My Euro HZJ-73 rebuild "Green Bean"

[dogfishlake]

Hello all,

I have been around mud for a while but this is my first run at a 70 series Cruiser. I started a thread in the Lake Michigan Land Cruisers clubhouse but am switching over to the 70 series section for the bulk of my project.

It has been a rough last few years and my MUD presence has been sparse but my clouds are finally parting and life is moving ahead. Kind of like when you finally get a chance to put that H-55 into 5th and you go "yeah".

Anyway I am glad to be back interacting with a thread with the greatest group of people on earth. I have made such awesome friends through ih8mud and suspect this project will just bring more. That is the real win, after all.

My truck is an HZJ-73 from Belgium, LHD with originally a 1HZ and H-55. I bought the truck as a roller from @joekatana after meeting him at his place in TX a few years ago. I wanted to meet him to talk about him finding me a 73 that was a project. I figured he might not want to vs bringing back nicer trucks so when I bought a 12h-t from him I thought I would go get it from my home state of Michigan to his place in TX and talk it over. As fate would have it, he took me to his back lot and there sat my truck- no engine and needing some love but most definitely worth the effort. We struck a deal and all great, plus the win of a new friend.

The truck has been sitting for a couple of years now but the time has come to get after it now that my diesel 60 "Chunk" is 80% done and I can't seem to ever finish anything, lol. Plans are for a "soft" restoration and refurb to get it ready for my very awesome girlfriend to drive in the summer and for us to use on weekends and wheeling trips.
She has been very supportive and is great about letting me spend time on the truck. I am planning (90% sure) to install a 12H-T and H55 into it and repair the body and paint it. The interior needs a redo and that may include some nicer seats and general refresh. I am sure at some point I will redo the FRP top but for now I am thinking at least a bikini top and perhaps a soft top.

With luck and no small amount of dedication, we'll have it ready for SAS7 in 2023 and hopefully sooner!

 

[dogfishlake]

Here is the truck when the driver loaded it at Joe’s place

 

[dogfishlake]

And picking it off the trailer at my shop

 

[FJBen]

Cant wait to watch this one. The softop is definitely worth it.

 

[paul r]

Rad. I'm excited to watch this one the 12-HT will be an absolute ripper in it!

 

[dogfishlake]

Glad to hear it. It seems like the way to go. My 40 gets a ton of use topless. The nice thing about this rig is we hope to have a truck that can stretch its range a bit. The 40 is awesome but it really doesn’t get down the road fast and smooth enough for bigger day trips. I want to be able to roll down the interstate an hour to the Lake Michigan shoreline then cruise all day with the top down.

Cant wait to watch this one. The softop is definitely worth it.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Lovin it Pat. It needs a name. So nice to see you able to full realize your avatar tag line. The life changes are primo!!!

 

[FJ73Texas]

Can't wait to see how this one comes out Pat. I have been having serious urges to go back to a 73/74 platform.

 

[Felde]

Cool.
Welcome to the 73/74 therapy group.
Looking forward to the build thread.

 

[FJBen]

Glad to hear it. It seems like the way to go. My 40 gets a ton of use topless. The nice thing about this rig is we hope to have a truck that can stretch its range a bit. The 40 is awesome but it really doesn’t get down the road fast and smooth enough for bigger day trips. I want to be able to roll down the interstate an hour to the Lake Michigan shoreline then cruise all day with the top down.

Yep, the 73 will do that like a champ. To me the 73/74 drives like a "quicker" 60 series but you can still pull the top off like the 40 series. The wheelbase is just right, not too short, not too long. A 12HT will make that thing scoot like crazy. A 2 hour trip in my 40's could be a bit of a drive and usually felt like much longer (at least in my rigs) but the 74 it isn't an issue.

We usually get rainstorms every afternoon in the beginning summer here in Colorado, but they just didn't happen this year. It's nice to be able to be fully soft-topped for those storms that jump up as opposed to just the bikini top. Find or make some 1/2 doors for the rear as well.

 

[OGBeno]

Pat when he realizes building a non-US 70 will cost more money than all of his previous cruisers combined.



“Company car, bro…”

 

[dogfishlake]

Can't wait to see how this one comes out Pat. I have been having serious urges to go back to a 73/74 platform.

I seriously thought about buying your old truck! Still have your 77 though right?

 

[dogfishlake]

Cool.
Welcome to the 73/74 therapy group.
Looking forward to the build thread.

I’ll need therapy by the time its done!

 

[dogfishlake]

Pat when he realizes building a non-US 70 will cost more money than all of his previous cruisers combined.



“Company car, bro…”

View attachment 2865950

I’m already feeling that pain!

 

[dogfishlake]

Yep, the 73 will do that like a champ. To me the 73/74 drives like a "quicker" 60 series but you can still pull the top off like the 40 series. The wheelbase is just right, not too short, not too long. A 12HT will make that thing scoot like crazy. A 2 hour trip in my 40's could be a bit of a drive and usually felt like much longer (at least in my rigs) but the 74 it isn't an issue.

We usually get rainstorms every afternoon in the beginning summer here in Colorado, but they just didn't happen this year. It's nice to be able to be fully soft-topped for those storms that jump up as opposed to just the bikini top. Find or make some 1/2 doors for the rear as well.

Glad to hear. It makes me really stoked for this truck!

 

[FJ73Texas]

I seriously thought about buying your old truck! Still have your 77 though right?

I do still have it but knowing what I know now...I do wish I had kept the 73 and did an engine swap on it. Oh well....

 

[dogfishlake]

I have debated about how deep to go with the truck but being able to really get at those quarter panels forced my hand and off goes the body. This way I can give the chassis attention as well as access the wheelhouses to repair rust. I will do new outer wheelhouses and new quarter panels. The side doors are dented but rust free and Joe set me up with good fenders. I also bought half doors for the back from him that are dented but rust free so those are getting redone and used as well.

 

[Felde]

I’ll need therapy by the time its done!

Nope. By the time it is done, it IS the therapy.
For the time before it is done, we will be with you.
Well, 'done' is actually not existing. One will always have new ideas for the rig. Or it forces you to do something on it.
Once you are done with it, you sell it.
My 5ct: Fix it to run and get registered and then take it for some therapy sessions. You need to get out of it what you put into it!
(From a guy who once invested 4 years of effort into a 4x4, driving it only 500km in that time, was fed up with it then, sold it and regret it.)

 

[dogfishlake]

 

[dogfishlake]

Nope. By the time it is done, it IS the therapy.
For the time before it is done, we will be with you.
Well, 'done' is actually not existing. One will always have new ideas for the rig. Or it forces you to do something on it.
Once you are done with it, you sell it.
My 5ct: Fix it to run and get registered and then take it for some therapy sessions. You need to get out of it what you put into it!
(From a guy who once invested 4 years of effort into a 4x4, driving it only 500km in that time, was fed up with it then, sold it and regret it.)

Excellent point. Not one of my Cruisers is actually done and that does keep me from selling them lol. I definitely have attention issues so I try to keep 3 Cruisers minimum in process at all times.