In the parking lot of the local supermarket, no one is surprised by the beautifully restored Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40. “I do all the trips in the area with it, because I fall asleep in my more modern RAV4,” Tien de Groot chuckles. Grandpa is cool with his rugged all-terrain vehicle. “The grandchildren don't want to be transported in anything else and I have also had seven ladies on board who went shopping.” In the April issue of Auto Motor Klassiek, which is now in stores, you will find the complete story, including the restoration photos.
Text: Aart van der Haagen • Photography: Aart van der Haagen, Tien de Groot
“I saw a 40 Land Cruiser BJ1979 for sale around here,” says De Groot. “A father-son project, but on second thought they did not dare to undertake the restoration. By the way, the papers turned out to have been lost by the first owner, an older Belgian gentleman who was suffering from dementia. I thought, 'Well, I'll see where the ship ends up.' I thought it would be wise to take it to the RDW first before I lifted a finger. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. I presented some proof of purchase and everything was examined and it was sorted out in no time. Yippie!” Wife Nelly was slightly less charmed by the Land Cruiser than the men in gray dust coats. “When I first came home with it, she was standing at the window shaking her head. Admittedly, the thing was in a reasonable state of decomposition.”
Always too hasty
Blessed with a construction background and previous restoration experience, Tien de Groot rolled up his sleeves. “I had to insert new pieces everywhere: in the edge under the doors, in the bottom of the rounded rear corners, in the rear panel, in the left front footwell and under the windscreen.” You will search in vain for an English wheel or a folding bench in the shed at home. “I tap the sheet metal by hand and I ground the stainless steel of the bumpers to make bending easier.” Pippi Longstocking once said the now famous words: “I've never done it before, so I think I can do it.” Tien de Groot kept that motto in mind when he built his 'soft' spray booth in the shed to apply a lick of paint to the epoxy-primed Toyota Land Cruiser. “A person always works too hastily. I saw the paint on the hood running and causing sagging. If I had to sand it all down again and start over.”
Nice exception
Components? No point! “At Megastore 4×4 in Portugal I could order just about everything I needed, from glow plugs, the rear half of the exhaust, rear lights, window and door seals to a windscreen.” The three-liter diesel engine ran like a charm again after a major overhaul including new injectors and, after an estimated 180.000 kilometers of experience, never has to work up a sweat again, thanks to a fresh radiator and cooling water hoses. In addition to replacing the clutch plate and pressure group, De Groot had to pay some attention to the transmission with a faltering second gear and the stuck transfer case. During family rides, everyone stares in admiration at grandpa's muscles, developed while maneuvering the Toyota with its wide tires. That lashing will soon be a thing of the past. “I have prepared everything for the installation of hydraulic power steering from an LJ70. Now I just need to bend the pitman arm in half to make it fit.” Then it's fun again for Tien.
In the mid-70s, Defense was looking for a replacement for the Nekafjes. Candidates were Toyota LC, some AMC product from the US and Landrover. Conscripts as volunteers were given one assignment: to drive. That was quite easy with the Laros that easily broke the axles of the wheels. And some more thunder. The American product passed the test well, with only minor inconvenience, but was still rejected due to (alleged?) problems surrounding the logistics of spare parts. There appeared to be a shortage of volunteers for the Toyatas, because the gentlemen demolished the cars instead of the other way around.
Of course it was the Landrover's, which in my opinion did not fulfill the politically motivated choice for too long.
Wonderful cars. Have had three. Unfortunately had to get rid of it again due to changed tax measures
Nice, Grandpa, but where are those photos of those 7 ladies??
You went on safari in the jungle with a Land Rover,
With this kind of Toyota Landcruiser you were then evacuated and brought back home.