1985 FJ73 Colombian Spec Light Overhaul
- Thread starter CHAS404
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- Thread starter
- #23
That white troopy is likely 4.5 liter EFI gasoline. Colombia did not get diesels until very recently.
I had to shelf the white truck purchase for now as I am back in Florida. I have a lead on a red one that is mechanically better cared for but I sure do like the white one with the snorkel. White truck needs some work.
Also going to look into making the bull bar for these in Colombia as I have a contact. I can follow the popular styles.
I just drove 3 hours straight in this red 82 FJ43 with 4.10 gears on the highway. she ran great at 55 mph no more. So yeah I would love to try a 70 series with a 3F and a 5 speed in flat Florida!
I had to shelf the white truck purchase for now as I am back in Florida. I have a lead on a red one that is mechanically better cared for but I sure do like the white one with the snorkel. White truck needs some work.
Also going to look into making the bull bar for these in Colombia as I have a contact. I can follow the popular styles.
I just drove 3 hours straight in this red 82 FJ43 with 4.10 gears on the highway. she ran great at 55 mph no more. So yeah I would love to try a 70 series with a 3F and a 5 speed in flat Florida!
- Thread starter
- #24
Sorry been too overwhelmed with current FJ43 inventory but I am going to do a 70 series this year and have a lead on a few. This white one I think I am passing on mainly because the instrument panel had too many gauges out and that is can be a supreme hassle to fix.
I hope you've done your homework on where to look for rust in the 70s.
I'm near the coast in Australia and rust on these things can sometimes be all that's holding them together!
If you're getting one with a snorkel to do water crossings, expect to rip it apart & silicone all the joints.
Personally though, I wouldn't touch a 3F for anything other than an FJ73. With the 5 speed & 33" tyres it still has some pep, but it's no race car. Also, expect to stop for petrol, often. I average 18l/100km at the moment.
The 1FZ-FE is a very nice engine, but still thirsty (especially in a 3t troopy) and not too common over here (in the 70 series at least). It'd be nice in the middy frame though (FZJ73).
Most farmers / miners here went for the 2H or 1HZ because
1) they're bulletproof and
2) the locals enjoy the smell of petrol too much :-/
That aside, the FJ73 hardtops are quite a lot of fun to work on and play with. Thankfully, just about everything is bolt-on!
The power windows are a pig to find parts for (Toyoda is useless for that), but there are some great UAE part houses that still have genuine parts from 1985
Want power mirrors? You can order an OEM switch, harness and mirrors for the UAE FZJ73 & bolt it into a FJ73.
Want headlight cleaners... I think Europe and UAE had that option.
PTO Winch? That'd be here in Aus or Japan.
Vacuum operated 4wd? That's Aus & Jap spec also.
Anyway, you get lots of fun options when you start looking overseas for parts (and use ToyoDIY as a shopping list) :-D
Too many toys!
-Trav
I'm near the coast in Australia and rust on these things can sometimes be all that's holding them together!
If you're getting one with a snorkel to do water crossings, expect to rip it apart & silicone all the joints.
Personally though, I wouldn't touch a 3F for anything other than an FJ73. With the 5 speed & 33" tyres it still has some pep, but it's no race car. Also, expect to stop for petrol, often. I average 18l/100km at the moment.
The 1FZ-FE is a very nice engine, but still thirsty (especially in a 3t troopy) and not too common over here (in the 70 series at least). It'd be nice in the middy frame though (FZJ73).
Most farmers / miners here went for the 2H or 1HZ because
1) they're bulletproof and
2) the locals enjoy the smell of petrol too much :-/
That aside, the FJ73 hardtops are quite a lot of fun to work on and play with. Thankfully, just about everything is bolt-on!
The power windows are a pig to find parts for (Toyoda is useless for that), but there are some great UAE part houses that still have genuine parts from 1985
Want power mirrors? You can order an OEM switch, harness and mirrors for the UAE FZJ73 & bolt it into a FJ73.
Want headlight cleaners... I think Europe and UAE had that option.
PTO Winch? That'd be here in Aus or Japan.
Vacuum operated 4wd? That's Aus & Jap spec also.
Anyway, you get lots of fun options when you start looking overseas for parts (and use ToyoDIY as a shopping list) :-D
Too many toys!
-Trav
- Thread starter
- #26
I think we have all metal and likely made new down here.
- Thread starter
- #27
I hope you've done your homework on where to look for rust in the 70s.
I'm near the coast in Australia and rust on these things can sometimes be all that's holding them together!
If you're getting one with a snorkel to do water crossings, expect to rip it apart & silicone all the joints.
Personally though, I wouldn't touch a 3F for anything other than an FJ73. With the 5 speed & 33" tyres it still has some pep, but it's no race car. Also, expect to stop for petrol, often. I average 18l/100km at the moment.
The 1FZ-FE is a very nice engine, but still thirsty (especially in a 3t troopy) and not too common over here (in the 70 series at least). It'd be nice in the middy frame though (FZJ73).
Most farmers / miners here went for the 2H or 1HZ because
1) they're bulletproof and
2) the locals enjoy the smell of petrol too much :-/
That aside, the FJ73 hardtops are quite a lot of fun to work on and play with. Thankfully, just about everything is bolt-on!
The power windows are a pig to find parts for (Toyoda is useless for that), but there are some great UAE part houses that still have genuine parts from 1985
Want power mirrors? You can order an OEM switch, harness and mirrors for the UAE FZJ73 & bolt it into a FJ73.
Want headlight cleaners... I think Europe and UAE had that option.
PTO Winch? That'd be here in Aus or Japan.
Vacuum operated 4wd? That's Aus & Jap spec also.
Anyway, you get lots of fun options when you start looking overseas for parts (and use ToyoDIY as a shopping list) :-D
Too many toys!
-Trav
Granted the 3F is no race horse. I test drove one and it felt quick but then again I drive FJ43s all day so a modern??? 3F to me is like a cadillac! the colombian trucks dont have emissions so maybe that helps. I have access to all the parts down here so the idea is to overhaul the trucks as best we can before exporting.
I personally want one 3F or now. just wait 5 years or so until we can get the 4.5 liters. i think the 4.5 liter carb came out 1992 or so. I think the EFI 4.5 liter 24 valve was 1998. Not sure.
- Thread starter
- #28
Wow I really left this thread dying on the vine. So I have been down in Colombia working 24/7 on my 40 series and did not have much time for the 70 series and low and behold this is what I just bought.
1986 FJ73. Has super nice soft top already. interior is supposedly gray leather covered with the nice beach covers (I need to look again). 3F 5 speed. LHD. full floating rear axle. Condition is likely high miles 200,000 to 250,000 miles but this truck was completely restored recently by previous owner. motor sounds/drives rebuilt. floors from under the truck pristine. all new shiny bolts. paint is not frame off $50,000 truck quality but very clean. truck has 31 inch tires on it. I am putting 5 new 32 inch by 11.5 by 15 on it which seems to suit the all new stock suspension best. 33 by 12.5 looks to be pushing it.
has the cool suspension seats. I think I will start a fresh thread maybe some people get upset on here on unorganized threads but I had just started investigating these trucks and I passed on the first truck up there. Actually not a bad truck but this truck is more ready to go. we will still go through it mechanically and do some light touch up on the paint. needs an exhaust and a spare tire holder. This truck is under deposit sold for $25,000 to give an idea on price. I foresee these coming to the USA (from many sources) and I think rust free LHD gasoline engine is a nice alternative to the Euro trucks which have undercoating/rust protection and the JDM/Australian RHD diesels.
1986 FJ73. Has super nice soft top already. interior is supposedly gray leather covered with the nice beach covers (I need to look again). 3F 5 speed. LHD. full floating rear axle. Condition is likely high miles 200,000 to 250,000 miles but this truck was completely restored recently by previous owner. motor sounds/drives rebuilt. floors from under the truck pristine. all new shiny bolts. paint is not frame off $50,000 truck quality but very clean. truck has 31 inch tires on it. I am putting 5 new 32 inch by 11.5 by 15 on it which seems to suit the all new stock suspension best. 33 by 12.5 looks to be pushing it.
has the cool suspension seats. I think I will start a fresh thread maybe some people get upset on here on unorganized threads but I had just started investigating these trucks and I passed on the first truck up there. Actually not a bad truck but this truck is more ready to go. we will still go through it mechanically and do some light touch up on the paint. needs an exhaust and a spare tire holder. This truck is under deposit sold for $25,000 to give an idea on price. I foresee these coming to the USA (from many sources) and I think rust free LHD gasoline engine is a nice alternative to the Euro trucks which have undercoating/rust protection and the JDM/Australian RHD diesels.
Yeah, the 3F was fairly emission free here in Australia too
I suppose that compared to the 2F, a 3F would feel fairly fast! The progressive 2 barrel carbs made a massive difference...
Not sure about the rest of the world, but I think we ended up getting the 1fz-fe in '92.
All said though, that white FJ73 LX is a very nice example! That is a good find, except someone put the steering wheel on the wrong side :-\
-Trav
Just noticed something off with that interior photo... It has the LX vacuum actuated H4 switch, but it also has the standard transfer case. The glovebox sticker shows the standard shift sequence & the transfer stick is over to the left (in high range). Normally the LX version's t-case only has 3 positions: H (forward), N (middle), L4 (rear)
Maybe the t-case was replaced at some stage, or someone has added the H4 switch?
Maybe the t-case was replaced at some stage, or someone has added the H4 switch?
- Thread starter
- #31
No idea. This truck was restored and there are plenty of parts on 70 series down there. So a lot of times they grab the updated parts when they restore a truck. Once I go through the overhaul will ask. The rear axle supposedly is a floating unit too.
- Thread starter
- #32
We might do a 2nd pair of cut down half doors for the client. Idea is he can run in convertible mode. Here is a pickup someone did. Pretty cool. Love the all canvas/vinyl rear window of the 'cab'.
This white truck will be delayed a bit as I have about 4 FJ40s/43s that have to be exported out soon.
This white truck will be delayed a bit as I have about 4 FJ40s/43s that have to be exported out soon.
- Thread starter
- #34
I don't think there is rust on this truck. It is extremely clean underneath and the floors look to be all original. The rear quarters likely had been repaired right behind the wheelwells. My body guy looked at the windshield frame and thought it was OK. This truck was indeed restored at some point by others (with good yet not perfect repaint) so some of this short of guessing on a 30 year old truck is hard to say. I am applying the same standard to this 70 series as I am to all my other trucks. We spent over a month going through it so far. The paint and body and interior are very good. Paintwise we are just doing some touch up really. It is not a 10 out of 10 paint job but white is a forgiving color and we will polish it. All of this has to do with pricing and what the client and I agree to. The painters I use have done $60,000 trucks but it all takes time and money. The mechanical turned out to be disappointing on this but we caught the issues thankfully I think and I spent a ton of money getting the truck right. Certainly there are great Euro sourced trucks and Europe is the source for diesels for sure. I have seen a few average ones with my own eyes bodywise but I think they were passable for the type of truck these are. These are later 1980s trucks and not quite 'classic' yet. I have also seen a coastal Colombian truck which I think I posted which was just eaten alive. This white truck was registered and likely lived in the mountains far from the coast which is where the best trucks come from.
Here are the custom bumpers we did for the truck. Can't wait to post completed photos. Unfortunately we will be working on this truck right up until it exports. We are also installing the tires in Florida so it is hard to visualize the finished product. Very excited about this truck.
Here are the custom bumpers we did for the truck. Can't wait to post completed photos. Unfortunately we will be working on this truck right up until it exports. We are also installing the tires in Florida so it is hard to visualize the finished product. Very excited about this truck.