Built to capture adventure — the 4XJournal Toyota Land Cruiser
It’s the truck that started it all and helped shape this very magazine into what it is today. Introducing the 4XJournal Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series. You’ll be seeing a lot of this truck, as it’s our camera vehicle, camping machine, and all-round epic tourer. So, let’s take a look!
Words and photos: René Vermeer
Where does one even begin with a build like my very own Toyota Land Cruiser. It has been there since the beginning of my interest in Toyota Land Cruisers, and has helped shape my passion and interest in the 4WD adventure world. It wasn’t always Toyotas and Land Cruisers, though. Prior to the ‘Cruiser, I was adventuring New Zealand in an Audi Allroad that was equipped with all-terrain Nankang tyres, a Feldon rooftop tent, and a basic 12V fridge setup to keep the veggies cool during summer. I guess you could say a Land Cruiser — or 4WD ownership — was a natural progression for me as I became more confident in the outdoors and wanted to see more, and camp in places only accessible by a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Although the Allroad was an epic machine — powered by a quad-cam, 4200cc V8 smashing out over 330hp — it had its limitations offroad for obvious reasons. It did have adjustable air suspension, which gave us sufficient ground clearance for easier trails, but I wasn’t going to tackle a proper four-wheel drive trail in it. And, it was quite small inside, even though it was an A6-sized Allroad. At the time, I was working for Toyota and saw first-hand the reliability of certain platforms, and my partner Sophie’s family are all Land Cruiser mad, so there was really only one direction my first four-wheel drive purchase was going.
The Audi was sold and within a few days I snapped up a low-kilometre (457,000kms) 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series in bone-stock form. It was purchased from an older gentleman named Roger and I suspect he had his mates slapping warrants on it for the last few years prior to me purchasing it. Although it drove okay, I really didn’t know any different, so paid the money and was on my way. And I must admit, I was trying to get the deal across the line in a hurry as West Supply’s Cruising West Land Cruiser event was on that weekend — turning up without a Land Cruiser? Bonkers.
Loaded full of friends, I realised the Land Cruiser was in a seriously bad way. The suspension was swaying like a seesaw diagonally, from front-left to rear-right — I knew on this drive that although the engine ran like a Swiss clock, the underside would need some serious work. But, I did get it for a decent price and knew that I was going to replace the suspension with upgraded components anyway. What I wasn’t ready for was just how much underneath needed replacing. “Does it knock when you go on and off the throttle,” the older Toyota technician asked when I brought it into work for a lookover. He saw the mileage on the RUC slip and knew right away the front axles and hub flanges would be toast. “Yep, it certainly does!” I replied, gritting my teeth. What followed was: new axles on both sides, hub flanges, brake discs and pads, ball joints, bushes, and more — ouch!
Unfortunately, I don’t do things by halves and so what was initially quite a ropey Land Cruiser, was soon turning into a restored, capable machine. My good friends over at Trundles supplied Dobinson IMS and MRA shock absorbers, heavy-duty torsion bars, torsion bar brackets, a diff drop kit, and rear lift springs that would have the Land Cruiser driving on a whole new level. I then upgraded the discs to DBA slotted units with uprated DBA XP pads to ensure that once I got it certified it would pass the emergency braking test. Knowing that I wanted a classic ‘Cruiser look from the outset, I opted to hunt the internet for the factory 70 Series steel-pressed wheels, which I paired with Maxxis RAZR MT tyres — I absolutely love the look of the ‘Cruiser with these on.
The Land Cruiser at this point was shaping up to be an epic touring machine. I had a friend build me a single drawer on a piece of plywood that I cut out for the rear, I wired in a basic 12V setup to power my fridge, and we chose a Yakima platform for the roof, as it was the largest available on the market — ensuring we had enough room for our accessories and Feldon Crows Nest. We adventured like this for a solid year, before our good friends at Judge and Company did a complete Camp Wagon fitout in the rear of the vehicle and rewired the electronics. This setup was a game-changer and is most certainly a party piece when you pull into camp.
Although I enjoyed the Land Cruisers guise a lot, it had a few things I wanted to resolve. The spare tyre was still in the factory position underneath the vehicle, limiting the departure angle, and the roof tent became more difficult to open and set up once we installed the Bushwakka 270-degree awning. This was when we installed the Rockarmor rear bar colour-matched to the factory bumper gray, and it would also house a twin jerry can holder and rear tyre carrier, so we could bring the spare up from the factory location. We could now store spare diesel and water on the rear, too, which was the added bonus.
Unfortunately, we had to swap out our beloved Crows Nest for Feldon’s Hawks Nest hardshell rooftop tent. They both have their pros and cons, but now the tent is 10 times easier to set up. The Crows Nest was much larger inside, but it was also taller once packed up. With a 30-day South Island trip at the end of 2023 looming, I knew we’d be setting up camp every night, so the hardshell was an easy sell and would ensure we were cracking into the cold ones in no time.
Throughout my years of ownership, I have had certain parts of the truck repainted as the old paint had seen better days. The clearcoat was flaking off, and the entire roof was like chalk. It’s basically all painted now, besides three doors and the left rear quarter panel — yeah, yeah, I should have bitten the bullet and got the entire lot done, but it has never been in the budget!
As the ‘Cruiser sits now, it’s the ultimate reliable touring machine that drives very well on the open road. We clock up a lot of mileage in the ‘Cruiser travelling New Zealand, so on-road handling was as important as the off-road upgrades. One of the final upgrades that dialled this even further was the Ultra Racing rear heavy-duty sway bar, which has significantly improved body roll. There’s still so much we’d like to do to the ‘Cruiser; stripping all of the interior out, replacing the old worn carpet, rewiring a few things, adding sound deadening, upgrading the audio, and more. It would also be great to install a winch up front.
We’re going to take you on the journey though and we’d love to hear if you’d like to see the ‘Cruiser in print in its own segment!
We’re huge fans of the Judge and Company Camp Wagon drawer set-up. It’s definitely catered more towards camping, with little to no room for dirty tools, gear, or equipment. But, we’ve got a few upgrades in mind that will help with that soon!
Adding a rear bar to the Land Cruiser was a game-changer. Having the spare tyre out from under the vehicle and on the back is ideal, and the added protection the bumper offers over the factory item. We also didn’t realise how handy it would be to have our two jerry cans on the back. When they’re folded out, the water is easily accessible when you’re cooking
(This story and these specs are as of December, 2024. It's different now!)
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser (100 Series) HDJ100
Year: 1999
Engine: 1HD-FTE (4200cc six-cylinder)
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Driveline: Brand-new factory axles and hub flanges
Mileage: 469,000kms (original engine — just run in, mate)
Intake: Aftermarket snorkel, HPD intercooler, genuine Toyota washable air filter
Exhaust: Three-inch stainless system
Other: Brand-new engine bay decals, bolts, oil cap, water pump, cambelt kit, starter motor, hoses, filters, alternator, service components — all genuine Toyota.
Suspension:
Shocks: (F) Dobinson IMS (R) Dobinson MRA w/external reservoir
Springs: (F) EFS HD torsion bars, EFS HD torsion bar brackets (R) Dobinson 100kg 3-inch springs
Arms/Knuckles: (F) Blackhawk upper control arms (R) Roadsafe adjustable panhard
Chassis mods: Superior Engineering diff-drop kit
Others: Ultra Racing rear sway bar, every other arm has been replaced with genuine Toyota, brand-new genuine Toyota bushes throughout
Brakes:
Front: DBA T2 discs, Endless MX72 pads
Rear: DBA T2 discs, Endless MX72 pads
Other: Terrain Tamer Modified Dogbone handbrake upgrade
Wheels and Tyres:
Wheels: Toyota 79-series factory steel wheels
Tyres: 285/75R16 Maxxis RAZR MT
Exterior:
Panel and Paint: Factory (repainted in areas)
Camping Accessories (tent, etc): Feldon Hawks Nest standard, Yakima platform, Bushwakka 270-degree Extreme awning, Bushwakka shower
Bullbars: Rock Armor rear bar with dual 20L water containers and spare wheel (colour-matched to factory bumper colour)
Other: Side lighting under platform, Toyota rear dust guard, Toyota front headlight covers, Toyota side visors, aftermarket fog lights, PPF on the bonnet, custom engine bash plate, brand-new Toyota and Land Cruiser badges, refreshed 'Turbo' decals, brand-new Toyota window trims, brand-new Toyota wiper arms/rubbers
Interior:
Steering Wheel: Re-trimmed
Electronic Devices/Controllers: GME XRS-330COB radio, 240V 2000w inverter, 100ah Lithium house battery, 20ah DCDC charger, 240V outlet, Rovin 45-litre dual-zone fridge, tailgate camp lighting
Other: Judge and Company Camp Wagon drawer system, genuine Toyota rubber floor mats, brand-new Toyota shift-boot cover
Equipped for adventure
