WTH! I did not know about that site. Thanks.
Build spinning the roulette wheel (twice) on a 1996 Middle East HDJ81 at auction
- Thread starter John Young
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- #102
HI TC. I'd been looking at various options and several of the seat threads. It is a bit of a logistics problem. In the US I would just go on ebay and pick a couple of seats and a set of sliders and it would all show up--or I could go on Craigslist and find, for example, Dodge commercial van seats--which actually are on sale in the DC area and look like they would work well.
But here in Dubai, there does not seem to be any means for searching for used auto parts, so it is a matter of driving around to various scrap yards and seeing what you see. It is not practical for me to bring back car seats on the plane. So hence I will just live with the repaired seats for the time being but probably try to do something to lift and shift the drivers seat back a bit. Unfortunately LandTank's pre-made shifting brackets specific to the 80 work only for the power seats.
I'm going to start looking for something like:
with the right dimensions to shift the stock mount points up and back about 3 cm. And then call it a day until I bring the truck to the US.
But here in Dubai, there does not seem to be any means for searching for used auto parts, so it is a matter of driving around to various scrap yards and seeing what you see. It is not practical for me to bring back car seats on the plane. So hence I will just live with the repaired seats for the time being but probably try to do something to lift and shift the drivers seat back a bit. Unfortunately LandTank's pre-made shifting brackets specific to the 80 work only for the power seats.
I'm going to start looking for something like:
with the right dimensions to shift the stock mount points up and back about 3 cm. And then call it a day until I bring the truck to the US.
Boy do I feel stupid I just put up with deteriorating foam in my 80 when I lived in Abu Dhabi... it looks noticeably better! Well done.
- Thread starter
- #104
LOL--Don't Honger. It was a kind of a messy, all-weekend, painstaking job. First pulling it all apart and then cleaning. The old grease took a lot of hot water, soap and time. I will say the seat is much more comfortable now.
I'm going to start looking for something like:
with the right dimensions to shift the stock mount points up and back about 3 cm.
Be aware the brackets on all four corners are different heights.
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- #106
I know (from having it sitting on my kitchen counter)... but if each is shifted up and back by about 3 cm with a square (as in rise over run) z bracket, it should work, I think... Just have to find the right Z brackets, which is easier said than done. Maybe I will ask Santa for a TIG welder and an angle grinder and do it myself! Fortunately I have my son's model 80 in Virginia to work with.
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- #107
Small update: I'm having the guys do a lot of the basic prep for paint; got one new plastic skirt for the front left fender, given them the shells for the salvage mirrors I found, that sort of thing. I've also decided to delete the antenna hole on the drivers side. I don't much use the radio and I think it looks funny on the driver's side. And they've refurbed the stock rims:
I'd quite like to get the truck on some decent rubber--right now it is on some cheap Chinese rims and small tires left over from when I acquired the 91 model 77. And I'm quite partial to Yokohamas--its what I have on a couple of other vehicles. Sadly there is no stock whatsoever of 285/75/r16 in Dubai and my guy at the Yoko distributor tells me it is because they are transitioning to a new model tire; from the G012 to GO15 Geolander and there is no set timetable for their being introduced. I really don't like the look of the BF Goodrich T/A but a guy I know in Sharjah has a set of 5 in good shape. Just mulling over the delayed gratification of waiting for the tires I really want.
Alternatively, pitstoparabia has 305/70/r16 Cooper Discoverer STT PRO for 260 USD per tire and I've read good things about it and I'd been contemplating going to a wider tire given how much sand plays into things here. As I said, just mulling things over.
Meanwhile back in the US my son and I managed to pull the dash and all related bits off of the 93 model 80 trying to resolve the leaking heater core. We ran out of time before I had to come back to Dubai. I also was leery of getting into the aircon which appears absolutely necessary to get to the heater core. Planning another trip to Virginia in March and I hope to locate a new heater core and gather the courage to pull the aircon to completely sort things out. My son mentioned the idea of moving to an electric heating element instead of the heater core which is kind of an interesting idea because I could perhaps cut the core out with everything in place, insert the electric heating element and then patch everything up without disturbing the AC--which currently works fine but I'm not sure if the valves and such have been updated to a modern refrigerant. Gonna have to see if anyone else has tried this. I found this on ebay:
Maybe ove of these with a thermal shutoff safety would be enough to dispel the chill. 300 watts is 25 amps and I'd think that the electrical system could deal with that. Or maybe I should just go ahead and re-do the heated water system....decisions, decisions.
I'd quite like to get the truck on some decent rubber--right now it is on some cheap Chinese rims and small tires left over from when I acquired the 91 model 77. And I'm quite partial to Yokohamas--its what I have on a couple of other vehicles. Sadly there is no stock whatsoever of 285/75/r16 in Dubai and my guy at the Yoko distributor tells me it is because they are transitioning to a new model tire; from the G012 to GO15 Geolander and there is no set timetable for their being introduced. I really don't like the look of the BF Goodrich T/A but a guy I know in Sharjah has a set of 5 in good shape. Just mulling over the delayed gratification of waiting for the tires I really want.
Alternatively, pitstoparabia has 305/70/r16 Cooper Discoverer STT PRO for 260 USD per tire and I've read good things about it and I'd been contemplating going to a wider tire given how much sand plays into things here. As I said, just mulling things over.
Meanwhile back in the US my son and I managed to pull the dash and all related bits off of the 93 model 80 trying to resolve the leaking heater core. We ran out of time before I had to come back to Dubai. I also was leery of getting into the aircon which appears absolutely necessary to get to the heater core. Planning another trip to Virginia in March and I hope to locate a new heater core and gather the courage to pull the aircon to completely sort things out. My son mentioned the idea of moving to an electric heating element instead of the heater core which is kind of an interesting idea because I could perhaps cut the core out with everything in place, insert the electric heating element and then patch everything up without disturbing the AC--which currently works fine but I'm not sure if the valves and such have been updated to a modern refrigerant. Gonna have to see if anyone else has tried this. I found this on ebay:
Maybe ove of these with a thermal shutoff safety would be enough to dispel the chill. 300 watts is 25 amps and I'd think that the electrical system could deal with that. Or maybe I should just go ahead and re-do the heated water system....decisions, decisions.
Redo the heat properly, don’t botch it just because you’re worried about the AC.
Have the AC drained/flushed, and while you’re in there put in a new pressure switch, new expansion valve, and new drier bottle. Refill it with R134a compatible oil and gas and be done with it. AC work isn’t as bad as you think. Research it here on MUD.
If you have someone else discharge and recharge the system then the remaining work is super simple and only requires wrenches.
- Thread starter
- #110
Thanks for the advice, Honger. I will try to go up to Sharjah this Saturday and see if I can find a decent front heater core--I'd buy one of the aftermarket ones but I can't seem to see how to attach the pipes. I read something about o-rings. Going to do some more searching...
- Thread starter
- #111
Little bit of an update on this interesting truck. I'm in the US dealing with my set of trucks remotely. I can't get the Omani diesel 80 registered until I re-register this HDJ81 conversion. And as sometimes happens with inspections, new things crop up. Had some whatsapp conversation with the garage in Dubai:
I can register this car in the US once it is 25 years old. That will be true in March 2021. I've also said I want to get the truck in very good mechanical and cosmetic shape. Respray, clean and repair the interior; make sure it is a good-driving truck. Maybe i will drive it a bit in Dubai, or maybe I will get it shipped over here early in 2021. That will depend on when I can get the covid immunization so I can travel back to the UAE.
I spent most of this year working on the 1993 white model 80 learning first-hand what a pain model 80's are behind the dash when I went through the heater core replacement and all that entails. I'm now very suspicious of the conversion from RHD to LHD and what we will find behind the dash. I've asked them to let me know what they find as they are digging more into things, but in any event I am ok to spend what is needed to be spent. Even if I sell it ultimately, I want it to be as good as it can be made. CruiserDan....maybe the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum has a spot for an example of a RHD to LHD conversion on loan to the museum for a couple of years? My son and I could drive it out from Virginia when we pick up 'Biscuit' the Model 77 next year.
Hi john
Station wage went for reinspection
We removed cover and cleaned chassis and send
He is saying there is a crack on chassis and it’s a left to right converted vehicle
They need to double confirm that and have to remove under cover to get more visibility
After this done they can pass it register here but can’t able to sell in UAE.
Can I try for sand blasting and cleaning the chassis ? And floor carpet on front need to put outside and some cover underneath
I can register this car in the US once it is 25 years old. That will be true in March 2021. I've also said I want to get the truck in very good mechanical and cosmetic shape. Respray, clean and repair the interior; make sure it is a good-driving truck. Maybe i will drive it a bit in Dubai, or maybe I will get it shipped over here early in 2021. That will depend on when I can get the covid immunization so I can travel back to the UAE.
I spent most of this year working on the 1993 white model 80 learning first-hand what a pain model 80's are behind the dash when I went through the heater core replacement and all that entails. I'm now very suspicious of the conversion from RHD to LHD and what we will find behind the dash. I've asked them to let me know what they find as they are digging more into things, but in any event I am ok to spend what is needed to be spent. Even if I sell it ultimately, I want it to be as good as it can be made. CruiserDan....maybe the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum has a spot for an example of a RHD to LHD conversion on loan to the museum for a couple of years? My son and I could drive it out from Virginia when we pick up 'Biscuit' the Model 77 next year.
Can you give us a flavor of how a "garage" works in that world? Are they usually honest folks and do they have a good work ethic? I assume the labor rates are more affordable than the U.S.?
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- #113
There is a larger context here that is important. Dubia is viewed as a good place to live and work, especially if you are from South Asia. So the people that come to the UAE tend to be a bit more 'go-getter' than you might find back home. And they value their jobs highly. Law enforcement also is very strict. It is rare that someone cheats or steals in my experience. These factors play out in a lot of different ways. I've seen customers come in and yell at mechanics and even owners, and they rarely get an angry response. A passive response is one of the few open to folks in the trades.
I've found that cultivating the relationship helps a lot. I don't argue about $$. I don't insist on strict accounting. I 'top up' my account with them from time to time and do a spot check, but I don't ask for detail billings and I don't ask for receipts from, for example, when they sent out the diesel pump for rebuilding twice. Being nice goes a long way because many of their customers are not. When Golden Boy finally went to the shippers to be sent to me here in US I asked the boss to take the guys out to dinner on me. (I'm embarrassed sometimes when I see how my fellow Westerners behave, whether it be in the Middle East or Thailand, or wherever. Some of us are not on good behavior even though we are guests in the country.)
It helps that these are interesting vehicles. The guys have told me that they often get people asking about one or the other of the Land Cruisers in the shop. Emiratis wanting to buy. These vehicles can trigger recollections of family trips back in the 80s and 90s when their country was very, very different. And as regards the guys in the shop, I've been told that sometimes they wait until the end of the day to work on the Cruisers because they find them more interesting than the run-of-the-mill sedan that is the mainstay of their business. I'm not in a rush. The Omani diesel 80 I bought recently is a 97 and can't be shipped until 2022. And finding parts is a challenge sometimes, so you have to be very patient.
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- Thread starter
- #114
My friend from Abu Dhabi (and a fellow 80 owner) visited the shop and took these photos of the 81 today.
I had them delete the antenna entirely. It was annoyingly on the drivers side of the truck, and I rarely if ever listen to the radio.
They did a good job on the repair of the fender, I think. I found the replacement skirt in a bone yard before I left for the US.
The OEM winch is not in yet, I see.
This is my friend's 80 (that's a nice dark green; and I really love the barn doors!):
I think the turbo diesel is turning our very nicely and is already looking pretty sharp.
I had them delete the antenna entirely. It was annoyingly on the drivers side of the truck, and I rarely if ever listen to the radio.
They did a good job on the repair of the fender, I think. I found the replacement skirt in a bone yard before I left for the US.
The OEM winch is not in yet, I see.
This is my friend's 80 (that's a nice dark green; and I really love the barn doors!):
I think the turbo diesel is turning our very nicely and is already looking pretty sharp.
I was in Dubai recently and only needed a PCR test 96 hours before the plane left. I assume they haven't started requiring immunization to get into the country?
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- #117
No, but I'm 'of a certain age' as you can see:
..and not anxious to get in a giant metal tube with 400 other people for 16 hours unless I am immunized.
That's our 1993 Middle East import, BTW. I've lost a little weight in the pandemic and fit in it better, and fixed the drivers-side seatbelt so I can actually pull it out, and I've been enjoying driving it almost daily.
The truck is dope!
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- #120
Small update: Still pondering what to do. Maybe just wait until I get back to Dubai and try to talk to Roads and Transport Authority in person to see if they would allow a repair rather than frame replacement.
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