When I first bought my 76, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I went shopping for a Hilux and then figured, why buy a Hilux when I can buy the vehicle that you use to tow the Hilux? Right? I was looking for a vehicle to tow my boat more than I was looking for an overlanding vehicle or a vehicle for off-road type stuff. I’d always had a soft spot for the farm truck look of the 70 series Land Cruisers but always figured that they were overkill for my needs and I’d pretty much accepted that I’d never own one. Until I actually did. And so began my search for the best amongst the Land Cruiser specialists in Cape Town.
So here I was, the owner of a Land Cruiser 76 but I didn’t really know what I had bought. The vehicle was second hand and, whilst in showroom condition, I didn’t have a clue what was going on below the bonnet. I took my vehicle to a Land Cruiser “specialist” in Brackenfell, Cape Town, to have them inspect the vehicle for me and give me a report. When they refused to let me chat with the gent (and business owner) who had drawn up the report because “he was far too busy”, I knew that I was at the wrong place. I took to the Land Cruiser Club forum to seek advice from the seasoned Land Cruiser owners and those that knew far more than I. One name that kept popping up, over and over again, was Johann Meyer from JB’s Auto Repairs in Parow Industrial.
I pitched up at JB’s Auto one Monday morning, about 45 minutes after calling to ask if they had capacity to chat with me, and it was immediately evident why Johann Senior is lauded as South Africa’s Land Cruiser whisperer. Johann Senior stood up from his desk, walked me over to my vehicle, climbed behind the driver’s seat and took me for a 15 minute drive, all the time educating me on proper maintenance and what I should and shouldn’t be doing to ensure the longevity of my vehicle. On arriving back at his workshop, he took the time to personally inspect my vehicle and addressed each and every question and concern that I had. He refused to take any money for his efforts so, later that afternoon, I dropped off a KG of biltong as a thank you.
All of the above to say that, there are self proclaimed “specialists” in this industry and then there are the true specialists. The ones that are passionate about what they do and take every opportunity to inspire that same passion in others. I decided there and then that JB Auto Repairs would be the only shop that I allow to service my vehicle. If you’re a Land Cruiser owner and you’re still not convinced, sign up on the South African Land Cruiser Club website and do a simple search for “JB Auto”. At the time of this post, the JB Auto thread is 888 comments deep and they’re all overwhelmingly positive.
