Index Card Vehicle Maintenance Log
I daily drive an 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser, which I love.
However, this is a “vintage” vehicle. It’s a great vehicle but like all vehicle it requires regular maintenance, and being the non-original owner, a lot of that regular maintenance now falls on me. What I’m trying to say is that I’m so deep into a state of denial that I’m convincing myself this is my dream car and I’m not pouring my money into a black hole, but into a symbol of Toyota engineering prowess. The late Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, invented the kanban system, which I also love.
Sometime in early June 2022, my wife and I were watching the latest Beau Miles YouTube video. In it there is a white 80 series Land Cruiser1. Around that same time it had become apparent to me that I am, in fact, in control of my own destiny (free will notwithstanding). I proclaimed to my wife “I think that’s what my dream car is.”. “What?”, she replied. “That Land Cruiser in that video. It’s probably a 70 series. But a nice white Land Cruiser. I want to look like a NATO diplomat.” “…great!” she replied.
The next day after my biweekly counseling appointment I decided to take the roundabout way home and drove down Bluff Street, one of the most iconic stretches of road in Southern Utah. As I passed one of the many car dealerships, I saw what immediately indicated to me was a white 80 Series Toyota Land Cruiser. Across the grill is a distinctive “TOYOTA” spelled out, as opposed to the “T” emblem added after 1996 but most especially on Toyota SUVs that are not Land Cruisers. I traded in my ‘96 4Runner (a fantastic vehicle) on the spot.
Why the Land Cruiser? To me it’s a testament to engineering. These Toyota engineers, drunk on their own unlimited power, designed and manufactured a vehicle so unbelievably reliable that they never die. So much so that extremist militant groups and peaceful organizations alike rely on them for transportation when you’re so far out that recovery is not an option.
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The 80 series was introduced in 1990 as a “station wagon” - a seven-seater with full-time four-wheel drive. You can take the family to the tip of Pike’s Peak and then roll into the drive-in for dinner. My 1994 is equipped with a (recently re-manufactured) 4.5L 1FZ-FE 6-cylinder gasoline engine. It’s a heavy vehicle but I do 0-70 MPH apparently faster than any of the currently produced vehicles, judging by my fellow motorists’ collective inability to merge onto the freeway at speeds greater than 55 MPH.
It’s truly changed the way I view Southern Utah. I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve seen this place from views I never thought existed. I’m a full-time tourist in my home town and I constantly patrol to admire the natural beauty and monitor expansion progress as I cast my gaze a decade into the future and see the metropolis that will be built in the fields. I don’t condemn that expansion. The area has changed drastically. I think for the better.
I’ve picked up hitchhikers in the Land Cruiser. Where do we sit on that safety-wise in 2024? I’ve enjoyed sharing a few anonymous moments discussing music, or anything but life’s problems.
With that have come repairs, sometimes costly. But I’m not blinded by sunk costs - I’m invested in this vehicle long term. I don’t owe anyone any money for it, so I’m free to let it rust if I’d like, but I don’t. I want to take good care of it!
After accumulating a relative “ream” of mechanics’ invoices, I finally came up with a better way. I produced another 3x5 index card. On one side is the vehicle info, and a log for service visits including the date, odometer reading, notes about service, the out-the-door price ($OTD), and an “ID” number to be referenced on the reverse side. The other side includes space for up to 3 mechanics (name, phone, reference, street, city, state, zip, and notes) as well as your own name and phone number. The slickest part is a QR code (shoutout Sam) that links to the Operation CHARM page for my vehicle.
If you’re unfamiliar, CHARM is an open source collection of the same service manuals your mechanics use to figure out how much to charge you for something, as well as how to do it. It’s good to review what the procedure will entail anyways as there may be recommendations your mechanic might not voice to you. Keep in mind these prices will vary and it’s not always because your mechanic is trying to hose you. Worst case, get another quote! Another hack is to bring your own parts. You can take advantage of coupons and discounts on parts your mechanic might otherwise charge you MSRP for.
One time I was in a tow truck and the guy said to me:
Yer either payin’ the mechanic or yer payin’ the bank, but as long as yer drivin’, yer payin’ one ‘er the other.
It’s pretty much true.
Print the bad boys:
Footnotes:
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Initially I mistook it for the 70 series with it’s distinctive vertical split hatch, but apparently 80 series had that in Australia, where the video is filmed. Upon review it occurs to me that my vehicle is identical to that in the video except with the US style horizontal split hatch/tailgate which I prefer anyways. ↩