I have owned my 1988 BJ74 since December of 2003. It is my daily driver as well as my wheeler. As a person who is relatively new to Land Cruisers, I have little to go on in terms of experience with other Land Cruiser models. What attracted me to the BJ74 initially, was the bold, robust styling coupled with a "no nonsense" design and capability. A good friend of mine owned a CDM 1986 BJ70 for a long time, and after numerous fishing trips with him in his Land Cruiser, I was convinced.

Initially, my BJ74 arrived from Japan with just over 72,000 kms on the odometer. Even though the vehicle was in relatively pristine condition, there were a few issues that needed to be taken care of right away. Firstly, the 15 year old OEM suspension was absolutely bagged. The front spring packs were tired, the bushings worn, and the rear overload spring packs were overly stiff. This all contributed to a harsh ride. This seems to be a fairly common issue with freshly imported JDM Cruisers, and was easily rectified by installing a nice Australian style suspension kit. I installed a Terrain Tamer kit that provided a 2.5" lift suitable for fitting 255/85r/16 tires.

The overall ride since the suspension swap has been amazing. The nice thing about these Aussie style lifts is that they tend to have a relatively soft ride on pavement while flexing well on the trails. I enhanced this further by painting each individual leaf with Slip Plate...a common graphite paint that enhances the movement of the leaves in their packs. I notice that harshness was significantly improved, and provided me with a comfortable ride. Mind you a HD Land Cruiser is definitely not a Mercedes or Cadillac, but the ride is more than comfortable enough to drive the vehicle daily or on extended trips.

Secondly, there were minor maintenance issues that needed dealing with. Belts, filters and fluids were changed, and minor components like the clutch slave cylinder that failed needed to be replaced. All minor issues that were easily taken care of from a combination of resources like local importers and Toyota dealerships (parts department). I have wheeled my BJ74 a number of times, and have gone on a few long trips, and never once has my BJ74 left me stranded. This speaks great testimony on how a 15+ year old vehicle, no longer deemed worthy of ownership an ocean away, can still faithfully serve us here in Canada. Out of all the trucks that I have owned in the past, I would not be exaggerating in saying that this is the one that I trust the most.

Off road performance...well, what can one say? This is what the Land Cruiser was designed to do. I have yet to really challenge my Cruiser, but I have taken it on a few interesting trails. Not a single one of the other trucks that I have owned in the past could eat up rocks and logs with such gusto as this Land Cruiser. Many people are fooled by the appearance of a Land Cruiser with a mild lift and 33.3" tires. Add lockers and a decent low range to the package, and many are surprised at how agile and capable a package like that can be. One of the more common phrases that I have heard friends say when we go wheeling is, "Man, your truck makes that look too easy." The over built and well thought out equipment in my BJ74 gives even the novice driver confidence.

Overall, the combination of a medium wheelbase, a gutsy TDI, and cable locking differentials make for a great daily driver/wheeler. There's enough room to comfortably carry four adult passengers and their gear. The medium wheelbase seems to provide a comfortable highway ride while maintaining decent angles for off pavement adventures. The cable lockers provide fully open differentials for normal driving, and can be locked up in an instant when traction is needed...no weird clunking/banging noise live with. The BJ74, as previously stated, does have a certain Spartan and "no nonsense" appeal to it. Because of this, there is a lot of cabin noise from the road and engine as can be expected from a truck of this nature.

The bottom line? If you are looking for something that's reliable and economical enough to do your daily driving, while still being rugged enough to take you pretty much anywhere you want to go, then the BJ74 might be the ideal vehicle for you. If you are looking for something more refined, and with more room for carrying people and cargo...you may want to look at the HJ61 or HDJ80. Whatever you decide to go with, I am sure that there's a JDM Land Cruiser (or two) just waiting to grace your driveway.