70 series: what to do? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Dec 25, 2015
Threads
29
Messages
200
Location
New Zealand
I have a 1985 BJ73. It's extremely cool and I like it a lot. However. It is a little short on space, and it has quite a few issues, e.g. needing new suspension, leaky windscreen, grumbly gearbox bearings, noisy diff, a few bits of minor rust and panel damage, doors don't seal right & rattle, needs new paint, e.t.c. e.t.c. The normal stuff a 4wd truck is starting to get at 32 years of age & 300,000+ km


I am considering my options. I want to stay with the 70 series because I spent a lot of time driving a lot of them while working in Australia, I like the basic, solid interior and the industrial aesthetic of the trucks.

What it's to be used for is: My only vehicle. Daily driver to some degree (I live 1.9km from the office and mostly bike to work so it doesn't do a lot of town k's). Touring type 4wding - not extreme rock crawling or playing in massive mud holes, but long highway K's, gravel roads, driving up alpine river beds, some beach travel. Something where I can chuck some 33" AT's on it, a rack on the top for kayaks, and fit gear in the back with enough space for 4 people. Looking for good fuel economy and reliability over maximum power.

Options I am looking at:

1: Keep and fix up the BJ73 and just use it. I paid only $5000NZ for it and I've had it for 2 years now and done 30,000km ish, but it might take another 15-20 grand or more to get it where I want - rear bar, new suspension, fix rust, fix paint, turbo, gearbox rebuild, find a FF rear diff, lockers (new diffs), possible injector pump rebuild, etc. I also don't have a shed or garage suitable to do much of the work in myself. Pros: no initial outlay, just fix things as they come up. Cons: it's still 32 years old and space inside is a bit limited. Turbo install requires certification to be legal, modified vehicle insurance etc might be expensive and a pain. Parts are a bit hard to find. Rust repairs seem like they're never "final". 24V is a slight hassle.

2: Sell the BJ73, buy a HZJ77 if I can find a decent one (possibly import from Japan) Pros: Nice torquey NA engine, no modified vehicle certification required, reliable, proper heavy duty 70 series gearbox & axles, lots of space. Cons: Most of them in NZ have the 1PZ not the 1HZ, they're all probably rusty in the same places as my 73, and have many of the same problems as they all seem to have 300,000+ km, the 1HZ is a bit of a slug still.

3: Sell the BJ73, buy a VDJ76. Pros: They're awesome. New vehicle, parts more available, probably less rusty and broken. Cons: They're expensive. So expensive. So so so expensive. And a common rail rebuild or maintenance costs an absolute fortune.

4: Sell the BJ73, buy a cheap LJ78 and convert it to 5-speed and either 1KZ-T (mechanical injector pump is available in NZ) or 3L-T. Pros: Cheap, coil sprung, I like the 2-tone brown ones. Cons: Modification hassles, not heavy duty gearbox or diffs, I don't trust the electronic 4wd select button on the R151 as it failed in my Surf. I don't want a factory KZJ78 because I prefer the LJ78 (real 70 series) interior.


What do people think?


List of stuff my BJ73 needs that I can think of off the top of my head:

-New paint
-Minor rust repairs in rear DS arch, firewall seam, windscreen frame, doors, rear light buckets.
-Probably a new fibreglass windscreen frame and seals
-Rear DS quarter panel repaired (panel damage)
-Turbo.
-Gearbox rebuild or at the very least new bearings
-Full float rear diff
-New springs, shocks, steering damper
-At least a rear locker
-Power steering pump (bearing?) is a bit noisy
-Injector rebuild probably
-Injector pump rebuild eventually
-Rear bar
-Clutch booster delete (change to non-boosted HZJ73 master cyl?)
-Brakes rebuilt
-Doors repaired (cracks etc)
-Surface rust on chassis treated
-New seals on FRP top sliding windows
-Minor FRP top damage repaired

sVjNiYj.jpg
 
Im doing the same too my 75... it was rooted and im slowly rebuilding it bit by bit with good second hand 70 bits.and a 15bf... Spend some money on it . In the long run it will go up in value like the 40s are now.... My dayly is and has been a 1990 swb 1pz for the last 14years .
You could always drop a 15b or 14bt in it

15193603_1864737493808762_8417153702137425930_n.jpg


16865027_1915885742027270_8783609634650527167_n.jpg
 
VDJ76 is my vote.
 
Sounds like you have a bias toward present truck. You know what's wrong new vehicle new grief. Unless it's just what you want. Good luck
 
VDJ76. By the time you calculate time and monies spent on other options, I bet it's a wash (thinking long term ownership). Second vote would be the HZJ77. Part of your requirement was "for 4 people". A 73 won't do that for you comfortably.
 
Or there's this Troopy: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/auction-1401944050.htm :grinpimp:

...although I really do wonder about all the 15yr+ old but sub 200K km Landcruisers on trademe :cautious:

With some well thought out storage you can fit a lot in a 73 along with 4 people but once you add gear for a few adventures like kayaking you do start to need a lot of space. Much as I enjoy messing around with old 4x4's I can see how it could really suck having your to-do list above & no garage to do it in, makes a newer, lower miles rig look more sensible.

Cheers
Clint
 
Funny; that troopy is on my watchlist - I don't know if I'm keen on a troopy though as compared to a 4 door wagon - I don't think I've ever seen a troopy with 2nd row seating and the sideways benches are pretty s*** for long trips for passengers. Be uncomfortable for 3 hours bouncing up the Rangitata/Havelock etc

My garage is only a single and I can just squeeze the truck in so there's room to leave it parked outside and roll an axle into the garage to work on etc but not at all practical for things like panel work

Do the "lighter duty" axles and gearboxes on the 78 series really make a meaningful difference? I never broke anything major on a 70 series in 7 years of driving them around Oz full of exploration/mining gear, 75/76/78/79 series mostly with the 1HZ and 1VD

The "space for 4 people and gear" is really just a "nice to have" rather than a concrete requirement - I've taken 4 people & gear for a weekend in the 73 and it fit... just. But my mates should just get their own damn trucks
 
I want a VDJ76 with the older style interior, they only made them ~2007-2009 ish so quite hard to find - and of course they're all priced at $40,000+nz.

I could buy 6-8 BJ73s for that price and just drive them til they break/rust to pieces!
 
It'd be pretty easy to get some super comfy 2nd row seats out of something at the wreckers & fit them up. Van/people mover ones are often made to fit a flat floor & have integrated seatbelts. Might need cert for WOF but you'd make them easily removable to get around that...

Do the "lighter duty" axles and gearboxes on the 78 series really make a meaningful difference? I never broke anything major on a 70 series in 7 years of driving them around Oz full of exploration/mining gear, 75/76/78/79 series mostly with the 1HZ and 1VD

With a Lexus V8 & a heavy foot I managed to grenade a few diffs going hard offroad but for normal use with std motor & sensible size tyres the KZJ running gear is fine & the coil suspension is an improvement. You'll blow the motor long before you wear out the diffs or gearbox I'd guess.

That's where the KZJ78 falls down a bit - it's a big rig for it's motor size & if you are filling it up with people & gear that poor little 1KZ will be getting a thrashing. If you do go that way you'd want to give the motor the best chance with a big exhaust & intercooler & get a pyro so you can keep an eye on the EGT. Separating the trans cooler out of the radiator is also a good trick if it's an auto.

Cheers
Clint
 
Factory KZJ78 is supposed to weigh ~1930kg - my BJ73 is like 2050 with a less powerful/torquey motor! But I see the point.

Really would be most keen on a 1KZT or 3LT swapped LJ78 I think if it could have a fully manual transfer case and wouldn't fall apart
 
@GTSSportCoupe is the go to guy for all thing LT related in my opinion. When I first started really camping/modifying trucks I had a 4dr pajero io. It was used mostly as a truck to get to remote shore diving spots and some concurrent camping for my wife and I. I was able to safety fit 8 Alu80 tanks plus dive kit and camping supplies for two of us and a small dog. I would say my pajero had about the same space as a J74. After buying my 77, I was able to do the same tasks more safely and comfortably and could support 1 additional person. I think it's important to highlight that, just because you can doesn't mean you should. A J70 isn't intended to support 4 people, but it can if needed. I think you would be much happier with a 77 overall. It will be more comfortable and safer for 2 people and little compromise on comfort and safety for 4 people.
 
4: Sell the BJ73, buy a cheap LJ78 and convert it to 5-speed and either 1KZ-T (mechanical injector pump is available in NZ) or 3L-T. Pros: Cheap, coil sprung, I like the 2-tone brown ones. Cons: Modification hassles, not heavy duty gearbox or diffs, I don't trust the electronic 4wd select button on the R151 as it failed in my Surf. I don't want a factory KZJ78 because I prefer the LJ78 (real 70 series) interior.

Do the "lighter duty" axles and gearboxes on the 78 series really make a meaningful difference? I never broke anything major on a 70 series in 7 years of driving them around Oz full of exploration/mining gear, 75/76/78/79 series mostly with the 1HZ and 1VD

The "space for 4 people and gear" is really just a "nice to have" rather than a concrete requirement - I've taken 4 people & gear for a weekend in the 73 and it fit... just. But my mates should just get their own damn trucks

Factory KZJ78 is supposed to weigh ~1930kg - my BJ73 is like 2050 with a less powerful/torquey motor! But I see the point.

Really would be most keen on a 1KZT or 3LT swapped LJ78 I think if it could have a fully manual transfer case and wouldn't fall apart

I'd say if you can get one of the heavy duty trucks for a decent price, go for it. It sounds like the four dour wagons are what would serve you best for sure.

However, here are a few notes on the Prados, just to clear things up a bit.

You can get the LJ78/KZJ78 with manual trans. It is the R151; which is in the PZJ7x trucks, as well as many of the newer cruisers. The Transfer case coupled to the R151 is the same part number as in the PZJ7x also (as well as the 1999-2004 HZJ7x trucks). So I would not say it is a light duty setup.

The A343F auto trans is used in many Toyota trucks including the late model 80 and the early 100 series landcruisers. The transfer case is a heavy duty unit and also used in the late model 60 series (FJ62) I believe. So again, not light duty at all.

The 70 series Prado transfer case is not a hilux surf unit, so I don't think you'd experience the same issues. The only problem I've had with mine, is one of the little vacuum switching valves failed. I just swapped it with one from a junk yard. You can manually switch the vacuum hoses if you're really stuck. They're super easy to get at (mounted to firewall) and really not a big deal, so i don't think I'd worry about it. If it really bugs you, I have read of guys swapping out the vacuum unit on the transfer case for a manual shifter.

The front diff is the same size (8") as on the heavy duty 70 series. As are the axle shafts, birfields, brakes, knuckles, hubs etc. So no real difference there.

The rear diff is smaller (8") than the heavy duty 70 series (9.5"). But in my experience is plenty strong with the factory diesel engines. I've done medium/heavy towing for years, and lots of off road with 35" tires, and have had no problems with it. It's something I never really hear of failing with these trucks (except for clintnz, but his truck is pretty heavily modified and used). I do avoid hammering on it in reverse while 4x4ing however.

The body and frame of the light duty and heavy duty trucks are very similar. Light duty frame is definitely not any weaker.

The coil suspension is nice, and has a lot of potential. Interior in the 70 series Prado is nice and comfortable. I've moved four people and gear many times and it has always been fine. The KZJ78 interior is not really that different than the LJ78? Just minor things to the dash like the vents I think? Pretty minor really.

My LJ78 weighed around 2100kg empty and unmodified.

I think all you really have to worry about is the engine. I'd recommend avoiding all the L series. A 3L-T setup will be just as prone to cylinder head problems as a 2LTE. The 1KZTE motors are also prone to cylinder head problems, but less than the 'L' series. As clintnz said, an intercooler and exhaust help immensely. The KZ engines can make a lot of power. 150hp to the wheels. Keeping them cool is the trick. Personally I've gone with a waterless coolant that doesn't boil until 180C. Has definitely saved my LJ78 from issues.

It's possible to tune the electronic diesels for low EGT's and great power. I've had my motor in the water lots and had no electrical issues, so it may not be necessary to swap in a mechanical injection pump. The electronics have been just as reliable as on any other Toyota I've ever owned.

My 2LTE is pretty upgraded, and makes about 100whp. Which is plenty strong for moving the truck around no matter the load, and sufficient for medium towing. Keeping it cool while towing big hills in hot weather is the main challenge I've had. Like I say, the waterless coolant has really helped though.

Just my two cents.
 
The KZJ78 has a totally different dash to the LJ78 - no longer square steel, more rounded plastic. I definitely want the older 70 series interior.

How's LJ78 flex? I have heard that it's not great. BJ73 seems to flex very well with swaybar removed.

So the Prados don't share the surf 4wd activation method of a button on the side of the transfer lever with a complicated vacuum actuated diff and electronic widget on the tfer case?
 
The KZJ78 has a totally different dash to the LJ78 - no longer square steel, more rounded plastic. I definitely want the older 70 series interior.

How's LJ78 flex? I have heard that it's not great. BJ73 seems to flex very well with swaybar removed.

So the Prados don't share the surf 4wd activation method of a button on the side of the transfer lever with a complicated vacuum actuated diff and electronic widget on the tfer case?

LJ78's flex well once lifted. The factory springs keep the axle housing too close to the bump stops, so it can't flex very much. So how much flex you get depends on how much lift you have. Also, the sway bars are huge, and they should be removed or disconnected for best flex.

To be honest I'm not familiar with the Surf's transfer case, but it does sound different from what you say. Prado has a 4H button to the right of the gauge cluster. 4L is engaged with a shifter. From what I've read, the only problem people really have with them is the one VSV failing. Easy to replace or bypass.
 
Yeah I was under the impression that unmodified, the Prados don't have good flex.

My budget/employment situation has changed in the last day or 2 (for the better) so while I was reasonably committed to the BJ73 I have, I am now more seriously considering a VDJ76.
 
At this stage I've decided to keep the '73 and just fix stuff as it comes up, and save up to look at a VDJ76 in future.
 
The problem is that there's about 10 different models of Landcruiser I want! Not to get started on Hiluxes, surfs, etc
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom