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The Best Features of the 1978 Land Cruiser

The-1978-Land-Cruiser-is-making-a-comeback-at-Tustin-Toyota-dealerships

There was a time Tustin Toyota dealerships can remember, approximately in the middle of the twentieth century, representatives of the U.S. Army began talks with Toyota to ask for a vehicle appropriate for their soldiers who were stationed in Japan at the time. 

Dealers near Tustin auto center tell us that the result was a very efficient and able-bodied four-wheel truck, similar to the four-wheel-drive vehicles already in the mainstream in Western Europe and America. 

This new army-ready Toyota was nicknamed the FJ40 Land Cruiser, and Tustin Toyota dealerships tell us it would continue to become very popular after being introduced to foreign markets for public consumer purchase afterward. Even nowadays, over seventy years after the release of the original, the Land Cruiser is thriving even though it has many differences and few similarities when set side to side with previous generations. 

Toyota Paired The 1978 Land Cruiser To An Incredible Engine

Initially, Land Cruisers at Tustin Toyota car dealerships had large 3.9-liter inline six-cylinder engines that could generate 125 horsepower and 209 pound-feet of torque. However, beginning in 1975, Toyota upgraded the Land Cruiser’s engine to an even bulkier 4.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 135 horsepower and 210-pound feet of torque.

These numbers may not sound that impressive compared to today’s vehicles, but for those days, they were more than enough for the FJ40’s purpose. Above all, the engine that made them was highly trustworthy, able to take on thousands on thousands of miles of use without encountering any issues. 

Off-Roading Is The 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser’s Livelihood

Besides four-wheel drive, the 78 FJ40 came with many amenities, making it a certified off-roader that could deal with all but the most challenging terrains. The Land Cruiser had massive tires and a tall stance so it could effortlessly dive into shallow waters or climb over rock formations. When it comes to drivability while doing that, its silky smooth four-speed transmission with low-range gearing helped the Land Cruiser do all that. Also, the visibility is great from the FJ40’s interior, which is not an insignificant detail when it concerns off-roading. 

Looking at it all in retrospect. We can safely say that the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser from 1978 is a true off-roading monster that provides a driving experience that many off-roading fanatics would appreciate even today. If you ever get the opportunity to drive one yourself, you should definitely jump on it. 

The 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser Disassembled Like Lego

The ’78 Land Cruiser, which could easily seat four people comfortably even though it only had two doors, could go through a considerable transformation by just taking off several exterior parts. Also, the hardtop roof and both doors could be taken off without trouble to give convenient access and better utility for soldiers and buyers, and you could even fold down the windshield. 

The 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser Is Still Dependable

Well-maintained FJ40 units are still being driven even to this day, and the reason for that is that they were “built differently,” as many people say nowadays. The Japanese have a reputation for making extremely reliable vehicles, but the Land Cruisers of the past took this prestige to completely another level. 

The parts on the FJ40 would hardly ever break or glitch even after many beatings, and the vehicle’s rock-solid exterior was also long-lasting, able to take on taps and rock chips as if they were just water drops. 

A Brief History Of The Toyota Land Cruiser

40 Series (1960-1984)

Many can recognize the classic Land Cruiser as the FJ40 model that debuted for the ’60 model year. The 40 Series Cruisers came equipped in several wheelbase lengths, and there were several universal body variations. In the beginning, Cruisers used a Ball & Claw front axle joint until the ’68 models. After that, the solid front axle used Birfield joints in the closed knuckles, and both axles used drop-out third-member differential assemblies (9 1/2-inch ring gear) that were offset to the passenger side. Toyota placed leaf springs on all four corners of the land Cruiser, and the 40 Series began with drums at each wheel. Starting with the ’76 vehicles, they came with front disc brakes. 

Initially, the Land Cruiser had a 3.9L I-6 engine that was used from the ’60 through ’74 model years. Then, a larger 4.2L engine, the 2F, was available for the ’75s. Both engines were carbureted.

Despite the fact it was never officially for sale in the United States, many 40 Series Land Cruisers were manufactured with diesel engines for shipment to different parts of the world. The 40 Series used a j30 three-speed column-shift manual transmission in the ’60 to ’73 model year trucks and was then enhanced to the H41 four-speed (3.56:1 First-gear) in the ’74s until the remainder of its model life. There was never an auto transmission available. The gear-drive, aluminum-housing transfer case had a low-range ratio between 1.96:1 to 2.31:1, depending on the year.

FJ Cruiser (2006-2014)

Toyota launched the FJ Cruiser with some inspiration from the FJ40 models of decades past. It was put together in Hamura, Japan, on a 105.9-inch wheelbase.

The FJ Cruiser was manufactured with the 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 engine (single and dual variable valve timing versions) supported by the RA61F six-speed manual (0.80:1 overdrive) or A750F five-speed auto transmission. The manual transmission models were full-time 4WD utilizing the VF4B transfer case with a center Torsen differential with locking mode, and those with an automatic were part-time 4WD with the VF2A transfer case. Both gearboxes had a 2.57:1 low-range ratio.

The FJ Cruiser’s front suspension used a double-wishbone configuration with coil springs and a power-assist rack-and-pinion unit. A four-link design was applied with coils for the rear suspension. The front IFS differential was the 8-inch clamshell type, while the rear axle was the Toyota V6 style with the 8.125-inch ring gear. The ratio was 3.73:1 with the automatic and 3.91:1 with the manual transmission. Power disc brakes were positioned at each corner, with ABS, stability, and traction controls that twinned the previous Land Cruiser.