Vehicle Description
This 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser was sold new in California and
remained here until 2006 when it made its way to Kentucky. Nine
years later it returned to California and received a significant
amount of restoration and service work. Our customer, who purchased
the car from a reputable dealer in Grand Rapids, Michigan had the
car shipped to California and instructed us to facilitate a
restoration that would ensure reliable performance and presentable
cosmetics without going so far that he would be afraid to use it.
Upon arrival we inspected the car for rust and found nothing more
than surface rust on the chassis and an excellent body and doors.
All drain holes in the doors and tailgate were clean and clear. The
chassis was checked carefully because we knew it was not worth
moving forward with a restoration of this kind if there was rust in
the suspension mounting points or the rear cross member. When
driving off road, the rear cross member bears most of the
responsible for keeping the chassis from twisting. With the body
and chassis deemed worth of a rebuild, we moved on to a mechanical
assessment. It was reported that the engine had been rebuilt less
than 30,000 miles ago, but receipts were not provided. We checked
compression and found surprisingly good numbers that supported the
claimed rebuild - Cylinder 1. 175, 2. 170, 3. 170, 4. 170, 5. 175,
6. 180.
Next the suspension was removed for a complete overhaul that
included the installation a full setup from Old Man Emu with +2.5
inch shocks that would raise the car. Everything was replaced
including all bushings, U-Bolts and shackles. The front
differential was disassembled next and was reassembled with new
wiper seal kits and king pin bearings. The rear differential was
fully disassembled, assessed and reassembled with new axle bearings
and seals. Both differentials were cleaned during the disassembly
and repainted. The drive shaft was reinstalled with new U-Joints
front and rear. While the rear end was out, the fuel tank received
an overhaul that included new lines, filler hose and a new pump.
All emissions equipment was in good working order so passing
California smog wasn't a problem. The engine received new drive
belts, a fan clutch, radiator, upper and lower radiator hoses,
valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, and a "tune up" that included
a new distributor, air-fuel filter, oil, oil filter, new spark
plugs, new wires and a throttle position sensor. The automatic
transmission was serviced and the shifter bushings were replaced.
The power steering pump and its plumbing and fluids were overhauled
too. Moving through the systems, the push rod cover was replaced
along with new brake lines, new tie rod ends, new front brake
calipers and a brake master cylinder. Several hundred test miles
were driven by Truck and Jeep Performance who performed all of the
work and the new parts were fine tuned.
The above-mentioned work was completed less than 1,000 miles ago
(summer 2016) and cost in excess of $15,000. Additionally, new
LT31x10.50R-15 BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires were installed
and the AC system was charged and pressure tested. The tires are
aggressive and complete the look, but perform fine on the road.
Finally, after all of the mechanical work was finished the car was
repainted in its original color, graphite grey. Quite a lot of the
glass and all of the exterior trim was removed prior to painting
and the result is very good. The interior hasn't had much
restoration work done. The seats are comfortable and all the gauges
and stereo are working, but there is some wear and tear that if
addressed could elevate this project from a "nice driver" to a
"fully restored" category. Sadly, after all of this time, effort
and expense, our customer lost interest and traded this Land
Cruiser to us for an older Land Cruiser. The cost of restoration
plus his original investment in the car was in excess of $40,000.
We are offering it for far less and we are happy to assist with a
long distance purchase or a local inspection and test drive. We
know this car very well at this point. Please feel free to call or
email with any questions or requests for more information.
