I've been wanting to start this thread for the last year. Finally decided it was time to do it. You can follow along in my BS in Instagram as well if you're into that sort of thing-@losangeleslandcruiser. I'll do my best to keep it up! I also really want this to be a record for someone searching around for documentation on maintenance and modification of one of these trucks. A lot of it is standard Land Cruiser tech, but JDM 70 series have some weird and cool features you only see on these trucks. What follows will range from every day maintenance, to the reality of living with a weird, JDM RHD 4x4 in the USA, I'll touch on registration, and some trick upgrades. When she's all done and ready to go, we're hitting the trails! The events in this thread begin in August 2019.
So, I was the guy who brought Princess the 4BT powered FJ62 back to life with the intent of making an adventure ready, rock crawl able Land Cruiser out of the rotten corpse of the truck. Princess was a famous-ish Proffitt's build from the early 2000s that changed ownership a few times only to end up on the side of some dudes house with a blown head gasket wasting away. Long story short: It was an unmitigated, if not entertaining disaster. I threw everything I had at the truck. As much as I loved the truck (and the finished product drove and performed like a dream when it wasn't broken), the fatal flaw in the 4BT/H55/Toybox drivetrain moving a 6500 lb monster on 37s was too much to overcome. I had invested far too much into the powertrain to start over, and after the 4th failure of H55F/Toybox combo during a surprise Father's Day camping adventure, I decided it was time to part ways with the truck.
I had owned an HZJ73 before Princess and loved every minute. I sold it after I botched the CA registration and replaced it with Princess. I was really taken with the 70 series. It was a true evolution of the 40 series (my first vehicular love affair), with rock solid build quality and the AC/power windows and locks combo of the high trim JDM models that made my wife want to spend time in the truck. Mid wheelbase models have everything- manageable size, the perfect wheelbase for off road and just enough room for kid/dogs/gear to do everything. I've also decided that a diesel is the only way to own an old 4x4 and daily drive it often. I can't deal with fuel the fuel economy you get with a gas Cruiser, and the stress of planning a trip with a range of less than 300 miles per fill up is just not necessary. I do live in Los Angeles, and owning a diesel Cruiser poses special challenges here, but more on that later.
While I was haggling with several potential suitors for Princess, this 1987 BJ74 popped up on Craigslist with 200kms on the clock and a little work done. I decided to check it out on a whim on a weekday evening when I needed to get out of the house. If I did sell Princess I'd have just enough to cover it with a bit left over. While it was a little rough around the edges, I got a good feeling from the truck. It was advertised as RUSTY but after examining the truck, it was pretty mild compared to what you tend to see in the average unrestored FJ60. Rot in the rockers, a couple of little bubbles here and there and a manageable spot under the carpet in the rear right corner at the body mount. The hood had been repainted and clear coat at the top of the fenders and the FRP top was giving up the ghost to the CA sun, no biggie. Interior was good, drivers seat has seen better days. Under the hood, everything was original minus a rebuilt alternator. Hoses were old but fine. AC didn't work, and the clutch master was low on fluid. It had a brand new OME medium kit on it with half rotten 2nd generation 33" BFG Mudders on factory FJ60 rims. Most importantly, the truck had factory cable lockers that worked, a smooth and quiet H55F manual (required for an old, underpowered Cruiser, automatics are for hipsters and people with soft hands, fight me ). It also had a factory PTO which I thought was neat. I had zero experience with the 13B-T power plant, but it reminded me of a more civilized 4BT Cummins. It had plenty of power and could motivate the truck well enough. The truck had Washington tags registered to the seller's business in Seattle, and he told me he'd let me keep the registration there until it was up. I drove the truck and was pretty taken. Despite needing some love, it drove well, and reminded me of all of the reasons why I loved 70 series trucks, they are fantastic. I had some thinking to do.... should I do it? How can I pull all of this off? What happens if I can't register it in California? If it blows up, will my wife divorce me? Will it blow up?
So, I was the guy who brought Princess the 4BT powered FJ62 back to life with the intent of making an adventure ready, rock crawl able Land Cruiser out of the rotten corpse of the truck. Princess was a famous-ish Proffitt's build from the early 2000s that changed ownership a few times only to end up on the side of some dudes house with a blown head gasket wasting away. Long story short: It was an unmitigated, if not entertaining disaster. I threw everything I had at the truck. As much as I loved the truck (and the finished product drove and performed like a dream when it wasn't broken), the fatal flaw in the 4BT/H55/Toybox drivetrain moving a 6500 lb monster on 37s was too much to overcome. I had invested far too much into the powertrain to start over, and after the 4th failure of H55F/Toybox combo during a surprise Father's Day camping adventure, I decided it was time to part ways with the truck.
I had owned an HZJ73 before Princess and loved every minute. I sold it after I botched the CA registration and replaced it with Princess. I was really taken with the 70 series. It was a true evolution of the 40 series (my first vehicular love affair), with rock solid build quality and the AC/power windows and locks combo of the high trim JDM models that made my wife want to spend time in the truck. Mid wheelbase models have everything- manageable size, the perfect wheelbase for off road and just enough room for kid/dogs/gear to do everything. I've also decided that a diesel is the only way to own an old 4x4 and daily drive it often. I can't deal with fuel the fuel economy you get with a gas Cruiser, and the stress of planning a trip with a range of less than 300 miles per fill up is just not necessary. I do live in Los Angeles, and owning a diesel Cruiser poses special challenges here, but more on that later.
While I was haggling with several potential suitors for Princess, this 1987 BJ74 popped up on Craigslist with 200kms on the clock and a little work done. I decided to check it out on a whim on a weekday evening when I needed to get out of the house. If I did sell Princess I'd have just enough to cover it with a bit left over. While it was a little rough around the edges, I got a good feeling from the truck. It was advertised as RUSTY but after examining the truck, it was pretty mild compared to what you tend to see in the average unrestored FJ60. Rot in the rockers, a couple of little bubbles here and there and a manageable spot under the carpet in the rear right corner at the body mount. The hood had been repainted and clear coat at the top of the fenders and the FRP top was giving up the ghost to the CA sun, no biggie. Interior was good, drivers seat has seen better days. Under the hood, everything was original minus a rebuilt alternator. Hoses were old but fine. AC didn't work, and the clutch master was low on fluid. It had a brand new OME medium kit on it with half rotten 2nd generation 33" BFG Mudders on factory FJ60 rims. Most importantly, the truck had factory cable lockers that worked, a smooth and quiet H55F manual (required for an old, underpowered Cruiser, automatics are for hipsters and people with soft hands, fight me ). It also had a factory PTO which I thought was neat. I had zero experience with the 13B-T power plant, but it reminded me of a more civilized 4BT Cummins. It had plenty of power and could motivate the truck well enough. The truck had Washington tags registered to the seller's business in Seattle, and he told me he'd let me keep the registration there until it was up. I drove the truck and was pretty taken. Despite needing some love, it drove well, and reminded me of all of the reasons why I loved 70 series trucks, they are fantastic. I had some thinking to do.... should I do it? How can I pull all of this off? What happens if I can't register it in California? If it blows up, will my wife divorce me? Will it blow up?
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