Builds Nemesis - a deviant undertaking underway (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Rough day at the office but was done at 1230. Headed to the tranny shop to check on the progress - none. Shop won't have time to work on her until after Mardi Gras but had the chance to meet the owner - great guy and we both laughed at my lack of mechanical terminology (that thing, the round-oval thing with the ridges on the sides, etc.).

Next, went to the interior shop. . .the guy's a friggin master magician. Next time I'm in, I'll take some pics of his current projects for you guys to see. Anyhoo - decided to do a full dynomat install (may even do the roof depending on how much he quotes me for R&R'ing a perfectly good liner). Decided on the carpet but still looking for seats (sat in a Audi Q5 with the misses Monday - super comfy, supportive - is the search officially on now? hmmm. . .). Also decided to do a custom dash but that will be near the bottom of my priorities.

Working with Wagongear on panel design.

Ordered parts from Onur.

99% sure I picked my new daily driver - leaning toward a Subaru Legacy (I must have died in a previous life related to not having AWD. . .b/c it's so difficult for me to stay away from them, lol).

Tires arrived today. Beeee-u-tee-ful.

Rims not available because they were discontinued. WTF! Back to the drawing board, damn it and looks like we're taking the Swedish sleigh to Austin this weekend.

Went to my mechanics shop - cataloged parts, debated on what to do with the 2F, to change diffs or not to change diffs, etc.

Got home and have been on the computer for 3 hours researching FJ60's - and yes, I'm in trouble :doh:

Shane
 
Hey man. . .good to hear from you.

If by waiting on #7 means you're going to venture down that road. . consider it done. I have a 6-8 month timeline before deciding to yank the 2F and rebuild/replace. I figure I can start messing around with the subs during this time (what better to do with the white FJ60 sitting in my driveway, hehe).

Insofar as u coming to NOLA - door's open. . .but u have to like really big dogs =) Scooby & Tara will greet you with the typical Doberman handshake (wear a cup), so be prepared, lol. We're heading to Austin, Texas for a long Mardi Gras weekend but usually we're in town (work Tue-Fri, 9a-4p, most weeks). What part of the city does your cousin live in and if you don't mind, PM his name. . .I may already know him if we have any of the same interests (cars, guns, bikes, Anti-Obama (hehe)).

Oh. . .also visited your store a bit ago. I had pretty much decided on the ARB rack but will purchase from you instead. And. . .WTF with the Stoptech BBK for the FJ60? I was like. . .'that's what I'm talking about'. Ran that setup on my STi and M3, and was very happy with the performance of both kits. Not sure if I want to drop 4K on brakes for the FJ60 (dream world) but have been toying around with the 4Runner upgrade kit since speaking to Onur about it last week.

She should be out of the shop late this week/early next week - first major project to be checked-off. Rims/tires early next week, then to the next project - interior. I'm scheduled for a 1/2 day this Wed & Friday - let's chat if you have time.

Shane

You and my cousin probably don't get along, he's liberal democrat lawyer! I love big dogs! I have 4. 2 English Pit Bulls, and 2 120lb retreivers (one golden one black lab coon hound mix). I'm planning on taking a trip down south at some point this summer I'll have to swing by and say hello!

Yeah those brakes are gigantic. My thought was, well if you need a Super + H/D Lift kit for your diesel swapped rig with bumpers, sliders, rear swing-outs etc. You should really upgrade the brakes. I mean isn't stopping twice as important as going? :)

Like I said anytime you need anything hit me up. Even if you just have questions!

Looks like you're really cruising on this build! I'm super impressed! You've gotten more done in a month than most do in 3 years! :)
 
callahan - sounds good to me. Let me know a week or so before you head to NOLA and I'll make sure I schedule some time off to show you around a bit. Also - love the breaks and if I twist my arm hard enough, maybe we'll end up putting a BBK on the FJ after all.

Just got to Boerne, Tx (yes, everything in Texas in BIG. . .friend's driveway was 6 miles long. . .doh!). I'll check in with you shortly and until then, enjoy the weekend.

Shane
 
H55F install, xfer case rebuild, driveshafts balanced, exhaust leaks fixed, tune-up, fluids changed, rims & tires mounted & balanced - check, check, check.

Hood liner, emblems, interior lights, side marker lights, dash pad, hood release cable, door pins, rear sway bar, front/rear sway bar links, front/rear lens covers/gaskets, headlight harness with 2 aux blocks, new washer bottle/lines, Tuffy console, SOR windows, 1.5" spacers, steering components rebuild/replaced, wheels/tires mounted to FJ60 - projected to be accomplished over the next 2 weeks (yippie).

Then, I think I"ll drive her for a week or two before:

1. Interior shop for complete re-do (bmw 3xx seats/brackets, new carpet, sound and heat protection, door panels & hardware, and finally. . .a stereo system.

2. Axle & diff rebuild, brake upgrade (front only).

3. Engine swap.

Notes:

1. Great. . .really exceptional community; so many ppl willing to chime in and help, give experience-based feedback.

2. Never count your chickens before they hatch - if you are about to start a resto, multiply your initial tally by 5.

3. The H55F swap was worth every single penny - amazing, transformed, and my face hurts from the smile I can't wipe off (final verdict once the new rims/tires mounted).

Thanks so much to all of you guys for the help, direction and support. . .woot woot.
 
So. . .

Learned that FJ60 projects don't always move as fast as you initially planned, lol. Been a while since I updated this thread:

Completed:
H55F installed
Drive shafts balanced, painted, all new hardware
Spacers, and Rims & tires installed (Fuel Revolvers (17x9) with Cooper AT3 33x11.5's).
Tune-up completed (but only to find another exhaust leak last week; coolant leak today)
Added rear sway bar, f/r bextended sway bar links, new f/r bushings
R&R interior dome lights
cleaned and got horn working

Parts on order:
Bunch of stuff from SOR (grill, headlight doors, wiper stuff, trim, gaskets, seals, front lens/gaskets, rear light assemblies, fender seal kits, etc.).
Battery cable upgrade (IH8MUD: four runner) - awesome customer service.
JW Speaker headlights (http://www.jwspeaker.com/other/8700evolution)
Tuffy Console (finally off of back order)

This coming week/weekend:
headlight harness/aux boxes (IH8MUD: wiredwagon - awesome customer service as well), battery cable upgrade, headlights)
SOR parts
Tuffy if it gets here in time.

Engine/brake decision:
Going to go with the 2FE build (justin @ red line to do the build)
Toyota V8 BBK conversion (justin @ red line)

Here's a few pics:















 
Last edited:
Nice truck there mate and good write up, looking forward to see some.

Might be a good time to invest in some flares otherwise those tyres might start stripping your paint work with stones and rocks flicking up :D

:cheers: Spudman
 
Nice truck there mate and good write up, looking forward to see some.

Might be a good time to invest in some flares otherwise those tyres might start stripping your paint work with stones and rocks flicking up :D

:cheers: Spudman

Thanks, Spudman. . .compliments & advice much appreciated.

Wouldn't happen to know where I can get a set of flares, eh? From what I read, nobody makes FJ60 flares - and when I talked to my body shop about a custom fabrication, the costs didn't justify getting it done.

Shane
 
Definitely come a long way Shane and you are moving fast!

Nice job.

:clap:

Thanks, Onur. . .and no way I would've gotten this far without your help & guidance. It's scary to think the big jobs ($$$) haven't even started yet (motor, brakes, interior, electrical). Hey - might be in your area for a 2-day meeting. I'll probably take the dd vs. the FJ60 - but either way, I'll stop by and do an official 'meet & greet' if you have time.

Shane
 
Looks sweet!
The wheel adapters look good too!

Thanks, MicahMan. . .it was a really tough decision to put a set of spacers on her. The front two will come off when I do the BBK upgrade - the upgrade pushes the axle out 1.5" on each side - but the rears will have to stay.

Shane
 
Thanks, Spudman. . .compliments & advice much appreciated.

Wouldn't happen to know where I can get a set of flares, eh? From what I read, nobody makes FJ60 flares - and when I talked to my body shop about a custom fabrication, the costs didn't justify getting it done.

Shane

Sorry mate, it's too expensive to send from this end, not worth it in the end.

I think I read somewhere on mud that spectre off road were selling them
 
Thanks, Onur. . .and no way I would've gotten this far without your help & guidance. It's scary to think the big jobs ($$$) haven't even started yet (motor, brakes, interior, electrical). Hey - might be in your area for a 2-day meeting. I'll probably take the dd vs. the FJ60 - but either way, I'll stop by and do an official 'meet & greet' if you have time.

Shane

Sure Shane. I am pretty easy to find. :)

Lunch on me!
 
Finished work a little early today and started working on the FJ60 - pulling the interior to dynamat/sound deaden. Bulk pack = 36 sf, so I'm thinking 4-5 bulk packs to do the entire truck??? Also, quickly realized I'll be placing an order with Onur for some trim/door parts ;)

A few pics:










 
Wow! what an amazing Truck you just purchased. very very nice. have fun with her and enjoy driving it. the thumbs up you will get will just put a sense a pride and a big cheesy grin. looking forward to watching its progress.
 
Wow! what an amazing Truck you just purchased. very very nice. have fun with her and enjoy driving it. the thumbs up you will get will just put a sense a pride and a big cheesy grin. looking forward to watching its progress.

Man, thanks so much for the compliments - and right back at ya'. I looked far & wide for a FJ62 but in the end, it was the headlights that kept me coming back for more on the FJ60 ;) It's funny. . .I've had her for a bit now but she's been in the shop substantially more than I've been behind the wheel. To say its been an learning process is THE understatement of the year (for me).

Shane
 
Shane, a few questions!! The ARB bullbar that you have on your truck, do you know the model number of it?
I was looking to buy one this week. However since I am in Mumbai, there's just one importer of ARB. So it takes about 40 days to be shipped from Australia to India. None the less, I was looking for the bullbar like yours. I don't like the bullbars that are mounted high!
This is what i dont like:
upload_2014-4-3_17-51-38.png

This is what i'm looking for:
upload_2014-4-3_17-51-15.png


Here's the catch - my cruiser has the rectangle headlights with the turning indicator under it. So i'm hoping to it looks like this:
upload_2014-4-3_17-52-16.png


I'm getting my OME kit too by next month end, so i was hoping to buy the bullbar along with it. Do you know the model number of the one you own?
 
Shane, a few questions!! The ARB bullbar that you have on your truck, do you know the model number of it?
I was looking to buy one this week. However since I am in Mumbai, there's just one importer of ARB. So it takes about 40 days to be shipped from Australia to India. None the less, I was looking for the bullbar like yours. I don't like the bullbars that are mounted high!
This is what i dont like:
View attachment 881728
This is what i'm looking for:
View attachment 881727

Here's the catch - my cruiser has the rectangle headlights with the turning indicator under it. So i'm hoping to it looks like this:
View attachment 881729

I'm getting my OME kit too by next month end, so i was hoping to buy the bullbar along with it. Do you know the model number of the one you own?

I think... and correct me if I'm wrong. That is the "old style" ARB bumper. They only make the new "full" style these days. The PN of the new one is: 3410100. Un-fortunately you can't buy a brand new "old style" one from the factory. You'll have to look for a used one and pick that up, or have someone local to you re-create it.

I don't think its so much that the bull bar is mounted high, so much as the bumper is larger and offers greater protection than the old one. But again aesthetic is just as important as function otherwise no one would buy Ferrari's
LC60_bar_2.jpg


Shane your build is coming along so nicely!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom