'99 Land Cruiser 90 Series diesel (Canada - JDM import)

[PajEvo]

This will chronicle the *build* (maybe upkeep is a better word?) of my new Land Cruiser KZJ90. I've had Mitsu 4WD's my entire adult life (and will continue to) but this 90 Series really filled some specific requirements for me, so I decided to see how all you Toyota guys do it. (Also, my wife recently sold her own Pajero in favour of a 100 Series, and I think she may have been secretly slipping me the Toyota Kool Aid? )

I digress... So, this is a 90 Series Land Cruiser (Prado 90 in some markets, Colorado in others), and came to me from the JDM via the Okanagan, where the original importer had it for only a season, and realized he had too many cars. It had 95k kms on it, and was a 4B at auction. I was fortunate to see the original video the exporter made on Youtube while it was still in Japan last spring, so when the new owner put it up for sale this fall, I knew it immediately and jumped on it. It was a one-owner vehicle in Japan, and I have all records of its maintenance since day one.

Here's how it came from the factory: 5 speed manual, 1KZ-TE diesel (intercooled), 2 door SWB, 93 inch wb, coilover IFS, coil on solid rear axle - very reminiscent of the third gen 4Runner, or so I'm told.

It came with winters on taco wheels, as well as brand new BFG's on AR wheels. I've only had it for a few weeks, but it will do double duty as daily driver, and adventure rig, when range is more important than rally pedigree (see the other vehicle in my signature).

Before any mods start, I need to prep it for the cold Alberta winter, and then get some maintenance completed. I'll document here as I go.

Here's a pic as I got it, in November:

 

[PajEvo]

Step One: WInter Prep.

No winter package on this bad boy, so I'll attempt to winterize one step at a time.

IDLE UP - this was a factory option which bumped the idle via a signal to the ECU at cold start. They were NOLA from Toyo (I tried every warehouse in Dubai - LOL) but found one on eBay UK, AFTER I found what appeared to be the wiring behind the dash...



Okay, cross fingers, plug it in...



Press, button...



Job Done: 1200 rpm. Will also be handy for extra juice when asking lots from the electrical system.

Speaking of which, Dual Batteries is the next option I'm aiming for, as I attempt to tame winter, one option at a time.

 

[PajEvo]

If you are interested in the story of how and why I bought this rig in the first place, I've done a 2 part story on my JDM Journeys blog at the Gearhead Project:

A JDM Journey Back - to the Future? (Part 1) - The Gearhead Project

Sometimes you gotta go back, to move forward.

www.thegearheadproject.com

 

[calicamper]

Wow what a cool little truck. Fun story too.
Looking forward to hearing what its like.

 

[PajEvo]

Cassettes are cool and all Radwood, but my daily drive is an hour each way. Plus the JDM band only goes to 90MHZ.

SO... The factory deck had to be auto reversed!



I have really enjoyed Android auto, and a little rearranging in my dash meant a double DIN would fit fine. So I did up a Sony to Toyo harness on the bench, pulled the poor old factory unit, and got to work. Here's the result:



Enter the Sony AVX100 with Android Auto (apple carplay too). Google maps works in dash, as well as Spotify, Goggle Play, Podcasts, etc. Bluetooth phone and radio are an added bonus.

Now I can have my analog clock and the latest tech sitting side by side in dash.
(EDIT: I synchronized the two clocks after this pic, because yes, that would drive me nuts too! )

And in case you're wondering, this AA unit needs the phone plugged in to have full functionality. But the bonus is I don't have to charge it night time anymore.

 

[PajEvo]

Wow what a cool little truck. Fun story too.
Looking forward to hearing what its like.

Thanks for the feedback. While these are ubiquitous in the rest of the world, they are a pretty rare sight in North America it seems? I've only spotted one other in all the years they've been eligible for import. And my JDM radar is always on... ?

I've been driving it for a few weeks now, but it will still take a bit to get caught up on the build, such as it is.

 

[calicamper]

Its funny the front looks first gen RAV 4 ish. Is it about the same size as the first Rav? Doesn’t look big.

 

[PajEvo]

It's bigger than it looks in pics, but not big as such. 168 inches long, 72" wide, 74" high. 93" wheelbase, and 3800 pounds. Body on frame puts it pretty high compared to similar sized unibody rigs... But compared to the 2 door RAV? Yeah, QUITE a bit bigger: 42" longer, 5" wider, 9" higher, and WB is 7" longer. And of course 1300 pounds heavier. LOL.

In my world it's comparable in size to a 2nd gen Pajero/Montero, almost in between the 2 door and 4 door model, in terms of exterior dimensions.

 

[calicamper]

It's bigger than it looks in pics, but not big as such. 168 inches long, 72" wide, 74" high. 93" wheelbase, and 3800 pounds. Body on frame puts it pretty high compared to similar sized unibody rigs... But compared to the 2 door RAV? Yeha, quite a bit bigger: 42" longer, 5" wider, 9" higher, and WB is 7" longer. And of course 1300 pounds heavier. LOL.

In my world it's comparable in size to a 2nd gen Pajero/Montero, almost in between the 2 door and 4 door model, in terms of exterior dimensions.

Interesting

 

[lumpskie]

That's a cool, and clean, little rig! Can't wait to see the build progress and get some pictures of it in the dirt and on rocks!

 

[PajEvo]

Well, added something fun before I dove into maintenance: Smittybilt Defender platform rack. Still need to add some more legs, but for a lightweight build this will fill my needs perfectly. Got it for a good price too, esp for Canada, so I'm happy with it overall. I won't be hucking water or fuel up there.

 

[PajEvo]

Timing belt, thermostat, upper and lower hoses, cap, and coolant heater are now replaced. Rad hose heater is not ideal, but given no frost plug options, it's better than nothing.


Time to reset the 100k km timing belt light, and then get back to more fun upgrades...

 

[PajEvo]

Speaking of fun! Dual batteries are now onboard and integrated. I used a Sure Power 1314 priority charge solenoid to add an Optima Yellow-top into the system. It separates the batteries until it gets a voltage feed from the main, indicating a full charge. Then it closes the circuit between them, allowing the aux battery to be charged as well. This works well for preserving batteries in a 2 battery system, esp batteries of two different ages/sizes. It's also handy for running a fridge when the rig is off, preserving the main battery for more important things. Finally, if your main is full topped up, it pairs the batteries prior to cranking, which gives more juice to the glow plugs ... Handy when it's cold.

 

[PajEvo]

Part 2 of getting the rig:

https://www.thegearheadproject.com/2019/back-to-the-future-ii-bring-it-home/

 

[PajEvo]

Just a quick update on the lower rad hose heater... (Not my first choice but frost plug heater info for the 1kz is non-existent).

Alberta has been in a deep freeze for the last week or two, with temps in the minus 30°C for days on end. This little rig, with the lower rad hose heater timed for 4 hours, has started every time. And in combo with my dual batteries and idle up switch, has been a regular winter warrior. Gets up to operating temperature reasonably fast, with no real issues.

Yes, my tires were slightly out of round on a few mornings (it really was that cold), and yes, pushing the clutch in and stirring the molasses that is the gearbox is challenging for the first minutes, but as far as the diesel engine goes? Nothing but good times so far!

For reference, I used an inch and a half diameter, 600 watt unit, installed in a vertical section of the LR hose, below the thermostat.