At Overland Expo West 2022, the engineers of the Tundra and Sequoia picked their favorite Toyotas from the show. But for Pacific Northwest, the duty fell to us. On Saturday morning of the show, we scoured (i.e. casually wandered) the campgrounds searching for distinctive Toyota builds. Delightfully, we found some absolute gems.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are our favorite Toyotas from Overland Expo Pacific Northwest 2022.
1996 Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ81
Imported from South America, this left-hand drive turbodiesel 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ81 is as gorgeous as it is rare. And it’s for sale, too! We liked it because of the condition it’s in and its rarity. And, let’s be honest, some of our staff believe the 80 Series is the greatest 4×4 ever made.
First-Gen Tacoma
It might be kind of hard to tell from these pictures, but this first-generation Tacoma was clean — and we mean clean. It was so clean in fact that we worry that the owner doesn’t use it off road much. No judgement, though. We loved to see a tastefully outfitted first-gen Taco in the campground.
Land Cruiser 70 Series
This 70 Series hailed from British Columbia. Where exactly, though, we didn’t find out. These things are rare, yes. This one is nicely kitted but not overly so. What’s more, it’s clear the owner uses the heck out of it. For that, we doff our caps to him, so to speak.
1978 Land Cruiser FJ40
The Idahoan who owns this gorgeous ’78 FJ40 bought it a few years ago and reworked virtually everything. It got a respray at some point in its life. Nevertheless, it’s in great nick. It’s a gorgeous rig to begin with.
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And this one has been nicely modified and surely is a charmer on the trail, albeit a bit rough. By rough we mean how it handles. FJ40s were never luxury machines. That means you need to be very tough to live with it.
First-Gen Tacoma Four-Door
Yes, this is another lightly modified first-gen Taco. The four-doors are just great, though. They seem to get better looking with each passing year, as mid-size trucks grow increasingly in size every year. We especially liked the tube front bumper this Taco sports. We couldn’t identify the brand, but we like the capable yet simple design of the bumper as well as the rest of the rig.
1985 Pickup
This 1985 Pickup (yes, it predates the Tacoma nameplate) was the last year of the solid-axle front end. The owner bought this rig in 1988 and it has a scant 86,000 miles on the clock, which is incredible.
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You must not use it much!” I shouted. “I used to use it a lot,” the owner retorted. No matter how much usage this Pickup sees, it’s cool to spy such a clean and distinctive Toyota Pickup out in the world.
Land Cruiser 70 Series
Imported from Japan, this diesel-powered 70 Series has been in the possession of its American owner for the last five years. It has a bunch of great modifications. I noticed that it has some Metal Tech 4×4 sliders. The owner admitted that Metal Tech 4×4 made them for him custom. It’s a touch that we liked very much.
Land Cruiser UZJ100
Last but not least, we have a nice example of the UZJ100. I personally think it might be one of the greatest “touring” rigs in the world. It’s not fabulous at wheeling (not the best approach or departure angles), but they’re capable as heck. What’s more, the Toyota 4.7-liter V8 is a dream. The interior is humongous and very comfortable. And if you find a ’98 or ’99, you can get them with a factory rear locker. I sold my ’99 in 2020 and I regret it to this day.
