[BMAN]

So it all started back in ’99 or so when a buddy of mine finally talked me into going “wheeling” with him and some guys he knew from the “net”. After that fateful trip I knew I had to get a truck and get out in the dirt. The search was on. I had pretty much made up my mind pretty quickly that I wanted a Jeep Cherokee. After a whole bunch of research (months and months) this truck seemed like exactly what I wanted and that it would fit the bill for me. More research lead me to Pirate4x4.com and their message board. There I came across picture that changed it all… It was a pic of Adam Tollman’s Money Pit. From that point on there was nothing else that would quench my desire. I wanted an FJ40 and there was no stopping me. After a year and a half of searching I came across the add for a “1969 FJ40: 350 SBC, 4WDB, PS, PB Too much to list…”

I brought it home on December 15th of 2002. That journey was an adventure all it’s own. Ask me about it someday and I might tell you…


What a GEEK...
Getting ready to drive the 40 home to Phoenix from Ramona, Ca with the steering falling out




Now on to the reason we’re here. In late 2003 I started looking for an 80 series. We had decided to expand our family with a second child and I took this as the perfect opportunity to buy another Cruiser. After months of exhaustive searching for just the right truck at the right price I all but gave up the wagon hunt. Until that is, I wheeled with a fellow club member Lee (Accasbel here on Mud) in his nicely equiped FJ62. I had always admired the 60 series and had really fallen in lust with Henry Cubilan’s Princess, and seeing a 60 series in action on one of my favorite trails set the wheels in motion once more. The hunt was once again…ON. Thank goodness this hunt only lasted a couple months and a few doused dreams. Upon answering an add in the local Truck Trader for a “1985 Land Cruiser” that “needs engine work” I found my 60. I knew when I rounded the corner that this truck would be mine. I struck a deal with the owner and took her home the next weekend. That was May of 2004. Two bad holes and a half done desmog job kept me from getting the truck running in any short order. I quickly decided that a SBC 350 with fuel Injection and an auto were in this truck’s future. Fast forward 3 years and two sons later the "quick" V8 swap was done and now she’s a driver. I’ve got around 3000 miles on her since the conversion and she’s run each of them so far without a hiccup.


The specs are as follows:

Year = 1985
Motor = 1987 Chevy TBI 350 rebuilt
Trans = 1990 700r4 rebuilt (lokar shifter)
Xfer = 1985 splitcase
Gears = 4.88 (installed by PO)
Traction control = Lockrights front and rear
Wheels/tire = 15”x8.75” Alum Outlaws w/ 33x12.50x15 Pathfinder AT’s (Soon to be replaced w/ 255 85r16 Maxxis Bighorns on black steel crawlers)


Other Mods:

Montero dash handle and gauge pod
Hella 24” Map Light at passenger A-pillar
Icom 208H dual band Ham radio (Mag mounted antenna, forget the model)
Uniden PH66 CB tuned (Wilson 1k antenna)
Safari Snorkel
Dual Optima batteries (Will be redundant systems eventually)
Electric stereo antenna
Cut rear ¼’s (just like the Princess, done by PO who apparently had something to do with the princess’ ¼’s too)

In the works:
Wheels and tires
Overhead console to house 2 radios DVD player and switch bank
York OBA
Homebrew welder
Laptop mount and GPS/Oziexplorer)
Bumpers, sliders, Spare rack
Custom Roofrack/Aux lighting (lots of lighting)
On Board 6 Camera system
Rear Drawer system
Fridge Freeze
And all those other goodies that I don’t even know I want yet…

NOW FOR SALE $15,000 OBO
Email "bman5" at the mail server "cox.net" PM BOX IS FULL AND WILL STAY THAT WAY PLEASE EMAIL INSTEAD.

I don’t have any pics of her “really” wheeling yet so you’ll have to settle for build pics and poser shots for now.



The first time I layed my eyes on her:




On the trailer heading home:



My daughter Hayleigh so proud of daddy's new truck (She's 7 now)


The 2F mess:

[BMAN]

Moved inside:


Oh so sweet...


Motor Mount Xmember



Trans Mount I fabbed outa 2x3 3/16 with 1/4 angle frame captures. It's WAY STOUT!!!


V8 stuff:




Contour fans:


Exhaust:




Interior:





Ohc Mockup (I'm working this up in Fiberglass)



Oh those 1/4's:

[BMAN]

AZ Rocks 08 last weekend:




Poser shots from Today:



Fin

[BMAN]

Any questions or Pic requests let me know. I'll get what I can for ya.

[BMAN]

Oh, forgot to mention more coolness... I was contacted last month, here on Mud, by the sone of the original owner. He was the 2nd owner and is the guy that did the lift, 1/4's, paint, gears, lockers and all the other crap I'm forgetting that's not the V8 swap and additions to the interior I'm working on. Super cool guy who's still into Cruisers. I though that was pretty freakin cool too.

[accasbel]

Nice ride!!

[takeitforgranite]

Looking forward to seeing how that overhead console goes! I'm thinking of doing something similar...

Sweet looking ride!

[cfdlighthouse]

very nice ride.

whoever did the quarters did a sweet job, they look great.

[pint]

Sweet looking rig! Nice work.

[SLOwag]

whoever did the quarters did a sweet job, they look great.

VERY clean!

Any plans for protection on those corners? I would add some lights to the overhead console if you don't have LED's yet, the back of these rigs can be dark at night. I also like the front light bar / push bar that you left on it...compliments the stripes and makes it look like it belongs in Oz or on the African plain.

Nice rig.

[BMAN]

The 1/4's were done by a guy named David. He goes by LC4LIFE here on Mud. He's the son of the original owner. His dad bought the truck new in 85 and he bought it from him dad in like 92. While he owned it he built it up pretty nice. The paint he put on it back in 94 is still holding up nicely today. He sold it in 02 to the guy I bought it from.

[BMAN]

SLOwag,

Rear 1/4 protection will be integrated into the rear bumper. I'll be getting both front and rear bumpers along with sliders done up at the same time later this year. At that time the pushbar will go away but I plan to keep some sort of protection up there for nerfing the traffic on the US 60 during my daily commute.

I am planning more lights up in that console too. It's gonna look like Darth Vader's bathroom up there when I get done.

[Dirtgypsy]

that is a great looking family truckster. please post up some more on the console. I remember your first posts about it but would like to see more.

the 1/4 chop is one of the cleanest I have seen.

clint

[KingBeeIII]

Yo, BMAN! Where are you going to mount the cannon on that thing?

I kid, nice write up and great pics.

[BMAN]

Thinking about a sunroof and a pissed off roof rack for the 50cal cannon. I was trying to keep that on the DL though. You know the whole ATF thing and all...

[Kavik]

Dude, that truck is rough! What a POS!

[Goode]

Awesome wagon!! Love the stripes!

[kling-on]

Very clean ... real nice truck

[BMAN]

Pound sand Kavik!!! Wanna race? Thought so...

[CruisinFJ60]

pretty cool looking rig

and a SBC is always a nice touch

[BMAN]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I've really been enjoying the heck outa this rig since it's completion.

Having owned a 40 with a SBC and sm465 and having driven a 2F'd 60 prior to buying mine, it was almost a no brainer decision for me. Knowing that the truck "needed engine work" when I bought it I had already made the decision, before making the purchase, that if I couldn't get the 2F running right in a weekend or two that I would pull the motor and go with a SBC.

After two weekends worth of tinkering I realized the 2F had 2 bad holes that were oil fouling on startup. Decision made...

For my personal needs and style I couldn't have made a better choice. The idea behind the rig for me is exactly as Dirtgypsy called it. I often refer to the 60 as the "Family Truckster". I wanted a rig that I could load up the family, drive 500 miles, camp for a week, wheel, and drive home. SBC's are practically a dime a dozen, I can do most of the work on it myself and anything I can't do I'd almost be hard pressed to find a mechanic who couldn't. I can buy parts at damned near any corner coveinience store on a Sunday in Deer Nuts, Idaho, and with proper PM I should have no problem getting 250k out of it.

With the 700R4 and 4.88's on 33's the gearing is PERFECT and the truck will cruise 80 on the hiway at 2800 rpm. I can't even begin to tell people how perfect it feels just cruisin down the road in this truck.

[Rob Faucett]

How did you fish the wire up to your Hella map light. Do you like where it's located?

Great rig!!

[BMAN]

It's actually low enough that I just dropped it right down between the dash and the A pillar. With the dash mat you don't even see it there. You could however drill the extra hole and fish it down from that point without it being too much of a problem as the pillar opens up about 6" down from that point. My CB antenna coax runs down the drivers A pillar and out under the dash and that gave me zero problems to speak of.

The mounting location of the map light is good. I haven't used it a ton yet but being that it's a 24" stem I can REALLY move it around and put the light pretty much anywhere I want in the front area of the truck. I'm thinking about another one at the C pillar on the driver side that I could use for the back seats and rear compartment. I would most likely mount that one about 1/2 way up the pillar though and place the clip on the header above the Dside rear door, which would put a 90 degree (ish) bend about half way up the flexible stem. This would allow me to reach back w/ my left hand over my head to flip on the light and pull the head out over the back seat as needed from the drivers position. Did that make sense?

[rondog]

Looks good! nice to see your rig finally.The run looked fun. Wish I was there.

Originally Posted by BMAN

Any questions or Pic requests let me know. I'll get what I can for ya.

[BMAN]

Yeah Ronnie, it was a good time. We need to get together to get these bumpers and sliders banged out bro. Come out to the meet this friday night!

[bluecruiser]

Nice rig BMAN...

[PhilC64]

Nice Job! A very sweet ride indeed!

[AKcruiserfreak]

Drool!! That thing is clean! Great job on the motor transplant.

TK

[Ducks]

Excellent ride. I love clean engine bays. How do you like the dual-band radio? Do you use 440 much or is it mainly 2m? What gauges do you have on your gauge pod? What is your 0 to 60?

[klinetime574]

Nice Rig. I'm digging that V8. How does she sound?