Just bought my first Toyota, LJ73

[Omoitsurugi]

Hey, I'm Andrew! And I'm happy to say I just bought my first Toyota altogether, a 1989 Land Cruiser LJ70 with folding windshield and removable top. Right now as far as I know, everything is Stock with the stock 2L-T engine with just under 430.000 KM on the engine. I plan to import the truck back to the United States after my tour is done in Spain, I want to make it more of a Daily with abilities to go camping and light off roading with the family. I'm a car guy and a Ford guy, but I love Japanese and Euro cars as well.

Eventually (once imported back to the US) I want to do an Engine swap, something with a little more power and reliability. I like the stock height and probably won't lift it, maybe an inch or two. I really just want to restore it, and do some custom interior work.

I'm also a strictly petrol guy, I've never worked on diesel, so this will be a full learning experience for me.

I'll post pictures when I have access to my personal computer.

Thanks!

Edit: It's actually an LJ73, thanks Rodger for the VIN link.

 

[Rodger]

Hi Andrew and welcome.
We are a friendly and helpful bunch on here but we do love photos!
'Tour in Spain' sounds like you are in the services? Where are you based? We are in Almeria Province and last year several members came down here for some relatively mild off roading in the Tabernas desert and we are already planning a similar trip for this year. You would, of course, be welcome to join us, if you wish to and are still in Spain next October.
Diesels are worth getting to know, straight forward , reliable and economical and the torque is low down!

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Omoitsurugi]

Hi Andrew and welcome.
We are a friendly and helpful bunch on here but we do love photos!
'Tour in Spain' sounds like you are in the services? Where are you based? We are in Almeria Province and last year several members came down here for some relatively mild off roading in the Tabernas desert and we are already planning a similar trip for this year. You would, of course, be welcome to join us, if you wish to and are still in Spain next October.
Diesels are worth getting to know, straight forward , reliable and economical and the torque is low down!

Regards,

Rodger

Thanks Rodger, I'm actually living in the Cadiz Province, about 45 minutes away from Cadiz Proper. I appreciate your invitation, I'll have to see what the status of my LJ is in prior to October, and should still be in the area. I'm hoping to get some mechanical work and body work done to make sure it'll last the rest of the time I'm here. Over the next month or so I'll let you know how everything is, and I'm sure to put a build thread on here eventually!

 

[Shayne]

May i suggest a small block 350 Chevy with slightly larger wheels same as this one

 

[Rob Cowell]

I know what you mean, but I chuckled at the idea of putting in a more reliable engine. To replace one that has shown it is capable of 400K+ km.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

May i suggest a small block 350 Chevy with slightly larger wheels same as this one

View attachment 113328

beautiful, I don't think I could pull off that one.

I know what you mean, but I chuckled at the idea of putting in a more reliable engine. To replace one that has shown it is capable of 400K+ km.

I understand this one has definitely shown that it is reliable, but there are no maintenance records so I don't know if the engine was ever be rebuilt. The engine should more than last me longer than my tour here, *knocks on wood* since to me it's not showing anything mechanically wrong with it. I'll soon find out once I have the money to take it to a mechanic. I do however need to replace the clutch.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

https://imgur.com/gallery/eANxP

Pictures the wife and I took a few days ago.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

Does the model number below, means it's an LJ73?

 

[Rodger]

Hi Andrew,

Your 70 series looks good. The wheel rims look like 60 series - they are the same as I have on my 40 series.
To see what we got up to last year have a look at: https://landcruiserclub.net/communi...trip-2016-the-good-bad-ugly-tour-2016.146588/
although the guys from up north will probably be travelling down by a different route this year, possibly via Portugal, and then across the southern part of Spain to Tabernas.
A good source for parts in Spain is Euro 4x4. Although they are a French company they have a Spanish office - all the details are on their website. www.euro4x4parts.com and also http://www.megastore4x4.pt But be aware that good mechanics in Spain are hard to find - a Spanish tool box contains only three tools and they are all hammers of various sizes!

Regards,
Rodger

 

[Rodger]

It certainly looks like a 73 but sounds like it has the 3B engine in it rather than the VM engine - they came with either engine but to have achieved that mileage you'd be on your 3rd or 4th VM engine!
If you put your complete vin number into www:toyodiy.com it will tell you the spec.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[clivehorridge]

This looks like a very nice example, welcome to the forum Andrew!

What do you plan, a complete re-build renovation or just a tidy up to keep it clean?

 

[Omoitsurugi]

It certainly looks like a 73 but sounds like it has the 3B engine in it rather than the VM engine - they came with either engine but to have achieved that mileage you'd be on your 3rd or 4th VM engine!
If you put your complete vin number into www:toyodiy.com it will tell you the spec.

Regards,
Rodger

Rodger,

Thanks for the link! My suspicions look correct, the Toyo-DIY says it's an LJ73 body and the engine looks original, the 2L-T. I'll post pictures of the engine later, since it clearly says the engine model number on it.

Market Europe
Year 07/1989
Make TOYOTA
Model LAND CRUISER
Frame LJ73
Vehicle characteristics
GRADE: LX: LX TYPE
DESTINATION: EUR: EUROPE
BODY: HT: HARDTOP
DRIVER'S POSITION: LHD: LEFT-HAND DRIVE
ENGINE: 2LT: 2400CC DIESEL TURBO
FUEL SYSTEM: TD: TURBO DIESEL
BUILDING CONDITION: CBU: COMPLETELY BUILT UNIT

 

[Omoitsurugi]

This looks like a very nice example, welcome to the forum Andrew!

What do you plan, a complete re-build renovation or just a tidy up to keep it clean?

Right now I want to do a Restoration of the vehicle and ensure it is reliable, then I may start lightly modifying it with a snorkel and KN filter and a few other things. I'm thinking of an engine swap once I get to the US with it, but not until after.

 

[Ben]

Welcome to the club Andrew.


Nice choice of vehicle!

The coil LJ/KZJ70 mid wheel bases are awesome! Good wheel base length and coils all round!

LJ is the engine (LT) 2.4 turbo diesel and thats either a 73 or 74 which is mid wheel base (70 & 71 are short wheel base, 73 & 74 mid wheel base and 78 & 79 is the 5 door long wheel base).

So yours is either an LJ73 or an LJ74.

Try and source a soft top for it in Europe if thats something you want/or will want in the future as it will be much harder to get one back in the US. You will need the canvas top as well as all the bows (poles) and associated bits that go with it.

These cars suffer with the windshield frames rotting out from the inside and yours is sadly already showing signs, so at some point budget to replace it. They arnt massively expensive and I know a few of the guys in the US have replaced theirs with new genuine ones.

As for that engine, it will be under powered and gutless!

I'm in the middle of putting a 1UZ Lexus V8 in my soft top 70!

 

[Omoitsurugi]

Welcome to the club Andrew.


Nice choice of vehicle!

The coil LJ/KZJ70 mid wheel bases are awesome! Good wheel base length and coils all round!

LJ is the engine (LT) 2.4 turbo diesel and thats either a 73 or 74 which is mid wheel base (70 & 71 are short wheel base, 73 & 74 mid wheel base and 78 & 79 is the 5 door long wheel base).

So yours is either an LJ73 or an LJ74.

Try and source a soft top for it in Europe if thats something you want/or will want in the future as it will be much harder to get one back in the US. You will need the canvas top as well as all the bows (poles) and associated bits that go with it.

These cars suffer with the windshield frames rotting out from the inside and yours is sadly already showing signs, so at some point budget to replace it. They arnt massively expensive and I know a few of the guys in the US have replaced theirs with new genuine ones.

As for that engine, it will be under powered and gutless!

I'm in the middle of putting a 1UZ Lexus V8 in my soft top 70!

Thanks ben for the information! I'll try to source a soft top prior to leaving Europe, I have a little more than a year left in Spain. Do they regularly post soft tops on classifieds?

As for the engine, I'm thinking on trying to source an HZ from japan once I get back to the states or find the V6 from a modern Tacoma and do that.

The rot under the windshield I plan to take care of as soon as I can, same with the rot under the door panel and behind the rear wheels, body work is cheap, and I may just try to "rattle-can" the body until I get back to the states to get a really good paint job with a clear coat.

Looking at the VIN on the website Rodger provided I believe it's a J73 body, which would explain all the extra room behind the drivers seat, and in the "trunk" area. I think I'm gonna keep this truck for years.

 

[doyle61]

That's a real tidy looking 73 you have there. With it being Spanish hopefully you'll get away lightly with any rust issues.
Don't know if I read this right on another thread on ih8mud but is there an issue with doing an engine swap on a car imported to the usa once it's imported. It said you can import a car with an engine swap done already but can't do it once imported. Could have totally took this up the wrong way but you should look into it just encase

 

[Ben]

Thanks ben for the information! I'll try to source a soft top prior to leaving Europe, I have a little more than a year left in Spain. Do they regularly post soft tops on classifieds?

Maybe not regularly but I know Germany, Spain and Portugal got quite a few LJ & KZJ 73's & 74's so there must be some second hand soft tops around if you keep an eye out.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

That's a real tidy looking 73 you have there. With it being Spanish hopefully you'll get away lightly with any rust issues.
Don't know if I read this right on another thread on ih8mud but is there an issue with doing an engine swap on a car imported to the usa once it's imported. It said you can import a car with an engine swap done already but can't do it once imported. Could have totally took this up the wrong way but you should look into it just encase

I think the issue for doing an engine swap is it loses the EPA (environmental protection agency) 25 year exemption, at least upon original importation. However once you import the vehicle to the united states and a US spec engine were to be installed, with all the emission regulation equipment carried with it, it should be fine you'd just have to have it meet the regulations of the state.

ie... I import the vehicle with original 2.4L 2L-T, register the vehicle and it won't have to meet federal emissions standards, except for California and Hawaii (which have stricter EPA requirements). However I decide to do an engine swap to a US Spec Tacoma/FJ Cruiser V6, as the engine meets Emission requirements it should be legal. however I haven't done this yet so I don't know the whole laws yet, but be sure to follow me and I'll have a US import law thread somewhere, eventually. Granted there are some import taxes I'm exempt from, being a "federal" employee stationed overseas.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

It certainly looks like a 73 but sounds like it has the 3B engine in it rather than the VM engine - they came with either engine but to have achieved that mileage you'd be on your 3rd or 4th VM engine!
If you put your complete vin number into www:toyodiy.com it will tell you the spec.

Regards,
Rodger

Rodger,

when you say it sounds like the 3B versus the VM, I assume the VM is the 2L-T engine. 3B is a different engine altogether, yes? Sorry, new to the Toyota world, and diesels, completely.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Rodger]

Andrew,
I have read the spec and didn't realise that your truck was an '89 when I wrote that (I thought it was earlier), so the engine would be in Ben's area of expertise. The early 73s in Spain had either a B series engine (4 pot diesel Toyota engine) or the VM (5 cylinder 2.5 turbo with 5 individual ali heads - Italian built). The VM tended to overheat and warp the heads but it was fitted to overcome European quotas on imports at that time. Sorry if I confused the situation.

Regards
Rodger