Hello new guy here (1 Viewer)

[Felde]

bummer about the motor are they really that bad ?

The VM is not an optimal engine. But at least it has a few hp more than a 3B. Lack of power is a general issue on any diesel available in a BJ73 of that period.
Stressing the underpowered engines on highways and excessive 'offroad sports' is what kills them (regardless of actual engine type) (Together with age and high mileage).
I heard of quite some VM examples here in Europe that work well when properly maintained and used within reasonable capability limits.
Your problem may be that your engine is said to be already kind of shot. But you never gave any details yet.
I wouldn't agree that a VM is not worth any repairs. It depends on effort vs effort for alternatives vs desires vs capabilities of the owner vs funds.
If it's only about the head gasket: Easy and worth it. If there really is a cracked head: Different story, but still doable.
I recommend to first investigate the engines condition and then consider options based on facts.
The vehicle itself apparently is well worth restoring.
Cheers Ralf

 

[Felde]

You have quite a lot of questions on the VM; understandable. But the VMs are rare in US, so finding knowledgeable people in US is difficult.
I suggest to do a parallel post in an European forum, e.g. Land Cruiser J7 / 70 Series - https://forum.buschtaxi.org/land-cruiser-j7-f2.html to get in touch with someone actually owning and driving a BJ73 VM.
You may also contact netzmeister (admin) of the forum. He has a great network in Europe and may be able to point you to people and resources.
Good Luck Ralf

 

[TOMMYTIME]

Thanks for all of the great info as far as cali goes smog ref-ing into something some other platform is a difficult process the fact its a diesel and that in 1992 diesels were smog exempt are the only real positives but they still may not let it fly.
how difficult is it to acquire one of those other. motors? i don't have my heart set or the rig for what its worth i can easily back out of this if the thing cannot be registered here it means much less i'm suprised nobody has chimed in about the cali registration issue ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ thanks for the link i willl have to take a look

 

[paul r]

For California registration I mentioned a bit above that it won’t be cheap easy or quick.

I tried to link from FB but it didn’t work. There are some good FB threads that give some more detail in the 70 Series Land Cruisers - North America group. If you join that group and search California registration there is more info but here are some screenshots below with some good info from there. There is also more info if you search the VM in there.

 

[FJBen]

It really depends on how good of price you are paying for this rig.

On the positive side: It’s a Left hand drive, bj73 in what looks like really clean shape and some rare options.

The negative, that VM motor and the fact it’s already blown a headgasket (it has 5 separate ones and needs a jig to get it right) and you said a cracked head? Boat anchor basically. Only option for me would be if I could find a cheap head and fix and flip as a running rig with the VM and that the buyer knows what they are getting into.
There is next to zero chance you are getting that registered in california if it hasn’t been registered before.


@2fpower has the same rig and LS swapped it. I can’t remember if his VM crapped out instantly or not.
Builds - Unicorns are real... My dream car FJ73 build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/unicorns-are-real-my-dream-car-fj73-build.1156874/

For me it comes down to how much are you paying for this rig? If it’s a dang good deal then it’s worth it to engine swap or do some work on it. Bj73/BJ74 are great rigs. It would have to be a pretty good deal for my cheap @ss lol.

 

[TOMMYTIME]

Thank you guys for all of the information
truth is i have not paid a dime for it the owner and i are trying to come up with a price. i can easily back out if i need to. the registration thing is a bummer and could kill this deal an ls swap would be awesome i literally have 3 ls based motors in my shop at the moment as well asa 4l80e and tcase ready to go.
i may just back off the rig for now un less i can get it for really cheap
can someone give me a ball park on worth?

 

[TOMMYTIME]

ha any body here have any interest in it ?

 

[paul r]

There is a lot of wear for the number of KM in some of the photos and that usually leads to things you can't see. Also are the tops of the rear doors around? Have you looked under the carpet to confirm no rust?

As far as your LS swap is concerned just remember that it has offset axles so you'll need to take that into account when thinking about the t-case since the rear differential is not centered. Sounds fun though. There are a few threads here with MWB truck that have an LS now. If you can get a deal on it and have the aptitude it sounds like a really cool project!

 

[FJBen]

Personally for a non-running cruiser (might as well be no engine cruiser with the VM) I wouldn’t pay more than $5-6k if it’s really clean and all the parts are there $7k.

If you already have the LS/tranny and can do all the work yourself, then you will have a killer rig that if converted right be will worth well into the $20s plus depending on how nice.


That radiator looks shot and there will be plenty of other things needing replaced In the end you could have an awesome rig with tons of power.

 

[Felde]

Just forwarding an info:
Good information and help on the BJ73 VM engine can be found in this Portuguese forum: Toyota Landcruiser serie 70 - https://toyotaserie70.mforos.com/