HDJ81 5 speed triple locked donor truck... What would you do? (1 Viewer)

[kw90surf]

I have a bit of a dilemma and am curious what the 80 forum thinks. I have a rust-free, well maintained Texas/Montana 1991 FJ80. OME 861/862, full length rack, bullbar, winch, 33's. Body is in pretty good shape, paint is rough, driver's door has had some significant repairs at some point, interior is a little tired but it is rock-solid and supremely clean underneath. I recently imported an H150F for it from Australia, but haven't started the swap yet. Goals for that were better gearing, better power to the ground, maybe better mpg. But, I've always had in the back of my mind that someday it would be a diesel.

A 5 speed triple locked HDJ81 came up for sale for basically the price of a 1HDT. It was dented up and the body looked crusty in the pics (been wheeled hard), so at that price I bought it for the powertrain/drivetrain, figured I'd sell my H150F, swap the 1HDT-H151F-lockers into my clean LHD FJ and part out the rest of the HDJ81 and recoup some funds.

Now that it's home in the yard and I've driven it around, it's surprisingly tight and solid, and very saveable body-wise (couple patches needed in the doors, rockers, and rear sills but that's all). Flashes up instantly even in the cold, H151F shifts respectably based on what I've read about them, doesn't smoke, lockers work. Interior is pretty good overall, everything inside including the A/C works. IP appears rebuilt, has a slight miss at idle when hot.

I could:

• Proceed with plan A: sell H150F, do swap, part out HDJ81
• Clean it up, baseline it, run it/wheel it for a few years with the mods from my FJ80 while I clean up/paint/slowly refurbish my FJ80 and then do the swap in a few years once the body on the 81 is completely shot. Would probably have to sell my XJ and daily the 81 which makes me sad.
• Swap the H150F into the FJ80, clean up the HDJ81, then sell both of them and get a really nice, clean, low mileage HDJ81 with the fruit (is this even reasonable anymore?)
• ???

What would you guys do?

Here are the two of them:

FJ80

HDJ81

Cheers

 

[lp2k]

Swap the drive train over and sell the leftover rust bucket for parts. Dibs on those visors over the front and rear windows lol

 

[Willie G]

Option #2 on your list.

No brainer.

Congrats, BTW,on having to make the decision.

 

[MonsterCruiser]

I agree...Option 2. I think the days of clean, low mile HDJ81 are pretty much gone. I haven't been watching auctions, but I'm sure if one comes up it would fetch more than sale value of those two vehicles combined and then you'd still have to get the maintenance up to date.

 

[kw90surf]

Swap the drive train over and sell the leftover rust bucket for parts. Dibs on those visors over the front and rear windows lol

Haha, the visors will be going on my FJ80 if it gets parted out! Along with the chrome mirror housings and a couple other odds and sods.

@Willie G Thanks, I know there are tougher predicaments to be in

I'm leaning towards option 2 as you and @MonsterCruiser suggested. The idea of selling my nice clean XJ makes be a bit sad, as it's such a good daily and I've just recently finished a complete baseline on it and replaced a ton of parts.

...I think the days of clean, low mile HDJ81 are pretty much gone. I haven't been watching auctions, but I'm sure if one comes up it would fetch more than sale value of those two vehicles combined and then you'd still have to get the maintenance up to date.

I was kinda wondering this too. Seems like most importers want upwards of $25k USD for a "nice" HDJ81, and likely without lockers/5 speed. My FJ80 has recently received a new OEM steering box and a complete front axle job with OEM parts. Selling both and stretching myself to acquire yet another cruiser that will likely need baselining may not be the smartest play. Plus, I'm pretty attached to the FJ80 at this point.

I appreciate the input

 

[JeepinPete]

I'd drive the rust bucket around for a couple months, then proceed to option 2. That will give the diesel parts some time to show you what trouble they are going to cause, or not.

 

[kw90surf]

In a slight unexpected turn, my father (who has spent much of his life working on cars, has owned over 120 of them, and restored several) has suggested that I sell the FJ80 and refurbish the HDJ81. Sounds like total craziness I know. Bear in mind where I live cars disintegrate in 10 years because of road salt and salt air, so we have a much higher tolerance for fixing rust than some who live where rust doesn't exist. That said, the HDJ81 is very solid, the only perforation is in a couple of the doors and the hatch under the window. Frame, quarters, tailgate, rockers and floors are rock solid. And none of the fasteners under the hood are crusty.

I'm going to have the underside of the HDJ81 glass-beaded and then roll it inside and prime it all, then decide.