cult45's 45 recovery and remobilisation (2 Viewers)

[cult45]

Been on the hunt for a 45 for a while now, an early one. Y'know, split hood, ribbed dash etc. Anyway, I came across one in Moura, about 7 hours away, an original '65 one. But I missed it. So the seller starts telling me about this red '70 that he's got and he sends me a few pics but it's a bit of a basket case. So I keeps hunting. And there, incorrectly listed on Gumtree is a '73 45, all stock but not running and partly disassembled. $850. So I call the guy and we get to talking and he drops the price within 30 seconds. Turns out the truck is only an hour from me, so I went out for a look. Turns out it's a '70 [I think], and so after a quick VIN check to ensure it was clean I became the new owner for $500.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mount-mee/cars-vans-utes/1973-toyota-land-cruiser-ute/1047459483

VIN and engine #'s attached.

Can anyone help me ID this sucker? I thought the ribs stopped in '69.

 

[sneaky]

Congratulations!

I was hoping no one would notice that ute until after I get married next month.

Can't help with the age of it sorry. Any idea what the lever on the column is for? I was looking at the ad and it struck me as odd.

Good luck with.

 

[chappohj47]

Looks pretty good nice find mate

 

[80nick]

lever on the column looks like the early 3spd shifter, but it has floor shift... also, its an early tub, can tell by the ribs on the dash. later model windshield.

it probably just had a tub swap at some point in time, or it is the original tub and frame and PO swapped out the windshield frame etc. seems like it is far from original, so do whatever you want, but get it running and driving!

 

[cult45]

Thanks guys, I'm pretty pumped. Does anyone know anymore about how to date the truck? I'm hoping those in the know can pick it to pieces so I really know what I've got.

Oh and sneaky that lever is a makeshift indicator. Sure ain't gonna break anytime soon.

 

[west aussie]

very goodly! nice find at the right price. im not a specialist on this era; i mostly play with the older stuff. but i have a few wrecks of different ages laying about so will compare a few numbers and things and see what i find. can you post a pic of the motor? im a couple days away from home though so next week sometime. looks pretty original to me at a glance. love those wooden tray sides!

 

[cult45]

Thanks west aussie. Interestingly enough it was your 'technology reaches westralia' thread that led me to Mud. That story about taking the old boy down to be buried in the back of that trayback damn near brought me to tears. I was seeing a girl at the time and I tried to explain the relationship that men, perhaps even Australian men, have with a Landcruiser that goes beyond mere metal. But she didn't get it.

Anyway, here's a few pics of the old girl to help with the ID'ing process.

So..

'68 - '74 indicators. No vents as per '68 [?]. Early mirrors. Got L and R mirrors too.

 

[cult45]

Early steering wheel as per pre-'74..? Ribbed dash as per pre'70..? These type quarter windows and overhead wipers, single motor.

 

[cult45]

This dome light as per..? And clip down R/T, not bolt down. Also, what are these wire clips? In my experience of old iron they're used to hold down trim, as in vinyl or leather. Any idea why they're here?

 

[cult45]

Cool leather gearstick boot. Diff has a cover. Non rusty cab mount - rare! Is this a stock rim? It's a 15".

 

[cult45]

Stock alternator? Stock fan shroud? No heater! And what the hell is this weird thing with the copper wound around it? It was sitting under that clear plastic thing with the green tape on it.

 

[cult45]

Is this a stock radiator drain plug? And is this a stock starter? And this is a high-tech anti-theft device, known a fuel tap. Seized open. Or closed, don't know yet.

 

[cult45]

In the oil fill neck, there's a metal blockage down the bottom of the pipe. Some kind of magnet or foreign particle blocker..? Also, has anyone seen these hubs before? Here's the ID tag, and I think also the pop-rivets seem to be where the other ID tag used to be?

 

[cult45]

I think this is some kind of period brake booster. VAM brand. And the things you get in a car that hasn't been registered since 2002 is a map of Moreton Island [complete with an MQ Nissan Patrol] and a newspaper from January 1986. Check out the price on the 4 Runner!

 

[whitey45]

Hey m8,

Looks like a late build 69, early 70 fj45. Ribbed dash ended in the us in 67, pretty sure aus ended in late 69. Looks all original , nice rig! Cheers

 

[cult45]

So I spent the day putting the front end back on, fitting all the new parts the PO had bought [plugs, leads, filters etc.], cleaning out the cab and tray and junking everything non-essential. It's pretty clean. There's some rust under filler in the sills, bottoms of doors and the bottom of rear window panel, but that's pretty much it. It;s had two small repairs in the inner sills, but everything seems to have been covered in some kind of oil, leaving a yellowish residue. I'm surprised at the sheer lack of rust in a 45 of this age. So it's all back together now and ready to be readied for a roadworthy. It's weird, this truck is the gift that keeps on giving. The PO told me someone had put some kind of lubricant in the engine to stop it seizing as it sat. It turned over by hand. There's fuel in the carb glass. The starter works. The engine turns freely under starter motor power. The handbrake works. The clutch, brake and accelerator pedals move freely and the brake master squirts fluid. The seats move freely. The ignition moves freely. The windows wind up and down. Even the quarter-glass locks move freely! The gearbox and transfer are free and are nice and notchy like all good early transmissions. The truck rolled nicely onto the tow truck. I get the feeling it will be ready for a roadworthy with very little effort at all. I guess time will tell. Pretty stoked though! Got me an early one!

 

[cult45]

Thanks Whitey!

 

[sneaky]

Damn it!

I had a feeling that was a neat truck. Oh well, my search continues.

Have fun getting it all up and running.

 

[Kief]

The thing with the wire coiled up is your voltage regulator. Nice Ol' rig.

 

[cult45]

Thanks Kief. I'll suss it out.