BJ74 LHD Conversion

[crushers]

looking good Craig...
i see the big boy took a day off his house reno to pitch in...

[Phil in BC]

My god you guys are adventurous. I'd say you need a hobby, but looks like you already have one. Personally, I prefer fishing! Good job with the swap.

[coldtaco]

Cool
I got done with my firewall swap, now got to move the 70 front body mounts on to the 78, then install the drivetrain and the front rad support and rad and hoses and posision the drivetrain so to weld the engine mounts and transfer mounts. Then swap the FF axles into the 78. Then combine the wiring harness of the 78 with the wiring harness from a 80's drivetrain, maybe even use some of the wiring harness from the 70?

[prado t]

Keep it up! thanks for an update.

[lumpy70]

Sooooo, the lesson of the day is that if you feel you don't need to move your fuse panel, think really hard about where you are putting the heater fan.

C.

[lumpy70]

Truck wouldn't start, couldn't figure it out.

Solution? You know the thing that makes it so you can only start an automatic in either PARK or NEUTRAL? That wire needs to be shorted out for the H55F to work. What a pain.

So after connecting the harnesses that weren't connected, a LOT of fuel bleeding and cranking, and figuring out where I had the vacuum lines crossed so it wouldn't stall when I took my foot off the clutch it started and ran today. I haven't driven it yet, Sunday I hope.

I attached a picture of the A/C lines before I button the front up. Note to others doing a similar project, save as many of the original hard lines as you can. I scrapped them all thinking they wouldn't work with the LHD and started from scratch but it turns out I could have used 75% of them. Would have save myself a couple of hundred dollars on custom A/C lines.

Craig.

[lumpy70]

Well, it's alive. I drove it to work and back today.

It made a few weird noises and a couple of minor issues which I need to figure out, but I am officially a LHD BJ74 driving around town!

I've still got more piecing together of the dash to do so I'll post those up as I go.

Craig.

[Rigpig]

Good work! Always thought it would be a good swap!

[coldtaco]

Congrats Should be done with part two tomorrow if nothing gets in the way.

[prado t]

Good work, I have Geo MT+s too , to keep them from cupping keep the tire presure above 30 psi for ashphalt travelling, you probably know that already. Enjoy!

[lumpy70]

Well, the top is on, the noises are solved, and everything works.

Thanks for the support everyone.

Craig.

[bj70_guy]

Congrats Craig! Enjoy that extra leg room, you've certainly earned it!

[lumpy70]

Alas, I might be looking at selling now with a bun in the oven:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-tra...rive-bj74.html

I'm looking to see if there is any interest.

Craig.

[coldtaco]

Congrats on finishing the project
Bummer on the for sale
I'm currently stuck with the drive train not fitting, once that's figured out I can proceed again.

[lumpy70]

Things to watch out for:
-Fuse panel location
-Fresh air vent placement
-Tranny mount location
-Wiper linkage placement

Craig.

[coldtaco]

I got the fresh air vent thing done, the wipers moved and will face the fuse block when I dig into the wiring. I got the front body mounts moved over from my 70 so that I can use my 70 front clip instead of the shorter 78 clip.
Thanks.

[knorrena]

How in the hell did you find time to get your wife pregnant with all the time you spent on your cruiser?

Cheers,

Karl

[lumpy70]

Unfortunately for me, the truck is for sale as the car seat won't fit. I don't want to cross-post, but it is listed in the MUD classifieds;
http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-tra...bj74-sale.html

I have been asked for a lot of pictures by people interested in the project, so here are some:

[lumpy70]

Some interior ones:

[lumpy70]

Some higher res pictures can be seen here:
http://gallery.2slow.ca/view_album.p...umName=album03

[crushers]

dude, with you and Bruce and Peter, i know you can make a seat that the car seat WILL fit...

or are you actually just tired of the project and want it to go away?

Originally Posted by lumpy70

Unfortunately for me, the truck is for sale as the car seat won't fit.
:

[lowenbrau]

I think the issue relates more to the lack of doors. I have the same problem (doors, not kids). These days you have to package up the younguns for travel, strap them into a Nascar approved child safety seat, connected to your airbag compliant, retracting seat belted, ANSI approved forward facing rear seat. Face the child rearward for the first six months and forward thereafter, Check the stale date of all of the above equipment, put out your cigar, put on soothing music (check the cover for Parental Advisories), adjust the temperature to within 5% of body temp etc. etc. Fail to do all of the above may result in multiple, heavy fines and/or a visit from the Children's Aid society.

Four decades ago, I developed music appreciation by traveling around in my Daddy's Chrysler Newport Custom, laying on the deck behind the back seat between the Bobble head dog and the Kleenex box. It turns out that that's no longer considered responsible parenting.

A BJ74 might not be the most practical choice for packing the kids around.

[lumpy70]

Yes, what Bruce said.

It has nothing to do with being sick of the project. In fact I was driving in it around today and I was thinking just how much I like the truck. It is VERY cool to have my own custom made LHD BJ74.

I could make a car seat fit, but with all the NASA gear required and the fact that putting it into the 74 would be a challenge with the short doors...well, that's the reason.

Craig.

[crushers]

just bugg'n yah kid...
i can understand the reasoning, how come is see a HDJ81 or a HZJ77 in your future?

i have always thought the 7071 and the 73/74 series rigs were a 2 person and dogs ride...
waht is really cool is you attempted a project and actually finished it...there are number of us that have had our projects collecting dust...

[lumpy70]

Yup, it'll be an 81 in my future I hope.

[prado t]

Our boy is turning 8 soon, and will no longer need that,fucking, booster seat, Anyways it can be done. It is real shitty that you have to get arid of it,especially with all the Blood Sweat and Beers to put that thing together.

[prado t]

On the hi rez I noticed how high your oil presureis at around a 1000rpm , Mine cold at 2000 still stays around a hair line below the first line on the guage

[lumpy70]

Bumping the FS thread:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-tra...ml#post3690458

[89GASHOG]

Originally Posted by lowenbrau

I think the issue relates more to the lack of doors...
..A BJ74 might not be the most practical choice for packing the kids around.

Right. That's the reason my wife pressured me to ditch an '85 4Runner several years ago, which is how I ended up with a FJ62. Also ditched my BJ70 in favor of a more practical pickup for work. The 70 series is still the ultimate toy however, and eventually someone will snap up Craig's beauty. I'd sure love to have it! Do you have the rear trim panels that are missing in the photos?

[lumpy70]

Originally Posted by 89GASHOG

...Do you have the rear trim panels that are missing in the photos?

I do have them, I am going to be putting speakers in there this week so that's why I haven't installed them yet.

Craig.