1986 BJ71 Toyota LandCruiser

Engine - 3.4L 13BT Diesel
Transmission - 5 Speed Manual
Suspension - 2” EFS Leaf Springs and Shocks
Tyres - 285/75R16 General Grabber X3
Equipped For - Touring/Daily Drive

This is the story of how a short wheel base Landcruiser by the name of ‘Sunny’, came into my life.

Five years ago if you had asked me where I thought I’d be today, I could never

have imagined I’d be here. I grew up on the outskirts of a big city, drove around

in a little nana car, and hadn’t been camping since I was a kid on summer

holidays. Today I live in the South Island of New Zealand, all my spare time is

spent on an adventure and my home has become an old 4wd.

I bought ‘Sunny’ sight unseen from a mechanic shop in Christchurch in

November 2020. I had this dream of doing van-life and traveling the country,

but through some new friendships and experiences during that year, I was

introduced to 4wds, the sort of life I dreamed of could definitely be done in the

back of a truck. A friend flew down to the South Island with me, we picked up

the truck and he drove us back to the North Island. It was a crazy idea,

considering I was going from a little Honda Logo to a Landcruiser and I had

never driven a manual before. The 17-hour drive back home was done in two

days, pushing an old truck that had been sitting in a paddock for the past few

years of its life to its absolute limits, but it never missed a beat.

The months that followed were a lot of hard work. It had a WoF and was

mechanically sound, but the more I drove it, the more old parts started giving

up. Sunny became a lawn ornament for a month or so outside my house. With

help from my friend, we replaced wheel bearings, uni-joints and took the gear

box out, a new clutch and more bearings were replaced. We built drawers for

the back and kitted it out with a 12V setup and fridge. A roof top tent and new

tyres were added later, and only 5 months after picking the truck up, I was

heading off on a road trip around the country. In 6 weeks I drove from Cape

Reinga to Bluff and not long after the first road trip came to an end, I made the

move to the South Island.

There’s a lot about Sunny that gives this wee truck a whole lot of character.

From the imperfect paint job, shells and rocks on the dash and a vice grip as a

window winder - to the beaten up bumper that looks like an underbite, a heater

that only works on full blast and years full of memories scattered around its

metal bones. Since moving South, I’ve spent every possible moment living out

of the truck. A short wheel base has its space and size restrictions, but

everything I could ever need fits in the walls of the truck, with my bed on the

roof. I’ve seen more of the country than I could ever have thought possible,

exploring places only accessible by foot or four wheel drive. It’s a small truck

and it’s almost 40 years old - but it’s capable and has never let me down. I’ve

driven down roads and tracks that only a few years ago, would have terrified me.

The truck is mostly stock, they were built tough and I wanted to keep the

classic look. After moving to the south I had a snorkel installed, replaced the

old 2” suspension lift, added a set of 285/75 R16 General Grabber X3 Tires and

I’ve just recently upgraded the rear setup, custom drawers made by Judge and

Company Taranaki. Next on the never-ending list is a new 12v system, rust

repair and eventually a new paint job. It’s a work in progress but I can’t wait for

where the roads will take us next. Owning an old vehicle is a labour of love.

There are always things to fix, parts to replace, and just when you think you’ll

be right for a while, something else breaks, though I wouldn’t have it any other

way. If there’s one thing about an old Toyota, they’ll always get you home.

Photos and words by Bri Woolnough