Builds Golden Boy / was 'an as-yet unnamed gulf spec diesel 1991 HZJ pickup' (1 Viewer)

[John Young]

Do you know of any good junk yards near Abu Dhabi? I'm in the "mysterious area" just south of the city for a few months.
Are they conventional, US style, yards where you can walk around or only with a front desk where you can ask for parts.

Hi Tony, I'm going to give you kind of a half-answer. Firstly, I don't know any salvage yards as such near AD--I've never tried, but others on her, e.g., Honger , may well have better information.

That said, I keep an eye on Emirates Auctions and there was a time where they had a few 70 series going up every few days. Mostly really old and sunburnt, but still useful. All petrol as well as I can remember. These all happened to be in a AD police yard that was a bit hard to get into, but not impossible. They had a couple of dozen in various stages of disarray. I've also seen them put up listings for vehicles located in their Al Ain yard. The next time a few of these come up perhaps we could meet up and go have a look? How long are in you AD?

P.S. I'm very jealous of your diesel LHD troopy. I'm inclined to convert my troopy to the new Cummins 2.8 crate once I have it back in the US. The 1FZ carbureted engine in it right now is anemic as heck.

 

[TonyP]

Hi Tony, I'm going to give you kind of a half-answer. Firstly, I don't know any salvage yards as such near AD--I've never tried, but others on her, e.g., Honger , may well have better information.

That said, I keep an eye on Emirates Auctions and there was a time where they had a few 70 series going up every few days. Mostly really old and sunburnt, but still useful. All petrol as well as I can remember. These all happened to be in a AD police yard that was a bit hard to get into, but not impossible. They had a couple of dozen in various stages of disarray. I've also seen them put up listings for vehicles located in their Al Ain yard. The next time a few of these come up perhaps we could meet up and go have a look? How long are in you AD?

P.S. I'm very jealous of your diesel LHD troopy. I'm inclined to convert my troopy to the new Cummins 2.8 crate once I have it back in the US. The 1FZ carbureted engine in it right now is anemic as heck.

I'll be here until at least Feb supporting the F-35s, maybe longer. Not a secret they're here so I'm ok posting it.

Yeah! I'm down for a trip. Shoot me a PM if something pops up. I'll keep an eye out as well. As long as I have a couple days notice I'll be good to go. I can make it to Dubai too but snagging a vehicle for transportation is a pain. But still doable.

@Honger If you know of any spots let me know.

 

[Honger]

I'll be here until at least Feb supporting the F-35s, maybe longer. Not a secret they're here so I'm ok posting it.

Yeah! I'm down for a trip. Shoot me a PM if something pops up. I'll keep an eye out as well. As long as I have a couple days notice I'll be good to go. I can make it to Dubai too but snagging a vehicle for transportation is a pain. But still doable.

@Honger If you know of any spots let me know.

Junkyards in Abu Dhabi... meh... not so much. A lot of the totaled vehicles and such actually get towed to Sharjah. THAT is where you find the good stuff (I'm assuming you are wanting to look at 70-series stuff). And it's all generally going to be a "walk in and explore and buy what you want". When I lived in AD I went to Sharjah for parts. IF you found a junkyard in AD it'll be too expensive because there will be short supply.

However, if you want to order new parts, I can hook you up. My parts guys there in Abu Dhabi (in Musaffah, the industrial area, not that far from you actually) are 10-30% cheaper than Partsouq and can generally get stuff for you the next day. Usually, if Partsouq has it they'll also be able to get it. If I were you I'd compile a list of smallish items you could pack in your bag and bring it all back with you... assuming it's stuff that Ian won't be needing before your return. PM me if you want contact details...

I can also point you to someone who has the widenose panels and body parts... brand new 0km body takeoffs...

Also, while you're in Abu Dhabi I hope you're experimenting with food. I can point you to great Lebanese, Indian, Ethiopian... man I miss the food.

 

[OGBeno]

I’m going to be in Dubai later this winter and can’t wait to bring luggage-full of parts back.

 

[John Young]

I’m going to be in Dubai later this winter and can’t wait to bring luggage-full of parts back.

Onur, give me some warning and I will be happy to walk you through the places I know of.

And speaking of which, today the 'new' bumper, mechanical winch and bull bar were delivered and the bumper and winch already are on the truck!

Bull bar goes on shortly.

And my younger son, who will be driving this, is already picking out a personalized license plate for when the truck arrives in Virginia. It now has both aircon and heat and a rebuilt diesel pump and a newer tranny and transfer case, new OEM floor mats (the holes don't quite match up but we are working on that), and mostly sorted wiring. This is turning out to be a great project!

 

[yourID10Tdriver]

By way of a little update, the pickup dash is back together with heat and aircon now. What I did was tell the guys to strip what they needed off my troopy, because I want to get this pickup shipped back to my son as soon as possible. I also found new old stock floor mats, both front and back and paid a little over 100 USD per set. They are not perfect because they are off new pickups and some of the holes are different on the transmission tunnel, but that can be fixed. The important point is that they are in good shape unlike what was on there.

And just last weekend I found a 'half-cut' up in Sharjah of a 1994 diesel that said 180K km.
View attachment 2154754
My son, who is the intended user, really wants a bull bar and winch, and I had not been having any luck until I saw this. And what I love about it is that it is OEM, solid looking, in good shape. And as a bonus, it has a mechanical winch, which I've always wanted to fool with.
View attachment 2154758
I had intended to buy the whole half-cut. I have a friend in the same business around the corner and he was kind enough to send his brother for an expert look. His brother concluded that the 180K was not accurate, and when I got up to Sharjah yesterday the seller wanted 24K AED for it--about 6500 USD, which seemed a bit much. When my friend and I looked it over he pointed out the service mileage marked on the radiator shroud, and sure enough, 450K or thereabouts. Not huge for a diesel, but still, quite a bit.

I did come to a quick conclusion with the seller, who turned out to be a nice guy, for 2100 AED for bumper, bull bar, winch, power take off and all the bolts and washers, delivered 45 minutes away. That's about 575 USD, which I consider to be a very good deal!
View attachment 2154759

That was a HOT deal! Glad you spotted this gem while you were out there!

 

[John Young]

Here's another little update--I went and visited the garage while it was up on the rack. We are inching closer to completion.

That's where the power take off will bolt on for the mechanical winch from the donor half-cut. I've been hounding the guys to clean everything when they work on it, which they have been doing. They also seem to have interpreted this as meaning that they should also spray paint with silver paint. I think something got mis-translated. But since they ARE cleaning things up very well I've decided to say nothing about the silver paint. It's actually kind of pretty and I don't think it can harm anything.

I have decided to have them clean up and put some black undercoating in the wheel wells and wherever they can reach. It's not bad but it would be good to do as long as all this is going on.

 

[John Young]

Almost forgot: here is a photo with the OEM bull bar sitting roughly where it will go:

 

[SNLC]

I’m going to be in Dubai later this winter and can’t wait to bring luggage-full of parts back.

I did that in 2003. Flew into Newark from S. America. TSA took my goodies and tossed them. I was not a happy man.

Cheers

 

[John Young]

I did that in 2003. Flew into Newark from S. America. TSA took my goodies and tossed them. I was not a happy man.

Cheers

I think it may be helpful to put nicely typed description with your address and contact info inside the box and say something like antique toyota land cruiser parts boldly somewhere on it.

 

[SNLC]

I think the main issue was it was only a few years after 9/11 and I flew into Newark where one of the planes took off from on 9/11. And they were used parts, mechanical and electrical. The only thing that really bummed me out was the rear PTO box.

But ya, I think your idea would certainly help.

Cheers

 

[D21FJ60]

....And my younger son, who will be driving this, is already picking out a personalized license plate for when the truck arrives in Virginia. ...

Please bring it by some of the CLCC events. This truck will be the only one like it in NoVa.

 

[John Young]

Please bring it by some of the CLCC events. This truck will be the only one like it in NoVa.

I'm sure we will! We've been looking at the event calendar. Right now all we have that is functional in NOVA is the 1998 100 US model sent to Dubai, used a LOT and then refurbished by me and sent back, and a Middle East spec 1993 80 that has the dash out of it due to heater core replacement--a current project. My sons and I are really looking forward to some of the CLCC training--mostly I just know sand.

 

[stayalert]

Nice truck!

Fewer lugs makes changing the wheels easier on the go (on the go meaning on two wheels)

 

[John Young]

Nice truck!

Fewer lugs makes changing the wheels easier on the go (on the go meaning on two wheels)

I did notice that when I got the truck, and the three missing studs are replaced. Was just discussing the split rims and new tires with my younger boy. I've decided to keep the split rims on the pickup--it just looks right. Searching for some tires now--something a little taller.

As I've gotten into this pickup its clear that someone refurbished for selling on the auction site. I'm still quite happy to have it and even the price I paid. I think this one is a real keeper and it will be fun to work on in the US. I'm trying to do the things here in Dubai that are easier here before shipping, but even when it gets back, I think we will continue to fiddle quite a bit with it.

 

[stayalert]

Those wheels look great! (Hopefully this won't give your kids any ideas!)

 

[John Young]

Those wheels look great! (Hopefully this won't give your kids any ideas!)

I'd like to think not.... Actually my boys are pretty sensible, but every so often.... One of my boys sent me a link to this video which just gave me the willies like nothing has in a long, long time! Note that it is an adult in this youtube video, not a kid. The video of the young Saudis changing tires on two wheels is just stupid and dangerous, but the video my son sent me, well, that's something different. We had a long, long dialog about pressure vessels--and split steel rims afterwards.

I remember one time as a teenager I had a little 12 volt compressor and I was messing with a 3 inch diameter hand operated air horn piston thing from an old boat I was working on. I put some pressure on it just to watch it move the handle and the damn thing blew up in my face--and it couldn't have been any more than a few PSI. And later at a couple of Jr High shop classes there were lectures about gas cylinders tipping over and blasting off like rockets. My boys are coming to some of this later than I did. Rant mode on: This is one of the terrible things about US schools dropping shop classes. Rant mode off.

 

[John Young]

I had to drive down to Abu Dhabi yesterday--the local Ikea did not have the storage units I wanted. I friend of mine (who is restoring his own Emirates Auction Model 80) had sent some photos of a 70 series station wagon and the location was only 25 minutes away from Ikea so I headed down there to a section of AD that is nothing but car repair, paint, body shops, accessories, car washes and so forth. I hunted up and down but no joy on the 70 series. Saw a bunch of Patrols and a bunch of 100's and a few 80s. I decided to get my LX washed and went in one of the places ( Google Maps ):

That's my LX on the right, and yes, that is a 75 pickup up in the back. I mention the car wash because the price was 37 AED, exactly 10 bucks. For that they do the standard and and vacuum out the inside, and then they clean the engine bay, put it up on a lift and wash the underside. Took almost 2 hours. I'm used to paying this same price for a simple 'wash' with not-so-clean water up here in Dubai. I will be going back.

Luckily I had a cigar with me so I lit up and had a really nice stroll stopping in and seeing some interesting things.

This poor old 100 had been set up as some kind of desert racer with a roll cage and fuel cells.

I saw and heard a 6 cylinder 100 in another shop really belting out the noise, again seems to have been set up for racing.

That desert tent-like thing was a hand-built structure clad in sheet aluminum. Looked pretty practical.

 

[yourID10Tdriver]

I'd like to think not.... Actually my boys are pretty sensible, but every so often.... One of my boys sent me a link to this video which just gave me the willies like nothing has in a long, long time! Note that it is an adult in this youtube video, not a kid. The video of the young Saudis changing tires on two wheels is just stupid and dangerous, but the video my son sent me, well, that's something different. We had a long, long dialog about pressure vessels--and split steel rims afterwards.

I remember one time as a teenager I had a little 12 volt compressor and I was messing with a 3 inch diameter hand operated air horn piston thing from an old boat I was working on. I put some pressure on it just to watch it move the handle and the damn thing blew up in my face--and it couldn't have been any more than a few PSI. And later at a couple of Jr High shop classes there were lectures about gas cylinders tipping over and blasting off like rockets. My boys are coming to some of this later than I did. Rant mode on: This is one of the terrible things about US schools dropping shop classes. Rant mode off.

Yes, I have no intention on messing with any car's center of gravity by trying to make a four wheeled vehicle a two wheeled vehicle. I don't even intend on making a two wheeled vehicle a one wheeled vehicle. I'm not into sport bikes, and the bikes I do like: "bobbers" don't like wheelies, and neither do I. I don't think I would ever try or even pull off a wheelie on a Honda Valkyrie or Kawasaki Vulcan 650.

 

[John Young]

Here was kind of a cool thing:

For about 750 bucks this shop will take the head liner out of your vehicle and load it up with fiber optic point light sources. Emirates Airlines has this on some of their planes. Kind of nice at night. Not sure I really want it in my car, but to each his/her own...

Here is an extremely ugly SUV (I cannot stand these things--something about the roofline makes me shudder) getting wrapped. I kind of like the matte look. Might do that sometime. About 1K USD.

Half-way through my stroll I thought to start looking for a bed liner for the pickup. Stopped in several places and eventually was sent to a place called Hard Top accessories. Quite near it I saw--

I REALLY want one of these. I'm pretty sure it is OEM Toyota. Never saw one in person before. I have asked my parts guy to see if it is available new.

And finally, I found a bed liner for the pickup:

They had three of them. New production from Thailand. MAX is the manufacturer. The quality seemed fine. The price was very reasonable--600 AED installed, which is about 180 USD. When the pickup is ready I will drive it myself down to Abu Dhabi, about 75 minutes each way the way I drive, which I have been meaning to do as a shakedown anyways. I'm quite determined to get the truck shipped.