Acquisition of HZJ 77

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Jordan345

Jordan345

10 Year
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Threads
22
Messages
390
Location
Kamloops
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I just picked up a new to me HZJ 77, 1996. I haven't had any presence on the 70 forum, but been on the 100 series forum for about 3 years. I guess you could say I cut my teeth with the 100 and used it has my bush machine, wheeling it heavily and leaving a great many dents in it. Honestly, I loved it and just had a hard time with its size here in ontario. Crushers eventually just posed the question to me on one of our wheeling trips and said, 'buddy, you need a hzj77'. Well, I did just that.

Radd cruisers had one they acquired from japan 2 years ago that was ultra clean. They did all the maintenance to refresh all the important and non important stuff and I flew down a couple weeks ago to pick it up. I wait patiently for it to arrive on the train. It is an auto ( which I like for sand and wheeling in general, although prefer the feel of a 5 speed), not a spec of rust, has factory lockers, zeal suspension, appears off the factory floor underneath, interior is mint and is the zX package. First time on suspension seats! I added a snorkel, custom roof rack from Cruisin off-road, second set of factory rims and I will be installing a turbo, exhaust, guages and tranny cooler this winter.

I am moving my family to Africa next spring, so I will be exporting it there, spending some time doing a road trip from South Africa to Sudan and them bringing it back to our new home in Botswana. We bought a business there which ironically comes with a 4 year old 79 series pick up, plus a hilux. I will use the 77 as our expo machine for trips into the bush and the 79 for buzzing around. Hilux is just a farm truck.

The 77 is absolutely stunning. The safety inspection and appraisal commented it was basically flawless and ogled over it. I am very much looking forward to the 77 as a daily until we ship it next year.
 
Man is that ever nice.
 
Aside from getting a day with it prior to putting it on the train, it seems great all around. I don't know if i'm sold on the factory e lockers - they seem rather slow to engage, but i doubt Radd had engaged the lockers much while it sat waiting for me over that two year period. My 100 is triple locked with air lockers front and back, it is obviously instant, but hate leaking air lines etc, relying on compressors etc.

We'll see how the e lockers improve with increased cycling now that it will be driven somewhat often. I can't see using them that much in africa, but better to have and not need than need and not have.

if only the damn train would get here.. its always the case when you want something and you promised a time and they blow the schedule and deliver late..
 
I wish I could bitch about the lockers being slow.....:crybaby:
 
Congratulations, that is a very nice rig.

I've never found my rear e-locker to be slow. It's true that I usually have to move forward a little (or spin for a bit if I have a couple wheels in the air) before it engages though. Once you get your truck you should play with them a bit and make sure they are ok. Maybe water got into the motor mechanisms or something...? I know this has happened to a couple of the 80 series guys. Would be good to service them before you actually really need them.
 
Chester said:
And if we hear about the cup holders, it will be the same word from all of us.
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Cup holders would push all of us over the edge. :)
 
You are all right. That was whiney and inappropriate. :). Thanks for the reality check.

Everything is perfect. I hate cup holders anyways. Never saw a need for them. :).
 
Jordan345 said:
You are all right. That was whiney and inappropriate. :). Thanks for the reality check.

Everything is perfect. I hate cup holders anyways. Never saw a need for them. :).
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We are all just jealous......
 
You'll find that if you engage them and disengage them on dirt roads often, they will get faster. Engage them on pavement and they will hate to disengage as they want different tire speeds to help them along (driving in a tight circle can help engage them).

I really don't recommend engaging them on black top or concrete.
 
I never have engaged my air lockers on my 100 or the e lockers on the 77 on pavement. Purely off road and/or in the dirt. I imagine the e lockers are slower than the air lockers but seriously it took a 100 meters or so. Like I said before, it was sitting for 2 years and by may be needing some cycling.

Aside from custom exhaust, has any vendor built a kit for these in the u.s./canada that is competitive to getting something built ? That exhaust outlet is damn restrictive and needing to be replaced. I have this creeping suspicion that the rarity of this platform means custom or high shipping costs.

Perhaps Wayne wanted me to buy the 77 because he found joy in the amount of money I had to spend to bring 100 series parts across the border to canada and was quite entertained to see me continue to bleed money. Not like he doesn't have the same disease. Or any of you for that matter. :)

Denial isn't all that bad.
 
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