Schrödinger's Truck -- hypothetically, a Middle East HZJ105

[John Young]

I am thrilled to share that Schrodinger's Truck passed inspection!

And more than that, new parts have started to come in!

The fridge box between the front seats was in poor shape and really could not be repaired easily, so I am glad to have a replacement. The rest of the stuff also was needed. Get this: New Old Stock door cards!

 

[John Young]

The Terrain Tamer parts came for Schrodinger's Truck

 

[D21FJ60]

If it is anything like Virginia...if you go to the right place...you get passed without much of a hassle...although I don't think those places exist in Arlington anymore.

 

[John Young]

We spent the last couple of days trying to sort out the registration in Dubai. I wanted to be able to have the car driven around for the next year before I ship to be my daily driver in Florida. But I also wanted the registration to reflect the traditional 17 digit VIN and not the frame number. Well, I did not succeed, despite quite a large amount of effort.

We went to the testing center about an hour from where I live for the testing and then back again to try to get them to change the identification number on the testing certificate to the 17 digit VIN. We thought it had succeeded but the data did not replicate through the emirate-wide servers a day later. I then went back to the testing center to talk to the supervisor. Initially he was a bit businesslike, but I persevered. He warmed up after he realized that this truck was. He said to me it was a 'very strong truck' and then he showed me some photos of a very cute 3 cylinder Suzuki SUV he is working on from the same era. After we talked a bit more he called a few people and then he had the head of testing come in. The consensus was that when it comes time for export we can have the 17 digit VIN on the export certificate, which is really the only important thing. I just want documents to show to US Customs that have a traditional 17 digit VIN on it, and the export certificate would be fine for this.

So with that confirmation I went ahead with the registration in Dubai.

And so now Schrodinger's Truck is duly registered and legal to drive in the UAE and GCC!

 

[Exiled]

Those door cards! Wow, I don't know where you found them, but that is AWESOME! Congratulations on the inspection and new plates!!!

 

[John Young]

A LOT of time has gone by since my last update. We are really into the teardown now.

It took a lot to get the OEM sound insulation off.

The plan is to send the body for sand blasting and then fully sound insulate the truck

 

[John Young]

Today was a red-letter day. The body has come off of Schrodinger's Truck!

And you see that little shorty 70 there in the background? That was an impulse buy from 2 days ago.

 

[RemyRunner]

I love these kinda stories. Just need my wife to read them so that I don’t seem as crazy as she thinks I am when I am doing my mods to my LC. Thanks John

 

[John Young]

My pleasure RR. You might try showing here the Little Prado thread.

I dropped by the garage for the last time before my siesta in the US and took some more detailed photos and video.

Here is a video of the underside of the body in some detail.

 

[John Young]

And here is a detailed video of the frame.

What do you all think? Original 600k engine?

 

[John Young]

Well now we are getting into the guts of Schrodinger. I've been very curious to learn the condition of the front and rear diffs. And the news is mixed.

Here are some photos of the rear diff:

So not terrible. Yes there is wear but it looks kind of normal to my eye. What do you all think?

Anyways, I decided to go ahead and splash out on a new ring gear and pinion as well as bearings and seals of course. Seemed sensible given that we already had it apart and this truck will be my daily driver in Florida. Again, I would be interested to know if you would have done so.

 

[John Young]

Now we come to the front diff. Its condition came as a surprise and not a nice one.

Here are the photos:

This looks to me as if it has never been maintained over the full 600k km. I can't tell much at this point but this is the worst diff I've ever seen.

 

[jLB]

Looks like grease instead of oil!

 

[jLB]

I spent ~35 years working for a large KSA company. I’ve recently retired, but still have a fantasy of buying/importing a GCC 105 series. Realistic, or is anything under Saudi control for ~25 years “broken” like me?

 

[plainjanefjc]

Looks like grease instead of oil!

Looks like a Kia or Hyundai engine at about 60k miles

 

[John Young]

I spent ~35 years working for a large KSA company. I’ve recently retired, but still have a fantasy of buying/importing a GCC 105 series. Realistic, or is anything under Saudi control for ~25 years “broken” like me?

Schrodinger's Truck is my third 105 adventure. Mrs. White was an ex Abu Dhabi cop car, Mr. Blue was an Abu Dhabi Farmers' Service Bureau truck, and then Schrodinger. I felt on all three --

"You pays your money, and you takes your choice." William Safire explained what I am trying to say better than I can:

The origin, as dozens of other Lexicographic Irregulars stepped forward to say, is British, probably Cockney. The first time the saying saw print was in an 1846 Punch. A cartoon entitled ''The Ministerial Crisis'' has a showman telling a customer, ''Which ever you please, my little dear. You pays your money, and you takes your choice.''​

​

The phrase still means ''The right of choice is to the buyer,'' or a more sophisticated ''Power belongs to those who have paid their dues,'' but a much different sense has emerged. ''The phrase is used today,'' writes Edward C. Stephens, dean of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, ''not so much as an invitation to choice as it is a rejoinder to complaint. It seems to be similar in intent to 'You made your bed, now lie in it.' Another variant is 'Look, if you don't like it, you can just lump it.' ''​

​

A third meaning is ''Beats the hell out of me.'' ​

The good news is that these are not terribly complex vehicles. On the rear end I figure I will spend maybe 3-400 USD in parts. Front axel probably the same although there is a part of me that is hoping the front gearset is actually in good shape. Neither Mrs. White nor Mr. Blue were all that terrible mechanically.

I am waiting for the other shoe to drop as regards the engine. Suman-Ji, the mechanic with 30 years of experience working on Toyota diesels in Oman, is going to open up the engine in the next few days, but even that is not a huge drama. If it turns on that Schrodinger's engine is toast I actually have a 1HZ that already has been gone through by the experts at PowerTec in Jebel Ali on the shelf. It's even painted!

 

[John Young]

Looks like grease instead of oil!

@cruisermatt has suggested it is the result of a wheel bearing seal, but jeeze it would have taken a lot of grease to get to that result...

 

[John Young]

Looks like a Kia or Hyundai engine at about 60k miles

The Kia's in particular seem to do pretty well in the extremes of the Middle East. I used to think the same thing but lately I am giving some grudging respect in the face of friends I respect having pretty darn good experiences with their Kia SUV's.

 

[John Young]

One of the members of a Middle East chat group has suggested that the front diff is evocative of HR Giger's Alien:

I can't say I disagree...

 

[John Young]

Well after a lot of running around we concluded that it would be best to see if we could find a fresh set of front and rear axels. One of my friends in Sharjah had a set, but off or a RHD truck, probably from AUS. They were more expensive than I had hoped but it is not like it raining 105 axels in Dubai.

Rear

Front

I'm told it is not a drama to swap the arms on the ends of the front axels for LHD:


Right now the axels are back at the shop. I am waiting anxiously to learn how the look on the inside.