TRUE to the Toyota Land Cruiser’s reputation of being built to go just about anywhere, Chris Hodge has searched across the globe to ensure his 1979 BJ40 model remains as authentic as the day it left the showroom floor.
Sourcing parts from as far as America and Israel, restoring the four-wheel drive to original condition has been a global task for Mr Hodge and son Henry.
It was Henry’s transition to Year 12 which sparked the restoration, with Mr Hodge believing it would make the “perfect” learning task as part of his mandatory research project.
The pair travelled to Whyalla to inspect the diesel-powered machine which would soon be stripped bare in their shed.
“(The owner) had simply been using it to pull boats in out off the beach,” Mr Hodge said.
“It was dilapidated but the rust was minimal so we were lucky with that.”
Planning to drive the vehicle back home, the previous owner advised against it.
“He told me it was blowing a bit of smoke and it was slightly unreliable,” Mr Hodge said.
However, the seller then offered to transport the vehicle free of charge to the Hodge residence where a further inspection could be done before a deal was struck.
“I had not even paid a cent for it, it arrived, we did the deal and then it went into my shed,” he said.
The work then started as the father-and-son duo stripped down the chassis, with significant work on the engine and gearbox outsourced.
“I needed the technical support as I am a dentist not a mechanic, although I do have a lot of interest in this type of thing.
“I thoroughly enjoy doing all the bits I can then get the experts in to fix up the bits I can not do.”
The Hodges stripped the vehicle’s shell bare, back to bare metal, while a professional was sought to remove rust.
“We managed to keep all the glass unbroken which was fantastic as it is very hard to replace,” Mr Hodge said.
“Adelaide Hills Panel did all the body work and reassembled the car.
“They did such a great job to the point where the original weld marks are still visible, where a lot of the time people will fill it in.
“The level of detail is incredible, it is as though it is exactly how it came out of the factory and has not been modified at all.”
A second 1979 BJ40 model purchased from a family friend helped replace any missing components.
The seats were redone in the original fabric, while the Hodges found flooring in Queensland to replace the vehicle’s worn base.
“It is amazing how we were able to gather all the bits we needed from all different places around Australia and overseas,” Mr Hodge said.
“We have added a few things but it has the original motor with matching numbers, meaning the engine number and body number are all part of the original build.
“The fact the engine is from 1979 and it is still running after all these years is quite remarkable.
“This beautiful and old diesel is still chugging away like a tractor.”
To top off the two-year restoration, Henry achieved strong marks for his school assignment with the teacher impressed by the effort shown.
“He wanted to keep the car for himself as originally we wanted to just do a cheap rebuild,” Mr Hodge said.
“I probably got a bit too enthusiastic about it and I decided to do a full body-off restoration.
“By the time we had the pieces off the car, I thought we should do it properly.”
Having enjoyed the journey behind the restoration, Mr Hodge has not ruled out another project in the future.
However, for now the Hodges are content with enjoying the fruits of their labour.
