The 'Melon!
Where I come from, all Land Cruisers have names, that's just the way it is...So when I first saw my "new" UZJ100 in the driveway, my thought was "she's big, green, and round"....A Watermelon! So that's the name of this new-to-me '99 UZJ100 that I scored a couple of months ago, and that I will be building into an expedition rig. I've only done minute mods so far, concentrating on making sure it's mechanically up to spec, but I am planning some heavy-duty mods, she's got to be ready for an expedition in March and my free time is short (hence my absence from the forum for some time). Bought her in Scottsdale, AZ, a 1-owner truck that must have been a lightly-used (low miles) and oft-garaged (pristine paint) commuter rig (only the driver seat appears to have been used). 77K miles, immaculate interior (except for the leather on the steering wheel, which was abraded) and exterior.
So far, I've checked brakes, axles, transmission, cooling system, suspension, motor. I've also de-blinged it (had the hideous gold trim package), put a Wheelskins cover on the steering wheel, the non-US "cubby" for the center console, and rubber mats all around. Removed the factory roof rack and some nerf bars.
Planning steel wheels with 295's, front and rear bumpers, dual battery, winch, extended fuel tank, INTI rack, snorkel, lights, cargo drawers, sliders, suspension, skidplate.
Also planning to modify my M416 expedition trailer to fit the new tow rig (here we go again...).
Anyway, here's a shot of the 'melon. It's the first time I've owned a stock Land Cruiser in more than 20 years and it won't stay like that much longer....
I'll report back periodically as the project moves.
Cheers!
Henry Cubillan
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Originally Posted by pskhaat
