TuffMudder
Still working on my FJ55!
I bought a 1969 FJ55 several years ago and have been sloooooooowly restoring it. In the meantime I had been using our family sequoia (much to my wife's chagrin) for off reading. We have 300 acres of rick, trees and mountain that I like to spend my weekends on and it till it's toll on the old girl, so we traded her in last month (the sequoia, not my wife).
This left me without a way to get to my land and am iron pig that had aways to go before it's ready. I started looking for a cheap temporary 4 wheel drive to use until the fj55 is finished. This search led me to the previously unknown to me HDJ81. I swear, the more I read about it the more I became convinced this car was designed and built specifically for me. It eventually ended up replacing the 97 fzj80 (frame and suspension cut down for a 60 series body with a 6bt swap...what a pain right?) as my "holy grail" vehicle. I started looking and the mud fairy shined down upon me when I got in touch with a mud member selling his hdj from this build thread
DA Build, Story of the Blue HDJ81
Long story long, I bought it and after some shipping company turmoil, my new best friend arrived Monday! Man am I excited! She's the most beautiful vehicle I've ever owned and even my initially skeptical wife has fallen in love (I can't blame her skepticism as my fj55 has been a never ending process that she sees as a pile of parts that still isn't driveable).
The vehicle is completely rusty free and both interior and exterior are in excellent shape showing only the reasonable wear and tear expected in a 28 year old vehicle. Odometer reads 176k kilometers and she drives incredible well for having a 4" lift and 35" inches mudders, as in daily driver well. The prior owner told me there was an odometer discrepancy, so i'm looking in to having that corrected.
The previous owner had already done quite a bit to it. From his original message to me:
"upgrades and Recent Repairs,
Engine:
Valve Adjustment performed
Compression tested engine all cylinders at 440psi +-5psi
Valve cover gasket replaced
Intake manifold gaskets replaced
Timing belt and drive belts replaced
Big End Bearings, BEBs replaced with Taiho Bearings and new rod bolts
Injectors rebuilt with new nozzles
Injector pump sent to DFIS and was tuned and timed
Automatic Cold Start Device Eliminated ACSD
New factory fuel filter
Changed oil and factory oil filter
Air conditioning system converted to R134A, all A/C O rings replaced. Blows ice cold.
New A/C receiver drier
New OEM fuel filter
Drivetrain:
Pin 7 Mod and CDL switch to allow center diff to be locked or unlocked in high or low
Front Axle Resealed (trunnions) and front Timken wheel bearings installed
New Factory Koyo trunnion bearings installed
Upgraded front brakes with larger front reman factory calipers and factory rotors for a FZJ80
4 New Brake Hoses and Brake fluid flush
Modified load sensing proportioning valve
Longfield chromoly birfield axles installed.
New upgraded larger front axle flanges installed.
Rear Timken axle bearings replaced along with rear axle seals.
Front and rear differential oils replaced
Transfer case fluid replaced.
Radiator replaced
All radiator and heater hoses replaced with mostly Toyota factory hoses. ( Can’t get rear heater hoses without the pipes and the pipes are in good shape}
Transmission cooler hoses replaced
External transmission cooler installed
Coolant Flushed
Exhaust manifold Gaskets replaced.
New Melett turbo CHRA cartridge installed
Dawes Boost Controller currently running 11-12 psi
Glow Shift 3 in 1 Gauges installed, displays EGT, boost, and transmission temperature.
1995 LX450 Wheels refinished in graphite paint.
315/75/R16 Cooper STT Pro Tires 3000km on them including brand new matching spare
4 inch Ironman premium lift with foam cell pro shocks
Ironman caster plates
Ironman Adjustable front and rear panhard rods.
OME steering damper
New Toyota factory motor mounts
New Toyota factory transmission mount.
New front control arm bushings, Factory Toyota Parts
Whiteline 30mm spring spacers up front
Rear Whiteline lower control arm bushings.
New front Tatton dual cardan driveshaft
Factor 55 winch shackle.
Interior:
New sun visors
New ac center vents
New shift boot
All 4 window run rubber seals replaced
New hand throttle replaced
4 new Pioneer speakers
Brand new Toyota OEM front seat belts.
New rear hatch Struts"
Front LED lights
I'm not sure how long this honeymoon period will last, but I've been like a kid in a candy store since she arrived. I had forgotten the feeling that the sound of diesel engine gives me especially on startup, but quickly remembered it with that first startup. The 1hdt is a lot quieter than I expected and the diesel smell isn't bad at all.
I'll get pics and plans up later today!
This left me without a way to get to my land and am iron pig that had aways to go before it's ready. I started looking for a cheap temporary 4 wheel drive to use until the fj55 is finished. This search led me to the previously unknown to me HDJ81. I swear, the more I read about it the more I became convinced this car was designed and built specifically for me. It eventually ended up replacing the 97 fzj80 (frame and suspension cut down for a 60 series body with a 6bt swap...what a pain right?) as my "holy grail" vehicle. I started looking and the mud fairy shined down upon me when I got in touch with a mud member selling his hdj from this build thread
DA Build, Story of the Blue HDJ81
Long story long, I bought it and after some shipping company turmoil, my new best friend arrived Monday! Man am I excited! She's the most beautiful vehicle I've ever owned and even my initially skeptical wife has fallen in love (I can't blame her skepticism as my fj55 has been a never ending process that she sees as a pile of parts that still isn't driveable).
The vehicle is completely rusty free and both interior and exterior are in excellent shape showing only the reasonable wear and tear expected in a 28 year old vehicle. Odometer reads 176k kilometers and she drives incredible well for having a 4" lift and 35" inches mudders, as in daily driver well. The prior owner told me there was an odometer discrepancy, so i'm looking in to having that corrected.
The previous owner had already done quite a bit to it. From his original message to me:
"upgrades and Recent Repairs,
Engine:
Valve Adjustment performed
Compression tested engine all cylinders at 440psi +-5psi
Valve cover gasket replaced
Intake manifold gaskets replaced
Timing belt and drive belts replaced
Big End Bearings, BEBs replaced with Taiho Bearings and new rod bolts
Injectors rebuilt with new nozzles
Injector pump sent to DFIS and was tuned and timed
Automatic Cold Start Device Eliminated ACSD
New factory fuel filter
Changed oil and factory oil filter
Air conditioning system converted to R134A, all A/C O rings replaced. Blows ice cold.
New A/C receiver drier
New OEM fuel filter
Drivetrain:
Pin 7 Mod and CDL switch to allow center diff to be locked or unlocked in high or low
Front Axle Resealed (trunnions) and front Timken wheel bearings installed
New Factory Koyo trunnion bearings installed
Upgraded front brakes with larger front reman factory calipers and factory rotors for a FZJ80
4 New Brake Hoses and Brake fluid flush
Modified load sensing proportioning valve
Longfield chromoly birfield axles installed.
New upgraded larger front axle flanges installed.
Rear Timken axle bearings replaced along with rear axle seals.
Front and rear differential oils replaced
Transfer case fluid replaced.
Radiator replaced
All radiator and heater hoses replaced with mostly Toyota factory hoses. ( Can’t get rear heater hoses without the pipes and the pipes are in good shape}
Transmission cooler hoses replaced
External transmission cooler installed
Coolant Flushed
Exhaust manifold Gaskets replaced.
New Melett turbo CHRA cartridge installed
Dawes Boost Controller currently running 11-12 psi
Glow Shift 3 in 1 Gauges installed, displays EGT, boost, and transmission temperature.
1995 LX450 Wheels refinished in graphite paint.
315/75/R16 Cooper STT Pro Tires 3000km on them including brand new matching spare
4 inch Ironman premium lift with foam cell pro shocks
Ironman caster plates
Ironman Adjustable front and rear panhard rods.
OME steering damper
New Toyota factory motor mounts
New Toyota factory transmission mount.
New front control arm bushings, Factory Toyota Parts
Whiteline 30mm spring spacers up front
Rear Whiteline lower control arm bushings.
New front Tatton dual cardan driveshaft
Factor 55 winch shackle.
Interior:
New sun visors
New ac center vents
New shift boot
All 4 window run rubber seals replaced
New hand throttle replaced
4 new Pioneer speakers
Brand new Toyota OEM front seat belts.
New rear hatch Struts"
Front LED lights
I'm not sure how long this honeymoon period will last, but I've been like a kid in a candy store since she arrived. I had forgotten the feeling that the sound of diesel engine gives me especially on startup, but quickly remembered it with that first startup. The 1hdt is a lot quieter than I expected and the diesel smell isn't bad at all.
I'll get pics and plans up later today!
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