Gary's Ossewa - an Aussie '84 BJ42 LX (1 Viewer)

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mate sweet truck love how you scored all them little parts from japan was that a expensive exercise ? i need alot of the similar bits for mine , and do you think you will ever need the heater in brisbane ,) thinking about disconecting mine as the metal fitting and elbows on the firewall for the water have rotted out and are weeping the hunt for parts is never ending , just had the injector pump rebuilt in mine took 6 weeks for 1 part and a unhealthy hit to the bank balance , dont use diesel additives unless your tank is spotless if any gunk goes through your pump it causes pain , and try keep your tank full , being in qld lots of condensation can end up in ya tank and mixed with 30 odd years of diesel from god knows where my tank ended up with a inch of black slimey goo in the bottom of the tank , the additive lifted it all off and straight through everything the tinyest bits scored the innards of the injector pump and it went bad just saying as it is avoidable pain , you can undo that panel in the centre of the floor just behind the front seats and remove the sender unit and see if ya tanks clean i highly recomend it , and nice work its coming out really well
 
mate sweet truck love how you scored all them little parts from japan was that a expensive exercise ? i need alot of the similar bits for mine , and do you think you will ever need the heater in brisbane ,) thinking about disconecting mine as the metal fitting and elbows on the firewall for the water have rotted out and are weeping the hunt for parts is never ending , just had the injector pump rebuilt in mine took 6 weeks for 1 part and a unhealthy hit to the bank balance , dont use diesel additives unless your tank is spotless if any gunk goes through your pump it causes pain , and try keep your tank full , being in qld lots of condensation can end up in ya tank and mixed with 30 odd years of diesel from god knows where my tank ended up with a inch of black slimey goo in the bottom of the tank , the additive lifted it all off and straight through everything the tinyest bits scored the innards of the injector pump and it went bad just saying as it is avoidable pain , you can undo that panel in the centre of the floor just behind the front seats and remove the sender unit and see if ya tanks clean i highly recomend it , and nice work its coming out really well

Thanks Mudguts, I've been keeping the sedimenter clean and I'll heed the advice about additives. I replaced the screws on that inspection panel so I cleaned up the outside, have not gotten to the inside yet...The parts from Japan were not as expensive as buying them locally (even with the postage) but they also had all the parts I needed which was not the case with the 5 or so dealers I called here. I was also keen to go with OEM. As for the heater, probably not needed here in Queensland but you never know where this little woman will take me :steer: and I do want to keep it as stock as possible.

I managed to pickup an OEM bumper, brackets and gussets a few weeks back - in really good knick, and is the last major piece I need to get her back to stock. But now that I have it, I wonder if I won't keep the butch bullbar on :confused:

frontbumper%20(1%20of%201).jpg


Borrowed a fisheye lens from a mate - heaps of fun - but here is what my truck looked like at the start of the long weekend
fisheye%20before%20(1%20of%201).jpg


And last quick random update, the number plate holder finished and fitted:
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More updates soon :bounce:
 
This long weekend I've finally got the rear carpets and mat fitted, cleaned up the interior trim. Work has been keeping me busy and travelling, so it feels like forever....

Here is the rubber mat. It is my daily driver (or will be again when I've put all the bits back) so wanted to try and lift the comfort levels a little. I decided on this 3mm rubber mat instead of felt lining, but it should help to reduce the noise and heat. It was a very time consuming exercise to get the cut-outs - measure, cut, fit, measure, cut fit, rinse and repeat. My old carpet was so buggered I could not trust using it as a template. Anyways I'm quite happy with the result:

finishing%20bits%20(5%20of%207).jpg


Next was the carpet. Over the past months I've gradually measured and cut the floor mat, and cut and moulded the carpet over the wheel arches, using a hot soldering iron to score along the folds - works well to retain the shape. So I've used the same format as the OEM, with seperate floor and wheel arch mats. The colour is not an exact copy of the original, but I'm happy with the way they turned out.

I was not fond of the cuts they had in the OEM carpet (so that you can remove the carpet without removing the seats, etc) so I've left it mostly intact. I'll have to take out the seats and jack bracket if I want to remove the carpet - we'll see if that becomes a problem....

finishing%20bits%20(6%20of%207).jpg


Also cleaned up the seat belts, refitted them, cleaned up the interior trim and fitted it. Here it is without the rear seats (those have been cleaned up and will be fitted tomorrow) Hopefully I have enough time left to get onto the front before getting back to work....

finishing%20bits%20(7%20of%207).jpg


Thanks for looking!
 
This long weekend I've finally got the rear carpets and mat fitted, cleaned up the interior trim. Work has been keeping me busy and travelling, so it feels like forever....

Here is the rubber mat. It is my daily driver (or will be again when I've put all the bits back) so wanted to try and lift the comfort levels a little. I decided on this 3mm rubber mat instead of felt lining, but it should help to reduce the noise and heat. It was a very time consuming exercise to get the cut-outs - measure, cut, fit, measure, cut fit, rinse and repeat. My old carpet was so buggered I could not trust using it as a template. Anyways I'm quite happy with the result:

Next was the carpet. Over the past months I've gradually measured and cut the floor mat, and cut and moulded the carpet over the wheel arches, using a hot soldering iron to score along the folds - works well to retain the shape. So I've used the same format as the OEM, with seperate floor and wheel arch mats. The colour is not an exact copy of the original, but I'm happy with the way they turned out.

I was not fond of the cuts they had in the OEM carpet (so that you can remove the carpet without removing the seats, etc) so I've left it mostly intact. I'll have to take out the seats and jack bracket if I want to remove the carpet - we'll see if that becomes a problem....

....

Your BJ42LX is certainly something very special Gary. Not just around here either. There's likely to be none other like it anywhere in the whole world. :clap:

First a word of warning - You'll need to watch getting liquids under that rubber mat because they'll tend to stay there and promote rust. (Kids spilling their drinks while you're offroad is a scenario that comes to mind.) ... Of course this is no different to the footwell mats in this respect .... Except that the size of your heavy-duty rear mat makes it a bit harder to regularly "take a look-see" right underneath. (I can remember occasions when I've even found the remains of a lost icecream weeks after a trip. :lol:)

And I'd like more info on that fantastic carpeting job - please. Exactly what type of carpet is it? Does it have a built-in underlay/backing? Does it tend to fray where it is cut? And exactly how did you make those neat joins over the wheel arches? And please explain a bit more how you used the soldering iron to "score along the folds".

Perhaps you've gathered this already ..... I'm planning on copying you :p

:beer:
 
Awesome work Gary! The interior at the back-end of your truck looks sensational in that last photo, really good work with the carpet.

These little trucks are an addiction and i think you are fast developing it! :lol:
 
Beautiful work. Subscribed.
 
Thanks guys, appreciate the encouragement :cheers:

@Dan - addicted, OCD, obsessed - that's for sure, but loving it. The great (and weird) thing, it's about the first obsession where wifey does not roll her eyes when I sink some cash into it. Reckon I'll never understand women :confused:

@Tom - thanks mate. I'm learning so much. The carpet was literally the last piece they had at a Clarke Rubber nearby, so I had millimetres to spare on the pattern. I'll post a few pics in the next days, right now just beavering away to get stuff done before I have to take the kids to the Justin Bieber concert.....
 
Hello Gary,

Excellent carpeting job. I expect to do mine a few years from now. Mind if I join Tom? ;)

Your truck is comin along very nicely.

I have a spare gusset if you need one.

Keep up the good work.




Juan
 
Verrry nice S#!t hot
Just woundering BAAS did you get a pic of the inter wiper control as i have the 3 stage switch but only slow and fast speeds .And where does the factory speaker bolt in ???
1 last thing could you take a picture of the firewall end of the inlet manifold please as im having trouble
with glow plugs and dont know if things are were they should be.
Keep up the great work
Another still alive and mines being slowly revived
Aaron
 
@Juan - appreciate the offer, thanks mate. I have both, they just need a clean and paint. I'll write up my carpeting experience in the next few days - I learnt some stuff and made a few mistakes so that will be good to share.

@Aaron - thanks mate, good to see another BJ42 getting some local loving :beer:
The speaker mounts to the glove box box, sitting in the passenger seat, reach up behind the dash with your left hand. You should see two holes on the left wall of the glovebox if the speaker is missing.

The intermittent wiper is written up here - https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/207269-noisy-wiper-intermittent-setting.html - I posted from post#8 on what I did with mine.
Here is a little pic of the inlet manifold side - not a great photo - but I can send you a couple of bigger ones if it will help.
updates%20(5%20of%205).jpg


And just a couple more quick updates before I down tools for the week:
The rear with seats fitted (you need to compare with the pics posted in the beginning of this thread to get the real difference):
updates%20(2%20of%205).jpg

updates%20(1%20of%205).jpg



And the tool bag came out reasonably well after a clean (not quite as pretty as Folkert's but it will do):
updates%20(3%20of%205).jpg
 
very sweet baas!!, the seats looks very nice and tidy, wonderful project!!! tool bag looks fine to me, I mean the rusty spots and wear through the years can't be washed away, and on the other hand gives the car its vintage feel, as long as everything is clean, some wear just adds more character to the car.. :) "that's the beauty of small imperfection"
 
Thanks Baas
Iterm wipers work now :D just have to service internals as it is noisy aswell. Not bad for 28 year old.
As for glow plugs (thankyou for pic much appreciated) mine looks to be wired up same as yours. What voltage glow plugs are in your motor.I've had 6V plugs supplied and now on my 2nd set in a mater of weeks :bang:
:cheers: Aaron
 
Thanks Baas
Iterm wipers work now :D just have to service internals as it is noisy aswell. Not bad for 28 year old.
As for glow plugs (thankyou for pic much appreciated) mine looks to be wired up same as yours. What voltage glow plugs are in your motor.I've had 6V plugs supplied and now on my 2nd set in a mater of weeks :bang:
:cheers: Aaron

Sorry I can't help with the plugs - it's my first diesel and I have not had to spend too much time in the engine bay yet. Tom (lostmarbles) has an awesome thread on plugs in the Diesel section - https://forum.ih8mud.com/diesel-tec...gs-should-i-running-b-2b-3b-h-2h-diesels.html. I am sure you will find your answer there :clap:
 
Nine months in....

Well, I've had the truck for almost 9 months now - coincidentally the gestation period for humans - and time to take stock. I've gotten familiar with her and she is definitely a keeper!

My future plans for her have changed. Initially I was keen to get to do the frame-off restore as soon as possible, but I am now going to delay that as long as possible. It has become very clear that if I want to go down that road I am going to need to have all my ducks in a row beforehand, can't afford to do it half-heartedly or to wait for huge amounts of time for parts. I have compiled a list of all the stuff I have done so far (more for my own benefit), and a flexible list of things I am planning on doing. I look at all the other rebuild threads with amazement, the amount of love and dedication that goes into those - my little bits seem so lightweight. But I'm on the lookout for an older sister that will need more work………I might catch-up sometime

My daily driver has been in the garage for the past four months, but now she is back on the road, I've been working interstate for most of the time but about to head back home - so just in time. Most of the work has been on the interior, but even so the ergonomics are not much better (was that even a word back in 1984?). The LX seems to be quite a bit more complex with all the, er, luxury stuff. I am so enjoying this journey, the truck is so old school - takes time to get the parts, time to get the money, time to fix the bits - no such thing as instant gratification but the anticipation is probably part of the joy hey?

Nine months to get this all done, OEM parts used where replaced:
⁃ Serviced (new oils, new filters, and a once over)
⁃ Repaired battery tray, resprayed tray and bracket, new battery
⁃ New brake master cylinder (non OEM)
⁃ New brake booster gasket and repaint
⁃ Rust touch-up on interior (not much, but the little bits that were there have been treated)
⁃ Touch-up paint to little scratches on dash
⁃ Weld crack on floor around driver's seat
⁃ Rear door lock - cleaned up, tightened, new spring
⁃ Rear number plate holder powder coated, new light holders and globes
⁃ Refurb A/C unit - cleaned up motor and fans, new foam and rubbers, ran wiring harness behind dash, fitted rear bracket, cleaned up control box and powder coated brackets
⁃ Refurb heater - powder coated unit, flushed and welded core, new foam and bushes, cleaned ducting, powder coated pipe protectors
⁃ Fitted new radio - ran new wire harness from fuse box, fitted noise suppressor, new wiring to speakers
⁃ Extra wiring harness for future accessories - ignition, battery and engine power leads run to glove box
⁃ Refurb dash - polished and painted the knobs, cleaned up all switches, polished tightening collars, lubed vent and heater cables, fixed clock bracket, touch-up bare metal on rear of dash
⁃ Refurb speedo cluster - cleaned up odometer, new foam, new globes, touch-up paint on bare metal, repaired intermittent wiper timer
⁃ New gear shift bush and seat, new spring and cover, new rubber boot, powder coated lever, cleaned up external boot, refurb transfer shift boot
⁃ Seat rails - powder coated, cleaned up bearings
⁃ Cleaned up front plastic mats - cleaned about a golf-ball size amount of sound deadener off the bottom!
⁃ Fitted new carpet to rear, new rubber mat underneath
⁃ Cleaned up rear plastic trim, replaced a few plastic lugs and fixed a couple of cracks
⁃ Bought and fitted rear jump seat bracket, armrest, seat belt - no more missing bits :-)
⁃ Seats got a good cleaning and so did the toolbag
⁃ Most interior bolts have been yellow annealed, and brackets have been powder coated - look good as new
⁃ Yellow annealed the door striker catches, new fastener screws and captive washers
⁃ New bolts on rear door latches to replace rusty ones
⁃ Cleaned up firewall sound deadener, added sound deadener to front floor
⁃ And other odds and sods like grommets, cleaning up fuel sender, found the spare key behind the dash pad, lots of 20c pieces, years of dirt, and created new swear words when I dropped the gear shift bush into the gear box………


Still to do in the very near future:
⁃ Finish spray of the hand brake - first attempt was a mess, seems the different rattle cans did not play well with each other
⁃ Fit new OEM steering column cover that I picked up cheap
⁃ Weather stripping for front and rear doors
⁃ Clean headliner, looks like she will come up good
⁃ Check for the electrical gremlins - get ammeter to work and get to the bottom of the glowing sedimenter light at low revs
⁃ Find bits to complete the OEM toolkit
⁃ New battery tray - the old one is approaching it's use by date
⁃ OEM lenses for rear lights
⁃ Upgrade headlights
⁃ Replace brake bleeder nipples, refurb front brakes
⁃ Refurb clutch master and slave
⁃ Find an OEM driver door handle to replace the cheap knock-off
⁃ Headrests probably need replacing eventually
⁃ Fit new hinge to replace bent one on the RHS ambulance door
⁃ Track down the clunking sound my front suspension makes when I turn corners
⁃ Start collecting the decals and rubbers for when I do eventually do the frame-off
⁃ Decide if I want to keep the monster bull bar or replace it with the OEM bumper
⁃ Continue to drive her daily……..

I'll add a few pics in the next post……
 

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