1986 60 Series Landcrusier VX Sahara

Engine - 4L 12 HT Turbo Diesel
Transmission - H55F 5-speed manual
Suspension Lift - 2” suspension lift, Leaf springs front and rear
Tyres - 33x12.5x15 Achilles Desert hawks on 15x10-44 steel rims
Equipped for - Touring & the Odd of-road Mission

 I hesitated purchasing a 60 for years as they are an old piece of machinery and I needed a reliable car to get me to and from work on a daily basis! I would see them pop-up on Instagram and would wish I had one. Around the start of September 2018, I ended up getting a new job which supplied a work van so I no longer needed a daily runner! Within 2 weeks of getting the van, I saw this perfect 60 series pop-up on trademe (it was meant to be). So, I contacted the owner who ended up being a retired old fella from Christchurch who had owned it for the past 7 or so years. I offered him a price with the condition he got a pre-purchase inspection for it, he accepted it and being a decent guy, he held it for me until the inspection was done and turned down all offers in the meantime. It came back all good and I booked flights to pick it up ASAP! I arrived in Christchurch excited as anything, he picked me up from the airport and ended up taking me back to his house where he had 3 other 60s and an 80 series for his daily! After seeing this I was confident that this was a good purchase. After a 16 hour drive I finally made it back to Auckland, without a single problem and a huge smile on my face! To this day, it has been the most reliable car I have ever owned and this is also the oldest car out of the 10 I have owned.

What made you go for the 60 series?

I have always loved the shape of the 60s! I’m one for old cars with round headlights and when I first saw a 60 series I instantly fell in love. I contemplated purchasing one for years as they are pretty old cars but this one popped up on trademe and I just couldn’t resist! Being pretty rare in New Zealand also made me like them a lot more, as I like to be a bit different than everyone else.

What are some things you’d tell other people in the market for a 60 to look out for?

Do it!! You won’t regret it. If you can, 100% get a 12H-T. So far mine hasn’t caused a single problem and I have pushed it to its limits! It also pulls like a freight train and sounds crazy nice with the right exhaust!

60s are also known for rust, so make sure you check the gutters, firewall, around the windscreen and the rear quarters. Taking a magnet along with you always helps, put it up against certain spots, if it doesn’t hold on then its bog!

Diff-lockers are a huge help! These can come with factory front and rear cable diff lockers and they are like gold in a 60 series, paired with a pto winch you’re bound to go anywhere and everywhere.

Have you set the 60 up for hard four wheel driving or touring? What modifications have you made to it ?

I’m slowly setting it up for touring. All though I love four wheeling I just don’t want to be dinging up the 60! So far, I have put 2” spring lift with 33” mud terrains so I can make it to the awesome spots NZ has to offer with ease. I’ve added a roof cage for my Feldon Shelter roof top tent to sit on, soon to have an awning off the side of it! I managed to pick up a MCC rear bar with tyre carrier and jerry can holder for cheap as chips! The tyre use to be tied up in the boot so having the carrier on the rear frees up a lot of room in the back of the truck. I have built up a drawer set up for the rear, this helps a lot to keep everything organised and tidy while touring around. The rear set up is soon to change though as I’m planning on getting a fridge and figuring out a 12V camp setup!

Thanks to Jackson Bennett for the images.

You can follow Jackson’s 60 series build here - https://www.instagram.com/doozerthecruiser/?hl=en