- Location
- United States
1996 Lexus LX450 (Fzj80 Landcruiser) Vortec Conversion -- **Factory Locked front and rear e-lockers**
Selling due to overseas move. Awesome on and off road -- fully rigged out. This was one of the last conversions done by Rocky Mountain Cruisers and is very nicely integrated to include function of original Lexus systems and new Chevy systems. Even with oversized tires, heavy duty bumpers and sliders and a winch, the truck has plenty of power for road, tow, wheeling etc. Here are the particulars:
Drivetrain: 2006 Chevy L33 (5.3L aluminum block high output from Pacific Fabrication) vortec engine with custom built heavy duty 4L60E trans. (engine now has a total of 56K). Tranny is a new build heavy duty trans with 28K.
Suspension: OME 2.5 inch lift with heavies in front and medium in rear. The sway bar drop brackets were added as part of the conversion.
Drive shaft: Very heavy duty long travel low profile custom drive shaft (I think it's chromoly, need to double check). It's a long travel version of what goes in the extreme (ie 600+ HP hot rods)
Tires: Hankook dynapro atm 285/75/16 (33"). Probably less than a year of tread life left so dropped price. (spare is new cooper)
Front Bumper: Very heavy duty DIY bumper with a ton of functional features:
- Integrated winch mount housing Badlands 12000 pound winch
o Includes wired and wireless winch control
- Brush Guard
- LED light bar plus two compact high output LED driving lights
- Dual receiver hitches integrated into bumper for recovery points or any accessories you can dream up (ie additional cargo or tire mount, canoe rack, game hanger etc.)
- Skid plate/protection for AC dryer
Engine Compartment and main system Highlights:
- Engine very well integrated into compartment, definitely looks like it belongs in there
- New, High output (160 amp) Bosch alternator
o All power and ground cables upgraded with heavy duty gauge cables and connections
- New high performance 4 core radiator as part of conversion
o Matched with heavy duty clutch fan and custom fiberglass shroud--awesome cooling capability -- easily handled our large popup up Colorado grades in summer heat with fan clutch rarely kicking in at all.
- Auxiliary starter solenoid kit installed (alleviates common issue with these engines -- due to starter proximity to headers, the starter solenoid can heat up and potentially impair starting on hot days)
- Snorkel (even without water crossings, it's a great air intake that gets some ram air effect and is up above a lot of the road and trail dust)
- Note -- oil filter is bosch 3334 series or Fram 10060 series
Cab:
- Ultraguage computer: easy real-time monitoring of vehicle computer data of your choice and ability to read out and reset check engine codes.
- Stereo -- very nice Eclipse 7200 head unit with sony 40x4 amp running high end Danish Sound Technologies component speakers in front and dedicated sub amp running infinity kappa 10" sealed sub. Sound quality is excellent. . .the rear sub box is NOT hard mounted as I preferred to be able to move it around or take it out when stuffing with gear.
- 400 Watt Inverter
- Husky liner custom floor mats
- Original fold down rear seats for ability to seat up to seven (rear two seats are really for kids not adults)
- LED dome lights
- Front brakes: Upgraded with high quality slotted rotors (wish I could remember the brand but they are very high quality) and carbon metallic z-rated pads. Stopping is awesome and does not fade even with towing or on very steep trails **(two sets of new pads included)
Rear Bumper: Heavy duty DIY bumper with a LOT of functionality you won't find in any other bumper.
- Entire bumper is designed for max function and the cleanest possible departure lines and angles with nothing to hang up on if you drag it
- Slightly shortened rear frame rails for improved departure angles
- Fully integrated tow receiver
- 2x6 3/16" main member with 1x3 1/8' top member
- **Fully integrated heavy duty rack system that completely stows under vehicle and can be deployed whenever needed for hauling game, coolers, cargo box etc. Ultimate solution to the standard cruiser cargo space issue. . .(needs paint)
- Super heavy duty Comp 4x4 tire swingout hinge. . .this is as strong as it gets
- Adjustable tire height (mount to swingout with 3 u bolts)
- Very secure heavy duty poppit type lock to lock open
- Heavy duty clamp mount to secure close with auto engaging heavy duty poppit as backup so your swingout is always secure even if you forget to latch
- Mounting post and latch for second cargo/accessory swingout (ie for fuel, tool boxes etc) (swingout fab components included)
- Rear quarter panel protection
Heavy duty Rock DIY rock sliders:
Heavy duty 2x3 3/16" main beams with rub rail and kickout wings
Additional gear included with truck:
- Winch recovery kit with multiple heavy duty clevises, wired and wireless winch remote, gloves, tree strap, and snatch block
- Batteries/power: Older orbital blue top in good shape and heavy duty Gold manufactured by Johnson Controls. Also included is a smart dual battery kit with heavy duty solenoid to eliminate voltage drop. There is room to place a spare battery under the vehicle without impacting clearance
o Includes extensive power cables, fuse holders etc to wire just about any accessory you want
o Includes 400 watt power inverter
- Includes two high output LED flood lights and a small light bar which can easily be mounted and wired for 360 degrees of lighting
- Additional bolts hardware etc
- Original floor mats in good shape
- Two new sets of carbon metallic Z-rated front brake pads
- Adjustable Tire Deflators (screw in and tires deflate to pre-set PSI) (I usually run ~17-18 PSI on the trail)
This truck runs great and I have driven it for two years since the conversion was completed and it has been solid, powerful, and reliable. There are a few minor items to be aware of which I will disclose and list below as thoroughly as I can:
- CPK position programming: Overall, the vehicle has and excellent program that runs the truck very well to include chevy computer control of trans shifting etc. However, it has a CPK (Crankshaft position sensor) code that does not go away. The computer monitors this to engine knocking so it's really not needed. I believe the fix options are: successfully complete the learning routine (tried previously), have a tuner "remove" the CPK from the program or live with it. I chose to live with it but it does result in the following:
o **vehicle speed limited to 80 MPH** generally speaking, not a big deal, but potentially dangerous if passing at high speeds (not something I do in my cruiser even with the v8). And Cruise control disabled
o
- Rust spot on upper rear tailgate: There is a bubbled rust spot which just developed a pinhole and can leak a little in heavy rains. I covered it with clear weather tape and that seals out any moisture intrusion but it does need a permanent fix. The three options I'd consider are: do, or get the body work done to repair the rust OR get a newly reconditioned upper rear tailgate from cruiserparts (I believe 4-600$ depending on paint and trimmings etc, OR pull one from any lX450/80 series cruiser.
- Exhaust. There is a minor leak in the exhaust system where there is a coupler with an imperfect seal. It doesn't cause any really issues but the best solution is probably to replace the bolt in coupler with a weld in flex pipe -- about $20 if you DIY, probably $75-$100 bucks at a muffler shop
- Evap Canister Venting: Sometimes on hot days there is some venting of the evap canister that you can smell. This is a pretty common issue and only happens when it is hot. Fix could be as simple as a new gas cap or replace or mod the evap canister.
- Some interior wear and tear, most notably on leather of driver seat
Call or email John at 719 761 1509. I tried to be very thorough, but I'm sure there will be questions so please feel free to ask. Not looking to trade at this time. Has seen far less hard wheeling than I had hoped:-( but does great on
the trail 
.
Thanks for looking and happy trails!
John
Selling due to overseas move. Awesome on and off road -- fully rigged out. This was one of the last conversions done by Rocky Mountain Cruisers and is very nicely integrated to include function of original Lexus systems and new Chevy systems. Even with oversized tires, heavy duty bumpers and sliders and a winch, the truck has plenty of power for road, tow, wheeling etc. Here are the particulars:
Drivetrain: 2006 Chevy L33 (5.3L aluminum block high output from Pacific Fabrication) vortec engine with custom built heavy duty 4L60E trans. (engine now has a total of 56K). Tranny is a new build heavy duty trans with 28K.
Suspension: OME 2.5 inch lift with heavies in front and medium in rear. The sway bar drop brackets were added as part of the conversion.
Drive shaft: Very heavy duty long travel low profile custom drive shaft (I think it's chromoly, need to double check). It's a long travel version of what goes in the extreme (ie 600+ HP hot rods)
Tires: Hankook dynapro atm 285/75/16 (33"). Probably less than a year of tread life left so dropped price. (spare is new cooper)
Front Bumper: Very heavy duty DIY bumper with a ton of functional features:
- Integrated winch mount housing Badlands 12000 pound winch
o Includes wired and wireless winch control
- Brush Guard
- LED light bar plus two compact high output LED driving lights
- Dual receiver hitches integrated into bumper for recovery points or any accessories you can dream up (ie additional cargo or tire mount, canoe rack, game hanger etc.)
- Skid plate/protection for AC dryer
Engine Compartment and main system Highlights:
- Engine very well integrated into compartment, definitely looks like it belongs in there
- New, High output (160 amp) Bosch alternator
o All power and ground cables upgraded with heavy duty gauge cables and connections
- New high performance 4 core radiator as part of conversion
o Matched with heavy duty clutch fan and custom fiberglass shroud--awesome cooling capability -- easily handled our large popup up Colorado grades in summer heat with fan clutch rarely kicking in at all.
- Auxiliary starter solenoid kit installed (alleviates common issue with these engines -- due to starter proximity to headers, the starter solenoid can heat up and potentially impair starting on hot days)
- Snorkel (even without water crossings, it's a great air intake that gets some ram air effect and is up above a lot of the road and trail dust)
- Note -- oil filter is bosch 3334 series or Fram 10060 series
Cab:
- Ultraguage computer: easy real-time monitoring of vehicle computer data of your choice and ability to read out and reset check engine codes.
- Stereo -- very nice Eclipse 7200 head unit with sony 40x4 amp running high end Danish Sound Technologies component speakers in front and dedicated sub amp running infinity kappa 10" sealed sub. Sound quality is excellent. . .the rear sub box is NOT hard mounted as I preferred to be able to move it around or take it out when stuffing with gear.
- 400 Watt Inverter
- Husky liner custom floor mats
- Original fold down rear seats for ability to seat up to seven (rear two seats are really for kids not adults)
- LED dome lights
- Front brakes: Upgraded with high quality slotted rotors (wish I could remember the brand but they are very high quality) and carbon metallic z-rated pads. Stopping is awesome and does not fade even with towing or on very steep trails **(two sets of new pads included)
Rear Bumper: Heavy duty DIY bumper with a LOT of functionality you won't find in any other bumper.
- Entire bumper is designed for max function and the cleanest possible departure lines and angles with nothing to hang up on if you drag it
- Slightly shortened rear frame rails for improved departure angles
- Fully integrated tow receiver
- 2x6 3/16" main member with 1x3 1/8' top member
- **Fully integrated heavy duty rack system that completely stows under vehicle and can be deployed whenever needed for hauling game, coolers, cargo box etc. Ultimate solution to the standard cruiser cargo space issue. . .(needs paint)
- Super heavy duty Comp 4x4 tire swingout hinge. . .this is as strong as it gets
- Adjustable tire height (mount to swingout with 3 u bolts)
- Very secure heavy duty poppit type lock to lock open
- Heavy duty clamp mount to secure close with auto engaging heavy duty poppit as backup so your swingout is always secure even if you forget to latch
- Mounting post and latch for second cargo/accessory swingout (ie for fuel, tool boxes etc) (swingout fab components included)
- Rear quarter panel protection
Heavy duty Rock DIY rock sliders:
Heavy duty 2x3 3/16" main beams with rub rail and kickout wings
Additional gear included with truck:
- Winch recovery kit with multiple heavy duty clevises, wired and wireless winch remote, gloves, tree strap, and snatch block
- Batteries/power: Older orbital blue top in good shape and heavy duty Gold manufactured by Johnson Controls. Also included is a smart dual battery kit with heavy duty solenoid to eliminate voltage drop. There is room to place a spare battery under the vehicle without impacting clearance
o Includes extensive power cables, fuse holders etc to wire just about any accessory you want
o Includes 400 watt power inverter
- Includes two high output LED flood lights and a small light bar which can easily be mounted and wired for 360 degrees of lighting
- Additional bolts hardware etc
- Original floor mats in good shape
- Two new sets of carbon metallic Z-rated front brake pads
- Adjustable Tire Deflators (screw in and tires deflate to pre-set PSI) (I usually run ~17-18 PSI on the trail)
This truck runs great and I have driven it for two years since the conversion was completed and it has been solid, powerful, and reliable. There are a few minor items to be aware of which I will disclose and list below as thoroughly as I can:
- CPK position programming: Overall, the vehicle has and excellent program that runs the truck very well to include chevy computer control of trans shifting etc. However, it has a CPK (Crankshaft position sensor) code that does not go away. The computer monitors this to engine knocking so it's really not needed. I believe the fix options are: successfully complete the learning routine (tried previously), have a tuner "remove" the CPK from the program or live with it. I chose to live with it but it does result in the following:
o **vehicle speed limited to 80 MPH** generally speaking, not a big deal, but potentially dangerous if passing at high speeds (not something I do in my cruiser even with the v8). And Cruise control disabled
o
- Rust spot on upper rear tailgate: There is a bubbled rust spot which just developed a pinhole and can leak a little in heavy rains. I covered it with clear weather tape and that seals out any moisture intrusion but it does need a permanent fix. The three options I'd consider are: do, or get the body work done to repair the rust OR get a newly reconditioned upper rear tailgate from cruiserparts (I believe 4-600$ depending on paint and trimmings etc, OR pull one from any lX450/80 series cruiser.
- Exhaust. There is a minor leak in the exhaust system where there is a coupler with an imperfect seal. It doesn't cause any really issues but the best solution is probably to replace the bolt in coupler with a weld in flex pipe -- about $20 if you DIY, probably $75-$100 bucks at a muffler shop
- Evap Canister Venting: Sometimes on hot days there is some venting of the evap canister that you can smell. This is a pretty common issue and only happens when it is hot. Fix could be as simple as a new gas cap or replace or mod the evap canister.
- Some interior wear and tear, most notably on leather of driver seat
Call or email John at 719 761 1509. I tried to be very thorough, but I'm sure there will be questions so please feel free to ask. Not looking to trade at this time. Has seen far less hard wheeling than I had hoped:-( but does great on
. Thanks for looking and happy trails!
John
