I've had this rig a few months now (since May 2019) but with some recent issues, I wanted to start cataloging my build for myself. This is my 7th land cruiser I have owned since college. As you can see, I've been a ih8mud member since 2005. I had never considered a 70-series until I found myself needing to commute from DFW to Houston every week for work. I like unique vehicles and so when I saw a BJ71 with factory lockers for sale close by I couldn't pass it up. It was a spontaneous purchase and so after 9 months of driving it, I figured out what I did and did not like about it. The wants I had that the 71 lacked were wheelbase (I have a Marlin Crawler toybox to install) and interior cargo space. I wasn't looking for a new rig but saw a 1990 HZJ73 pop up on mud's classified section for a price that I could justify selling the 71 and buying the 73 for.
Pros:
Low miles 1HZ (~193,000 km)
Perfect frame, body rust was isolated to one quarter panel
Suspension seats(I just like them)
Rear Disc Brakes
Beefier front axle
Removable Top
Cons:
Completely stock
Paint had strong patina
Rust in the one body panel
In the first 2 weeks after purchase:
-I swapped the front and rear Cruiser Outfitters bumpers off my 71 onto the 73.
-Changed oil (Rotella)/filter (OEM)
-Upgraded suspension to OME heavy rear, medium fronts
-35x12.5x17" Nitto Mud Grapplers on 17" Method Beadlocks
-Painted the front fenders/hood/cowl/fender flares
-Removed rear seat to install my ARB fridge.
-Bought an Escape Gear dash cover from a mud member. (The pockets on this combined with my Dougs Tub make use of the front space for storage)
-LED cargo light
-Wired up 24v/12v step down converter for charging, CB, and amp.
About 6 weeks into the purchase, I bought a front axle with manual hubs from @joekatana so that I could do a manual hub conversion. I was already digging into the front axle to replace all the brakes so I upgraded the hubs then.
I was prepping for a July Colorado trip from the day I bought it.
-Installed a 5' firestik that I remove for daily driving
-Koito amber fog lights.
-Built a box to mount my ARB & slide onto.
-Installed e-tracks to front and rear of cargo space for tie down points.
-Bought a Yukon Zip locker & compressor for the rear 9.5" axle (not installed as of 8/12/2019). A friend/fabricator is a Yukon dealer and so I went that route.
Pros:
Low miles 1HZ (~193,000 km)
Perfect frame, body rust was isolated to one quarter panel
Suspension seats(I just like them)
Rear Disc Brakes
Beefier front axle
Removable Top
Cons:
Completely stock
Paint had strong patina
Rust in the one body panel
In the first 2 weeks after purchase:
-I swapped the front and rear Cruiser Outfitters bumpers off my 71 onto the 73.
-Changed oil (Rotella)/filter (OEM)
-Upgraded suspension to OME heavy rear, medium fronts
-35x12.5x17" Nitto Mud Grapplers on 17" Method Beadlocks
-Painted the front fenders/hood/cowl/fender flares
-Removed rear seat to install my ARB fridge.
-Bought an Escape Gear dash cover from a mud member. (The pockets on this combined with my Dougs Tub make use of the front space for storage)
-LED cargo light
-Wired up 24v/12v step down converter for charging, CB, and amp.
About 6 weeks into the purchase, I bought a front axle with manual hubs from @joekatana so that I could do a manual hub conversion. I was already digging into the front axle to replace all the brakes so I upgraded the hubs then.
I was prepping for a July Colorado trip from the day I bought it.
-Installed a 5' firestik that I remove for daily driving
-Koito amber fog lights.
-Built a box to mount my ARB & slide onto.
-Installed e-tracks to front and rear of cargo space for tie down points.
-Bought a Yukon Zip locker & compressor for the rear 9.5" axle (not installed as of 8/12/2019). A friend/fabricator is a Yukon dealer and so I went that route.
