A Toyota HJ61 racing in a rally in Morocco is quite a nice vehicle in the historic category. This one belongs to Sonia and Thomas, whom I’m introducing today. The couple, to enjoy a little vacation, took some time off from Garage TipToy (France) to play on the tracks of southern Morocco during the 2024 Loasis rally (second edition), created by Gilles Girousse and organized with the help of Benoît Delmas.
History of the HJ61
The Toyota Land Cruiser made its debut in 1951 with a chassis very similar to the famous American Jeep. In 1953, the Toyota Jeep BJ came off the production lines. Over the years, the Land Cruisers evolved with Series 20, 40, and 50. The Station Wagon versions, like large 5-door wagons, began in 1967 with the FJ55. For what concerns us, we’re jumping to 1980 with the release of Series 6, the BJ60 with 4 cylinders, HJ and FJ 60 with 6-cylinder gasoline or diesel engines, and finally the HJ61 in 1986.
This is where we see the trademark of the Station Wagon: a large 5-door vehicle, a spacious wagon trunk, and the large horizontal grille. This style from that era would give birth to the famous HDJ 80, HDJ 100, and the entire range up until today.
As for our vehicle, it was purchased by Thomas Rivolet from Garage TipToy (near Annecy). He picked it up from a colleague who also has a passion for Toyotas, namely Garage Bandieri (located about 40 km north of Geneva).
Restoration of the HJ61
HJ61: A rally vehicle
The story of this HJ61 is particular because it originally started as an FJ with a 2F gasoline engine (6 cylinders, gasoline, 4.2 liters, 135 hp). Equipped with leaf springs, it participated in the Paris Tripoli Dakar rally (which at the time was won by Ari Vatanen in a Peugeot 405 Turbo 16). Later, the engine was replaced by a Diesel version, the 12HT. The 12HT engine is a 6-cylinder inline turbo diesel of 3980 cc, producing 136 hp at 3500 rpm. This may seem modest, but at the time, it was one of the largest diesel engines available in a 4×4! It’s coupled with a 5-speed gearbox, which was also overhauled.
The transfer case allows driving in 4×2, 4×4 with short or long gears, and the unique feature of this model is the limited-slip differential in the rear axle!
Another major change made at this time was replacing the leaf springs with coil springs for better performance and also to improve comfort and handling.
Once purchased in 2023, Thomas had 12 months to prepare his Toyota Land Cruiser for the Loasis rally 2024. Needless to say, with all the work in the workshop, there would be no time to waste.
For a full overhaul and upgrade, everything had to be taken apart.
The bodywork and chassis were given extra care by a bodywork specialist, and it was a perfect opportunity to give it a fresh paint job. On the engine side, a thorough revision was done to make sure everything was in order, and of course, all the fluids were changed. Everything was reassembled into the vehicle, ensuring the electrical harness was also checked. The roll cage also received the same level of attention.
The body was first removed, and then it was like putting together a big puzzle to reassemble everything.
A fun detail: Since we changed the suspension to coil springs, we also had to adjust the tie rods for the axles. Here, we find Land Rover parts with Panhard bars that seem to come from Land, mounted on uniball joints… The springs are also English, proving that maybe only mountains don’t meet…
On the suspension side, Oehlins shock absorbers with separate reservoirs were installed, doubled both at the front and rear.
Next, we had to install all safety features, including bucket seats, a GT2I steering wheel, a cut-off switch, and mounts for the Terra trip.
We also didn’t forget a rack for two spare tires in the bed, sand plates, and a large 150L fuel tank.
Two spare tires in the trunk and a big fuel tank
HJ61, a classic Toyota at Loasis
The least we can say is that our Toyota HJ61 did not disappoint, as Sonia and Thomas pushed it to the second place on the podium in its class (vehicles before 1990). Loasis is a rally dedicated to historical vehicles (pre-2003) held in the Merzouga region. Five specials were on the program, with a mix of sand, tracks, and always the wonderful landscapes that Benoît Delmas knows how to offer competitors in his rallies.
The HJ61, with its long chassis, is at ease on the tracks. A long wheelbase allows the vehicle to “float” less and take better trajectories. Moreover, with its modified suspension, the crew was much less “bounced around” than in a vehicle with leaf springs, and the handling was more precise.
Congratulations to our two friends for this great result and for helping to preserve a vehicle with historical significance. We hope to see them again soon for new adventures.
