Build 1988 BJ74 “Number 1”

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Not much to update as we have been in full house remodel mode. Like up til 11 every night after working the job that pays me 8-5.

Pro-tip - 100 year old farm houses are like old cruisers. They’ve been around awhile and are solid, but you never know how many scotch lock connections are hiding underneath that patina. While you’re in there turns into a down to the studs/frame of ordeal. In the end, just ship your house to @SNLC and be done with it!

Got it unloaded and tucked away nicely. I’m thinking next weekend might be the swap.

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This question is almost as bad as will it fit 35s?

But what all is your preferred h55f oil? I know it stayed gl4 only and that’s what I’ve used.

redline mt90 - lots of love but do I need to run a break in and then dump it in 500 miles?

Sta-lube gl4 gear oil? Worked fine in the past, not sure any reason it wouldn’t now?

Amsoil is 75/80 gl4

Any others or just put it in and don’t worry until I have to change it again.
 
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FJBen said:
Looks like a good option without the price tag of redline.
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I paid less than 6 bucks a quart for a case a couple months ago.
 
delo syn-trans 75 90 (gl4, although you have to read a bunch of crap to figure that out)
the h55 shifted much smoother than before with this
 
FJBen said:
Full disclosure, I’ve still had my 1998 jetta the whole time, however it’s one of VWs most simple and reliable car ever. 5spd, tdi, manual windows (aside from the terrible vacuum door locks) $14.67 a month to insure, 40mpg on 14” rims and tires for $88 each. 279k miles and chugging.

I digress yet again…

Remember when I said I would only get another if it was a smoking deal?

Yeah literally this was a smoking deal 😆

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Long story sort of short? My friend from whom I got this from was just taking it to get a heat shield tack welded on at a muffler shop. My friend rents this on outdoorsy so he keeps it top shape. Well, the theory is he had something below that caught on fire from a spark and proceeded flame up and melt the harness.
Then said muffler guy actually tried to start it after…

Insurance got a quote of $17,500 to replace the harness and all harnesses and such. $17,500…. Needless to say it was totalled.

I was looking for one when my friend said he would sell me his for a “smoking” deal. He already bought a used harness but really just wanted it gone. It was very cheap.
He got it from original owners with every gas fill and maintenance item ever since new. It was extremely well looked after, and as I said he continued that formthe past few years as he would rent it out in california. $180 a night.

Excellent shape, no rust ready to go anywhere except for the whole fire thing.

Anyway I shipped it here since it was so stupid cheap to try and fix it. We have wanted another so worst case I could part this od it failed.

So yes @Felde , you nailed it!

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I won’t bore you with a ton more details, but I spent the weekend ripping the harness out, making any changes and putting in the new one. 16 hours…outside.



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I got it. Fire extinguisher and hose nearby lol. Started up. Started up, minimal codes. Now we the transmission control module is fried. Charred wire into it so it’s in limp mode. Ordering one up.

So if all goes well, tcm shows up well, we should have a very nice setup for cheap.

but yea, the Land Cruiser is there to save the day and help again.
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Whoa, I can't wait to get caught up on this...
 
Plan is to swap the h55f this upcoming weekend. Oil should be showing up later this week.

More non-Cruiser news.

Loaded up the eurovan and headed east 2.5 hours to camp at the lake and visit family.

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The van chugged along, 80mph, a/c blasting.



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These things are setup pretty nice. I can see why the aussies love the troopies with this build out. Pop the top, lift up the kitchen area and you are set to go.

Managed 19.4 mpg and nary a check engine light 😂

A few takeaways:
captain chairs armrests, man such great thing.
Highway cruising- it just flat cruises 75-80 easily and gets 19mpg. Ifs and coil rear, it rides really nice.
A/C - 95 degrees and the ability to have ac on 1 was great. Someday I’ll fix mine on the BJ74.
Swivel chairs, not sure I’ve seen any troopies with those, but great for having a comfy seat facing inward.



The eurovan is great, but I’d definitely rather have a poptop troopy anyday. The price of a nicely built poptop troopy seems to be about $50-$60k starting. You can pickup a eurovan camper like this for low $20s. You can “bolt in” a TDI/5 speed and synchro 4x4 with rear diff lock cheaper than the above troopy. Now you still aren’t getting where a troopy can, but you are getting remote off road.

They are different beasts for sure…but a troopy someday! I was just happy Walter the white eurovan made the trip without issue!
 
FJBen said:
Plan is to swap the h55f this upcoming weekend. Oil should be showing up later this week.

More non-Cruiser news.

Loaded up the eurovan and headed east 2.5 hours to camp at the lake and visit family.

View attachment 3705935


The van chugged along, 80mph, a/c blasting.



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These things are setup pretty nice. I can see why the aussies love the troopies with this build out. Pop the top, lift up the kitchen area and you are set to go.

Managed 19.4 mpg and nary a check engine light 😂

A few takeaways:
captain chairs armrests, man such great thing.
Highway cruising- it just flat cruises 75-80 easily and gets 19mpg. Ifs and coil rear, it rides really nice.
A/C - 95 degrees and the ability to have ac on 1 was great. Someday I’ll fix mine on the BJ74.
Swivel chairs, not sure I’ve seen any troopies with those, but great for having a comfy seat facing inward.



The eurovan is great, but I’d definitely rather have a poptop troopy anyday. The price of a nicely built poptop troopy seems to be about $50-$60k starting. You can pickup a eurovan camper like this for low $20s. You can “bolt in” a TDI/5 speed and synchro 4x4 with rear diff lock cheaper than the above troopy. Now you still aren’t getting where a troopy can, but you are getting remote off road.

They are different beasts for sure…but a troopy someday! I was just happy Walter the white eurovan made the trip without issue!
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Great deal, and nice replacement to your other poor eurovan that had such an early demise. Happy for you, I love when these kinds of "too good to be true" deals actually works out. It looks in incredible condition. Well done!

Now if you really want to rub a little salt in the wound, start renting this unit out at $200/day for Colorado campers. But, as you said you got it from a friend, so perhaps not.... lol 😜

:cheers:
 
Rigster said:
Great deal, and nice replacement to your other poor eurovan that had such an early demise. Happy for you, I love when these kinds of "too good to be true" deals actually works out. It looks in incredible condition. Well done!

Now if you really want to rub a little salt in the wound, start renting this unit out at $200/day for Colorado campers. But, as you said you got it from a friend, so perhaps not.... lol 😜

:cheers:
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Thanks I appreciate that! I would have never Probabaly purchased it, but being it’s a very good friend of over 25 years and Ive bought other vehicles from him, I felt pretty safe.

He used to rent it, but that’s one of the reasons he sold to me. Since I believe it will have a salvage title now, a lot of those 3rd party camper rentals won’t allow you to rent it. Maybe it’s different here, I’ll have to look.
 
CruiserTrash said:
@FJBen Lake McConaughy?
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Yes sir. We camped on the lower side of the damn rather than on the sand. No one near us at all. Calm lake ogallala to kayak on.

Spent a couple hours on the sand on lake mac, but having the grand daughter we didn’t stay long.


My cruiser has been there quite a few times though :) since you didn’t ask for a photo…

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FJBen said:
Yes sir. We camped on the lower side of the damn rather than on the sand. No one near us at all. Calm lake ogallala to kayak on.

Spent a couple hours on the sand on lake mac, but having the grand daughter we didn’t stay long.


My cruiser has been there quite a few times though :) since you didn’t ask for a photo…

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I’ve actually never been up there, but a coworker was there this past weekend too. Green first gen Tacoma that I installed OME leaf springs on in maybe 2013. Seems like a nice, easy, low-stress place to go pitch a tent for a couple days. Plus I’d like to go north of there and explore the Sand Hills some time.
 
CruiserTrash said:
I’ve actually never been up there, but a coworker was there this past weekend too. Green first gen Tacoma that I installed OME leaf springs on in maybe 2013. Seems like a nice, easy, low-stress place to go pitch a tent for a couple days. Plus I’d like to go north of there and explore the Sand Hills some time.
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It’s a fun place. 2.5 - 3 hours from Denver. Beach sand and ton of area to drive on and chill out.
Weekends are pretty busy, especially the holidays. Best to go Sunday - Thursday if you can do that. Great fishing, kayak, windsurfing etc. it gets hot and windy sometimes.

As for the north Sandhills, I grew up there and we called them the sand dunes. Again, avoid holiday weekends and icy roads…

Beautiful country up there, and if you can get to the other dunes, you can fossil hunt and find sharks teeth and such. I’m not sure if they are allowing that anymore, it kind of goes back and forth if you can access it.
 
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