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- #21
Nice to see a BJ60 getting some love - that one looks to be pretty good. I'm deep into a BJ60 full restoration (changing the 3B for a 15B-T but otherwise keeping it pretty much stock) and it's interesting so see the engine shot from yours (though mine is single battery, right-hand drive). I bought mine from the first owner who bought it in early 1990.
If I were you, I would do the welding myself - start on the non-cosmetic stuff that you have revealed, then build up to the more skilled repairs you'll inevitable find. The roof gutters and rear wheel arches will almost certainly be rusty, a good chance that the bottom of the doors are too.
People flock to the HJ61s but in some ways I think the BJs were the ones to have - the 12H-T and 3F-E engines (HJ61 and FJ62) were both the last generation of those engine families. With the 3B, Toyota/Daihatsu were only getting started with the B engine. They are still being made as far more powerful direct injection, turbocharged engines which can drop pretty much straight in (no changes to engine mounts or transmission/driveline) in place of the 3B in case you want the extra power. Or just enjoy the slow, reliable 3B.
Yeah, the iH8mud forum has convinced me to do the work myself. I have found a buddy who lives here who is going to help me run 220V to the garage and install a subpanel. So all welding work will have to wait until after Xmas! But I will be doing it myself.
Yeah mine was owned by a gentleman who worked at a heavy duty diesel mechanic shop and he did all the work on this (greased all the nipples and areas religiously, replaced the fluids religiously, replaced the front knuckles and greased them, added the plumbing between transfercase and transmission "mod", re-greased/packed the bearings, replaced various items on the engine (he mentioned he has had the 3B out of the truck before, etc etc.)
I was very lucky to have found the truck through a friend of mine who knew the guy. He didn't even post an ad online, he was looking for the "right" buyer to pass this truck along to. I was luckily him...Apparently he had been looking to sell it for 3 years.
Yeah mine has 2 batteries (which are from 2015 and getting sad now).
There is no rust on any of the door sills, no rust on the roof gutters, no rust on the door panels, and anywhere else honestly. The rear 1/4 panels were replaced years (2000's era) ago by some company from Texas. So they are thicker gauge metal on the rear 1/4 panels. But they did a half decent job that seems to have held the test of time. I did a lot of research before checking out the truck and made sure that I was diligent in checking all the classic rust spots before laying down an offer. Im sure i will find more rust with the more projects i dig into however. No way its lasted nearly 40 years without some hidden rust.
Only rust I have found, is the rear wheel wells (inside and on the lip - as seen in pictures), and the rear C channels have that "rippling" going on, but its not horrible. She was kept in a garage most of her life.