I'm sure they have a cult following, but you don't see many Samurai still on the road over here - the last year they were sold was 1995, when they switched to the Sidekick. Back in the `80s I had a customer who brought an early 1000cc SJ410 over from Hawaii which we refurbished, it was only a few years old and already starting to rust away in places. They're nimble off-road but not really practical as primary transportation, average American car gets driven nearly 20K km per year.
I have yet to see a single Iltis (I live in NW part of USA)...they seem to be more rare than Unimogs and Pinzgauers here. We only got the Typ 181 in 1973 and `74, they're still popular. STF has a forum devoted to the Thing, as well as one intended for photographs - can we see your `51?
