Welcome to Dan's Valet Services
I have the privilege of looking after this 1983 Toyota Landcruiser BJ42 which started out life working for the Helsinki Transport System, HKL HST. As one of the later models, this one had a 5 speed box as standard which are uncommon and now quite sought after because they allow for easier cruising. It also has an original PTO winch, driven off the gearbox which is a cool feature. It was retired after about 20 years in service, heading up and down the country’s railway lines with every journey recorded in a log book (all in Finnish). It was purchased by a farmer in Saavonlinna, a small town in rural Finland most famous for its Opera festival. As is often the case with old vehicles, the planned restoration never materialised so it spent about 20 years in a barn until the previous owner’s health meant he had to sell it. The beauty of these cruisers is that even after 20 years in a barn, with some fresh diesel and new batteries, she started and still ran!
It's current owner fell in love with Land Cruisers when working on a farm in Australia and when he heard through a friend in Finland that this one was up for sale for a song, he couldn’t resist! He arranged for it to be transported over land on a flat bed truck to Slovakia, and to a workshop near the Ukrainian border which specialises in the restoration of Land Cruisers. That was the first time anyone had taken a proper look at the condition of the vehicle with the verdict, “nice from far, but far from nice”. This is the problem with any classic car, you have to look closely to really understand the condition and often the more you look, the more you find.
This was always intended to be a full restoration using original parts wherever possible and the team in Presov set about taking the body off so it was back to the chassis with everything being sent for sand blasting to remove as much rust as possible.
There then ensued a lot of chassis repairs, before it could be galvanized and then painted.
The engine and gearbox were running smoothly so aside from some cleaning, painting and taking the opportunity to replace seals, there was no point doing more than necessary – these 3B diesel engines are not known for their power, but they are known for being the most reliable engine Toyota ever made
The bodywork needed a huge amount of repair work, a history of Finland’s severe winters and use of salt having unsurprisingly taken its toll. The current owner too the opportunity of changing the colour to ‘Rustic Green’, an original 40 series Toyota colour, but one which the purists will know was not used for the 1983 model. Who cares, it’s a stunning colour and perhaps a little more subtle than the original Freeborn Red.
The original Toyota PTO winch has been restored, and a synthetic winch rope added along with a new fairlead in place of the original steel wire.
The only other material deviation from the original is the addition of electronic power steering. Toyota did put hydraulic power steering on a few of the very late 1984 models, but they are rarer than hens’ teeth to find for anyone doing a restoration whereas an electronic system can be relatively easily installed.
This is a joy to look after, I love the curved corners and the contrasting white roof. Very rare to see them in the UK, as the Land Rover equivalent (which lets not forget Toyota copied back in the day) has been so dominant, and it’s great to see this example having been restored to its former glory.
GTECHNIQ HQ For our Detailing Training!
Gtechniq I2 Tri Clean ( My Favorite interior Cleaner for any Vehicle ) to deep clean all hard surfaces with antibacterial properties, leaves the perfect brand new finish on all plastics.
GTechniq Ceramic Sealant v4 was used on all interior tainted surfaces to protect them somewhat from the wear and tear of its use.
GYEON Q2 Wax used on all Painted trim on dash fascia to give a protected warm gloss finish for evening cruises!
Exterior
W4 Citrus Foam - Gwash (Wax Free Shampoo) - C4 Ceramic Sealant v4 - G1 Glass Coating - W6 Iron Fall Out Remover - T2 Tyre Dressing - Smart Glass for a streak free crisp Glass ( in and out )
FJ40 Restoration Gallery:
18
JUN
2019
