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Because my job is arguably the best in the world, I get to spend a decent amount of time looking for cool cars to write about. That takes me down many, many rabbit holes, which I enjoy. Sometimes, though, the cool stuff comes to you in ways you don’t expect—and this is a story about that.
I was trawling through Instagram when I spotted a weird 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser offered for sale by Car Cave USA in Aiken, South Carolina. I’d never seen one of these, so I sent it to the boys in the Slack chat. Stephen, our weekend editor, did a little digging and learned that instead of a normal soft top, the European-market 1999 HZJ73 sported a folding windshield, removable side glass, and a roll hoop, with a removable hardtop. The result is this cool open-air cruiser.
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Car Cave USA
Now, stumbling across one of these on Instagram is nothing crazy. But within a matter of hours, this oddball popped up again—two more times. Listen to this.
I was digging through Toyota’s (insanely cool) timeline site, blindly clicking on links in hopes of finding some old Japanese language ads. Problem is, I don’t speak Japanese all that well, so I was a little lost. I clicked on one that said ランドクルーザー, or “Randokurūzā,” and boom! There was the 70 Series with the fold-down windshield again!
Toyota
“How nuts,” I thought. I’m not sure what the odds of that happening were, but I was geeked to say the least.
Then, my buddy Andrew chimed into the ongoing Slack conversation with news I couldn’t believe: He just saw one in person. In upstate New York. In the boonies.
The Drive
I told him we had to write about this, so he went back to the shop to snag a picture Friday morning. Tragically, it was gone. Do I think Andrew was lying? No, I don’t. He’s as trusty as a golden retriever (and as smiley as one, too).
Anyway, I’m now quietly on the prowl for one of these. They come with a 1HZ 4.2-liter diesel inline-six, which produces 129 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque—no turbo here. Pair that with a five-speed manual and limited-slip rear differential sporting 4.11 gears, and you have one heck of a crawler.
Maybe another will find me soon. If it does, I’ll have a hard time saying no.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
