No, Not brown! brown.. brown..

Well, yes it is.. and its working bloody great!

A brilliantly basic, 1981 HJ60 ('60-series') Toyota Landcruiser.
Having a perfect decade of production - 1980 to 1990 - makes this the thorougly "80's" Landcruiser.

I would usually prefer the later, update model, with the twin headlight front end and whatnot; but this one looks absolutely fantastic in its simplicity, complete with grey steel wheels and agricultural looking tyres!
In that respect, the (assuming metallic) brown is very flash compared to what could have been a solid beige!

Like the outside of this particular car, the interior is just about perfect. The whole car appears to be a real time-warp.
The sheepskin seat covers seem totally right here, and the lack of console gives a little more room around the centre of the seats; even if its only in your mind. I've personally only known one person with a 60-series landcruiser, and can remember the interior being surprisingly cramped. The grab-handle in front of the passenger is very.. there...

Here to bring the H in HJ60, is the 2H, 4Litre diesel straight 6.
OHV, undersquare, and natrually aspriated. Here to do a job..
As with the interior and exterior of the car, this all looks to be very nice and original. Excellent stuff...


Just impressive to see a car this basic, this old, looking this good. This old brown Toyota is 32 this year! 

The Picnic Basket...

The boot/trunk of Lil Reh, the AW11, trimmed in Tartan to match the interior. Its been a fair while now, and I still haven't grown tired of it..

Colourful stickers, and every wall of the boot trimmed in tartan. Just opening the boot makes me smile. It looks like a damn picnic basket!

Its all good fun. :)

Sharknose X7.

Up for sale in Japan at the moment - and great for someone who is looking for a little more excitement in their 1980's Toyota's..

A 1988 GX71 Toyota Mark II. A 2litre, twin-turbo 1GGTE-powered version of the 5th generation MarkII/Cresta/Cressida/Chaser - *X7*.
This one has then been modified with, most obviously, a classic shark-nose front. Add the aero, flares, wide wheels, and those graphics over purple paint; and it would look out of place in any other country!

What looks to be the usual Hakosuka wing..

Flares over wide SSR MK1's.

The always-necessary boot outlet..! borrowed from an early (1984-6) AW11 Toyota MR2.

Pretty damn wild in here too!
5speed, little wooden wheel, and one of the strangest trim's i've seen! the seats look to be wearing covers, while the full door has been retrimmed. The dash gets a matching cover, complete with tassles...
Loving the lack of headrests in the front seats too. looks so much more relaxed. whiplash be damned!


Bit of fun.

SSS-R

Definitely no Pintara!

Something a little different; and thoroughly cool.
A 1988 RNU12 Nissan Bluebird SSS R.
The top-spec performance variant of the U12 Nissan Bluebird, released in late 1987.

This Turbo/AWD version of the U12 was a far cry performance-wise from the front-driving CA20E and KA24E powered Pintara's sold in Australia..!

The 1.8litre CA18DET that makes this the RNU12. 1.8litre Twin-cam turbo four, with a (different for this same engine in other chassis) top mount air-to-air intercooler.
Power was sent to all wheels through Nissan's Attesa AWD system - the Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-terrain - the first Nissan to run this system, and from this model had found its way into other Nissan's shortly after.

By late 1989, the CA18DET was replaced by the 2litre SR20DET; at which point it was also interestingly the first of Nissan's cars to run this engine.


Cool car anyway. 
I'd find a new RR mudflap, an airbox, some fresh gravel tyres, remove that rear muffler - then get it out on some dirt roads!

First of the front drive..

A very very nice Celica here.

This one a 1988 ST162 Toyota Celica GT-R.
Second last year for the fourth generation of Celica, that was introduced back in 1985. Although there was a fantastically fantastic AWD Turbo version (...the GT-Four), this GT-R is the 3S-GE powered front-driver. This was the first generation of Celica to go front wheel drive - and something that stayed with the Celica for the next 3 generations - over 20 years.

Toyota CELICA 2.0 GT-R..

Really is impressively modern for a car with a thoroughly and entirely 80's (1985-1989) production; with lots of curves, and apart from the full-width slatted grille area and non wraparound bumpers, missing the more familiar, fussy, 80's detailing.
Remember this was in production for very nearly the same years as Toyota's much boxier W1 MR2, X7 MarkII, and E8 Corolla, among others..

The first generation of Toyota's 3S-GE 2-litre Twin-cam four. Very early days for the 3S, having been launched in 1984. This 1998cc, Yamaha co-developed, version of the S engine went through a few revisions over the years; surviving right up until 2007.

As with the rest of this particular car, the interior is practically perfect; right down to the accessory Celica half seat-covers.
like the exterior, the interior is impressively modern. The HVAC and radio controls, along with the shifter base, being the only parts looking particularly dated.
The blue velour looks good against the grey/blue exterior; and was expected. Toyota liked this grey-on-blue combination during this time..


Overall its a pretty cool car. The alternative to a Prelude or Integra I suppose.
There's still a heap of them around, and parts are plentiful and cheap. The FWD layout has meant even mid-level 3S-GE-powered models like this (GT-R / GT-S / SX) are overlooked by enthusiasts; so buying a good one will cost you very little.


Regardless, this particular car is a great example of the ST162.

Out of laziness..

..another moody pic of Lil Reh, the AW11.
The Audi+shed combination in the background isn't helping.







More, other, cars shortly..!

..and while we're at it...

One of my absolute favourite cars.. of all time..
A car I've always wanted to own; but know that I would then never want to let go of it (and subsequently be tied to another car I 'just cant let go of'!)..
Definitely a car that's worth buying the best one you can, as its expensive to own properly (i.e, not just limp it through your ownership and onto the next poor bugger..), and too beautiful in great shape to find value in buying a nugget..

The BNR32 Nissan Skyline GT-R.
This particular car is a 1989 build - the very first of the BNR32's.

Like I mentioned in the last post - being a 1989 launched model (the R32) - it feels about as 80's as an S15 Silvia or S2000 feel '90's'.. but knowing this would have been engineered/designed/planned for more-than-the-usual time leading up to that 1989 launch, makes it all the more impressive. Nissan really gave it their all for this one..

I just love these. RB26DETT, 4WD, 4WS, manual only, road-registered racing car. The Group-A machine that dominated in Japan and Australia, and hell.. a Gran Turismo icon to boot.
Nice lines, great proportions, agressive looking on the road, and heaps of potential. There sure isn't much not to like!

In spec; this particular car is the staple of BNR32's..
A non nismo, non V-spec, gunmetal grey GT-R. Over 40,000 'base' GT-R's were made between 1989 and 1994, and being so well loved, there are still plenty around today.

But this car stands out from the usual, by just being so beautifully stock. I love the fact its an early car, and totally untouched. It really is in great shape.
To add to that appeal, it also looks like it has been in the state for a good 12 years or so; not a recent import.

The standard wheel and brake setup.
V-Spec (I and II) cars had F/R Brembo Calipers instead, and 17" BBS wheels.

Nothing out of place here. Everything appears to be in great shape, and 100% stock; right down to the original tape deck struggling to reach Australian FM frequencies!

.. and again.. perfect, and totally original.
The RB26DETT that powered three generations of GT-R, spanning 13 years. A 2.6 litre, twin cam straight 6, with individual throttle bodies and twin turbo's. "206kw"... @ 6800rpm.


This particular car is currently for sale, and comes across as a bargain at $19K. There are obviously cheaper examples, but you'd be silly not to look at this one.
I want it so bad, but just cant. I'll just have to keep telling myself I'm waiting for that '94 V-Spec II N1, you know? ha


Great car.

The start of the 8th generation..

It was by mid 1989 the 8th generation, or 'R32' Nissan Skyline was introduced.
The wagon and pillar-less hardtop sedan body styles were now gone; a shame more-so in the case of the wagon, as I think that would have looked pretty damn good.
The R32 wasn't particularly 80's in design or feel any more - as you can imagine I suppose - but I love them too much not to sneak the occasional one in. Especially an early-build 1989 car!

This is a very early (september '89) HCR32 Nissan Skyline GTS-t coupe.

... and here it is again.. with the auto-spoiler down..

Its always fun to see cars like this totally stock. The height, lack of skirts/lip/aero, white paint, and no tint; just make this look so delicate.
I am so used to seeing the wider, lower, and overall much more aggressive; BNR32 GT-R (I admittedly can never have enough!), that this badly looks like its missing something. it just appears so slim down the sides..

Being a GTS-t, It has the top-spec engine below the GT-R - the updated ECCS RB20DET - Turbo, twin-cam, 24Valve, 2litre straight six.

Inside is in fantastic shape, with the bubble in the dash (a very common problem for the R32), and flaking wheel (also, very very common) the only real negatives.

Its no GT-R, but I'd say it only stands-out more because of it.