How to inspect HZJ75 in the bush? (1 Viewer)

[MobiusRising]

Hi All,

I've come across the (potential) opportunity to buy a troopy in South America and will be going to check it out in a weeks time (I had already planned a trip so its a happy coincidence). If it all works out, I'd be bringing the car back to the US.

Mainly, I'm looking for a checklist for what to inspect when I give the car a thorough once over - are there any rules of thumb while checking out a troopy (e.g. common rust areas, mechanical, etc.)

Here are some details on the vehicle:
Year: 1994
Model: HZJ75LV-MR
Engine: 1HZ - How likely is a 1HZ to have blow-by, assuming its never been turboed?
Mileage 263K KM

I've made the checklist below. Any advice would be helpful from the community!

Checklist

• Pre-Ignition check
  • Inspect engine bay
  • Inspect Oil for signs of aging and/ or coolant
  • Inspect coolant for signs of oil
  • Inspect transmission fluid (watch out for brown or burnt smelling fluid)
  • Inspect power steering fluid
  • Ensure engine number matches with chassy
• Exterior check
  • Check bodywork for signs of accidents and/or other repairs
  • Ensure lights and wench are working properly
• Interior check
  • Check upholstery
  • Check pedals for wear signs (more or less according to the odometer mileage)
  • Check for A/C
  • Check to make sure radio works
• Undercarriage check
  • Check for rust and/or signs of repair to frame
  • Inspect shocks and leaf springs
  • Inspect for any leaks (e.g. motor oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid, diff fluid)
  • Inspect brakes to the extent possible
• After turning the car on
  • Inspect quality of cold start - including glow plugs. Did the vehicle fire up quickly and eventually gets down to a calm rumble?
  • Ask if the Injector pump has been tuned for high altitude - is there any way to tell if this has the high altitude compensator?
  • Leave car running and ensure it maintains a good engine temp
  • rudimentary - perform the oil cap test and inspect for blow-by
• Drive test
  • Check for good acceleration and stopping
  • cycle through all the gears and watch out for any noises
  • inspect clutch grab
  • Watch out for suspension clunks

I'll continue to update this list - anything else I should watch out for?

Thanks!
Eddie

 

[roscoFJ73]

At 263K it would be about half way through its life, it shouldnt have any blow by beyond what is normal for a 1HZ
The cold start needs to be done with the engine not used for at least 12 hours or more, feel the exhaust manifold for warmth before you start it. Some owners will start and run them for a minute before you arrive if it has problems starting cold.
Look for landcruiser high altitude compensator in google images. The parts diagram lists the HZJ75-MR as having one.

For rust , just about everywhere. But behind the rear wheel arch, windscreen frame, gutters and seams are the most common places.

These gearboxes are very clunky when cold, especially 1st to second, but it should smooth out after about 10 mins. You generally dont need 1st gear very often, they get away faster in 2nd.
Look for a by pass hose on the gearbox, you can google them as well for an idea what they look like. If it has one, it could be because the seal between the gearbox and transfer case is gone. When they fail, the oil tends to go uphill and overfill the gearbox. The bypass hose attached to the filler holes allow the oil to flow back to the t/case.
At the back of the transfer case, see if the output flange has any movement . Movement is often accompanied by oil seepage

Look behind the front wheels on the knuckles for thick grease, if its thick and ugly looking, it will need a front axle kit which means a day covered in filthy grease and oil..

Grab hold of the top of the wheels and see if there is any slop . Its better done with the wheel off the ground but you can get movement sometimes with the wheel on the ground. This usually means the bearing needs repacking and retorqueing

Open the doors and see if it has any vertical movement, this means the upper and lower hinges need replacing. Usually the drivers door is the worst.

At 264k it will probably have a few clunks and rattles unless the owner has been extremely fastidious.

 

[AndrewHadji]

Great post above for sure, be aware of
>>If it has one, it could be because the seal between the gearbox and transfer case is gone.
some people (like me) do this as a preventative measure.

 

[Joss]

Have a bloody good inspection and a strong wiggle of the tie rod ends before you drive it any great distance!

I would have a decent sniff of the rear drive shaft, they hang pretty low and often get dented. Quite expensive to rebalance or replace.

 

[MobiusRising]

At 263K it would be about half way through its life, it shouldnt have any blow by beyond what is normal for a 1HZ
The cold start needs to be done with the engine not used for at least 12 hours or more, feel the exhaust manifold for warmth before you start it. Some owners will start and run them for a minute before you arrive if it has problems starting cold.
Look for landcruiser high altitude compensator in google images. The parts diagram lists the HZJ75-MR as having one.

For rust , just about everywhere. But behind the rear wheel arch, windscreen frame, gutters and seams are the most common places.

These gearboxes are very clunky when cold, especially 1st to second, but it should smooth out after about 10 mins. You generally dont need 1st gear very often, they get away faster in 2nd.
Look for a by pass hose on the gearbox, you can google them as well for an idea what they look like. If it has one, it could be because the seal between the gearbox and transfer case is gone. When they fail, the oil tends to go uphill and overfill the gearbox. The bypass hose attached to the filler holes allow the oil to flow back to the t/case.
At the back of the transfer case, see if the output flange has any movement . Movement is often accompanied by oil seepage

Look behind the front wheels on the knuckles for thick grease, if its thick and ugly looking, it will need a front axle kit which means a day covered in filthy grease and oil..

Grab hold of the top of the wheels and see if there is any slop . Its better done with the wheel off the ground but you can get movement sometimes with the wheel on the ground. This usually means the bearing needs repacking and retorqueing

Open the doors and see if it has any vertical movement, this means the upper and lower hinges need replacing. Usually the drivers door is the worst.

At 264k it will probably have a few clunks and rattles unless the owner has been extremely fastidious.

Thanks for the thorough advice! Will definitely go through this checklist and report back to get the groups advice before purchasing.

 

[MobiusRising]

Alright - after chatting with the owner I got my hands on some pics (through grainy at best). I got a somewhat cryptic description of there being rust on the right hand side door (explains why there's no full pic of that door in the set).

Assuming the door is toast, how easy would it be to source one from the US or overseas? Owner is asking $16K USD. Unfortunately the car is pricey but unfortunately cars don't depreciate much in South America. Given that this is a LHD version, do you believe its worth the premium?

What do you think? Any positive or negative initial reactions?

 

[MobiusRising]

Addtl Pics

 

[MobiusRising]

Addtl Pics (3)

 

[Indestructible 47]

Troopys have the round top doors like the current 79 series, and in aus they are buggars to find in good condition and you won't get them cheap. They are not the most well built panel on the 70 series, vehicles that have been used hard have problems with the sheet metal cracking in t he spot weld areas. So make sure it is repairable is what I would say.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Assuming the door is toast, how easy would it be to source one from the US or overseas?

You can buy new skins for them and these doors are still in production.
But thats not what would concern me. If the door is rusty, there maybe body parts that are rusty and on a troopy they are less easy to repair. The interior seems to be a mishmash of brown and grey parts, possibly because it has been a wreck built up from spare parts.
It appears to have been repainted from looking at the firewall.

But its 25 years old and it depends on how much you want it. I guess being LHD it would be easier to sell in the US, but its not going to be $10K more than a RHD. It seems that there are plenty or people prepared to buy RHD

I think all that furniture in the back is pointless, so I wouldnt be paying extra for that.

 

[MobiusRising]

The interior seems to be a mishmash of brown and grey parts, possibly because it has been a wreck built up from spare parts.
It appears to have been repainted from looking at the firewall

Thanks for the heads up! Great advice. Out of curiosity - how can you tell that the interior is a mix of different parts? What did you mean by brown and grey?

Not sure if you're referring to the seats or the dash itself.

 

[davegonz]

If you end up buying it, @joekatana might have what you need (door and other parts).

 

[joekatana]

Looks like a lot has been modified already so prepare to find some surprises and also already make peace with the fact that oem interior parts are very very hard to find and not musch stayed original in that one. If you plan to make a camper out of it go for it , if you want to restore it back to oem specs move on.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Not sure if you're referring to the seats or the dash itself

The dash. There are 2 shades of brown and maybe 2 of grey. Thats the only colours available.
The gearstick knob appears to be off an older model 7* series pre 90. Seats are aftermarket