[mountain cruiser]

I should have done this sooner, but here it is finally. I started by getting this 40 for myself, but in the process decided that I enjoy building them so much I am going to build and sell varoious styles of landcruisers from stock resto to fully linked truggys. This is a sample of a clean but competant wheeler. The Frame, axles, cage, U-bolt flip kit, and shackles have been powdercoated Gloss Black. The body is going early 80's Green (don't have the paint code in front of me), getting undercoated and line-Xed inside. Here are some early pics, and I'll get to the most recent.

[mountain cruiser]

Here's some more

[mountain cruiser]

They just keep going...

[mountain cruiser]

Almost done...

[mountain cruiser]

This is where its at right now, I am waiting on the Tub (my painter broke his shoulder blade riding a D-bike), and some assorted tabs for mounting brake lines and fuel lines. Yes those are rock sliders and the frame got a rear box in kit from Ruff Stuff Specialties. No shortcuts here, I can't just touch things a little bit.....

[Degnol]

Another one done right!!! WOW......that's all I can say.

Keep the pics coming...


Ed

[inkpot]

Howdy! Looks good. How are you going to setup that rear drive shaft? It looks kind of short. John

[mountain cruiser]

Haven't gotten to that point yet, the motor is as far forward as it will go while using a 2.25" thick electric fan on the radiator. The combo of a 5.3L with a 700R4 and 73 T-Case is long and I won't be using it again, plus I'm not too happy with advanced adapters kit. Next one gets and H55F behind the 5.3L. From what I've heard with this combo I actually have a long rear driveshaft.... As long as there isn't any vibration and it doesn't bind at all I will be happy and hopefully the buyer will be too.

[mountain cruiser]

Only other thing I'm not doing again is the Man-a-fre SR kit, now after some upgrading it will work well , and the springs do flex decent, but I like SOA with an SR way better and the springs are cheaper.....

[FJota]

"Subscribe to thread"_________I will be watching. Looking good.

[mountain cruiser]

Here's some more pics as i've been assembling it. Last night I installed the Painless Vortec wiring kit, with the computer under the dash to keep the engine compartment a little cleaner. I enjoyed my weekend mocking up a 4" diameter intake to help the 5.3 breathe some clean air and installing a battery tray just behind the passenger side headlight. I installed some Aquala diamond plate quaters in the rear to complement the Locking storage tailgate I had installed.

These first picks are of the ring gear in my oven and after I pulled it out I dropped it on the ARB Locker which was in my freezer. The tollerance on the gear and carrier is so tight at room temp that this is the only way to smoothly get the ring gear on.....

[fj40taz]

nice job............

[mountain cruiser]

I got the tub back2 weeks ago and have been immersed in my shop since then. So heres an update, and I will post some more here soon with a full spec sheet on what is going into this. I will be trying to sell this one on e-bay to build 2 more now that the bug has bit me bad.... My girlfriend had a 60 and now has an SR5 Pickup and I have this 40, a 62 trail rig, and a 77' Chinook that is getting a minitruck straight axle and a 4 banger diesel. Plus my plans include a 75, 45, 55 and another 60 for my .

[mountain cruiser]

Its a little dirty in the pics, as I live in North of Phoenix off a dirt road, but once I final clean her and take the pics it will be flawless. I started building one off sandcars with LS1 motors, but paychecks were minimal so I started building cruisers to sell within the last year. They are going to be daily drivers (good mileage and decent ride) that can be driven to the trail, wheeled hard in the rocks and drive home with the AC on. Let me know what you think as all feedback os good feedback.

[4x4 Station Wagon]

Just tuning into your build....... Looks great! I love the color. So bare with me i am border line stupid the LS1 is what the corvettes etc. came with?? I also like the cage! I would like to see more pictures of it all!!!!!!!!!!!

Good job keep up the work

[missipboy]

love that color. powder coat looks great too.

[mountain cruiser]

Thanks for the comments, it has become my full time job for now and I'm hopeing to sell it and many more. The LS1 came in 98-02 Vettes and Camaros. I built a 450Hp LS1 for another project I have in the shop. The motor in this one is a crate 5.3 for a 2001 chevy half ton (the dealership. The 5.3 is a cast iron block with aluminum heads, and the LS1 is aluminum block and heads plus it has a 6 bolt main, but alomost identical to the LS1 (asside from bore size)

[mountain cruiser]

This all started after seeing the beautiful work last year at Profitt's Cruiser when I went through 2 fuel pumps in 2 days in my FJ62 (desmogged but forgot to remove the charcoal canister which plugged and created too much suction in the tank). Thanks again to Profitt's for all your help and letting me change it in your lot. Why is the tank always full when you have to drop it?!


Ok, so a few more specs and then some more photos.
The axles and 3rd members got fully rebuilt, the gears are a 4:88 US made gear (higher tolerances than most companys india built gears, no sh**), I went with flanges with both new and old bolt patterns for later T-case options also. The front axle was left open with stock Birfs for now, new brakes and all seals and bearings were replaced. The Rear got the exact same treatment, but it got a Auburn LS carrier instead.

The front bumper is some .188 rectangle stock Welded to the frame with a 3/8's winch mount plate welded from the top rear of the bumper to the frame cross member for added strength. I used Man-a-fre's SR 4" kit and welded all hangers to the frame. I had to modify the Shackle Reversal kit to work with my Saginaw conversion, but in the end it helped strengthen up the frame rail and it reinforces the SR kit. I got a RuffStuffSpeacialties Rear frame box kit and crossmember, which let me say is one of the finest fitting products you will find (Dan knows what he is doing). The cage mounts at the frame are all fish plated and the middle cage mount ties into the rock slider rear mounts, with some extra gussets thrown in for overkill (if it doesn't sell I will beat the piss out of it myself for advertising, so I build for others what I would build for myself). The cage is a Metal Tech kit (another fine product), as I still need my own bender I used their weld together kit (I have a mill set up for copeing, lathe, 220 welder, but no bender) which looks the best of all the kits out there. The sliders I built out of .250 wall seamless tube, cut the ends to match the fender angles front and rear and caped em. I had previously trimed the body below the doors about 4"s and ditched the factory steps, which helped get the sliders up higher for more clearance around rocks. The sliders will get grip tape on top of them to double as steps also.

Thats enough for the moment, but I will take some pics tonight, the assembly is coming along and I better get back to it.

[mountain cruiser]

Been almost a year since posting, life took its course and I didn't finish the cruiser last year. Sat collecting dust for a few months. But with some much needed attention, I have it 90% completed now and it fires up. Here is some cruiser porn till I get more time to explain whats been done.

[Degnol]

Delicioso!!!

[Magnum44]

I saw you mention that you needed a bender. I purchased a JD-2, a Eureka bender and bench top tubing bender and can bend up just about anything and have been very happy with them all. The Eureka bender is for brackets etc. I tried a cheap HF bender and it broke after about 10 or 15 easy bends. BTW, Nice Cruiser!

JD Squared, Inc.


Carell Corporation Metal Fabrication Machines, 2/3/4-Roll Plate Bending machines, Pipe and Tube Hydraulic Angle Rolls, Rebar Benders, Ornamental Benders, CNC controlled Automatic Production Machines.


Bench Top Small Material Bender

[tlc_4play]

Great work

A crate motor V8 - vee arh zinking

BTW - The Rustic Green ones are the strongest

[JackA]

Looks nice. Mine should be running this Friday. Maybe we can meet up and the green cruisers can hang out.

[mountain cruiser]

I still have to deal with my throttle linkage and getting it on a Dyno before I can, but that would be great Jack when we're both done.