LJ71 Build - Lil Rusty (1 Viewer)

[H0ki3]

Here’s a build thread of my LJ71. Arrived in Port 10/30 during the CKCC Fall Crawl, I picked it up the next Monday.

This truck was imported for very very cheap as it has a good amount of body rust and is a 2LTE. My goal is to build it out as cheap as possible and make it capable enough to do medium trails and not feel bad if it gets torn up.

It showed up with 240xxx KM, bald and cupped 315 geolanders, a ton of hacked up wiring, a rusted out dump pipe, a broken front shock, unknown lift coils, about 10 lbs of excess random wiring, clear coat is failing and a led light bar with a short. I couldn’t start it at port as both batteries were dead. When I did get it to start it sounded awful. I suspected a broken pulley, which was correct.

 

[H0ki3]

First thing to do was get it off the trailer. I got two batteries from auto store.

Next I started removing ton of useless wires. The toll reader, a Japanese old radio with TV etc. wiring for subs and speakers, random wires twisted together.

I pulled the dash and found more spaghetti hidden behind. There were weird little switches mounted inline to the blinkers. I removed them. The light bar didn’t work. When hooked up directly to battery it got really hot, must have a sort, so I removed it.

 

[H0ki3]

Next I tried to drive it. The exporter warned me it was sketchy at speed. I assumed it was the front tires being so badly cupped. I decided I’d swap the front wheels to back and saw FR shock snapped in half haha. Reached out to Georg and they (Roark at DK) were able to determine I needed a 4inch lift shock, and got a seat of Terrain Tamer rear shocks that should work in the front (upside down) and sent me a steering stabilizer. As always Georg is an asset to our community.

The truck made an awful noise when running. Something rattling. I thought it was something in the accessories. It was.. the bottom PS pulley had broken (spun in the bushing and wore both parts out) ordered one from a 90s Pickup. For now I just tacked the pulley to the bushing. All the belt look ready to snap, so I cross referenced them and ordered all 4 belts from RockAuto, Gates HD.

Also I got tired of looking at the rust so I taped it off and sprayed rust converter on it

 

[H0ki3]

week 2 of ownership I was mostly out of town celebrating our 10 year anniversary. When I got back I pulled the back left window and started cutting out the rust hole there. It annoyed me to look at.

I got a full sheet of 18 gauge sheet metal and started making patches. window was first and only place I’m going to body work well, it’s not prefect but I spent a while getting it straight and body lines are close.

 

[H0ki3]

It was basically rinse and repeat of find rust, cut out rust, replace with new metal. Quarter, rocker, radiator support, b pillar,

I haven’t bought any patch panels so far. I did go buy a small sheet metal brake and a set of shrinker stretchers to help make parts. I also got 2 cans of weld thru primer. And has worn out a bunch of flap disc and wire wheels.

Luckily the frame is great it was undercoated a few times. The body got bad especially because it had no mudflaps and they never treated rust once it started, and the seam sealer started to fail.

When I pulled the radio I checked the home location and it was outside of Sapporo in Northern Japan, little ski town, hence the rust.

 

[H0ki3]

After a few weeks of rust removal and welding I was getting burnt out. I can only work 8PM-10PM most days, was getting repetitive . I’d kept an eye out for some used 35s and a decent deal came up in some Toyota Reps in bright bronze with like new Kenda Kleavers, we met on a decent price for a set of 5.

New tires are 17 10.5 (35 skinnies). The truck actually tucked the 315s it had once I removed the spacers but they then rubbed bad on the arms. So this is a good compromise. Poor guy selling them had a 470 and got in a bad wreck and totaled it, wheels were not damaged.

I also got some blacked out LED headlights as the stock lights had been conveyed to halogens and the heat destroyed the housings. I threw on the wheels and headlights for a preview and to motivate me, it worked!

 

[H0ki3]

With new motivation I tackled the worst areas of rust. The rocker and B pillar and wheel well lip. I ended up making about 5 parts that get welded, spot welded, or seam sealed in. My buddy has a nice Prado 4 door and sent me pictures of how it should look and what is seam sealed vs welded. It’s going pretty well. I’m close to wrapping up the left (passenger) side.

I bought a pneumatic device that makes a step and also punches holes for spot welds. I also bought some electric sheet metal sheets and I LOVE them. The shrinker stretches are finicky but I’m getting the hang of them on the lip of the quarter.

 

[H0ki3]

I think the plan is to get to tint-able bedliner and do a 4 inch swath of the rear quarters (up to the body line) and do the bottom of the doors and a 2.5 inch swath over the fenders (to body line). I’ll tint it the body color, kind of a metallic dark forest green (it was red originally). This will keep me from having to bodywork and paint the whole bottom of the body.

I’ll blend in the big repair under the window with closest match I can find. And I might do a scuff and re clear the whole rig. We’ll see. I’ve painted a car before so should be OK.

Also, my next import showed up this week. A Honda ACTY I got for us, replacing our John Deere Gator. I had it serviced and new wheels and tires in Japan.

 

[H0ki3]

Red area roughly shows what I want to do in dark green bedliner. This is the area I’m replacing metal and I think I can make it look OK by using the body lines the break it up.

 

[jblueridge]

Honda ACTY

VA Inspector made me add a 3rd brake light to my Hijet in order to pass and get the sticker. Previous 2 years he did not care.

I have bedliner on the bottom halves of my BJ74 doors and fenders. I like that a lot.

 

[H0ki3]

VA Inspector made me add a 3rd brake light to my Hijet in order to pass and get the sticker. Previous 2 years he did not care.

I have bedliner on the bottom halves of my BJ74 doors and fenders. I like that a lot.

I went to DMV today and titled and put Antique tags on it. This is vehicle #7 currently. It won’t see a whole lot of road use.

 

[jblueridge]

The county sheriffs are between me and Lowes.
Had to have normal tags.

 

[H0ki3]

The county sheriffs are between me and Lowes.
Had to have normal tags.

What insurance did you use? I mentioned “using around the house” and Hagerty refused to insure it. Said they don’t insure utility vehicles, that I couldn’t haul anything in it.

 

[jblueridge]

Liability via Geico.

Water pump blew and dumped the coolant.
Called AAA for a rollback truck to take it home.
AAA refused to send anyone. No good explanation given by phone drones.
I dumped AAA.

 

[H0ki3]

Left side is getting close. Need to seam seal all the new parts I made, some quick filler work and paint. I’m buying a kit of tintable raptor and some PPG paint to mix in it. Do the bottom sections. I’ll try to blend in the repair under the window. Just needs a little more work.

Other side needs same work. Rocker is worse though. Might try to source a right side rocker. Not worth patching. Just replace it.

 

[LDRF]

Might try to source a right side rocker. Not worth patching. Just replace it.

Keep up the good work

New, factory, outer rockers, both left and right should still be available. You should be able to source them from somewhere in America. I got mine almost two years ago from 4 Wheel Auto in Alberta.

How are you inner rockers? Mine need work right at the wheel arches and below the door jambs.

 

[H0ki3]

Keep up the good work

New, factory, outer rockers, both left and right should still be available. You should be able to source them from somewhere in America. I got mine almost two years ago from 4 Wheel Auto in Alberta.

How are you inner rockers? Mine need work right at the wheel arches and below the door jambs.

Inner rocker on left side was pretty good. I patched one area. The rocker to B pillar and quarter area was weird to fix. I didn’t know how to really go about fixing it. A friend with a 78 sent me a pic of his and I tried to copy. It appears it all just spot welded and seam sealed together so that’s how I went about it

 

[LDRF]

I didn’t know how to really go about fixing it

This video is fairly new: Toyota Land Cruiser LC70 body restoration part 1
Check it out and the three others on his channel.

 

[H0ki3]

This video is fairly new: Toyota Land Cruiser LC70 body restoration part 1
Check it out and the three others on his channel.

Yea it’s done now though. I think what I did will work fine. Door seals and it look’s factory-ish