Advice on a HZJ75 (1 Viewer)

[pizza]

Howdy land cruiser lovers,

I have been looking at a troopy online and it is the dream vehicle. LHD, dual tanks, lockers, 1HZ and a reasonable prize tag. It was previously a UN vehicle, sat for many years then restored by the owner. I do not have the ability to look at it in person but have someone who can for a price. The floor in the back was cut out and replaced with diamond plate, it looks good with the fresh paint and the underside was painted as well.

I am looking for some advice from people who have dealt with the rust on a troopy and would you feel comfortable with a troopy with a non oem floor?

Cheers!

 

[Felde]

Well, even with the interor out one can see it had a hard life (headliner, steering wheel).
The rusted area on the floor has an odd shape with remarkable clear boundaries. I guess something corrosive and abrasive has affected it from the top and eventually caused the rust. Hard to tell by the pictures how this was fixed. Was the old floor cut out and the checkerplate welded in, or has it been welded on top (absolute nogo). What do the crossmember under look like? Are they actually still there?!
Replacement floor panels are hard to come by. I guess the checker plate was the 'available and affordable' option. Without the stiffening ripples it might sound like an oildrum.
The rest of the body doesn't look bad. But with pics from a restore the question always is: When have those been taken, what happened since and what does it look like today? Certainly not enough details from inside the cavities to make a judgment.
Engine bay and front interior looks OK.

Without a chance to look at it, I wouldn't consider the rig without further good recent pics of frame, underbody, particularly floor crossmember and floor panel from under, and many details of wheel wells, knuckles, engine, drivetrain , interior, tank, lines ... Engine compression test.. Engine maintenance report.

If the price is right, it all depends on you: What do you want it for? If you want a 'good and original' one, there are probably better ones. If you are going to modify it anyways, e.g. make it a camper, it might be a good base.

In very general: Buying any old rig without a personal, knowledgeable good look at it, is always (very) risky.
Never expect a newly aquired vehicle of such legacy to be 'ready to go'. Always plan extra money and effort for baselining it, for the unexpected and overlooked. And always make a plan ahead where and who to wrench on it. (And it WILL need wrenching of some sort)
Good Luck Ralf

 

[pizza]

Well, even with the interor out one can see it had a hard life (headliner, steering wheel).
The rusted area on the floor has an odd shape with remarkable clear boundaries. I guess something corrosive and abrasive has affected it from the top and eventually caused the rust. Hard to tell by the pictures how this was fixed. Was the old floor cut out and the checkerplate welded in, or has it been welded on top (absolute nogo). What do the crossmember under look like? Are they actually still there?!
Replacement floor panels are hard to come by. I guess the checker plate was the 'available and affordable' option. Without the stiffening ripples it might sound like an oildrum.
The rest of the body doesn't look bad. But with pics from a restore the question always is: When have those been taken, what happened since and what does it look like today? Certainly not enough details from inside the cavities to make a judgment.
Engine bay and front interior looks OK.

Without a chance to look at it, I wouldn't consider the rig without further good recent pics of frame, underbody, particularly floor crossmember and floor panel from under, and many details of wheel wells, knuckles, engine, drivetrain , interior, tank, lines ... Engine compression test.. Engine maintenance report.

If the price is right, it all depends on you: What do you want it for? If you want a 'good and original' one, there are probably better ones. If you are going to modify it anyways, e.g. make it a camper, it might be a good base.

In very general: Buying any old rig without a personal, knowledgeable good look at it, is always (very) risky.
Never expect a newly aquired vehicle of such legacy to be 'ready to go'. Always plan extra money and effort for baselining it, for the unexpected and overlooked. And always make a plan ahead where and who to wrench on it. (And it WILL need wrenching of some sort)
Good Luck Ralf

Ralf
I appreciate the response, I have been in contact with the owner trying to get more detailed photos. " Replacement floor panels are hard to come by." I was wondering about this.
The owner said that the floor was cut out then the checker plate was welded "in a factory manner" (owner stated). The troopy is actually located south of Sturrgart, Germany. Is winter salt an issue for vehicles in germany?

 

[Felde]

Hi
Checkerplate by no means is 'factory manner'.
There aren't many troopies in Germany you could salvage a decent floor panel from. No idea if there would be a factory or even aftermarket spare available.
A good bodyshop would have fabricated one, adopting the original ripples, but that's some more ££ and nothing one could do in his garage.
Yes, salted roads is a winter habit in Germany and it is an issue. But that rust doesn't look induced by salt.
Again: The checkerplate is not necessarily a deal breaker. But in any case a serious opportunity to negotiate the price.
To me it would matter a lot what it looks like from under.
Cheers Ralf

 

[coldtaco]

common rust places is around the windshield frame, the A pillars, front floor, wheel wells, rocker panels ( seems more of a problem on Japan vehicles), under floor, roof gutters on Troopies.