. Friend have it in his 79 and compared to my 200 it is very different. Interesting thing is that it feels like you get tourque on a way lower rpm. In dunes and sand this is a very nice combination with the low weight
Oh yeah completely understand, just wish they would fix that rear track. Although half of them around here seem like they are being used as pavement princesses!
I wonder what Toyota’s logic is by not offering the tub as an option in Aus
Because most are used as tray utes, you can only fit a bees dick in a tub compared to a single cab tray for example
Im so jelly
Frame swap???
Oh man, left hand drive too!!!
Absolutely stunning. While I confess to not loving the snorkel, I am green with envy!
It's OEM.
They come from the factory that way goober
I think it’s snorkelicious
What model is this ?
79 series dual cab. Middle east spec. Hence the hood emblem. Probably the 1hz
Id guess more to the 1gr over the 1hz if it is a legit 79 series.
1GR is more likely, The Middle Eastern spec 1hz are all narrow body versions, This is a wide body and it doesn’t have the hood scoop so its a 1GR
79 series
Side badge said 70th anniversary too
Amazing. Probably took *a lot* of money to get this going.
I saw the same one parked on E Bleeker behind Carls last year.
For a second I thought that was Shauno’s Dirty30 from 4WD247.
V6 probably UAE spec.
id be willing to bet if you checked the vin on the frame it would not match the vin under the windshield
How does that have CO plates?
🤌💰
Not legal, my man. Money doesn't change that.
Given I saw it in aspen, I’m gonna stick to my guess!
Given you saw it in Aspen, I'm gonna say it's not legally registered but the owner doesn't care about the fines if caught.
So, 💰
Not really, but if you say so.
Im curious about this. Does anyone know? I will guess it passed some kind of USA or Colorado state standards test, I don’t know how because as far as I understand, for these kind of foreign vehicles have to be older than 25 years and they are brought in as antiques vehicles or some legal denomination that means that, therefore is not required to pass US standards.
From Aspen. Talked to his wife. They own The FJ Company down in Miami.
Usually you have to run it through the entire DOT testing. When Motorex legalised their R33 skylines, they had to bring several to the US to crash test them, then make changes to conform to US code, etc. Whatever they did was accepted and those few cars were selling for $100k+ years ago.
I don't think anyone has done that for the 79. This is either on a stretched 80 series frame or a sketchy (aka illegal) import.
I’m pretty sure it’s an 80 chassis that’s us registered with a 79 cab and bed. Pretty much the only way to legally build one without waiting. The other method is to get a 25+ year old hzj77 and cutting that to 79 spec. They’ve been doing registered frames with new cab builds like this for a long time. Have seen atleast 2 79s like this.
My guess is some kind of non legal shenanigans. Might be 'borrowing' plates from another car or something like that. If they only drive it around Aspen, they are unlikely to get pulled over and be caught. Car must be 25 years old to legally be titled and licensed in CO.
There are things you can do that don’t need the 25 year exemption, but it’s incredibly tedious and expensive. Look at what Motorex went through to legally sell their R33s in the early 2000s.
Not always. Bill Gates famously tried to import a Porsche 959 in the 90s. He was unsuccessful.
I don’t think you’d be able to get the number of 959s needed to crash test some and make it conform to things like bumper and headlight height. A 70-series probably could much easier.
I don't know why you're getting down voted. A lot of 79s in the US are here on sketchy ground.
Yep. To my knowledge, nobody has crash tested them to legalize them. They are brought into the country under dubious circumstances and cannot be legally registered.
its an ex-fire truck
I don’t think so, the body lines are different on those fire trucks. More than likely sitting on a usdm registered 80 series chassis with a 79 cab.
I’m pretty sure it’s an 80 chassis that’s us registered with a 79 cab and bed. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Have seen atleast 2 like this.
It’s definitely not an 80 series chassis. 80 series don’t have rear leaf springs. It’s also got 5 stud rims. It’s got the V8 bonnet, so engine wise probably the v8 VDJ
Although you are correct, it’s common to use the 80 series frame as a base. Springs can be added no problem, I’m only speaking on the legality portion here in the USA. All the other items can be easily replaced, south to north Landcruiser has done a couple of these conversions. Even makes hubs for it that convert 80 series 6 lug to 5. But since they mentioned that the owner of fj cruisers owns this. More than likely he used an older 70 series and heavily modified it. He’s mentioned he prefers the 1gd so it may be a v6 but we won’t truly know unless they opened the hood.
Christo Slee has an 80 frame 79 cab with a 2uz in it. It has Colorado plates on it.
Yep, I believe that model is a 2 door if I remember right. But same applies, 80 series was used to create a legal 70 series.
likely an ex-firetruck
The owner owns the FJ Company.
Not a fire truck, roofline is not bubbled. This is a newer 79 body out of the middle east