Builds 100 Guy Builds a 60 Series (1 Viewer)

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Good to see a good old 60 put to good use. Get the rusty parts changed out (or cut out and welded in), and you'll still be playing around in this one in 20 years from now. 60's are the real thing.

60's are rad, but make no mistake all Cruisers are the real thing! :D This 60 will get the boot before either my 40 or 100, but yeah they're rad. I was really impressed with the ride of this Cruiser, it's way smaller than the 100 but way more smooth than I was expecting. My 40 still rides like an empty dump truck but hopefully when I rebuild her for version 3.0 I'll get the suspension dialed in. The 60 is like a caddy in comparison.

Super jealous. Really, REALLY want to get my hands on a 60 series. Just something about the round headlights that really makes it look good. 62s are alright. But, 60s are where it's at. Congrats! Will be following your build.

I like the round headlights but the 62's have some really cool advantages. To me, the 62 with a 5 speed might be the best off the shelf old school Cruiser ever.
 
I like the round headlights but the 62's have some really cool advantages. To me, the 62 with a 5 speed might be the best off the shelf old school Cruiser ever.

Yeah, 62's are sweet from a features perspective. Ideally, for me, I'd have a late model 5-speed 62 with the 60 headlights. THAT would be super awesome!
 
So, safety first... I had to address this mess. The truck starts, steers and brakes straight and strong... However, I saw this when I bought the truck and it was a red flag looks like someone used the wrong amp fuse for one of the slots and things got hot enough to melt and smolder but it looked like it never caught flame. Man, this could have burned the rig to the ground. Someone addressed it, even splicing in a new in line fuse but there is no way I could let my wife and kids hop in with this going on under the dash.

Wow...
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Unreal it didn't burn down. The fuse's metal innards were still intact.
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The backside was spiced and butt connected to get the truck running again. The orange wire held an inline fuse that connected a few of the fried circuits.
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I picked up a used 60 fuse block (from an unknown year) on eBay for a great deal and had it in hand a few days later. I managed to figure out that with the right sized punch I could punch out each of the old wire terminals from the new unit and then- one by one transfer the old terminals over from the original harness. I was able to replace the melted terminals with the correct colored wire ends from the "new" fuse panel. This kept my soldering to a minimum which was nice. I rewrapped the harness and popped it back in the loom. The only "mod" I did was to pull a wire from the ACC On circuit to power a relay for a secondary fuse panel I will add under the hood, then I can add a few things I want to separately from the main harness. I prefer this in a build so I can track down my new work and not keep tapping into the OEM harness.

Here's a pic of the newer block... I needed to reinstall fuses to the OEM 1983 specs as this one was loaded with new fuses but not the right rating according to my fuse block door sticker.
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Good work on the fuse box fix. That will pay 'reliability dividends' down the road.

Thanks Steve! I couldn't wait for the deal that you got on yours! WOW! :bounce:

I had a good friend who gave me a set of wheels his wife found at a second hand store, thanks again @thetoyotaman ! One of the wheels was toast as the holes on the wheels were wallowed out and oblong. I found a new Pro Comp "Soft 8" in the same size to round out a set of four. The wheels had a 4.25" backspacing but the truck came with some decent 1.25" aluminum spacers that seem to spinning true. I don't like spacers but they do have their place and these gave me a good stance on the truck and allowed me to run these wheels.

I turned to Craigslist and found someone dumping a set of 285-70-17 BFG KO2 tires (roughly 32.5 x 11) that had about 1/3 tread left. Otherwise they were evenly worn and balanced up well. The old tires rolled smooth but were older. I should be able to sell them and break even on the wheel, tires and installation. So that is a win.

The ride is considerably better looking IMHO. I love new tire day, I went with white letters out for two reasons... 1. I am old school and 2. I am going for the black/white thing on this one until/if I change the color.
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Here is a closeup... of the new one ;)
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I think this is the perfect amount of fender clearance for this size tire.
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A new discovery... my alternator belt is missing. I was glad is stopped squealing! :hillbilly:
 
Also, I hadn't really noticed this sticker before. Anyone know this shop, looks like they are still kicking it but I have never heard of them before?

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Scrub the white letters and sidewalls with Bleche White and they’ll look like new!
 
If you want some really nice seats that don’t put your head to the roof check out Scheel Mann. They make nice stuff and some specific land rover seats that are supportive but designed for defender and series space limitations. They are pricey. Lots of people running bmw seats.

Seats
 
Scrub the white letters and sidewalls with Bleche White and they’ll look like new!

If we catch a warmer day again, I'll give them a scrub. An old hot rodder showed me a great trick for brining the white walls back as good as new... S.O.S. kitchen scrub pads. It's amazing how they clean up.

Thanks again friend!

View attachment 1821297 Instead of carpet we did this. We’ll use mats to keep it clean and for comfort.

Yeah, maybe in a wheeler but I'd prefer a carpet in this one.

If you want some really nice seats that don’t put your head to the roof check out Scheel Mann. They make nice stuff and some specific land rover seats that are supportive but designed for defender and series space limitations. They are pricey. Lots of people running bmw seats.

Seats

Those look amazing. I just want a non-ripped seat cover and OE seats. :D
 
If we catch a warmer day again, I'll give them a scrub. An old hot rodder showed me a great trick for brining the white walls back as good as new... S.O.S. kitchen scrub pads. It's amazing how they clean up.

Thanks again friend!

Gotta get you broken in to the climate. Around here I’ll wash/clean a vehicle as long as it’s 40 or above.

The Bleche White is nice because it just eats the grime off.
 
Gotta get you broken in to the climate. Around here I’ll wash/clean a vehicle as long as it’s 40 or above.

The Bleche White is nice because it just eats the grime off.

I'll have to try that stuff, I have never used it before.
 
Okay, next question. Did the 60's come with some form or heat/sound insulation under the hood? Mine has a lot of small holes that look like they'd retain a factory hood insulator. Has anyone tried to add one with some of the aftermarket materials available?
 
Also, I hadn't really noticed this sticker before. Anyone know this shop, looks like they are still kicking it but I have never heard of them before?

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K&H Imports is a cruiser shop in Southern California in the San Fernando Valley (Canoga Park). Honest shop that does great work and owned by a great guy (Richard the original owner has retired and his long time mechanic Armando has taken it over - both he and Richard are good, honest guys). Your cruiser has been well cared for if it was worked on there.
 

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