HIGH STANDARD
A LOOK BACK AT THE TOYOTA 70-SERIES LAND CRUISER TROOP CARRIER
What is the best expedition vehicle in the world? Picking just one is a tough thing to justify, and whatever you nominate you’re going to get lively arguments. But if there’s one choice that would appear at the top of most lists from those who have turned tens of thousands of miles in the remote parts of the globe, it is Toyota’s mighty 70-Series Land Cruiser Troop Carrier.
By 1980, Toyota’s Land Cruiser had firmly proven itself a reliable, durable alternative to the legendary Land Rover. The British icon, while eminently capable, rugged, and easy to work on, had suffered through ups and downs in quality control that opened the door to the impeccably constructed Japanese competitor, even in formerly stalwart British colonial markets in Africa and Australia.
Toyota’s workhorse 40-series models were then, depending on where you placed the actual beginning of the line, nearly a quarter century old, and had seen scant few genuine updates. Meanwhile, British Leyland was about to transform the Land Rover with the introduction of supple all-coil suspension front and rear, and full-time four-wheel drive.
Evolution
Aware of that detail or not, Toyota knew it needed a comprehensive reworking of its utility vehicle. Yet Chief Engineer Masaomi Yoshii was leery of any changes that might compromise the durability that had earned the Land Cruiser its reputation. Thus, when the 70 Series
was introduced in 1984, it was obviously an evolutionary rather than revolutionary redesign, despite the crisp new lines.
The chassis was now fully boxed on all models (the short-wheelbase 40’s chassis was only boxed to the rear axle), and if you looked closely you could see a modern, curved windscreen, but the suspension retained leaf springs on all four corners, engines were carried over as was part-time four-wheel drive, and most other changes were oriented toward increasing durability and versatility.
But Yoshii had a variant up his sleeve that even he probably underestimated. While as before, several wheelbases and configurations of the 70-Series vehicles were available, when Toyota released the 75 Troop Carrier—or Troopy to give it its common nickname—a legend was born that some feel eventually eclipsed even that of the Land Rover. The Troopy certainly blew past the Defender 110 in sales (undoubtedly contributing to its eventual demise), and became the default choice for a generation of safari guides, biologists, NGO workers, and world travelers. (Meanwhile its related pickup [or “ute”] derivative, mounted with a 12.7mm machine gun, became the default choice for more than a few insurgent groups.) Why? Many reasons, of course, beginning most importantly with that solid reputation for unbreakable construction, and engines and transmissions that shrugged off hundreds of thousands of miles of wear.
Capability
Open the 60/40 rear barn doors of a Troopy, and you’ll discover another reason. The cargo area of these things is simply gargantuan, and the one-ton-plus carrying capacity matches it. Pile in equipment for a twomonth research expedition. Install a pop-top camper unit and interior cabinetry, a stove, sink, and a fridge. Or fill it with actual troops. No matter, there’s room to spare.
Of course, long-distance cargo capacity matters little if not paired with long-distance comfort, and here the 70-Series Troopy scored . . . well, better than its predecessors, although it would never be called luxurious. The long, 117-inch wheelbase mitigated the unforgiving nature of massive beam axles suspended from leaf springs, but the Troopy couldn’t touch the compliant ride provided by the Land Rover 110’s coils. On the other hand, the Toyota boasted a much roomier front cabin and a driver’s position that, unlike the Land Rover, allowed those over 5’9” to stretch their legs a bit. Power steering and brakes were standard, and the driver’s bucket seat was supportive, although front-seat passengers in base models made do with a two-thirds-width bench. Truly effective factory air conditioning was an option.
Underneath, a couple of outstanding features helped set the Troopy apart as an expedition vehicle. The standard 90L fuel tank could be augmented with a rear 90L auxiliary unit, which soon became standard equipment. This astounding 180L (47-gal) capacity dwarfed that of the competition—the 110’s factory tank held a meager 75 L. Toyota also began offering cross-axle differential locks front and rear in 1989. These more than made up for the lack of compliance in the suspension, and gave the Troopy traction in situations where the 110’s
long-travel coil springs couldn’t compensate for Land Rover’s refusal to fit factory lockers.
Real Work
The combination of durability, reliability, and practicality made friends quickly, and it wasn’t long before the Troopy was collecting converts and anecdotes. I remember visiting an extremely high-end lodge on the Zambezi river in 1999 for a magazine assignment. I noticed that all the vehicles used to take guests out on game drives were modified Land Rovers, yet in the back of the lodge behind the kitchens and shops I saw only Troopies and Land Cruiser utes. When I asked the owner—a Brit expat—about this, he smiled and said, “Guests like the romance of watching game in Africa from a Land Rover. But we keep the Toyotas for the real work.” Years later my wife and I went into the field with a lion researcher in Tanzania, in the most incredibly bashed-up Troop Carrier either of us had ever seen. There was literally not a straight panel on it. When the researcher detected a radio-collar signal from a male lion on his directional receiver, we found out why: He abruptly turned and simply drove straight through the dense bush, smashing shrubs and bouncing through warthog holes, whacking aside tree branches as thick as my wrist with the windshield frame—no sissy “limb risers” for this Land Cruiser.
Then there was the early 75 we rented sight-unseen to lead a safari. Criminally less than what had been promised, its ancient 2H diesel wheezed with untold miles, and every seal on every door was simply gone—driving through bulldust sucked a storm into the cab that obscured the driver’s vision. We hated that thing by the end of the trip—but it ran faultlessly. Troopy stories such as this are legion.
Timeless
Rather astonishingly, the Troopy has now been on the market for several years longer than the venerable 40 Series vehicles. However, Toyota has done considerably more to keep it competitive and relevant. Throughout the years the company improved the interior, lightened shifting effort, and offered upgraded models with carpeting and full bucket seats. But substantial engineering improvements were also introduced.
The first major change came in 1990, when the trustworthy but anemic 4.0L 2H diesel engine
was replaced with the superb 4.2L 1HZ—a naturally aspirated six-cylinder diesel with a belt-driven overhead cam, crossflow head, and a seven-main-bearing crank. So reliable and durable did this engine prove that—28 years later—it is still available in Africa-market Land Cruisers.
In 1992, the 75 scored four-wheel-disc brakes. In 1999, the 75 Troopy became the 78, with a coil-spring front axle and longer rear leaves for improved ride comfort. At the same time the six-lug hubs were changed to five-lug to avoid part-confusion issues (Toyota also claimed the larger bolt circle and 14mm studs had better clamping force). Gas-charged shock absorbers became standard.
A big change was in store for 2007. The front chassis, axle, and bodywork were widened to accept a new four-valve, common-rail V-8 turbodiesel engine that produced 50-percent more power and torque than the 1HZ and met tighter emission standards. Since 2010, Toyota has considered ending Troopy production several times, but demand—particularly from the Australian mining industry—has kept it going. The current Troopy is thus armed with a full suite of air bags, plus ABS and other modern safety features.
Holy Grail
For U.S. Land Cruiser cognoscenti, the never-imported, unattainable Troopy was long the Holy Grail of the Land Cruiser universe. But the heavens have opened, thanks to the DOT/EPA rule that allows virtually any vehicle over 25 years old to be imported with no modifications necessary. And that now includes the post-1990 Troopies with that brilliant 1HZ engine.
My wife and I bought a ‘93 model in Australia a couple of years ago, and fitted it out for long-distance travel with a pop top, cabinetry, stove, sink, 90L water tank, an ARB winch bumper and Warn winch, and a Kaymar rear bumper. So far we’ve completed four trips in Australia and Tasmania, and as I write this, the vehicle is in a container on its way to Africa. After further travels we plan to ship it to South America, and then drive it home.
If you’re interested in your own Holy Grail, there are now importers in the U.S. who can simply hand you the keys to an early 90s Troop Carrier, or you can shop on your own through such sites as gumtree.com.au, or AUStoUSA. com.au. While any Troopy that has been maintained and has less than 200,000 miles on it is likely to be pretty sound mechanically, Troopies can and do rust around the rear floors and the windshield frame, so ask a lot of questions before you buy if you cannot inspect the candidate personally. Once you’ve got the keys, open those barn doors, stand back, and marvel at the potential for creating your own ultimate expedition vehicle. It won’t let you down.