FJ60+62+(Z)80+ v8 (1 Viewer)

[SNLC]

It's Friday night, I got's some cold beers, a warm shop and a date with a blue FJ62!

Cheers

 

[ZA80]

Must be a dirty weekend no updates[emoji3]

 

[cruisermatt]

Sorry if I missed this but do you already have a 60 front clip in possession yet? I've been looking a for a good chrome 62 grille/headlight buckets for awhile now if I could help you speed up the process of that swap let me know

Cheers, M

 

[SNLC]

Sorry if I missed this but do you already have a 60 front clip in possession yet? I've been looking a for a good chrome 62 grille/headlight buckets for awhile now if I could help you speed up the process of that swap let me know

Cheers, M

I don't and yes I want a 60 front end. I would trade mine for it if they are in comparable condition. Mine is very nice.

Cheers

 

[cruisermatt]

I would fund your 60 front end in exchange.. Depends how much though.

 

[SNLC]

I would fund your 60 front end in exchange.. Depends how much though.

I am just looking to trade a full front end or buy one nice one from an FJ60.



Cheers

 

[SNLC]

I think I may have made a fairly big decision recently. That is just to go with the 5.3L. Here's why.....

Money!! Haha, truly everything comes down to hard cash. I have a 4L60e in great shape that has a shift kit in it and the AA adapter and a real nice split case behind that. I have had it for sale for months at $1250 and not gotten any interest. I am feeling I am nearly giving it away at that price. I really liked this combo in my 80 other than there is no room for a front DC shaft. Next up, I have spoken to a tuner/builder of GM v8's to much! He has told me more than once, "why buy the 6.2L!? All we need to do is cam and tune a 5.3L or 6L and you can easily have the 400hp of the 6.2L." Now I feel 300-400hp is plenty in just about any Cruiser. I have had one with 265ish and one with 350hp. Even the ole 5.7L with the 265ish it was rare I felt I needed more, even in a 6,000lbs beast of an 80, that is partly due to the great torque of the 5.7L vortec. I have driven plenty of 5.3L and have an LQ4 6L. The 6L + 4L80e is a bit of a slug in stock form (at least my 2001 LQ4 with 200k on it is) but both engines are adequate for this build and my uses. I know for a fact a cam and a tune will be a whole different engine too compared to the stock v8's I am used to.

I am looking at $4-6k or more to get into a 6.2L with the 6L80e. I am looking at about $3k to get into a good 6L + 4L80e. Keep in mind when I say "good" that means an engine/trans under 50k miles in "like new" condition. It will be at least mid-summer 2016 before I got that much spare coin laying around for the build. Now I can find a good 5.3L for $1-2k and I already have the rest of it. That allows me to get the engine sooner and get the drivetrain into the Cruiser sooner. I need to do some research but I am hoping and I see no reason atm why not that I can't get a 5.3L that my 4L60 will bolt up to as well as a 6L80e in the future. That means I can still get the 6spd trans down the road and I really do want the 6spd, moreso than 405hp. I can also modify the 5.3L whenever I want and easily get 350-400hp out of it. I feel anything over 400hp and you really are going to have to buff up the rear axle if not go full sized swap. I don't want to swap in a non-Cruiser rear axle. Obviously the front would need to be looked at too, for me only off-road would breakage be an issue. Regardless, I want to be in the 350-400hp range and that is it.

I been thinking about this for a month or more, recent convo's with bro's and the tuner dude have kind of helped make up my mind. So there it is, my plan is to get a 5.3L, the newer the better. I may or may not do some upgrades to the 5.3L right away, at some point I will definitely squeeze some more umph out of it. I will just use my current 4L60/split case combo until at some point I decide to upgrade the trans. I am already all set up for this in the chassis in terms of cross member and engine mounts. Although I don't like my engine mounts much and will re-do those when it comes time.

I am still planning to do a RuffStuff front housing, as far as axles I really have not changed my mind on anything. As far as the frame though, I am really thinking about using an 80 frame I have laying out back of the shop. It was for "The Mongrel" project that I axed. It is also a real nice rust free frame just like the 91 80 rolling chassis I have. Main reason I am thinking of using it is because I already chopped off all the body mounts and cleaned them up on the frame. I also cut out the rear cross member already on it. The only reason I am hesitating is I cut off the front coil buckets and shock towers on this frame, I didn't save them they are gone. But it is seeming like less work to use it and just put aftermarket coil buckets and shock towers on the frame. Or cut them off the 80 rolling chassis and re-use on this frame but I can tell ya' from experience, they are a real pita to get off. A little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me to just go coilovers in front because I have the RS c/o towers already but I really don't want to go to c/o's even if I retain the radius arms. I don't want to deal with getting the c/o's dialed in, the expense of the actual c/o's or the notching of the c/o tower for the steering shaft. It would be nice to not have a "pin" mount shock tower up front though so getting a new coil bucket and shock tower is likely how I would/will go if I use this frame. Any ways, I really been thinking about using this frame that is already mostly prepped. What do you think, less work?

Cheers

 

[dirtEJohnson]

Sounds like you answered your own questions. 5.3 and coilovers, you are halfway there already. Can't wait for more pics!

 

[SNLC]

Sounds like you answered your own questions. 5.3 and coilovers, you are halfway there already. Can't wait for more pics!

Ya just really not wanting to mess with the c/o's. I got Slee coils and Fox bypass shocks for the front already. Doing a 5.3L though to keep it cheap and like I blah'ed on about above no probs to bump the power in a 5.3L at any time. Time will tell which frame I use and if I end up saying screw it an going c/o's.

Cheers

 

[warezdog]

Port the throttle body, remove all EGR crap and get a tune when its done, all pretty cheap without having to cam/head it. Of course put some good pipes on it, long tubes x/h pipe and no cats and call it a day.

 

[cruisermatt]

Have you decided what you are doing for a fuel tank yet? I'm thinking 80 series tank will work pretty well, and for your set-up maybe the Supra fuel pump?

 

[SNLC]

I haven't. Got both an 80 tank and a 62 tank sitting here. 62 tank looks pretty bad inside though. Chances are pretty good I go custom like Frank did, behind rear axle. It will all depend on what kind of room I have but I do want 400+ mile range. My 80 tank just had a Chevy fuel pump in it, at least I think it was Chevy. I will do intank fuel pump, many different ones will fit in the 80 tank no probs.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

I have nothing to report except that I started a new business that will be providing adventure tourism to clients in Latin America. I am going to use Land Cruisers as my truck of choice and this truck will be one in the fleet.

Oh ya, I did scrape all the factory sound deadening off the floor in the Cruiser. I would like to get the 80 chassis cut down and body mounts hacked off it soon but been dealing with clients trucks for months now. Not using the 80 frame pictured above or the coilover mounts or c/o's.

Cheers

 

[cruiser enthuiser]

Sounds like an amazing venture - good luck with it.

Still hoping to tune into this thread soon and see a 6l80e bolted up. Having put about 10k on the 4l60 I think the 6 speed would just be sooo much better due to reasons you mentioned previously.

Keep us posted.

-Ed

 

[SNLC]

Well, I go around and around with this crap.

Earlier this month I sold the 4L60e + split case + adapter. So, I won't be using that!

Standing around both 80-series frames I have the other day and I was really going back and forth about which to use. The only thing holding me back is the cost of coilovers and the fact I may have to do a few rounds of tuning on them to get them how I like. While the Slee coils and Fox shocks are good to go now. I think I may have decided though to go c/o's simply to keep the packaging simple, have better performance on front suspension and to save myself cutting crap off this 2nd 80 frame when it is already done on the 1st one. Plus I can use these RuffStuff c/o towers I have sitting here.

So, listing my front Slee coils and all four of my Fox shocks in the classifieds!

My plan is to have the 62 body on the 80 chassis or close to it in the next 6 weeks. See how that goes, May is a big work month for me and I have plans on June 9th to go to the Bear Tooths for 5 days.

Cheers

 

[TLC Norway]

Yess!!! Please, hook up a livestream of the merging of the two platforms!

 

[MANUCHAO]

How many miles on them shocks?
What are the rears set for?
Im interested...

 

[cruisermatt]

Have you thought about ORI's or will you be over their weight limit?

 

[SNLC]

Have you thought about ORI's or will you be over their weight limit?

Nadda man, c/o's are good for the front end. Kings, selling the Fox so I am definitely getting Kings for the back, might as well do King c/o's up front. Keeping the Slee HDP rear springs. This truck will be damn heavy, I may even have to do air bags in the back eventually but will avoid that at all costs.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Frank got my Fox shocks, how you like them Frank!?

Really wanting to get this truck going. Almost started cutting on my spare frame the other day. Need to buy some c/o's for the front but otherwise I don't need anything, maybe some steel for fabbing. Just super busy, 4 paying projects for clients and I have been working on this lately....

1977 Nissan Patrol "Ute" resto-mod

Starting in on my suspension on the truck so probably will keep focusing on it. Really looking forward to getting it to a rolling chassis because it is hogging up a lot of real estate in my shop.

Cheers