BJ 60 Land Cruiser (diesel)

Description for Toyota Land Cruiser 1981

When I got this truck I had big plans for it: turbo, lift kit, 35" tires, repaint. But being mechanically inept my dreams proved to be too expensive in the most expensive city to live in the world. So it's gotta go. I hope it goes to someone who will baby it, make it as beautiful as it could be. These truck are getting really rare, especially with the diesel and 5 speed manual. Nothing would make me happier then seeing it go to a good home. I'm going to write the most transparent review I can of its strong points and especially any weekness I can. If I don't mention something it's because it works well.
This 60 series has pretty much the best of all worlds for its primary components:
The body, frame and running gear is stock BJ 60 1981 with 380000 kms on it.
The engine is a diesel BJ 60 1985 with 280000kms on it. It runs extremely well with no problems I know of. It has an upgraded injection pump, K&N air filter and upgraded aftermarket fuel filter. It still has the pump for AC on it if you should ever desire to implement the system. It also has a secondary aftermarket cooling fan on a toggle switch for climbing big mountains in the summer heat- this efficiently addresses the chronic BJ 60 overheating problem.
All fluids and filters changed early schedule with high end products.
The transmission is a H55F 1984 5 speed manual. It has 300000kms on it. I just had it changed 10,000 kms ago. It was installed with a new clutch and we machined the flywheel. It works seamlessly except I've noticed that before putting in 1st I have to slide the shifter a bit toward 2nd gear.
The frame is generally in moderate conditon. It has some light surface rust. I keep it religiously coated with a petroleum based penetrating anti rust agent. Last summer I had it inspected by a certified frame guy and he found only one questionable spot that he said was getting thin in front of the rear passenger side wheel. He cut out the rust and custom made and welded on a reinforcement. He says it's stronger then new.
The body exterior is in moderate condition. It was painted dark blue years ago by the previous owner. I can see that they did some body work by the rear wheel wells and the drivers side floor so there must have been some rust. I've noticed a bit of rust in the lip of the rear wheel wells and in a couple spots close to the windowshield. Any other rust would be micro and superficial.
It seems the paint job wasn't done very well in the first place. There are many visible imperfections which show especially well in the sunlight, which I've tried to show in the photos. Unfortunately the paint has also chipped in lots of places. To make it worse, I backed into a tree with the right rear corner and dented it on the corner and under the gas cap. I brought it to a body guy people said did a good job cheaply, but he screwed it up. See the picture- it's a disgrace. Body work for the corner and the spot under the gas flap both will need to be redone without a doubt.
In short, I think the body is in moderate condition and the rust situation is favorable for its age, but it needs a bit of work to be nice again.
The body interior is in moderate condition. The carpets have been stripped and the floor painted black. I think this is good because 30+ year old carpets on an offroad vehicle are pretty gross generally.
The seats are old looking, I guess they would look better if shampooed. The only one that is torn is the drivers side, and it isn't too bad. The door panels have a couple very minor tears. The rear cargo area panels are in very poor condition- in my opinion they should be changed. The windows were tinted a while ago and are probably due to be retinted.They're designed to be easy to pull off.
The front heater fan works well but never seems to get super hot. There is no rear heater.
New Beck Arnley brake rotors and pads 5000 kms ago.
The radio has never worked. Drivers side window rolls down but doesn't come up well. I took off the hangle to inspect it and promptly lost it.
I'e never seen the rear wiper work and I've never had it looked at so I don't know why it doesn't work, just that it's not the fuse. The front wiper stopped working a few months ago. I had a friend look at it, he said it was 'the electrical ground, and the motor is working just fine'. I didn't have time to get it fixed and it's a low priority because it's not being driven now.
The truck is parked in my fathers garage in Kitsilano, Vancouver, Canada for the winter. Exporting it should be pretty simple and though it will be your job to do I will help in any way I can. If you wish to message me privately outside of Ebay feel free to email me: Lightstrider@protonmail.com
Feel free to ask any question you'd like. Talk soon :-)