This will be a chronicle of a rebuild on an 85 with significant rust issues and 495 000km. It was sitting in a garage covered in life jackets kid toys and insulation for 14 yrs. another guys project that never came to fruition. This will be my sons first cruiser. Also his first stick and first vehicle.
Bj70 redux
- Thread starter Burbot
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- #2
Do you want to look at a cruiser?my son replied, sure why not. When we arrived at the farm we saw a bj sitting by a garage, assuming it was the bj we came to see we walked over to it. Terminal rust every panel and column. Junk not even worth looking at for his needs, total waste of time. The owner came over and said. Not that one; and that the for sale bj was inside his shop. Then we began the excavation.
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- #3
The silver bj had it's hood open and a charger hooked to one battery with the other disconnected. We moved boxes and misc. stuff, looked not bad at all. The owner Kev, asked if we wanted to see it and my son and I looked at each other and yes please! Once the door opened we were hit with an over powering stench. Moth ball packs were scattered everywhere. To keep the mice out and the bugs away I was told. After checking fluids and reconnect of the 2 batteries she started right up. Card board under it showed v little oil and no smoke billowed out. We walked around it there was the usual Toyota rust but doors and panels were v good. Obvious newer paint, but a hi miler. Worth a test drive for sure.
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- #4
As my son has never driven a standard and hardly understood the concept I got in the drivers seat. It moved jerkily in 1st, as I was way spoiled in my 80 with A trans. We pulled out the driveway smoothly and drove down the gravel. Motor sounded good,shifted well as I explained to Ian how this worked. We only went a mile or 2 as no plates were on it. When I slowed and did a u turn we were amazed at the turning radius. We drove back to have a better look and talk $ with Kev. Both smiling like fools.
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- #6
Pulled in the driveway and turned it off. Klunk. That's the exhaust,it's new and needs adjustment. We started under the hood. Yup the familiar 3b with a rad that needed soldering of the straps the rest looked good just dirty. Crawled under yup brand new pipe and well oiled. I asked about the oil and found out it had a new front seal and water pump. Kev told us the story of how the truck had lots of km.on but had been sitting inside for 14 years and he'd only put5000km.on it. Aaaah I thought that explains the mega paks of mothballs. Ok another test drive was in order. I drove it out to the road and told him "your turn". We switched seats and I gave him the run down. He put the clutch in and I slipped it into gear. Stall ok no prob just put clutch in and try again;stall then again stall. Wtf? Isn't it supposed to be in first he said. I'd put it in third by mistake. Into 1st and it moved nicely when clutch was released then over rev into 2nd. Off we went smoothly into 3rd +4th. We turned around in a field and headed back. This is easy he said. He shifted down and almost put our heads thru the windshield! Oh yeah he'd learn. Now price and plans. Kev said he'd paid 6000$ and wanted his money back at least plus he'd done total fluids seals etc. we agreed on 6 if safety wasn't too major. If any major issues surface the deal would be void. On a hand shake $1000 given as a deposit.
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- #7
Kev was nice enough to let us drive away in his truck with his plates on it a few days later. As it had a leaking brake line I drove it back and Ian drove my 93 80 back to home. Once home we went to the park to practice shifting. He was relieved that he could pick up the skill. Ian would be away 4 weeks at a time putting his fresh Geo degree to use, lugging core boxes for senior Geologists. I would get his truck together in time for his 2 weeks off. The goal was getting a safety certificate. I took it in to simon at TLC imports as he could get a tech to give it a look pre safety inspection. The usual little things were obvious, the issue was a rust hole in the r rear wheel well and Bondo ain't gonna do it. The kid left the next day unaware how bad this was. The following day I lifted the rear end put a stand in and got to work. A screw driver had the hole big enough to put a golf ball in it hmmmm. Had to go inside to get at it but the whole tub was full of dry rust and body goop. After pulling away panels and carpet the scope became evident. In order to weld in patches I would have to cut out 6 areas, pull the stone shield and the fuel filler assembly mud flap brackets. Rats.
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- #8
After hours of grinding and peeling out Bondo silicone rubber ash flat and rocker gaurd I'd take a break and do something simple. Checked all Lites 2 burned out, off to piston ring. Not much there in 24v. They ordered some and I could get 1 kind but not the other. This was an omen;now I had to drive across town for a 2$ bulb. But I had the right wiper blade on the shop wall. Now it was time to choose suspension wheels and tires. Ordered 4 16x7 wheels and OME heavy duty 2 1/2 inch lift to replace the sagged out springs,dead shocks etc. another needed bit was the drivers seat. Stumbled upon a lj78 being parted out and scored two front seats for 100$. As his is r h drive the passenger seat becomes the drv seat in the bj. Also scored the two perfect barn doors for 250$. Then I jumped on all the parts I just fixed stone shields mud flaps in perfect condition. Also grabbed 2 dome Lites that bolt into factory holes in my 80!!only thing on my list I didn't get was the door gaskets. The seat bolted right in and had no rip in it so it doesn't match but will safety
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- #9
Before my son left I made a list and asked him to rate priorities 1-5 the interior was high on the list. But so are turbo,lockers,4:11 gears. An issue is the ridic front bumper. It weighs 200lbs all day long and protrudes 2 feet. You could put a shooting chair on it other than that it's trash and it's welded to the frame. Now I'd have to go back in time and recover my bj60. That was gonna be an issue, been sitting for 10 years in a farm yard and the son has the hates for me and the parents are no longer there.
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- #11
On a good turn the truck is still there now missing frnt axle though. I spoke to Simon about where the suspension was and the wheels. 7 days I was assured on susp. Also 3 wheels 1 still in Japan. Great 3 wheels. That would fail safety for sure. I think simon felt guilty as he said we could use his plasma cutter to nip that ugly bumper off and have a safety inspector check it after and before and give it the ok once susp done and tires ordered.
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- #12
Contacted owner of donor lj. 2 barn doors250$2 front doors150$mud flaps stone shields dome Lites 50$2 front seats100$. Will strip off truck tmw. The plan is to strip pwr windows out of the front doors locks handles etc and put them into the bj. Ian decided on stereo install with 3 power outlets added on. I mocked up a new face plate which will be way stronger. Next mission sq. tube turbo. Start looking for another
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- #13
Started stripping pwr windows from lj door also prep for shipping to it's new home in Washington. Don't know if hardware compatible until I see door stamping of bj. Have to wait until tmw. Door is 100%rust free I should keep it but no room for any more doors around here. Took Toyota logo off 40 r door as po wanted the lic plate hardware. What a pain took it all apart realized I could have just traded units didn't need to take all apart. Mud flaps fit perfect different hardware. 91 plastic 85rusted crap I redid 2 wks ago. Po said I can harvest floor pan,will it fit?his d side is my passenger?i need new metal under the pedals t
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- #14
The rust never sleeps. Hammer blow hole turned into 6 seperate patches. Has been fixed previously but again rocket gaurd and bondo over rust instead of cutting it out. 2 hrs with grinder and wire wheel. Too much tar to use a torch to heat bondo. Had to leave rusted crap in place until new metal all patterned.
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- #18
A priority for the bj, in my sons mind is a turbo. Out of the blue a 150$ intercooler plops into my lap. A 71 fj? Bj? With a need to change one out to allow for new plumbing. As a low buck build this is a fantastic start. Simon has a sq. tube manifold. Just need a good Volvo donor for a turbo. Then an exhaust manifold and the requisite plumbing and gauges etc. wanna keep this to 1200$ will source the turbo myself as is hrs to take off, or so I'm told. The donor has been idle long time and hot rodded poorly and needs a total redo.
