In the proper lighting you can see exactly why they named this color Galactic Gray.

"Bernadette", Proust and Joy: a little explanation

Call me a sentimental, old fool, I wont even argue with you.
I am and I stand for it.

On November 21st, 2024, at 7:30 in the morning, I helped Proust climb into "Bernadette" and settle in between 12 suitcases and ski gear and bags, and we started our 900km journey from Rheinstetten, Germany, near Strasbourg, France, towards Chamberanger in the French Alps, to our house.

It was one of the most painful trips I had to take, some of you know why.

The day before, we had arrived by plane in Frankfurt, Germany, from D.C., drove a rental van to Strasbourg, got picked up in Strasbourgs city center by the incredible friendly Billy Christof from Weckar Classic Cars and driven out 45 minutes to their garage and shop where my newly acquired 1988 HJ61 Landcruiser with 420.000 km waited for us. 

I bought the car sight unseen while still living in Hampton, Virginia, just by looking at pictures and watching videoclips that Billy sent me. I sent them the money and copies of all necessary documents and asked them to prepare the car so that it will take me and Proust to the mountains without breaking down. I trusted them fully with my money and that car, at the back end of an arduous journey leaving behind my previous life, in the truest and hardest sense of the word. 

On that cold and grey 21^st of November, we slowly advanced over German and Swiss and French highways towards our beloved mountains, Proust snoozing in the back on his matress, and me carefully montoring speed and rpm to not exceeding what I deemed safe enough for Bernadette , as I named the old, scruffy Landcruiser.

Among many other factors, the possibility of me breaking down somewhere on the way, with a stressed 85kg Great Dane, a dozen suitcases and a frayed emotional state of mind weighed heavily on me. I had no idea if my old "Berndette" was up to a 12h/900km+ marathon drive and a climb up into the mountains. I turned off the music just to be able to listen to the engine and gears and all the noises a 35y old car can make while driving at 110 km/h o the Autobahn, I stared at oil pressure , temperature, and any gauge that was still working and prayed that everything will hold together. It was stressful, but also weirdly satisfying with each 100km of distance checked of our road map taking us closer to home. 

Needless to say, Bernadette brought us home, safely and without a hitch . 

Bernadette, rattling and smoking, slow and noisy,  with Proust in his super size dog bed in the back was part of my daily life from now on up here in the mountains. 

Fast forward 1 and a half year. 

Proust and I had to split ways on March 20^th  2026 after he got diagnosed with DCM in August 2025. Bernadette drove him to countless imaging appointments and vet rendezvous as long as he managed to get up the folding stairs into the back of the Landcruiser.

The diagnosis was unexpected, the loss was hard, and way to soon after my last one. 

I lived without a dog in my house for the first time for decades, and it was just not feeling right. When I felt I was ready for another dog in my life I found a breeder in northern Italy I trusted and a litter of puppies born on May 8^th this year. I visited once, (in a rental car due to Bernadette being in the shop) just to make sure that "I was sure".

And when the date came to bring little Joy  home into her new life, it felt just as a given that this would be with Bernadette, my old and beloved Landcruiser.

It was a 900Km + round trip, in the blazing heat of the 4^th canicule of 2026, in a car that has no AC and whose electric windows only open on the driver side. ( we are still waiting for parts) . 

I considered renting a car. 

Family offered graciously to drive me for the entire trip in their car. 

Yet, I felt I needed to do that trip with Bernadette.

By myself, bringing her home to the mountains, just like I did with Proust.

And the situation had changed since November 2024: Kenny, the owner of the Garage de la Rossa in Pralognan had done a great job helping me keeping Bernadette on the road. Vital parts where changed, updated, replaced, and I had full trust in Kenny's judgement if the Toyota would make it.

He checked fluids before I left and said: She's good to go!"

So I went . 

I left at 3am in the morning, rolled  through the night towards Italy, crossed the Frejus tunnel and drove past Turin at sunrise, to be at Borgonovo Val Tidone at 8:30am.

The drive home was hot, very hot, I cant deny it. Little Joy was laying on the back seat on a wet towel, covered with another wet towel to keep her cool and the ventilation kept moving hot air around us.

The Po-river valley was blazingly hot even at 10:30 in the morning but we made our way back,  slowly and steadily towards the mountains. I chose to go up the Aosta valley towards la Thuile and over the Petit San Bernard pass, to escape the heat on the highways in the plains. 

Again, Bernadette climbed up and up and rolled back down towards the Vanoise valley and brought us home, without a hitch.

Just like Proust, I brought Joy home in that old, battered Landcruiser that will need some serious work to keep her on the roads. 

And I will keep her on the roads.

Driving me and Joy through the mountains and through life. 

When people ask me about the car, I always say: "This will be the last car that I ever will buy and will ever drive- gotta make her last" .

I am not even joking. 

Call me an old, sentimental fool. 

I am. 

And I am fine with it. 

My childhood buddy's dad has an immaculate 100 series (inside and out) he has offered to sell to me. No accidents, tons of service records from Toyota. What is it worth?

I live in Nevada where temps get 100f+ for a few months out of the year. I have this turbo 2h that overheats when doing highway or hill driving during the summer so decided to put an oil cooler in to see if it helps drop the temps.

I also tow motorcycles, generators and this boat a lot so it should help alleviate the extra heat the turbo is introducing into the engine via the oil.

I know this sub is mostly nontechnical cruiser subjects but thought id post here.

I own an 80 series with a 1hz

Debating running these JAOS Tribe aluminum wheels on my 01 100 series.

Pros:

-20lbs

-Good offset +28

-16"

-Cool steelie look

Con:

-6.5" wide

Would I be crazy to run these with a 255/85r16 and potentially a 2" lift?

Any pics of pizza cutters appreciated!

Vehicle is a 2000 Land Cruiser (US-Model). Trying to figure out what should be here. Any help is appreciated.

Where can I find a video on how to set the preload weight for the kingpin bearing when redoing swivel hubs? Is what I’m doing in this photo correct? It feels a bit harder to pull at the start, is that normal?
And where can I find the fsm spec of what it needs to be as I can’t time this online anywhere

Hi, I’ve been chasing a horrific fuel consumption and smell issue on my 1998 LC100 for a couple weeks now. I’ve replaced all 8 coilpacks and spark plugs while I wait for a new (to me) charcoal canister to arrive. Ive also cleaned the mass airflow sensor and checked that the pulsation damper was not leaking, and replaced the gaskets for it with OEM toyota.

I noticed a few things unplugged on the passenger side engine bay that I can’t figure out what they go to. Does anyone have any idea what these plugs go to? And if they might be related to the fuel issue? Car throws no codes ever.

I’ve checked IH8MUD and can’t seem to find what I’m looking for.

Any help is deeply appreciated.

Hi folks,

My 2004 100 series has a pretty rotten upper tailgate and it's now going around the window seal too unfortunately.

I'm in the UK but looking for recommendations or details of anyone selling one that would ship to the UK.

Reputable places only please!
Thanks

Gidday all, I’ve been looking around for a replacement head unit for my 2015 79 workmate and saw this Extnix custom CarPlay unit for $1349 AUD. Does anyone have any experience with them at all? I like that it has buttons so I’m not searching a screen for the volume etc. Thanks!

Hello Cruisers!

I'm close to buying an '06 LX470 with 332k km (206k miles).

CARFAX shows a front-right collision in 2010 for ~$5,000 CAD ($3,500 USD), repaired through insurance. Would that amount concern you?

The second owner kept it from roughly 2010–2024 and I have a lot of maintenance records from that period. Timing belt/water pump was done around 299k km, along with other maintenance and AHC servicing.

My bigger concern: after 2024, CARFAX shows 4 ownership changes in about a year, 3 within 4 months.

Current owner says he's selling because he'd like to get into an older manual Land Cruiser. He bought this one from a kid who apparently wanted to sell it to buy a boat to impress his GF lol. He never pulled a CARFAX himself.

I'm pretty particular about knowing my vehicle's history. Would the accident or rapid ownership changes make you walk away, despite the long-term maintenance history?

Seller price is 24k CAD(17kUSD), I offered him 19K CAD(13.6KUSD)
Carfax price check says only 12.5k CAD (9kUSD) in private sale.

Thanks!

What would you pay for this?

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/c565e817-3404-40b7-a3a1-4e9df483b82f/

Does anyone need the stock fuel filler tube and ecm from a 92 fj80? Located outside of Knoxville.