itshowiplay
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2010
- Messages
- 11
Hello all and greetings from sunny Jersey (except most days when it's not sunny) 
How did I get here? Well it's a bit of a funny story.....
For years I have had a passion for off roading, more the driving than the tech side of it, and having spent considerable time in West Australia in the late 90's and also having lived in the USA for nearly 2 decades I have had plenty of chance to play off road and have done so at almost every oportunity.
Over the years I have had Jeeps, various pickup trucks the odd Land Rover, and even a 100 series in the late 90s.
I now own a small company (Pro Valet) down here in Jersey specializing in top end auto detailing but commercial space is premium rent here so I rent a four berth workshop at the back of the islands leading diesel specialist.
So today this Land Cruiser comes through the door, without going into too much detail it has an issue with the fuel pump, Stevo (the deisel mechanic) tells the customer (after diagnosis) the repair bill will be about £400 (a fair bit of labour in there)
The customer doesn't like the fact that it will cost £400 - even though the truck is driving ok just bad throttle response as it's not sucking up enough fuel.
"Oh well, guess i'll sell it" Says the customer.
"£50 cash here and now" I retorted in jest.
Before I could blink he had shook my hand and I had just accidentally bought a 1989 Land Cruiser
Now the mechanical stuff I can manage myself with guidance from Stevo and any specialist work done by Stevo (he owes me a few favours) but the body needs quite a bit of attention, once again I am capable of this myself with the help of our neighbouring garage which is a body shop and also owes me a few favours for the custom I have sent them over the year.
I will strip the truck pretty far back to clean up all the body rust spots and have it resprayed in its original color and restored to it's former glory.
So the good points are, the mechanicals are no issue, just time consuming. The chassis is rust free. it has 155'000 miles with every stamp in the book up to 138'000 then the book ran out of stamp sopts Smile The interior is (almost) mint.
Bad points, are body has enough small rust patches that I may as well go full rub down, patch her up and full respray. Sunroof is *beep*, the actual sunroof itself not the surrounding bodywork (looks like the top skin has come off from rusting)
Some previous owner decided to cut holes big enough to fit 6 x 9 speakers in the rear cards ruining an otherwise MINT interior.
Here's my LJ70
Parts I am already on the look out for are:
Replacement sunroof. (and seals)
Set of wheel arches
Front Bumper
Rear Cards Must be in same brown/beige trim and preferably minty.
Front windscreen
She will be restored to her former glory over the winter so hopefully I will be able to do a decent write up for it.
Any help advice you can offer will be greatly apreciated.
How did I get here? Well it's a bit of a funny story.....
For years I have had a passion for off roading, more the driving than the tech side of it, and having spent considerable time in West Australia in the late 90's and also having lived in the USA for nearly 2 decades I have had plenty of chance to play off road and have done so at almost every oportunity.
Over the years I have had Jeeps, various pickup trucks the odd Land Rover, and even a 100 series in the late 90s.
I now own a small company (Pro Valet) down here in Jersey specializing in top end auto detailing but commercial space is premium rent here so I rent a four berth workshop at the back of the islands leading diesel specialist.
So today this Land Cruiser comes through the door, without going into too much detail it has an issue with the fuel pump, Stevo (the deisel mechanic) tells the customer (after diagnosis) the repair bill will be about £400 (a fair bit of labour in there)
The customer doesn't like the fact that it will cost £400 - even though the truck is driving ok just bad throttle response as it's not sucking up enough fuel.
"Oh well, guess i'll sell it" Says the customer.
"£50 cash here and now" I retorted in jest.
Before I could blink he had shook my hand and I had just accidentally bought a 1989 Land Cruiser
Now the mechanical stuff I can manage myself with guidance from Stevo and any specialist work done by Stevo (he owes me a few favours) but the body needs quite a bit of attention, once again I am capable of this myself with the help of our neighbouring garage which is a body shop and also owes me a few favours for the custom I have sent them over the year.
I will strip the truck pretty far back to clean up all the body rust spots and have it resprayed in its original color and restored to it's former glory.
So the good points are, the mechanicals are no issue, just time consuming. The chassis is rust free. it has 155'000 miles with every stamp in the book up to 138'000 then the book ran out of stamp sopts Smile The interior is (almost) mint.
Bad points, are body has enough small rust patches that I may as well go full rub down, patch her up and full respray. Sunroof is *beep*, the actual sunroof itself not the surrounding bodywork (looks like the top skin has come off from rusting)
Some previous owner decided to cut holes big enough to fit 6 x 9 speakers in the rear cards ruining an otherwise MINT interior.
Here's my LJ70
Parts I am already on the look out for are:
Replacement sunroof. (and seals)
Set of wheel arches
Front Bumper
Rear Cards Must be in same brown/beige trim and preferably minty.
Front windscreen
She will be restored to her former glory over the winter so hopefully I will be able to do a decent write up for it.
Any help advice you can offer will be greatly apreciated.
, now that would be 
