Custom 4x4: BJ74 LandCruiser

Manufacturers try their hardest to make a wide range of 4x4s to suit every possible taste. They make ’em big, they make ’em small. All different colours, all different engines, all different prices.

But what if when Goldilocks was trying out the different bowls of porridge there was one too hot, one too cold, but none just right? Well, if you’re the owner of one of the most respected 4x4 shops in Victoria you grab a little from each bowl and make your own to suit your exact tastes.

Stephen Booth, the man behind the magic at Power Torque in Victoria was getting nostalgic over the original BJ74 LandCruiser of his youth when the model before you came up. Unfortunately, the old B series engine, leaf springs and drum brakes were also feeling very nostalgic too. It simply wouldn’t do.

Rather than waste time mucking around with the old gear, Stephen fired up the plasma cutter and set to work removing everything under the old Cruiser that wouldn’t cut the mustard for a modern day 4x4.

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First on the chopping block was the old front axle. The leaf springs and ’80s steering box simply weren’t going to cut it. Stephen sliced and diced the old leaf-spring mounts off and pushed the whole lot into the bin before sliding in a complete set-up from a coil-sprung HDJ79 LandCruiser. The new set-up including a later model diff with better brakes, tighter steering, coil mounts, radius arms and even a fancy modern swaybar.

While the spanner set was out, Stephen spec’d up the front end as well. The full replacement mounts allowing for a bolt-in lift-kit to work perfectly. The 3-inch taller coils help with the altitude adjustment, while remote reservoir King shocks help the mid-wheelbase Cruiser ride like it’s on clouds.

Moving back and Stephen opted for a coil-spring arrangement from JMACX. The full bolt-in set-up utilises an adjustable 5-link with four adjustable forward links holding the diff in and allowing for fine tuning of pinion angles, with an adjustable Panhard bar ensuring the rear diff stays centred no matter how much ride height is dialled in.

The whole affair holds in a JMACX diff housing that bumps the rear track width out to match the front and throws in later model disc brakes as part of the upgrade. The set-up is complemented with a matching set of 3-inch lifted coils and adjustable King shocks, although this time in-coil airbags have been fitted for further adjustability.

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HEART TRANSPLANT

MOVING back to the front and Stephen has also given the Cruiser’s heart a serious working over too. Where an outdated 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine used to live, Stephen has shoehorned in what some would call the greatest diesel Toyota ever built, the might 1HD-FTE.

For those not in the know, the 1HD-FTE is a 4.2L six-cylinder turbo diesel found in 100 Series LandCruisers and the short-lived HDJ79. What makes it so special is the multi-valve head and electronic diesel injection creating the perfect combination of old-school tough, and new-school power.

With comfortable practicality, the design moto Stephen also chose was to back the new donk with an A750F automatic transmission pilfered from a top-spec 100 Series. The transmission is backed with a HDJ79 transfer case and driveshafts sending power into front and rear ARB air lockers to ensure maximum traction in all situations. Stephen had to swap and change a couple of cross members and mounts to get the new arrangement in, but has had the whole affair successfully engineered to be 100 per cent road legal.

In case you haven’t noticed, Stephen’s not the kind of bloke to leave things half done so it’s no surprise the 1HD-FTE motor isn’t in stock form either. The high-flowing Safari Armax snorkel feeds down into a Red Wheel ‘Bad Boy’ turbo from GTurbo. The bolt-on replacement forces bulk air through the front mounted PDI Intercooler and hard-pipe kit before finding its way into the combustion chamber.

The +50 injectors and an in-house tune have the Cruiser pushing out 200kw and 800Nm at the rear wheels – a far cry from the 89kw and 217Nm it would have made when it first rolled off the production line. The final piece of the powertrain puzzle is a set of modern looking PCOR alloy wheels, punching in at 17x9 with a +25mm offset, Stephen’s wrapped them with Nitto’s Ridge Grapplers in 285/75R17.

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FACELIFT

BACK on the outside and Stephen’s continued the resto mod theme with a full front clip from a current generation VDJ79 ute. Making sure that fancy front end stays in tip-top shape, Stephen’s optioned up a Deluxe bar from ARB with full hoops providing full protection, it also provides a home for twin ARB Intensity LED driving lights. There’s twin Optima batteries under the bonnet ensuring the lights can run with the power of a thousand suns for as long as Stephen wants them too.

Moving along the flanks and there’s a full scrub bar and rock slider combo from ARB with a set of Clearview’s Nextgen towing mirrors above them. The armour packaged is rounded out with a Kaymar rear bar protecting the rear quarters and a single swing-away spare-tyre carrier.

Moving to the interior and it’s easy to see just how many man hours have gone in to building Stephen the Cruiser of his dreams. No stone has been left unturned, with a full interior restoration getting it looking factory fresh, although of course, there’s a few upgrades thrown in for good measure.

Tucked in-between the two front bucket seats is a full-length centre console housing the auto shifter and a couple of cupholders. There’s also matching EGT and boost gauges for Stephen to monitor engine vitals, and an OBD scanner for any deep dives on engine data on the road. Last but not least, is a full set of tunes thanks to a Kenwood head unit and Morel speakers.

From an outsider’s perspective, Stephen’s BJ74 could be mistaken for a neat classic 4x4, but for those in the know the longer you look at it, the more details you find showing not only the impeccable workmanship that’s gone in to the build, but the clear vision Stephen had in his mind for the perfect classic Cruiser.

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HOT AIR

AIRBAGS are becoming more and more common in the custom 4x4s we feature, so we figured it was high-time we have a quick look at exactly why people are fitting them, and why they may be suitable for your rig too. Forget all the fancy stuff like on-board air systems and self-levelling doo-dads, airbags themselves are essentially a spring with an adjustable spring rate.

The more air you pump into the bag, the stiffer it’ll be. It’s that adjustability that makes them so handy. If you’re driving around in a work ute that has 300kg of tools on it every day and they never come off, then 300kg constant-rate heavy-duty springs are the right choice.

But if you load it up with 300kg worth of tools, then pull them off every Friday arvo and use it as a family car, you’re going to be horrendously over-sprung, it’ll be an incredibly bumpy ride unladen. By using a lighter duty spring and matching it with an airbag you can pump your effective spring rate up the same as a 300kg constant when you’re loaded, then let the air out and drop the rate for around town.

You can do the same to counteract towball weight if you occasionally tow a camper or boat, or even to counteract long-range fuel tanks and on-board water tanks in tourers. More complex systems allow for increased ease of use, but even a simple airbag makes a massive difference.