Here's How I Modified My 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser

I've owned my 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser for about a year now and in that time I've made some changes in the interest of functionality and aesthetics. Here's an update that goes over each of those changes.
My original video on this Land Cruiser: • I Bought a 13 Year-Old...
PART NUMBERS
Starter: 28100-0S050
Grille: 53101-60590
Front Wiper Blades: 85222-42110 85222-53071
Rear Wiper Insert: 85214-31010
Gas Cap: 77300-06040
Seat Belt Receivers: 73240-60310-E0 73230-60480-E0
OTHER THINGS
Silicone Plate Frames: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
Interior LEDs (except for cargo area): smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
Trim Tools: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
Follow me on Instagram: / mountainwestcarspotter
And on Twitter: / chrisoneill__

[@AWeezy7]

Glad to see I’m not the only one who feels the need to rehab their used vehicles back to new condition lol The little things make the biggest difference 👍

[@zooq1139]

The feeling of smooth, quiet wiper blades on the windshield really hits different haha. Kind of like drinking a cold glass of water after waking up at 3 AM. There's just somethin' about it.

[@wildexpedition9717]

The UN land cruisers always inspired me to get one. I think this video fully sold me on it. Time to go on a hunt for one. Thank you for posting this!

[@ephantuswanderi723]

Really good I've come across your comment, the UN have really cool landcruiser💯. They are abit taller than the normal v8.

[@digital_0630]

Really diggin’ the simplicity of your rig! 👍🏼

[@aliyawilson9652]

Great video Chris. Love your attention to detail!

[@rubenrodriguez1165]

Cool video. I've been considering picking one up. Same 2008 Land Cruiser model. Thanks for sharing your video.

[@NKPGarage]

Very well thought out modifications. With everything having a purpose. Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Thanks!

[@94Greenbean]

Howdy bud.... I absolutely LOVE the subtle yet very smart mads and updates you did! Especially the steelies. I have a set of powder coated steelies from an FJ on my Tacoma. Can I ask why the Manta over the other awnings? I have a 100 series and have the same K-9 bars...

[@AnthonyGrazianiME]

Those wheels look great 👍

[@mr.omartheboss]

These are the best rims ever made, and they look amazing on SUVs and trucks.

[@jamesh7395]

Great info, thanks 👍 One thing I find interesting is that you feel the LC200 should be more of a utilitarian vehicle (and I see that in your choice of wheels etc..). While I think that was true of the early LCs, I think this branch of LC has evolved into more of a lifestyle off road vehicle, which I think makes sense, targeting consumer recreational users. Here in Australia, we have the 70 series which is very much the utilitarian cousin and bare bones, rugged with few luxuries. I've owned one and they are so much fun as an enthusiast, but if you need it as a daily driver as well, after a while the novelty starts to wear off. And they are very expensive for what they are.. I just bought a 2012 200 series with the view that it's a compromise between a very comfortable (even luxurious) city car, as well as a very capable off road tourer.

[@geoexplora8288]

thats nice information ,thanks you sir

[@tomcastle7625]

I like it, it looks good

[@TobyCostaRica]

5:32 turtle wax actually has made big strides in their modern coatings. Their spray and wipe ceramic products are well reviewed. Adding PPF will prevent your lights from oxidizing again by sealing them from air and uv as well as give you impact protection.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Hadn't considered PPF for the headlight lenses - thanks for the tip!

[@Victor-sq7lo]

By how many inches is your LC lifted. Nice vid btw

[@Kylesky]

Do you have the part # for the hood/bug deflector? Beautiful truck!

[@aarongerman7857]

you'll have to evetually get a new spring for the gas cap door as well.

[@mqnwest]

Great videos. I don't get the rooftop tents when you have a hardtop tent already. Maybe the 200 series don't have as much room? I'm a prospective buyer but a current Suburban owner, so I have plenty of room to sleep.

[@Mr4autiger]

Hi Chris, I have a 2018 LC and was wondering what size tires you have on those 18 inch wheels. Mine is completely stock, but I would like to put on some larger tires with no suspension modifications, if possible. Thanks.

[@77bronc14]

Fantastic video....great work

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Thanks!

[@stevemuzira9155]

Can you post the headlight restorer you bought on Amazon?

[@erich964]

I always enjoy your videos. Question please. When you took out your third row seats are there holes that you need to cover up? I bought the heritage cargo mat but I’m nervous about the gaping holes that will still be there. Am I correct? Thanks

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Yeah - there will be holes, but I just put the bolts back in and it's fine. Heritage Edition mat goes in right over top of them. FYI the Australian-market 5-passenger rubber mat is another option if you're looking for something heavier duty - PZQ20-60420. It's just tougher to source.

[@erich964]

Thank you

[@joshmorales5458]

Do you know what Bluetooth stream part that was installed? How is it holding up?

[@JasonCohenphoto]

Do you have a link to the headlight restoration product that you used?

[@erich964]

By the way you should do a video comparing your 100 and 200 series land cruiser is. I own a 200 series and will be buying a 100 series in January. It would be cool to discuss them side-by-side etc.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

I sold the 100 in March! I could still probably put something together though...

[@aliyawilson9652]

I wonder if a lexus lx 570 has the same failpoints, such as the radiator, waterpump and starter

[@JP1050x]

Great rig. I have a white 200 series too. 😁 I like the look of steelies, but any reason why prefer them over the TRD wheels? Aren’t the steel wheels heavier than the alloys? Btw, I just got new Toyo Open Country AT3’s installed today. I was thinking about K02’s but they’re 10lbs heavier than the Toyo’s. How do you like your BFG’s? Also, those seat covers look rad. I might have to pick up a set. Thanks!

[@stevev1758]

thoughts on the Toyo after use? did you install LT or XL? thinking the same, stock 285/60/18..

[@cyberprepper]

Hi, Any new updates/mods on the Land Cruiser?

[@austrianshipbuilding]

Good morning. I am aware that america didn't get the 4.5L diesel. But what so you think of it?

[@texlee1640]

Do you still have your 200 Series or have you moved on? I love what you've done with the build btw, the UN look is always fun.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Still have it, although 15 mpg is tough to stomach right now.

[@karlschmidt7258]

Dynamat in all those hollow-sounding doors would sure go a long way…

[@QnA22]

On the place of the Dometic cooler you removed the seat. I left it, so the stuff in the back cannot shoot to the front when emergency braking. It now serves as a comfy and cushy landing pad for my freezer. In front of it is an Ecoflow Pro to feed it an extra 12+ hours, making a total of at least 16 hours of juice. Then also on that seat, the 200W solar cells of ecoflow. Ecoflow also sells the cells you can magnetically apply to your hood. Not enough flexibility for me, but maybe it's something for you. I'll still install an inverter to charge the Ecoflow Max faster than the 93 Watts it's now doing in the car.

[@kortlandlfskdjflaskjdf7979]

What size tires u wearing? And what kind of lift u got?

[@subjecttochrist]

QUESTION! i'm looking at a 2011 Land Cruiser... it's got 123000 miles on it, for $34k - in great looking condition. seems high to me though for that amount of miles. Thoughts?? thanks!!

[@Vourn-75]

Chris, why are you going backward instead of forward. Usually the vehicle comes with the steel wheel and replace it with the alloy wheel which is much better and nice looking. Just wondering...

[@ryanhodges2296]

What lift and what size tires are you running?

[@jcuellar9941]

Loving this series. The issue with the starter - what exactly is it? Does it get heat soaked? Does it stop working? I’d appreciate any insight!

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

All I know is that it fails with little sign of warning. You might get a few starts where it's slow, and then you go to turn the car on one day and nothing. There's an updated part you replace with that supposedly isn't particularly failure prone like the original part.

[@michaelbardis]

Mine failed at 15 years old and 170,000 miles. Hada couple slow stats then one start that didn't sound right.

[@marcussae2859]

Do you think its bouncy? I'm having a 4.5L diesel 2010.

[@steveh545]

I bought my 08 shortly after you bought yours. Also to replace a 100 series. But..i sold my 200 Series about 5 mos later. Sure, it was nicer, but a completely different driving experience. I'd fixed the 100 series up to sell (fixed it's few big issues, like the cursed MFD), and just decided, for daily driving, i preferred the 04. with about 270K on it now, the paint has a nice patina. Meaning i don't worry about another little rock chip, or the sun beating down it it, or hail in DFW. I preferred the easier steering, and brakes. More power assist. Easier to U-turn. etc, etc. I might have to fix it on occasion, but i'm ok with that.

[@tonycouch8099]

I believe the UK experience is much different than the US regarding 100 series v 200 series. The reason is the diesel V8 200 and 650nm torque v 6 cylinder diesel 100 with 430nm torque. The 200 models can apparently be safely remapped to 900nm and often are in Australia. Both great trucks but the extra torque is brilliant for off roading so the 200 is the obvious next step outside the US.

[@bcatz454]

Wow, I thought I was alone when I had bought a used 2017 back in early 2018 and drove it for 8 months before deciding I liked my old 2002 LX470 better. Glad I'm not alone. Sure on paper, and also mechanically beats the 100 series but styling wise, driving feel, emotional feel, seating position, I just prefer my old 100 more. I was super glad I didn't sell my 100 series at the time and kept it around. Sold the 200, and to this day I don't miss it too much. I really love the relatively lean styling of the 100 series over the 200 series, and the seating position and view (especially with the thin pillars) just can't be beat.

[@steveh545]

@@bcatz454 in a word, I’d say the 100 is nimble, and the 08 was cumbersome. Wasn’t sure if later models were easier to drive. Or if the Lexus LX was easier to drive. Can’t see soccer moms driving the LX if it was that hard to move about.

[@Designandrew]

@@steveh545 I feel the same as you guys, just bought a vdj200 to replace my uzj100, about the only thing I like about the 200 is better fuel mileage. That’s it. I agree the 100 feels more nimble but still solid as a rock and driving position is better too. Anyway not sure yet what I will do as I still have both. One thing is for sure having test driven a 300 series is from what I can tell they are basically going backwards with each generation

[@steveh545]

@@Designandrew my wife has a GX (Amazon/prado). It drives like I wanted the 200 series to drive. It’s a better replacement for what I need/want. Just have an issue driving a Lexus 😂. If they’d badge it Toyota, I’d buy one.

[@erich964]

Sorry for the late question, do the escape gear seat covers work with the air condition seats? Thank you in advance

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

My Land Cruiser doesn't have ventilated seats, so I can't say from experience. Since air would need to pass through the canvas, my guess is that the ventilated seats would be about 20-40% as effective with the covers on. Heated seats are about 80% as effective with the covers on.

[@Designandrew]

The ‘bug guard’ is purely to protect the bonnet or hood as you call it, from rock chips. That’s it

[@largelarry2126]

I have a 2015 and I changed the headlight and fog light bulbs to LED. You can use a full power 9005 LED headlight bulb in your fog lights and they make a huge difference. I use them like high beams in parking lots or in the trail. You can do the same with your high beams for a lot more distance. Make sure the bulbs you buy have the ballast mounted remotely and not built inside the bulb, also only get the kind that has the built in fan for cooling.

[@doubletap777]

Which ones did you use?

[@largelarry2126]

@@doubletap777 AUXITO 9005 LED Headlight Bulb Hi Beam, Manufacturer Part Number DD-Y13-9005-EAD. They are two or three times brighter than the old bulbs.

[@JasonCohenphoto]

Any idea if these would work with the 2013 model LC200? Also did you have to change any of the assembly, or just the bulb?

[@largelarry2126]

@JasonCohenphoto Yes, they will. The best bulb I have found is "Auxito 9005 HI beam 6500K 16000LM Canbus Y13G" My high beams with this bulb is brighter than any car/suv I have ever driven.

[@JasonCohenphoto]

@@largelarry2126 wow thanks for that info!

[@govtfunded]

Oh, I love my 2016. Sure it can be awkward at times, such as a date night, but I'm used to people staring for a host of reasons.

[@michaelnoack8083]

What do you think about the current state of the Land Cruiser market? I've been looking at early 200 series for the last 18 months and prices are up 25%-35% across the board.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

You're spot on. It's pretty crazy. I think it's started to dip a bit, but it still feels really inflated. Shows the vehicle's inherent value. That's a big part of the reason I think Toyota dropped it from this market - it appeals too much to logic and doesn't fit with our model of constant consumption.

[@skyhawk5469]

The more you wait the worse is gonna get price wise imo, i bought a 21 brand new last summer for 94k total, i feel lucky.

[@beagler4234]

You still have the rig?

[@RelizEkpoJnr]

Is the Car lifted?

[@EDaguilar01]

Don’t the oem Toyota front wipers blades also have replaceable rubber?

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Now that you say that, I believe they do. In my case, I needed the arms too, and I think when I went to buy, the front rubber was sold out anyway, so it worked out.

[@noctilucent7396]

Hmmm, I want a LC but my 4R seats fold down and I can simply sleep in there for camping and sit up easier very spacious. Hmm. Might still get a LC but I wish I could sleep in there while having the ability to sit up... my only issue with platforms is the sitting up part.. argg I want a LC lol

[@texlee1640]

You could install a drawer system the same height as the seat backs when they are folded flat or depending on how tall you are you could also tumble the second row seats forward and sleep flat on the floor. I am 5'10 and I have done this a few different times in both our LX570 and the Land Cruiser. You might have to sleep at a slight angle if taller than 5'10" but it'll work.

[@thelandcruiserproject]

I agree with the other commenters on the wheels. They look excellent with the white paint. And keep the bug/rock shield. Great looking build.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

I'm kind of itching for something else to change/fix/replace... within reason.

[@thelandcruiserproject]

@@ChrisONeillUSA Take out the rear seat belts? Or something bigger?

[@supplycom]

Hi mi friend I recently bought the same LC and I would like to know about the seats covers brand? Thanks…Jose from miami!!!

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Escape Gear!

[@ZaZa-ra]

You reckon seat covers are worth it? Do they make the seats less comfortable?

[@kcw9313]

Ditch the steel wheels. They’re heavy with high variance in runout.

[@1634alston]

Move awesome LR. Please keep me in mind when you are ready to sell. Thank you in advance

[@TigerRagFishingTeam]

I'd be willing to bet that the 20% failed LED bulbs would work if you reverse the polarity. (Flip them 180°) Thanks for the video!

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

This was for sure the case with some. 20% were still just dead on arrival.

[@TigerRagFishingTeam]

@@ChrisONeillUSA gotcha. I swapped mine on my Lexus LX 570 and I think all were good once I swapped them 180°. Excellent inexpensive upgrade for sure though!

[@fuzzywuzzysk]

How's your land cruiser now?

[@mbkbk8606]

👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@abdouibrahimdaher3894]

Does the 2008-11 models have a manual transmission?

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Speaking for all US-residents here: we wish! The last manual transmission Land Cruiser to be sold in the US was the 1987 FJ60, which gave way to the automatic-equipped FJ62 for 1988.

[@abdouibrahimdaher3894]

@@ChrisONeillUSA damn, I guess I’ll probably check out the fortuner especially old models 2013 and before as I like the way it looks and I’m sure there’s manual transmission for that. I would’ve copped that 2008 land cruiser tho, I like how good it looks on the super white colour.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Well, to clarify, I was only speaking for the US. Manuals have been and still are available elsewhere - depending on where you live, it's likely you can find an 08-11 with a manual.

[@abdouibrahimdaher3894]

@@ChrisONeillUSA I do live in the UK, yes I did understand that you were talking about US only but from the few research I done, there’s no manual transmission for the 5.7L

[@Designandrew]

Starters usually don’t suddenly die they tend to start playing up and give you warning or time to fix. So I wouldn’t have done it. Also can we please talk about how absolutely hideous the 2013 to 2015 headlights are on the 200 series? Might be the worst ‘update’ to a vehicles looks maybe ever.

[@riccosmooth481]

$900 Starter Replacement??? Gowza! Did Mr. Toyoda do it himself?

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

I know, I know... that's pretty much the going rate. Used a reputable local independent Toyota technician. My policy with this vehicle is to never go cheap.

[@34bingham]

It’s the labor! The starter is on top of the motor under the fuel system. It is done that way to keep it out of the water when your Crusher wades through a creek.

[@JKnox63]

:Im not into the silly overlanding aesthetic”…proceeds to show completely decked out overlanding rig. 😂

[@mvubu6823]

Escape Gear is hand made - I hve been in their factory.

[@chowmonkey2002]

Great, just don’t like this thing on the hood.

[@Mano0f]

The trim is easy to remove i can do it with my eyes closed...clips are cheap get a pack of 20 and remove the belts

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Got a part number for the clips?

[@frasiec]

Radiator, water pump and starter? Meh . Big deal. 900 bucks for a starter? I think you could have easily replaced it yourself.

[@JohnDoe-gm5ux]

Wheels are hideous

[@js-cw5uv]

Just fyi that's not a truck.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Ah thanks so much don't know what I would've done without this comment.

[@js-cw5uv]

@@ChrisONeillUSA no worries glad I could help

[@chief1193]

Actually, it is a truck.