Toyota offers a range of accessories for the Land Cruiser Pick-Up, and here we choose our Top 5 items to increase the practicality of this rugged workhorse.
The Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Pick Up is a survivor. The first landing of the Land Cruiser 4X4 in South Africa was way back in 1971, almost half a century ago. And like Nissan’s Patrol, this is a vehicle that has stayed true to its original format of a go-anywhere pick-up, with the accent always being on engineering and traction on challenging surfaces. Comfort and appealing to the fashionista was always a secondary consideration.
Toyota sell as many as they can get!
But lest you think that the Land Cruiser 79’s time is on run-out, bear in mind that year-in-year-out, Toyota has been racking up between 200 and 250 sales per month of these amazing 4X4 vehicles. And that figure doesn’t include the Station Wagon version known as the 76.
A meat-and-potatoes approach
The funny thing is that, with Land Rover having finally given its Defender a complete hi-tech re-design to bring it in line with modern techno-trends, there is also something approaching a retro-backlash amongst off-roaders. A lot of people still require their off-road buggies to nourish their quest for adventure with a sort of meat-and-potatoes approach. Simply witness the acclaim for Suzuki’s latest-gen Jimny to realise that a bare-bones approach to fun has been re-discovered by a whole new generation of car-buyers.
No-nonsense appeal, reliability a keynote
The appeal of a Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series has always been its emphasis on ruggedness first, creature comforts second. That’s why the Cruiser 79 still uses solid axles at both the front and rear ends of the vehicle, where the majority of off-road steeds have long since switched to independent suspension arrangements.
The thinking amongst these hard-core types is that having your fillings loosened over a long trip to your destination is far preferable to getting stranded in a remote donga with the wheels pointing in different directions. And although the Cruiser 79 does make some concessions to modernity in the way of ABS braking and a pair of airbags, these cars remain as uncomplicated as possible.
Of course, quite apart from leisure, the Land Cruiser 79 is first and foremost a workhorse, designed to operate in farming conditions, or on mines and far-flung construction sites, where the average bakkie would be out of its depth.
The current range
The current line-up of Toyota Land Cruiser 79s is more diverse than you might imagine. It comes in both single-cab and double-cab form, and there is an engine choice consisting of a V6 petrol, a straight-6 diesel, and a V8 turbo-diesel. This last-mentioned is also used in the Land Cruiser 76 Station Wagon. The petrol and straight-6 diesel engines are non-turbo and quite different in character. The petrol V6 produces 170 kW and can accelerate to 100 km/h in just over 12 seconds, while the non-turbo diesel produces 96 kW and leisurely rumbles to 100 from rest in around 18 seconds. Which is better though, petrol or diesel?
Prices for the Land Cruiser 79 Pick-Up range from R749 200 to R998 500.
The new-vehicle pricing for this accomplished off-roader is very competitive in today’s market. And because these hardy 4X4 pick-ups are so long-lived, and the range hasn’t been altered much since its introduction in 2007, Land Cruiser 79s make great used buys. AutoTrader currently lists over 50 New and Used Toyota Land Cruiser 79 examples for sale. You can also see which trim depreciates the fastest?
Accessorising your Land Cruiser 79
There’s a big range of accessories available for the Land Cruiser 79. As the vehicle has been on the market in basic form since 2007, there are a host of specialised off-road bits and pieces that will cater to your tastes for camping gear, suspension upgrades, winches and the like.
A few years back Toyota offered a limited run of the so-called Land Cruiser 79 Namib and this sold out very quickly. There has more recently been a re-issue of the Namib, which comes standard with a range of accessories that are very attractive. The Namib is available in both single-cab and double-cab body styles.
We went the practical route for accessorising the 79
However, for a standard Cruiser 79, we browsed Toyota’s official catalogue for bits and pieces that would make the vehicle just that little more personalised, yet even more practical. Thus we avoided the style-type accessories and concentrated on items that increase load-ability and its ability to tackle tough terrain.
We specifically avoided dress-up items with stainless steel finishes, sticking with the original Land Cruiser muted colour theme which we believe is the very essence of the vehicle.
Top 5 Accessories for a Land Cruiser 79 Pick-Up
1. Mild steel replacement bumper and bull bar
We believe this is a great accessory, as it enables the fitting of a winch as well. It includes headlamp protection, and what’s more, the original bumper can be preserved for re-fitment on re-sale. The bumper and bull bar have also been designed so it doesn’t impede airbag deployment in the case of a serious frontal collision.
2. Inner skin load-bed panels
Toyota offers a neat kit for inner skin panels for fitment to the load bed. These panels can be fitted to the inner sides of the load-bed, as well as the tailgate, for extra protection against awkward or abrasive loads.
3. Load bed poly lining
This spray-on poly-urethane lining offers protection against corrosion in the load bed and also has anti-slip properties that prevent loaded items from skidding around and damaging the load bed.
4. Tow bar with rear step
This rugged tow bar with heavy gauge steel step is a must-have item for any Land Cruiser 79. Makes jumping up into the load bay so much easier, and the carefully engineered integrated tow bar offers peace of mind for towing.
5. Mild steel styling bar with cab protection
As mentioned, we have stuck with a non-cosmetic theme for our Top 5 accessory choice. However, we like this mild-steel styling bar as it is finished in no-nonsense black. Useful for securing items, it also has cab protection for the rear window area.
Keyword: Top 5 practical accessories for your Toyota Land Cruiser 79