Perhaps I should consider purchasing a 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser that has a foldable windshield and a roll hoop.

      **Car Cave USA**

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      As someone with what might be the best job in the world, I get to spend quite a bit of time searching for interesting cars to write about. This often leads me down various intriguing paths, which I thoroughly enjoy. However, sometimes, you'll encounter fascinating finds in unexpected ways—and this is a tale about that.

      While browsing Instagram, I came across a unique 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser for sale from Car Cave USA in Aiken, South Carolina. I had never seen one like it before, so I shared it with the guys in our Slack chat. Stephen, our weekend editor, did some research and found out that instead of the usual soft top, the European-spec 1999 HZJ73 featured a folding windshield, removable side windows, and a roll hoop along with a detachable hardtop. The outcome is this impressive open-air vehicle.

      Now, finding something like this on Instagram isn’t particularly unusual. But within hours, this quirky model appeared two more times. Here’s the detail.

      I was exploring Toyota’s (incredibly cool) timeline website, mindlessly clicking on links in search of old Japanese ads. The issue was, I don’t speak Japanese very well, so I was a bit confused. I clicked on a link labeled ランドクルーザー, or “Randokurūzā,” and suddenly, there was that 70 Series with the foldable windshield again!

      “How crazy,” I thought. I’m not sure what the chances of that happening are, but I was genuinely excited.

      Then, my friend Andrew joined the ongoing conversation on Slack with news that was hard to believe: he just spotted one in person. In upstate New York. In a remote area.

      I urged him to write about it, so he headed back to the shop to take a picture Friday morning. Unfortunately, it wasn’t there anymore. Do I think Andrew was making it up? No way. He’s as reliable as a golden retriever (and just as cheerful).

      Anyway, I’m now quietly searching for one of these vehicles. They come equipped with a 1HZ 4.2-liter diesel inline-six engine that delivers 129 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque—no turbocharger included. Combine that with a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip rear differential with 4.11 gears, and you have an excellent crawler.

      Maybe another one will find its way to me soon. If it does, it will be tough to turn it down.

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