well, there's always vehicles from south america, which are left hand drive and generally about the same as the japan spec models.

 

If you really wanted a truck that bad, a foreign edition landcruisers, wouldn't it be worth it to consider getting it from some of the LHD markets of the Western Hemisphere? You'd have to deal with the transportation or maybe Toyota could help, but they're still making new LCs like these for South American markets and diesel.
Later on I'm considering buying one of these and just having it as a trail rig, towing it to and from the park. I think it'd be amazing to have one of these new with like 364 miles on it after 5 years lol.

http://www.toyota.com.ve/showroom/la..._70/index.html

 

???? Dude, they have all the Tacoma Double Cabs you want at the Yota dealership right now...

 

NO they aren't. They are almost exactly the same. To be imported into either the US *or* Canada it must meet the applicable safety specs and emissions specs. It's pretty easy to go back and forth between the US and Canada because the Federal standards are very nearly the same, but both have a tough time with cars from the rest of the world that weren't manufactured (or at least certified) to meet safety and emissions standards.

My little brother bought a rather nice little AWD BMW in Germany and he has found that it will cost an EStimated $3000 to make it certifiable, then there's transportation costs, it goes into impound for an unspecified time, and when they get around to it they inspect and test it, and there are fees for getting it inspected and tested and fees for the certification. Then he gets his car to go register. Just ain't worth it.

 

i think canada's law for importing a vehicle is that it must be at least 15 years old...the US law is that it has to be at least 25 years old

that is, unless you want to change everything and spend a ton of money. it didn't used to be like that here did it?

 

I saw a double cab hilux here in Abbotsford last week. There is two companies here in BC importing Japanese vehicles. One in the interior and one in Vancouver. There is a late 80's landcruiser with a turbo diesel, front and rear factory lockers, and in altimeter etc. for sale in Chilliwack. Very nice truck, but right hand drive. I've inquired for a diesel engine in Holland before, and it was only about $3000. That comes out of a left hand drive vehicle and I think it might use the R150, the same trannie as the V6. I'll be going over there next week, I doubt I'll have time to look at junkyards since I go for work.

 

So the first Hilux Surf has been imported here. I had a chance to check it out a little bit when I spotted it in the parking lot of the local ski hill.

Here is a photo from the website (it's clean now though):



Seeing it makes me want one even more. *drool*

 

Clean photo from back in Japan:
This baby only has 39,000 miles!

 

Scofco,
If you were able to do it without too much hassle I would jump on one of those early 2nd gens. I actually like that one with the red interior, its so ugly its cool!

As far as the importing into the US, i don't know anything. But up at Bozeman, Montana I worked at a Jeep dealer that would constantly import Wranglers that were a few years old. I don't know why, but our used Wranglers were Canadian. Go figure

 

I had bought an engine for my Supra (5MGE) a few years back from an importer in Toronto that brought them in from Japan. I was told by the company that I would have to transfer ALL my emissions from my old engine to the new one to make it legal. $2000 later (The price of the engine and install from Toyota!) my car still works like brand new. I had 2 engine rebuilds before, and this was the way to go!

If you do get one of these Hilux Surfs from Japan, don't be suprised if you might be running out to get a used engine to get all the emission controls to change over.

Just a thought.

 

An update, a friend of mine is getting this surf imported from Japan.
I will get to check this one out up close and personal, hopefully he'll let me take it for a spin also



Maybe I can con him into selling me the bumper

 

Purloined pic with apologies to the owner:

If anybody happens to be going down to South America, maybe pick one up for me?

 

I said this before, but if your going to go all out, get the surf model that has a truck bed in the back. people in the know will recognize it as something different.


also the right hand drive is super cool!

 

I have driven in Ireland (RHD) and it was excellent. You really have to know how to drive there. Shifting with your left was easy to get used to.
Your passengers are always going to go to the wrong door.

 

You can import quite a few hiluxes for the price of a new runner. There are several companies around here, which have imported vehicles in stock or you can order specific. Those vehicles are not that expensive.

 

All,

I live in Japan and drive a RHD Toyota Hilux Surf it is the 3VZ-E...her is is the real hoot I get all my parts mailed in from the U.S. via fpo/ap (it is legal I am military) almost every single part is the same and every part that you need for the day to day care is the same. The steering colum is different LHD vechs use the left hand to bump the turn sig up or down, after over 10 years of being here every now and then I feel the need to test my wipers on bright sunny days while near intersections before is use my right hand to bump the turn sig. The idler arm on the steering is 180deg out and cannot be used the pitman arm is the same. Some piping for the brakes and the AC are different the dash and the interior panels below. my ins clus is all metric no marks for MPH or total miles it is KILOs only but the U.S. model fits right in anyway.
the center console is just a little different...both model have the 4WD shifter next to the driver leg ...so it is changing sides as well but the plactic cover is the same just the black plastic with prnd21 and 2 4hi 4l is different I have the master window controler in the RH door, switch is the same the plastic molding around it is different. I order a starter from the and one of the plastic locking tabs was different, took me less than 10 minutes swap it out. Like I said most of the day to day parts are the same. Also trust me on this one check the engine model and do some homework the motor was more than likely already sent to the U.S. in a different vech. The only motor that I have found in Japan that was not shipped to the states was the RB20/25/26 DE DET and DETT and the SR20DET that the engine for some of Nissan's products over here, I have found every other engine in the states might not have been in that model but I found the engine diesil fuel might be a touch different but check. Yeah passing on a two lane could get your pants a little heavier and dirtier but thats life and no one has out lived it. Me I would do it, but then again I already am.

 

If anybody is determined to import a Surf into the US/Canada, I'm assuming its to get a diesel, if so I would advise you to go for the 3.0TD model from '93 onwards, prior to this they had a 2.4TD.
Some of the 2.4's were prone to cracking cylinder heads, on the Surf forum at www.hiluxsurf.co.uk we have seen a number of 2.4's suffer from cracked heads, this is certainly not to suggest that all will crack, and whilst it may not be enormously costly to replace the head (around £1000Stg) you may find it far more difficult to source such heads in the US/Canada.
3.0TD's so far appear to be much more robust, not to mention the extra torque etc, plus the economy is virtually identical to that of the 2.4.

Also be aware that clocking is not unknown with these Japanese imports. All s/h vehicles in Japan will have come thru the auction system, any vendor offering to export to you will have purchased thru this system. They should have the original auction sheet which will state the mileage, if they don't have it, be suspisious of any very low mileages claimed. Numerous UK owners having bought their Surfs locally, later discover that the mileage has been wound back, often to less than half its correct total, from details garnered so far, this practice appears to have occured both locally and in Japan.

 

import this instead!!!!!!!

 

ATTN: Eric
Sorry for the off topic--but I need to get this off my chest.

That has got to be one of the finest a$$es I have ever seen

Dude, can you PM me a link or more pics?

 

Must be something I'm missing here. What exactly do you all think is so different about the Surf? I looked really closely at the pics - and I see a 4Runner. 4Runners grow on trees, why do you want to import another one? If it's the diesel you want, why not just bring in the engine (if you live in a state where that's allowed?) Or just order some Hilux Surf badges from an Australian wrecking yard?....

Now, the quad cab rig, that would be worth importing. It's different.