Since the truck has been seen at the latest CLT get together, I figured that I would start a thread here ... especially since @GLTHFJ60 was insistent
The back story is that when I got out of grad school, before I embarked on life in the so-called real world, I spend a few weeks in Europe where I first saw a 70 series LC. Kinda fell in love with these trucks then and, like a lot of us, was amazed that Mr. T refused to bring these trucks to the US.
Fast forward tw(mumble mumble)-odd years and this truck comes up in a scan in the Atlanta area. By the time I called, it was sold ... then that deal fell through, so I quasi-committed to go see it in late Septamber. After a few hours of looking and a quick phone call with @1978HJ45 to make me feel a little more comfortable with the breathtaking power of the 3B , the deal was cemented and I started the trek back from Atlanta up I-85 in a truck that requires a calendar to measure 0-60 times and can make 70 MPH if driven off a cliff ... with Saturday afternoon traffic on Atlanta's 285 and Clemson having a home game, there was a lot of suction holding me to the seat.
It's here now and everytime I drive it, I get a big smile on my face ...
Details, details
From the vin, the truck is a 09/1986 build date, BJ73LV-MRW standard. It was originally sold in Spain and appears to have been serviced for quite a bit of its life at Toyota of Valencia Spain. It has a 90HP 3B diesel, 24V electrical, H55 transmission, and removable FRP top. Because it was a Spanish truck, it has a "roll bar" on which the back seat shoulder belts are mounted. It has approximately 248,000 kms on the odometer when I bought it.
The standard trim has rubber flooring, vinyl seats (which have been recovered) and a minimal instrument array - Speedo, Fuel, Temp. It does have the cool and practically useless Altimeter / Inclinometer combo ...
The truck has some sort of add-a leaves on it. Anti-Inversion shackles that are mounted upside down and backwards, a front bumber that started life as a ARB, a 24V 12K winch, a European rear bumper, and an ARB roof rack.
Near Term Plans
and enjoy
I do need to take care of a few warts and add a few items (in no real order)
Pics
I will get some more, but for now, we'll just use the poseur ones I shot for insurance purposes.
The back story is that when I got out of grad school, before I embarked on life in the so-called real world, I spend a few weeks in Europe where I first saw a 70 series LC. Kinda fell in love with these trucks then and, like a lot of us, was amazed that Mr. T refused to bring these trucks to the US.
Fast forward tw(mumble mumble)-odd years and this truck comes up in a scan in the Atlanta area. By the time I called, it was sold ... then that deal fell through, so I quasi-committed to go see it in late Septamber. After a few hours of looking and a quick phone call with @1978HJ45 to make me feel a little more comfortable with the breathtaking power of the 3B , the deal was cemented and I started the trek back from Atlanta up I-85 in a truck that requires a calendar to measure 0-60 times and can make 70 MPH if driven off a cliff ... with Saturday afternoon traffic on Atlanta's 285 and Clemson having a home game, there was a lot of suction holding me to the seat.
It's here now and everytime I drive it, I get a big smile on my face ...
Details, details
From the vin, the truck is a 09/1986 build date, BJ73LV-MRW standard. It was originally sold in Spain and appears to have been serviced for quite a bit of its life at Toyota of Valencia Spain. It has a 90HP 3B diesel, 24V electrical, H55 transmission, and removable FRP top. Because it was a Spanish truck, it has a "roll bar" on which the back seat shoulder belts are mounted. It has approximately 248,000 kms on the odometer when I bought it.
The standard trim has rubber flooring, vinyl seats (which have been recovered) and a minimal instrument array - Speedo, Fuel, Temp. It does have the cool and practically useless Altimeter / Inclinometer combo ...
The truck has some sort of add-a leaves on it. Anti-Inversion shackles that are mounted upside down and backwards, a front bumber that started life as a ARB, a 24V 12K winch, a European rear bumper, and an ARB roof rack.
Near Term Plans
and enjoy
I do need to take care of a few warts and add a few items (in no real order)
- Eliminate the wheel spacers (especially since there are spacers between the hub and spacers on the front) Complete
- Get new lug nuts since there were 4 different styles on the truck with three different hex wrenches required Complete
- Get rid of the cobbled together air intake – would like to go OEM, but do not know if that is possible since parts are NLA. May have to go with aluminum tube and silicone hoses a la street tuner crowd
- Verify engine health through compression test and “diesel tune up” as soon as I can find a competent small diesel shop … or get the stuff to do it myself
- Verify accessory wiring is up to my standards
- Get AC working and the compressor aligned (compressor pulley is crooked compared with crank)
- Add a real oil pressure gauge and temp gauge and probably a tachometer, possibly a pyro.
- Rebuild the front knuckles
- Replace AVM lockouts with OEM or Warn – prefer OEM, but I figure that might be cost prohibitive
- Then the ususal ... suspension refresh, better tires, etc.
Pics
I will get some more, but for now, we'll just use the poseur ones I shot for insurance purposes.
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