- Thread starter
- #121
I do, but a buddy is trying to get the short extensions. If he cannot then I need these and I will cut them down. I will ping you when it is resolved!
1998 Prado rescue mission!
- Thread starter John Young
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #122
Quick update, my son is coming to Dubai for Xmas and I think he can carry the extensions back. Not sure about the AC controls. Just waiting now for confirmation of stock on the shorty extensions.
I heard there are still a few 90 series in a scarp yard in the Al Dhaid area. When I get back home to Ras Al Khamiah on the 9th Im going to do a drive out that way. I have the bench front seat but I am going to see if i can find the bucket seats cause I really want a center console and cup holder now. Mines a 5speed manual so a cup holder would be nice.
- Thread starter
- #124
The Prado has been a bit on the back burner but one thing I could not delay is a tire change. The ones on the truck were starting to herniate. Just a matter of time before a blowout.
Kumho - Road Venture AT52 (Qty 5)
265/75 R16
I also found bent rear suspension elements while the tire work was going on:
I'm going to have to replace these.
And when the old tires were coming off the TRD rims the beads disintegrated. Clearly the old tires were about to blow.
Kumho - Road Venture AT52 (Qty 5)
265/75 R16
I also found bent rear suspension elements while the tire work was going on:
I'm going to have to replace these.
And when the old tires were coming off the TRD rims the beads disintegrated. Clearly the old tires were about to blow.
- Thread starter
- #125
The result was good.
And I love the square profile of the Kumho's
And I love the square profile of the Kumho's
- Thread starter
- #126
Today was a red letter day! The Little Prado finally has the missing trim from the rear wheel to the rear bumper installed!
A big thank you to @t00manyuserz, my friend in Japan with a Middle East 80 he imported there at great trouble and expense, who helped me source the rear trim pieces when nobody else could find them!
And I finally was inspired to make some progress on the center console and do something about the floppy registers.
A big thank you to @t00manyuserz, my friend in Japan with a Middle East 80 he imported there at great trouble and expense, who helped me source the rear trim pieces when nobody else could find them!
And I finally was inspired to make some progress on the center console and do something about the floppy registers.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #128
So I am way behind on posting on this thread. A lot has been going on. It was running ok but the idle was too fast and the guys were saying it was something to do with the throttle body. I also was not overly happy with the transmission so I took the opportunity to buy a copart 4 door from Oman that had the same engine and transmission and not so many miles. It had been dumped because it had lost the upper control ball joint and the front driver's wheel had fallen off.
The plan was to pull all the driveline components and swap them in but when the guys at the shop got into it they concluded that the heads on both engines were kinda toast.
The plan was to pull all the driveline components and swap them in but when the guys at the shop got into it they concluded that the heads on both engines were kinda toast.
Last edited:
D21FJ60
#LiveLaughLove.
Love that body style. More of them are showing up here now that they meet the 25+ year rule.
Looks like you now have a 4 door to dump money into getting back on the road
Looks like you now have a 4 door to dump money into getting back on the road
- Thread starter
- #130
I'm afraid dump is the operative wordLove that body style. More of them are showing up here now that they meet the 25+ year rule.
Looks like you now have a 4 door to dump money into getting back on the road
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Threads
- 116
- Messages
- 1,560
- Location
- Brunei Darussalam
- Website
- eurasiaoverland.com
I just found this thread, nice rescue story 
While I find the LWB Prados (95s) rather ugly, somehow the SWB versions are strangely attractive. I was on the fence buying one back when I lived in Europe, exactly for a Middle East trip. I figured with the magnificent 5VZ-FE and a proper manual transmission, it would be a great vehicle for dune driving, if kept lightly loaded. I saw the perfect example in Switzerland - with AC and roof bars (both options not always found on European VZJ90s as far as I could tell), and had the same metallic blue with silver mouldings as my Hilux Surf (I actually like the plastic side mouldings!). Sadly, the seller never responded. Out here in SE Asia someone working in the same office has a nice JDM SWB 90, but with the 1KZ and a slushbox, so not for me.
Chassis rust is a problem on the J9x and N18x platform - even more so the back axle housings are prone to rotting out. I have a brand new rear axle housing for my Hilux Surf which is waiting to go on before the next major trip I make with the vehicle. I also have the rear half of a decent chassis which will one day be used to replace crusty cross members.
I'm very keen to hear how the 90 drives in the sand. If I ever move to that region, I'll be looking for a VZJ90
While I find the LWB Prados (95s) rather ugly, somehow the SWB versions are strangely attractive. I was on the fence buying one back when I lived in Europe, exactly for a Middle East trip. I figured with the magnificent 5VZ-FE and a proper manual transmission, it would be a great vehicle for dune driving, if kept lightly loaded. I saw the perfect example in Switzerland - with AC and roof bars (both options not always found on European VZJ90s as far as I could tell), and had the same metallic blue with silver mouldings as my Hilux Surf (I actually like the plastic side mouldings!). Sadly, the seller never responded. Out here in SE Asia someone working in the same office has a nice JDM SWB 90, but with the 1KZ and a slushbox, so not for me.
Chassis rust is a problem on the J9x and N18x platform - even more so the back axle housings are prone to rotting out. I have a brand new rear axle housing for my Hilux Surf which is waiting to go on before the next major trip I make with the vehicle. I also have the rear half of a decent chassis which will one day be used to replace crusty cross members.
I'm very keen to hear how the 90 drives in the sand. If I ever move to that region, I'll be looking for a VZJ90
- Thread starter
- #132
Hi EOL, I feel exactly the same way. I don't care for the 4 door but I love the 2 door. As I've mentioned it looks to me like a cute mini 100.I just found this thread, nice rescue story
While I find the LWB Prados (95s) rather ugly, somehow the SWB versions are strangely attractive.
I'm very keen to hear how the 90 drives in the sand. If I ever move to that region, I'll be looking for a VZJ90
I've been kind of bad in keeping up this thread. A lot has been going on actually. Crazy stuff too. But I want to cover that in chronological order. I will immediately add here that I am helping a friend with a 95 acquisition and refurb and as part of that I am recovering the steering wheel with .... camel leather.
This is Mr. Khar
I make my own patterns
- Thread starter
- #133
The engine is out of the Little Prado and has been for some time. We've taken the opportunity to clean up the engine bay.
And I've fallen down the rabbit hole again and bought a little "prado" 70 series
I am contemplating a color change to Toyota 'sand' to more or less match the Little Prado.
Re a 90, you might contemplate buying one here even remotely. They occasionally come up on dubizzle.com. And coming to Dubai to sort out paperwork and initial refurb is not all that crazy.
And I've fallen down the rabbit hole again and bought a little "prado" 70 series
I am contemplating a color change to Toyota 'sand' to more or less match the Little Prado.
Re a 90, you might contemplate buying one here even remotely. They occasionally come up on dubizzle.com. And coming to Dubai to sort out paperwork and initial refurb is not all that crazy.
That is not a Prado. It is an FZJ70. It should really scoot.
- Thread starter
- #135
You are, of course, correct. I was under the false impression that Toyota used 'Prado' for the 2-door 70 in some places. But now that I looked it up, I see that it was just used for the J70 with the small motors.
I hope to drive it tomorrow if I can wrangle the insurance and registration. Everything on it is a bit rough. The body has plenty of plastic filler--really badly applied--and then painted with shiny paint, but the price was good and the bones look good with no apparent major mechanical issues. Fairly high mileage at 470k km. But I kind of live for bringing these things back to respectable condition. I would not have bought it if had frame issues or the drivetrain had been monkeyed with.
I am my most worst enemy. I've now got three rescue missions: the Little Prado, Schrodinger's Truck (the 600k km diesel 105 mystery machine from Yemen by way of KSA):
It is getting body-off treatment and it is eligible for importation to the US. And the third is now this FZJ70. BTW, you can see the nose of a early 2000's 70 series shorty if you look through the rear doors of Schrodinger. (BTW I was driven in a tuned FZJ70 with the 1FZ-FE. It was a rocket! Scary even. This one, being carbed, will be a bit more tame but plenty for me.)
Here is a better view of the other shorty in the shop:
We are going to do the same thing with my Shorty. However my body is in much worse shape. I think it rolled over onto its left side. and maybe the A pillars got crunched. We will see when we get down to the metal.
Here is a close up of the passenger A pillar:
There is a good 1/4 inch of bondo on that thing. It pains me to see fancy shiny paint on top of a really bad repair.
There is damage on the B pillar on the inside suggesting the roll-over, but when looking from the underside on the left side it looks fine with no repair.
And there is no evidence of front end damage.
Normally I would not have bought a high-mileage roll-over. But a friend suggested I take a look and this one looks worth saving, and doing properly, and the price was right. It will be VERY interesting to see what is under the paint.
