Builds spinning the roulette wheel (twice) on a 1996 Middle East HDJ81 at auction (1 Viewer)

[John Young]

Ok; well today I took some action. I bought a sad little 80 on Emirates Auction to serve as a donor for the frame, lockers, and a factory winch. Difficult doing this at a distance. The good news is that we can get rid of some of the front suspension/differential parts that were modified during the long-ago conversion from RHD to LHD.

The poor old thing is a 1991 FJ80L-GNMESV

GRADE:	VX:	VX TYPE
DESTINATION:	GCC:	GULF CORPORATION COUNCIL
DRIVER'S POSITION:	LHD:	LEFT-HAND DRIVE
ENGINE:	3F:	4000CC
FUEL SYSTEM:	CBR:	CARBURETOR (GASOLINE)
TRANSMISSION:	MTM:	MANUAL TRANSMISSION
GEAR SHIFT TYPE:	5F:	MTM, 5-SPEED FLOOR SHIFT
BACK DOOR:	LUB:	LIFT UP BACK DOOR
COLOR CODE:	202
TRIM CODE:

It appears to have front and rear lockers, if I am interpreting this photo correctly:

A manual H150F transmission, and little fridge in the center console

Quite an .interior...

A swing-away spare

And the icing on the cake is a factory winch:

Hopefully the frame on this early 80 won't be too different from what is needed on the turbo diesel. I paid a bit more than I wanted, but the truck appears complete and I don't feel bad stripping this old girl--it has the 3F engine that nobody likes.

Usually it takes a couple of weeks for Emirates Auction to do the paperwork, so it will be a while before it gest over to the shop that I use. The guys swear that they can do the frame swap no problem. It will have to be inspected by the local authorized Toyota dealer before the Road and Transport Authority will accept it.

 

[Broski]

Ok; well today I took some action. I bought a sad little 80 on Emirates Auction to serve as a donor for the frame, lockers, and a factory winch. Difficult doing this at a distance. The good news is that we can get rid of some of the front suspension/differential parts that were modified during the long-ago conversion from RHD to LHD.

The poor old thing is a 1991 FJ80L-GNMESV

GRADE:	VX:	VX TYPE
DESTINATION:	GCC:	GULF CORPORATION COUNCIL
DRIVER'S POSITION:	LHD:	LEFT-HAND DRIVE
ENGINE:	3F:	4000CC
FUEL SYSTEM:	CBR:	CARBURETOR (GASOLINE)
TRANSMISSION:	MTM:	MANUAL TRANSMISSION
GEAR SHIFT TYPE:	5F:	MTM, 5-SPEED FLOOR SHIFT
BACK DOOR:	LUB:	LIFT UP BACK DOOR
COLOR CODE:	202
TRIM CODE:

It appears to have front and rear lockers, if I am interpreting this photo correctly:
View attachment 2571571
A manual H150F transmission, and little fridge in the center console
View attachment 2571572

Quite an .interior...
View attachment 2571576
A swing-away spare
View attachment 2571582
And the icing on the cake is a factory winch:
View attachment 2571580
Hopefully the frame on this early 80 won't be too different from what is needed on the turbo diesel. I paid a bit more than I wanted, but the truck appears complete and I don't feel bad stripping this old girl--it has the 3F engine that nobody likes.

Usually it takes a couple of weeks for Emirates Auction to do the paperwork, so it will be a while before it gest over to the shop that I use. The guys swear that they can do the frame swap no problem. It will have to be inspected by the local authorized Toyota dealer before the Road and Transport Authority will accept it.

Wow nice score, would love to have the Trans / transfer combo

 

[Heckraiser]

I like the fuzzy shifter muff

 

[lp2k]

I would love the ac lines to the cooler box from the firewall

 

[John Young]

...would love to have the Trans / transfer combo...
...I like the fuzzy shifter muff...
...I would love the ac lines to the cooler box from the firewall...

 

[Broski]

...would love to have the Trans / transfer combo...
...I like the fuzzy shifter muff...
...I would love the ac lines to the cooler box from the firewall...
View attachment 2572074
View attachment 2572094View attachment 2572075

I meant it as a metaphor, As that set up was never offered in the North America market.

 

[John Young]

I meant it as a metaphor, As that set up was never offered in the North America market.

Just joshing, Broski. There are things for our trucks that are available in Sharjah and Oman that are really nice, and I'm happy to help. I've relied on fellow Mud members so much. When I shipped Golden Boy, the 1991 diesel 75 pickup last November I had them put in 5 factory new steel 5-hole rims (16x8, not sure of the offset), and these went to a local friend I met through Mud. I've got a buddy in Abu Dhabi with two 80's who may need some bits. I need some bits for my own 80 here in the US, but at the end of all that I'd prefer to have the parts go to someone who can use them rather than scrapping. I will likely post here more about the parts pulling process.

What goes around comes around.

Speaking of which, I next need to figure out whether the donor model 80's front and rear differentials can be used directly without pulling the gearsets. I am a little lost in how to look up the gear ratios for a 1996 HDJ81 to compare with that in the 1991 FJ80.

Looking at the FJ80 on toyoDIY, I see for the back axel ring gear and pinion set:

41201	FINAL GEAR KIT, DIFFERENTIAL, REAR
41201-69255	*FGR=41:10=4.100	1	$1,403.93

Looking at the HDJ81 on toyoDIY, I see the following:

41110	CARRIER ASSY, DIFFERENTIAL, REAR
41110-60310	＊ＦＧＲ＝４１：１０＝４．１００	1	$2,542.87
41110-60330	＊ＦＧＲ＝４１：１０＝４．１００, ｱﾘ(LSD)	1	$3,270.01
41110-60350	＊ＦＧＲ＝４１：１０＝４．１００, ｱﾘ(*RDL)	1	$2,669.82

Which looks to be good news as it seems to be the same gear ratio. But I really don't know what I am looking at. I really depend on friends, virtual and otherwise, here to help me understand these things.

I'm guessing that LSD refers to Limited Slip Differential. But what does RDL stand for? Googling does not seem to help.

And also what is it that I don't know I don't know about putting the front and rear differentials from the 1991 on to the 1996 HDJ81....?

The VIN decoder on toyoDIY does not really say much about any of this:

VIN*	Model code	From	To	Frame		Characteristics
079220519..	HDJ81V-RNPGW	01/1995 -	12/1997	HDJ81		VXL	JPN	VAN	1HDFT	TD4	ATM	LUB

Vehicle characteristics

GRADE:	VXL:	VX LIMITED TYPE
DESTINATION:	JPN:	JAPAN
BODY:	VAN:	VAN
ENGINE:	1HDFT:	4200CC DIESEL TURBO
FUEL SYSTEM:	TD4:	TURBO DIESEL 4 VALVE
TRANSMISSION:	ATM:	AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
BACK DOOR:	LUB:	LIFT UP BACK DOOR
COLOR CODE:	2AB
TRIM CODE:

Thoughts and observations welcome, as always!

(can you spot my buddy's truck?)

 

[OGBeno]

I don’t understand the question. Your post is a bit rambling. What are you trying to ascertain as succinctly as possible.

RDL= with Rear Differential Lock

 

[John Young]

I don’t understand the question. Your post is a bit rambling. What are you trying to ascertain as succinctly as possible.

RDL= with Rear Differential Lock

I do tend to ramble....

Have I ever told you about the time I parked in Jacklyn Smith's parking space on the lot at 20th Century Fox and walked around the set of the MASH TV show before seeing the Lost In Space Robot B9 in person in a crate at the effects shop? Or maybe the time I got wrestled to the ground by Danny Bonaduce of Partridge Family fame? No? Oh, but those are other stories...

In short, can I transplant the entire frame plus front diff plus rear diff from the 91 to the 96 without issue? Is there anything I need to prepare my guys for? What don't I know about this process?

 

[OGBeno]

Yes, the differentials assemblies should fit into the donor axle housings. If you have differential locks on the differentials and the donor axle housings are not locked housings, there is some notching that needs to happen to make the differential assemblies fit. Nothing difficult.

If you have unlocked differentials, then swapping to the donor axle housings will be a direct fit.

Don't worry yourself with the differential gear ratios. That's not germane to the conversion/swapping process.

 

[John Young]

It has been quite an ordeal to get the donor vehicle released. Here was some typical messaging from my shipping agent in Dubai who is handling this:

Good morning Sir. ​

Today when to RAK with the recovery trucks as I was expecting we can pull out the vehicle easily today but unluckily it was not an easy procedure.​

RAK Police Traffic and Licensing Office requested for arabic translation for the cover letter issued by US Embassy to start with. Translation waiting time is 4 hrs and by that time we returned to RAK Police office they where closed as they work only until 2:30pm. Secondly the gate pass validity expired at 12pm today.​

Tomorrow I will go back to Emirates Auction for extension of gate pass. Day after tomorrow to RAK Police office again. Procedure really not easy as vehicle is with Police and documentation is a lot. In every department they have different requirements.​

The last part not known yet exactly but they had told me if vehicle need to be registered. Or just Transfer of Ownership only in your name as the new owner.​

But today the poor old thing finally was delivered to my mechanics in Dubai Investment Park 2:

I've got to figure out exactly what instructions to give the guys. The more precise the better, I think. I want to include blasting and painting of the donor frame, for example. But what should I ask them to check on the donor front and rear axels?

I'd appreciate any thoughts and input on the instructions from all of youse.

youse​

/yo͞oz/​

Dialect​

you (usually more than one person).​

Meanwhile, I am in Virginia and several of my friends are enjoying the very fine weather in Dubai:

That's my LX470 daily driver on the back left that a friend is borrowing.

 

[John Young]

Well... good news and -other- news.

I finally got my first jab of COVID-19 vaccine so I reasonably prudently can get on a plane to Dubai and have a look at all these projects in person. I will only be there for a week, but that will be enough time to really assess things and put stuff more in motion. Maybe even drive the damn things a little. Right now in Dubai I've got a troopy that is in pretty good shape but not really set up for camping yet, a 70 series pickup that needs a total restoration, Golden Boy and the Omani diesel 80 all that need attention in one way or another. Kinda excited to see them all after more than a year. I've never actually seen the pickup or the Omani truck in person... This pandemic...

On the other news, now that we have the donor truck my mechanics tell me that apparently the rules, as of 1 January, have changed regarding the frame replacement. They are trying to figure out what the new rules might be. Here was my reaction to them:

Hopefully we will know more by the time I get to Dubai.

 

[John Young]

I just took a quick trip to Dubai for work and had some time at the garage. The donor truck really is only good for salvage. Get a load of the rust around the sunroof interior:

But it has good stuff too, like decent door switches that I need for the Omani diesel 80 that work is starting on now.

Here's the Omani diesel:

My poor trucks have been sitting outside because of the pandemic. Something I am trying to do something about. Here's the troopy looking very sad and dusty:

 

[John Young]

So I'm back in Dubai and we are making some progress on sorting out the turbo diesel. The poor old donor truck is giving its all--literally.

I'm not -quite- that rotund actually. The shirt is just really puffy, which is what you do in the desert.

When I got there today the guys had started cleaning the frame and it looks pretty darned good.

 

[John Young]

And most importantly, the frame around the steering box (where the cracks are on the existing frame) looks perfect.

And the lockers look good!

I didn't happen to take a good shot of the rear locker

But it is there!

The next step is a pressure wash and prep for repainting. I'm also getting a new set of body mounts. My parts guy in Sharjah gave a quote of a little under 500 USD for an almost complete set of OEM parts. I'm going to look to see if one of the AUS companies has a complete set.

I'm really glad to be back here. I've started stripping the donor myself. It had good OEM motorized mirrors, for example. And one of my 80's had a bashed rear bumper tread, so the donor is donating that. I'm also enjoying seeing what the frame really looks like up close. This is my first time attempting a project like this.

 

[lp2k]

looking good!

 

[Vitek]

I really love this tread, please keep us updated!
Foor the body mount set you can take a look at febest. They offer everything and their prices are very decent. Also, afaik some of the oem body mounts are NLA.

 

[John Young]

Today's post is a bit of a gallimaufry

/ˌɡalɪˈmɔːfri/

noun

1. a confused jumble or medley of things.
   "a glorious gallimaufry of childhood perceptions"

I was hoping that they guys had done some more cleaning on the frame, but I wanted to go up and have a closer look at the Omani diesel (not the roulette truck that this thread is mostly about). I bought the Omani truck from photos sent by my friend in Oman and I'd never had a chance to take a close look. Unfortunately it was getting dark by the time I got up to the warehouse, and we don't have the electricity turned on yet, so the photos are a little dark.

Here's a view of the barn doors:

I really like the barn door style. This is the only one of my 80s that has this configuration. Really glad to get it. Something's wrong with the back latch so I had to crawl in over the back seat to open it up. Everything is in pretty good condition considering the long use and hefty mileage on the truck.

It still has the original radio, and it works!

And it has a lot of the original owner's documents:

I love old Cruiser owner's manuals! So much information!

And unbelievaly, it had an OEM can of touch up paint! And it was still liquid inside too.

 

[John Young]

The LED ring is missing around the ignition key, but fortunately I can liberate one from the donor truck.

The engine bay looks very good.

Bit of a mess over in the back right corner.

 

[John Young]

The hood has got some problems:

Here is the 70 project 1FE carbureted project.

That's a friend's 2CV under the blue tarp. A pain in my side cheap SL500 that is a gas to drive but the top is an absolute nightmare. And in the back is the Omani troopy I've previously written about that I want to set up as a camper for the desert.

Spare tire anyone?

Here's a view from sitting by the side of the troopy looking the opposite direction.

From left to right it is the new Omani diesel 80, a pair of carbureted 1FE 80s owned by a friend of mine; both manuals. And at the end is the JDM turbo diesel 'roulette' 80 that we are doing the frame swap on.

And finally, here is the two barrel carb off the pickup that they guys were working on today.

There are a bunch of decisions to make on the pickup truck. How far do I go. I think it would be pretty easy to get it going and inspected and registered, but cosmetically it could use some help, and maybe a new tailgate. The one that is on there now has lots of filler.