Builds Blue Cruiser Thread (1 Viewer)

[ufg8r]

Hi folks! Thought I'd start something akin to a build thread for my 60. I've had it since 2009 and have used these forums a lot to start getting it in better shape...but I mostly read and don't post.

Progress was slow at first because I've got young kids, but now that they are a bit older I have a little more time to play with the rig.

My goal with this thing (still no name for her 5 1/2 years later!) is to make sure I can keep getting out there with the kids and have a capable but still road-worthy rig. We've used it a lot already...and so have the previous owners! There is some rock-rash and some nice rust holes on the body, but the frame is ok. In other words, this is a about function and not looks .

Here's a couple pictures from before I did anything to it, these were taken near Guntersville State Park in north Alabama. Hopefully this thread gives me the motivation to keep things moving along with it!

 

[ufg8r]

A little bit about the history of it, from what I can gather anyway between autocheck and the last owner. This thing started life in 1985 in Arvada, CO. It still has a Tom Lyon's Toyota, Boulder, CO dealer plaque on the back so appearantly it was in Boulder for awhile too. After Colorado it lived in Flagstaff, AZ, Kalamath Falls, OR, and then back to Flag before the last guy brought it to Huntsville.

Its got about 245k miles on it now.

Since I got it I started by fixing an overheating problem by replacing the radiator, fixed the leaky valve cover gasket, pulled out the carpet that smelled like dogs, fish, and hippies, then repaired the brakes, replaced the PS pump, and desmogged the engine.

 

[WHG423]

Looks solid. Glad you've kept her this long. Curious to see more.

 

[ufg8r]

Thanks, looks pretty good as long as you stay about 25 feet away!

 

[ufg8r]

I didn't do much for upgrades until after September of this year. Our local club went to Wooly's Offroad just north of the AL/TN border on the way to Nashville. Had a great day, Wooly's is a nice park, but tore my roof rack off on a low branch and also broke a leaf in my rear passenger side leafspring. It was a small crack, but the cruiser definitely had a noticeable lean afterward.

The crack was a good excuse to finally get around to the lift and the old springs were flat anyway.

Here's how it sits now with the OME lift and 33x12.5x15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws

 

[essar5]

Damn nice looking, your rig in its current shape will probably make 75% of us jealous.

smelled like dogs, fish, and hippies,

So it smells like the Pacific Northwest, must have had some good times around Klamath, Or. Sweet.

 

[TS888]

So it smells like the Pacific Northwest, must have had some good times around Klamath, Or. Sweet.

Nope. PNW smells like fish, pot and lesbians. Wait, that's only two smells.

 

[ufg8r]

Nope. PNW smells like fish, pot and lesbians. Wait, that's only two smells.

Ha! I think Boulder gave it at least a portion of the hippie smell though.

 

[bluehawk]

Good looking rig. Looking forward to seeing more done to it. Any other plans/upgrades ?

 

[roma042987]

just noticed this thread! Im thinking of doing the same springs on my 60 one of these days. does it ride much harsher? did you have to remove the front sway bar?

 

[ashack2004]

Awesome rig, keep up the great work!

 

[ufg8r]

Good looking rig. Looking forward to seeing more done to it. Any other plans/upgrades ?

Thanks! I have a short list of near term plans, hopfully I can get an Aussie locker into the rear and install a winch soon. I've been stewing on the right approach to a front bumper so I'm not quite ready on that one. Will probably extend the differential breathers and take care of a few broken things before spring gets here.

 

[ufg8r]

just noticed this thread! Im thinking of doing the same springs on my 60 one of these days. does it ride much harsher? did you have to remove the front sway bar?

Hey Roma..it rides awesome but I think that has a lot to do with how BAD the old springs and shocks felt. With my heavy springs up front and no weight up there (no bumper/no winch) I bet the ride will be a little better once I get the winch on. On the sway bar, it didn't have one

 

[ufg8r]

Probably not going to get much time in on the truck this week. I did get a chance to get it off the pavement over the weekend. I've put about 150 miles on since the lift and so far so good. Looking forward to hitting some more serious terrain soon.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge....near Decatur, AL

 

[MicahMan]

Love it nice build I'll be following suit

 

[ufg8r]

Found a few minutes before our club meeting tonight to start looking at the front bumper.

Here's what the PO fabricated. He was going to use a reciever mounted winch, but I want to go another direction. Also, I had to cut off the shackle mounts because the dimensions were off and the shackles didn't fit right..... these will probably be improved and replaced.

 

[ufg8r]

Oops, that last pic wasnt supposed to be in there...that was few of the cruisers from the meeting. Bad pic though.

 

[ufg8r]

Ground off what was left of the welds from the shackle mounts and stripped the paint today. I don't know exactly what that paint was, I think it may have been a rubberized undercoating or something......it was a bear to remove. I ended up using some methylene chloride aircraft paint stripper and still had to use a couple applications. Then some sanding to get down to the metal. Still have some prep work to do before welding....but ran out of time a slapped a thin coat of oil on it to keep the rust at bay until I can get back to it.

 

[ufg8r]

No time for the bumper yet, but I did find a way to mount my farm jack. Wanted to get it inside the truck to keep it out of the elements. Not sure I've completely finished, but here's what I did today.

Found these at HD, cost about $8 for the set.

Ended up using three of these in the back of the rear seat and put them together opposite the drawing. I also added a second 5/8 flat washer and lock washer on the inside of the sheet metal to stiffen things up and so I could get everything tight.

This does make it a little tough to lift the seat up, but it's out of the way.

One other thing I like about it is that I can take the jack out and still use the eyelets to tie things down.

 

[ufg8r]

The weathers a mess in Huntsville today ( at least by our standards!) but it got me out out of work a little early

I used the time to replace my clutch master and slave cylinders. Making progress....slowly!

Happy the master is no longer dumping on the floorboard and my shoes, etc