1989 FJ62 Build - A Learning Experience (1 Viewer)

[matmattmatthew]

Finally creating a Build Thread after 6 years of owning my 62. This thread will likely become pretty long so why not start it off with a few long-winded posts to give some background/context.

I purchased my truck about 6 years ago here in the mid-Atlantic. I spent months looking for something within driving distance that wasn't completely rusted through, a hard task on the east coast. I previously had a 1989 4runner that I barely did anything with because I finally realized the body and frame were too far gone, I ended up selling it for about $700 more than I bought it for, then I set my sights on a 60 series. I wanted a Fj60 for the round headlights and manual transmission, but I wanted a FJ62 for fuel injection and creature comforts. I ended up finding a 1989 Fj62 with a H55 manual swap only 2.5 hours from me, it was originally a California truck for the first 15 years of it's life so the frame was solid, the body had a few rust areas in the typical spots and a few dings and dents which the PO referred to as "Patina."

The truck had a fairly significant amount of upgrades/mods, most of which (at the time) I viewed favorably.

• H55 5 speed transmission
• Welded on Shackle Reversal
• OME lift with man-a-fre shackles
• 2" body lift
• ARB front Bumper
• Homebrew 40 Gallon Fuel Tank
• Aftermarket front Shock mounts
• Homebrew Rear Bumper with Swing Away tire carrier with Air Tank Built into the bumper
• Auto -locker in rear
• Welded on Sliders
• 2nd battery tray (no second battery)
• Electric Fan
• 4.56 gears
• The truck had 35's but they were Mud Terrains which I wasn't crazy about, the PO swapped them out for 33x10.5 KO's from another cruiser he had

For the first couple years I used the truck mostly to drive to mountain bike trails, a couple of camping trips and the occasional day I would drive it to one of my Jobsites.

Items I've done since ownership:

• New Alternator
• Modern Bluetooth headunit
• New Liftgate struts
• Rebuilt the leaky Power Steering Box
• New 555 Tie rod ends
• New Starter (that ended up not "meshing" with the flywheel so I ended up reinstalling the original)
• Cruisercrap Center Console

Known Issues/Items that need to be addressed:

• Leak in the Radiator (I already have a replacement along with a new Thermostat and hoses)
• Speedometer isn't working, it just bounces around 30mph no matter how fast I'm going
• Fuel Gauge has never worked, I suspect it has something to do with the homebrew gas tank
• Suspension needs an entire refresh, Leaves are saggy, shocks are blown etc.
• New sliders. One of the slider mounts broke so I cut the whole thing off, they weren't worth saving
• Oil Pan leak
• Frame/axles/undercarriage needs to be cleaned, treated, and painted
• Body lift needs to be removed and all new body mounts
• Wiring - It's a mess, there are a lot of extra wires, accessory wires that are half-assed, and wires that are disconnected
• Knuckles/axles need to be rebuilt - I view this as a right of passage for a land cruiser owner
• Along with the wiring I need to figure out the ignition. I was chasing an electrical issue when I swapped the Alternator and starter. I ended up bypassing the ignition and currently start the truck with a push-button starter hooked up to a relay.
• Body Work - Needs some patch panels and various rust abatement
• Various new Lines and hoses - most of the brake lines are fairly rusted, rear heater lines are toast (rear heater was bypassed by a PO)
• AC doesn't work - I haven't dug into this yet to know what the issue is

Some of my plans/goals with this Build:

• Full Suspension refresh
• C-Channel Kit
• Clean/paint frame, axles, basically everything from the frame down
• Rebuild Both Axles
• Possibly add Air Lockers front and rear
• Overhaul/upgrade front brakes
• Rear brake overhaul/rebuild
• Bodywork/paint - might try painting it myself
• Overhaul and flush cooling system
• General Engine maintenance - hoses, filters, gaskets etc
• Figure out if I'm keeping the DIY fuel tank or replacing it with something...well, Not DIY
• Gut the entire interior - remove old sound deadening and do a new (better) job
• New Carpet
• New Front seats (mine are currently from an 18-wheeler I think)
• Completely new sound system, speakers, wiring, amp etc.
• New Door and cargo cards - most likely Australian Door Cards in ABS
• Modify the existing rear bumper to have a 2nd swing out for jerry cans/ladder and add some wrap around protection
• Possibly Replace the older style ARB bumper with the newer style or a different front bumper
• Add Winch
• Frontrunner Roof Rack
• 17" wheels with 35's, either 10.5 or 11.5 width
• Install Huracan Tailgate storage which I've had lying in the garage for 2 years
• Add a bunch of Aux lighting
• Possibly make a drawer system/sleeping platform

I'm determined to do as much of the work myself, some stuff, like bodywork, I've never done so I will likely annoy a few people with the number of questions I come up with.

 

[matmattmatthew]

I slow played a lot of work/maintenance on the truck until I had a dedicated space where I could take it apart, walk away from it, and not have it be in the way of anything.

I'm a custom homebuilder by trade, when I built my house about 4 years ago I purposefully positioned it on the lot so that I could easily add a detached garage later. Even though my lot is Zoned Agricultural, our local building code stipulates that you have to have your primary structure 100% built before starting construction on a secondary structure. So after about a year and a half in the house I started work on the garage. It's 36'x28' with about 1000 square feet on the 2nd floor which is the office for my building company. A large chunk of the garage is used to store tools and various building materials but I also have a chunk of the garage that is my "bike shop" and another chunk that will be dedicated to the land cruiser build.

 

[matmattmatthew]

Forgive the Mess, my parents were living with us for 5 months while their house was being finished, so my garage also became a storage unit for them. The last bit of their stuff is almost out which has given me a little breathing room to get the rest of the Land Cruiser area setup.

 

[matmattmatthew]

I recently took the truck on it's last drive for the foreseeable future then powerwashed the entire things from the roof to the entire undercarriage. I used the air compressor and leaf blower to get as much dirt/mud/water out of the frame and other areas before parking it in the garage for the next year or so.

I've started by removing the interior, bagging and tagging everything possible.

My Supervisors

 

[matmattmatthew]

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[matmattmatthew]

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[matmattmatthew]

Slow going so far, I've been picking away at disassembly, a bit of cleaning, and removing a lot of flaky rust.

Originally I was convinced I could handle all the bodywork, frame paint, and suspension with the body on. But after seeing some threads and videos on the C-channel replacement I'm convinced that however much time it takes me to get the body off will end up saving me time over the course of doing all my various projects. Additionally, I plan to replace all of the body mounts and remove the 2" body lift, so I might as well remove all the mounts and go all-in and just remove the body.

So my first big decision is what to do about the homebrew gas tank. The only issue I've ever had with it, is that the gauge has never worked, it never worked for the PO either (he bought it with the tank). It appears to have (4) through bolts from the bottom of the tank into the body and is suspended by huge square plates inside the cargo area. So I'm definitely removing the tank if I want to take the body off, I would have to remove it anyway to do the C-channel repair even if I left the body on. What is everyone's feelings on this tank? Should I try to re-use it or consider it a write-off, scrap it, and order an actual tank that wasn't part of a highschool welding project?

Bottom of the tank and the huge plates holding it in the cargo area

And the view inside the inspection lid

 

[diesellibrarian]

I think the ideal situation would be to go back to a stock tank, but you'd have to find a used 62 tank as they are no longer available from Toyota.

I think @cruisermatt is building FJ60 tanks to retrofit into a 62, so that might be a good option as well.

That whole tank setup looks sketchy, though the massive plate might help to deter gasoline thieves, haha.

 

[matmattmatthew]

If I'm going the tank replacement route I will probably get a legit long-range tank, either Man-a-fre or Long Range Automotive. I don't want to go through all this trouble to have to fill up every 180 miles.

@diesellibrarian Your build thread is one of the reasons I decided to tackle the bodywork on my truck myself.

 

[diesellibrarian]

Glad to hear it! Looking forward to following your build.

Beautiful shop, by the way. Wish I had the skills/money to do something similar.

 

[cruisermatt]

If I'm going the tank replacement route I will probably get a legit long-range tank, either Man-a-fre or Long Range Automotive. I don't want to go through all this trouble to have to fill up every 180 miles.

@diesellibrarian Your build thread is one of the reasons I decided to tackle the bodywork on my truck myself.

if an FJ62 only goes 180 between refills something is wrong

 

[matmattmatthew]

if an FJ62 only goes 180 between refills something is wrong

Ok, I'm being slightly hyperbolic, 250 miles

 

[matmattmatthew]

Call me a moron, but how in the hell does this handle get removed? Yes I searched.

 

[BittersweetInfamy]

Call me a moron, but how in the hell does this handle get removed? Yes I searched.

Hi @matmattmatthew
That should just pry off. It's not a great design so there may be rust the and I'd suggest to soak it in WD if you can before pulling off.

 

[matmattmatthew]

Hi @matmattmatthew
That should just pry off. It's not a great design so there may be rust the and I'd suggest to soak it in WD if you can before pulling off.

Thanks, I figured that's all it was. I've tried prying it off with a few different tools, even putting a tiny dent in my tailgate. I'll hit it with PB blaster or something and let it soak before trying again.

 

[open country]

Man, the garage build, 62, and MTB's? Did we just become best friends? Watching.

 

[Dollythe62]

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Forgive the Mess, my parents were living with us for 5 months while their house was being finished, so my garage also became a storage unit for them. The last bit of their stuff is almost out which has given me a little breathing room to get the rest of the Land Cruiser area setup.

Came for the FJ62 build thread... left with a garage boner.